7 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Overnight Oats

7 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Overnight Oats

No time to make breakfast in the morning? Well, there’s one thing you can do here and that is making overnight oats the night before. They are convenient and easy to put together. All you have to do is stir a combination of oats, milk and other ingredients into a jar. Close the lid and store it in the fridge. Come next morning, you just grab it out of the fridge and dig in. But wait, there’s a chance you might be making some mistakes when making overnight oats. Here are 7 of them to avoid.


1) You Choose Instant Or Quick Oats

Unless you don’t mind the sogginess of instant or quick oats for your overnight oats, it’s best not to use them. Instead, go for the old-fashioned rolled oats. Simply the best of its kind for overnight oats. Not to mention rolled oats soak up the liquid better that gives you the right chewiness and creamy texture.

Overnight Oats Mistake #1: You Choose Instant Or Quick Oats
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2) You Either Add Too Little Or Too Much Liquid

By liquid, we mean milk (e.g. full cream milk, almond milk) that you use to mix with your oats. If you are adding too little, you would end up with overnight oats that taste more uncomfortably solid than something creamy and porridge-like. But adding too much liquid isn’t a good thing either since it would turn your overnight oats into a soup-like texture. Your best bet? Follow this simple tip by sticking to the 2:1 ratio. That means 1 cup of milk to 1/2 cup of oats for that right consistency.

Overnight Oats Mistake #2: You Either Adding Too Little Or Too Much Liquid
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3) You Forget To Add Salt

According to Rick Martinez, the associate food editor at Bon Appetit, “cold food needs more seasoning than hot”. And that includes overnight oats as well. Without proper seasoning, your overnight oats would end up tasting like glue or cardboard. So, the next time you make overnight oats, don’t forget to add in a pinch of salt to help bring out the flavours.

Overnight Oats Mistake #3: You Forget To Add Salt
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4) You Choose To Add Toppings Ahead Of Time

While making overnight oats is meant to save your precious time come breakfast morning, adding toppings into your overnight oats the night before isn’t really a good idea. This is especially true if your toppings are meant to give you some bite such as nuts and fresh fruits (e.g. berries). Unless you don’t mind soggy toppings, it’s best to add them later on when you are ready to eat your overnight oats out of the fridge. But there are few exceptions to this rule such as chia seeds since they require time to absorb the liquid.

Overnight Oats Mistake #4: You Choose To Add Toppings Ahead Of Time
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5) You Leave Your Overnight Oats Too Long At Room Temperature

So, you have added all the necessary ingredients for your overnight oats into a jar. But then, you somehow forget to place the jar inside the fridge. Here’s the thing, leaving overnight oats at room temperature for too long can cause microbial pathogens to grow since you have added liquid to them. To avoid this from happening, it’s best to store your overnight oats in the fridge.

Overnight Oats Mistake #5: You Leave Your Overnight Oats Too Long At Room Temperature
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6) You Place Your Overnight Oats On The Fridge Door

Since overnight oats typically contain milk liquid, it’s wise not to place your jar in the compartment of the fridge door. The main reason has to do with the milk itself since it can spoil quickly due to exposure to a warmer temperature. This is particularly evident each time you open the fridge door. So, to avoid your overnight oats from going bad, store your jar in the middle of the fridge.

Overnight Oats Mistake #6: You Place Your Overnight Oats On The Fridge Door
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7) You Didn’t Bother To Stir In Before Eating Them

Sure, overnight oats are meant to be convenient. But that doesn’t mean you should simply reach for that jar of overnight oats out of the fridge and enjoy them right away. Of course, you can do so, provided you don’t care about the inconsistent texture upon every spoonful. To ensure you get those well-combined overnight oats, always remember to give them a few stirs beforehand. That way you will get the right mix of chewiness, sweetness and crunchy texture when you start digging in your overnight oats.

Overnight Oats Mistake #7: You Didn't Bother To Stir In Before Eating Them
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