Ever since I was diagnosed of mild gluten intolerance, all kinds of breads, cakes, noodles, pastas have been diminished from my diet. Naturally, it had me wondering and listing all the food stuff devoid of gluten. I took my time and did some research. First thing that showed up in the gluten-free food list was ‘Oats’.

I wasn’t much of an oat lover because I hated the consistency of cooked oats. It was too gooey and sticky. So, further research and enticing pictures from a ton of Instagram communities made me try overnight oats. And what can I say? It was a revolution for me. I was totally converted. No gooey, sticky consistency. Every morning I look forward to having a breakfast of oats and chia pudding along with various fruits and smoothies. At this point I’ve made what feels like a zillion smoothies and oats.
The recipe is versatile and flexible. Best of all, its portable! You can make it in mason jars or airtight containers and have breakfast on the go. Its a great feeling to share these recipes with you all.

I use quick oats because I don’t cook oats in this recipe. Feel free to try old fashioned oats.
I usually use honey/agave/stevia to sweeten my bowl of pudding. If you’re vegan, use one of these options: agave, stevia, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup. I suggest using unsweetened vanilla almond milk for 2 reasons – to control sweetness of your pudding and vanilla gives good flavor. You may use coconut milk, cashew milk, mix of almond-coconut milks, hemp seed milk, hazelnut milk. If you aren’t plant-based, you can use whole or skimmed milk.

Overnight oats and chia pudding recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup chia seeds
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1-2 tsp sweetener of your choice
Toppings –
dry fruits(apricot, figs, cranberries),
nuts(walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds) ,
fresh fruits(apples, berries, banana, dragonfruit, kiwi, mango, cherries),
frozen fruits(berries, bananas),
nut butters(peanut, almond, coconut, hazelnut),
seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame),
smoothies, protein powders, granola, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, shredded coconut or coconut chips, edible flowers.

Method:
1. Mix together oats and chia seeds in an airtight container, stir around to distribute evenly and avoid clumps.
2. Pour in milk and add sweetener. Stir thoroughly breaking clumps. At this point you can add some nuts or smoothies or protein powders of your choice.
3. Let the oats rest 4 hours or overnight. Next morning they are ready to eat along with suggested toppings or as is.

I usually top the oats with fresh fruits or smoothies, nuts and granola because that’s what I like the best. I really hope you guys try this out and let me know how it turns out. I want to hear it all – success, failure, attempts.

Enjoy!