This is my third and final recipe created for this year’s #WakeUpToOrganic campaign which goes live on the morning of the 15th June. The aim of the campaign is to highlight simple achievable ways to make the switch to organic products in your weekly shop. The campaign – encouraging us to make simple changes to organic products – is led by The Organic Trade Board.
The Organic Trade Board have been busy with small independent retailers around the UK explaining how to feed their customers with a free organic breakfast next week to highlight just how easy it can be to make the switch to organic. One of the recipes they are taking on board for this campaign is “overnight oats” which have become so popular in recent years. I created an overnight oats recipe that I demonstrated for them at this year’s NOPE (Natural & Organic Products of Europe exhibition) at the Excel centre.
Overnight cinnamon apple oats may be more familiar to you as “Bircher muesli“, where oats are soaked overnight with apple juice, grated apple and whatever else you might like to add to this morning staple originally from Switzerland. The rise of the overnight oats can be seen all over the internet from Pinterest to You Tube to The Body coach. Some versions look more like a dessert than a breakfast item but if that’s what you want to have for your morning’s sustenance, who I am to judge you.
What I can say is that overnight oats do fill you up, especially if you add a few seeds, dried fruits and plenty of almond milk. I have no idea what the science behind this theory is but I do find them more filling than a straight up bowl of porridge. I also love to top my soaked oats with a scoop of home made fruit compote and a sprinkle of almonds or walnuts. You can even layer the oats with the compote and turn this into a more dessert like breakfast parfait.
Overnight cinnamon apple oats do raise the point of how easy it can be to make the switch to organic on breakfast items. A bag of organic oats, some organic milk and an organic apple or two is a good place to start without raising the cost of your shop too drastically.
You can follow the #WakeUpToOrganic campaign on social media and if you know of a friendly local independent food retailer that might be interested in joining in, then tell them to get in touch for a promotional pack on how to run this event in-house.
The Organic Trade Board and The Soil Association will be tweeting about it @WakeuptoOrganic @organicukfood @soilassociation next Wednesday the 15th June so join in and share your breakfast photos with them.
Here are some more oaty breakfast ideas for you:
Overnight oats with figs & pistachios – Nicky’s Kitchen Sanctuary
Overnight oats with home made cashew butter – Natural Kitchen Adventures
Overnight oats with raisins & pumpkin seeds – Tin & Thyme
Peanut butter overnight oats – Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen
Simple overnight oats – Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen
Energy boosting overnight oats – Lucy & Lentils
Blueberry & banana overnight oats – The Flexitarian
*Working in assocation with The Organic Trade Board*
Overnight cinnamon apple oats for #WakeUpToOrganic
Ingredients
- 50 g oats
- 130 ml almond milk/whole milk
- A handful of sultanas
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1/2 an apple grated
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- A pinch of salt
- Zest of half an organic lemon
- A pinch of chia seeds
- Toppings:
- Apple compote
- Flaked almonds
- Chia seeds
- Toasted pumpkin & sunflower seeds
Instructions
-
Place all of the above ingredients into a jam jar, Kilner jar or plastic conatiner and leave in your fridge overnight.
-
When you are ready to eat your breakfast, remove the oats from the fridge, place into a bowl and top with some of the suggested toppings.
Recipe Notes
If the overnight oats have become too thick, simply add a splash more milk before serving.
This mixture will keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours, so you can make a double batch to enjoy over a couple of days.
This sounds so delicious. I absolutely love overnight oats and all those toppings sound amazing, especially the apple compote… yum! Have yummed and pinned this recipe to try later!
Pleased you like it Ciara, the apple comote makes it!
So pretty! Overnight oats are such a good idea and I love the flavours x
It’s a favouyrite of mine Emily, also love how easy they are to prepare
Love this recipe Laura! So easy for a weekday on the go breakfast.
Hi Debs, so pleased you like it 🙂
So THAT’S what bircher muesli is!!! I still can’t get over the thought that this is just cold porridge but this does look delicious. I think I’m finally going to give it a try 😀
Yes I know Emma, if you arent keen then blast it in the microwave for 20secs to take the edge off!
This looks a thoroughly gorgeous way to start the day! I occasionally do Bircher (I’m old enough that that’s what I call it), and top with homemade blackcurrant compote. That nips is important to me as I find it a bit cloying otherwise. You are right about this being the perfect way to get into organic: most of these ingredients are not only available in organic versions, but not as expensive as they have been in past years.
Oh the idea of a blackcurrant compote is now calling me!
I’m making this tonight!! Thank you for the reminder. I stopped making overnight oats for winter and was cooking my oats and completely forgot about it…
Hi Margot, hope you get back into making them!
I have never tried overnight oats so will have to give this a go as your photos looks so inviting:-)
Definitely Camilla, I am sure you would love them!
I love bircher muesli, especially with a very naught dollop of thick Swiss cream mixed into it. However, that’s not desperately easy to get hold of over here, so it’s easy to be good. Love your recipe and use of dates. I may not manage organic with everything, but I generally to have an organic breakfast.
Oh I love the sound of that Swiss cream. I’ll be there in the summer so that will be my breakfast of choice!
I really need to try overnight oats, I’ve not tried it at all yet but looks like a great way to have breakfast ready and waiting in the morning. The smells might make me hungry before I wake up though!
I think you would love it Kavey and I have been eating it with rhubarb compote this week which has been great 🙂