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Hi, I’m Catherine.
Mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.
Refrigerator Oatmeal
Refrigerator Oatmeal is a simple breakfast and snack recipe that's filling and a great way to start your day.
Our family goes through a lot of oatmeal. It makes an appearance at breakfast at least once or twice a week. More so in the winter when it's cold and Oatmeal in the Crockpot is my weeknight recipe savior. It requires I do nothing but dump all the ingredients into a pot the night before and I can rest assured the kids will get a nutritious hot breakfast the next morning.
But even in the summertime my kids often ask for oatmeal, a request which boggles my mind, especially when we wake up and it's already 85 degrees outside.
For a cool, fun spin on oatmeal during the hotter months, I pre-make these mason jars of oatmeal on Sundays for us to eat for breakfast over the next few days, and I must say they're pretty darn addictive. I let each family member personalize their own jar -- using nuts, berries, seeds, and more to make their own edible work of art. Chloe’s favorite combos are usually almond butter and banana, frozen berries with honey and chopped nuts and maple syrup while Kenya is more of a purist enjoying his with just a swirl of fresh preserves or even plain.
Once you've prepped them, you just put them right in the fridge. No cooking necessary! Overnight the cool milk and tangy yogurt soften the oats and meld together into this scrumptious creamy breakfast. The best part is that you don't have to do a thing in the morning except pull the jars out of the fridge and enjoy. And trust me, you will!
For my ever growing belly this Refrigerator Oatmeal is a life saver as I’m feeling busier than ever, so having a Strawberry Parfait or jar of this oatmeal to grab on my way out the door keeps me nourished and happy.
If you want to see a bunch of cool add in combo’s for this recipe and a tips to making these the night or days before watch this Refrigerator Oatmeal Video for everything you need!
Refrigerator Oatmeal (serves 4 )
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 0 mins
egg free
nut free
dairy free
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
- 1 cup whole milk, rice, soy or almond milk
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons honey
Preparation
1. In a bowl, stir together the oats, milk, yogurt and honey. Pour into small mason jars and stir in desired accompaniments.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Serve chilled.
Accompaniments
1/2 a banana, mashed or sliced, mashed or chopped berries (this works great with frozen berries too) ,flax seeds, chia seeds, a teaspoon of peanut or almond butter, dried fruits, chopped, almonds, walnut, cashew or pumpkin or sunflower seeds
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82 comments
Yum. This reminds me of bircher muesli - add some grated apple. I love the idea of making it in small jars that everyone personalises. We're renovating the kitchen soon so this will be a winner when our appliances (except fridge) are out of action.
Putting this into action this week. Now gotta get those cute mason jars.......what size are those (oz)???
Those are old jars, aren't they?
These are 8 ounce jars!
Can you substitute whole milk yogurt for Greek yogurt?
Use any yogurt you prefer!
We are not huge fans of Greek Yogurt here, can we substitute plain regular (or flavored) yogurt?
to be honest my hubby hates oatmeal but my 2 year old loves it. I just wish there was a breakfast recipe for hubby that didn't involve oatmeal. He's on the go in the mornings and no time to cook up breakfast at 6am lol.
Yes, you can use any yogurt you prefer!
adding chia seeds the night before is also a great addition to this recipe. It makes the oatmeal thicker & chewier!
This is so funny. You basically listed everything in my kitchen, even the accompaniments. You always nail it Catherine! Much love for you from New Jersey
How is this Dairy Free if you use a cup of yogurt? Any substitute for those that can't have yogurt?
use coconut yogurt or almond yogurt for those wanting a vegan version. pretty easy fix.
It can be made dairy free depending on the ingredients you use! Try using soy or almond milk and yogurt!
Brilliant!!! Thank you so much. Making this today for tomorrow morning. Will also be a hit for my busy husband. Love it.
This looks fantastic. I gotta try it. I'll set my husband up with some, too, as he frequently skips breakfast due to time.
A vegan version?
vegan version, use almond or soy milk and coconut or almond milk yogurt
this is also a wonderful trick to use (soaking oats in milk overnight) when adding oats to smoothies to make them extra-thick and hearty
Hi do you have the recipe for your crockpot oatmeal?
It is linked in this post, but here it is in case you missed it! http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2010/11/02/oatmeal-in-the-crock-pot/
Hi! Can I make this with oat groats? Thanks (-:
I haven't tried making it with groats and I'm not sure if they would get soft enough, but it is definitely worth a try!
This is brilliant and that first pirtcue belongs in a frame. I also love that you mentioned how powerful a kitchen torch makes you feel. I totally get that feeling when holding my chef's knife. Although a kitchen torch is slightly cooler
How long do they keep in the fridge? Gonna try this vegan soon. Looks divine. Do you use fresh fruit or dried fruit?
You can use either! They'll stay good about 3 days!
Do the ideas listed as \"Accompaniments\" get added the night before or morning of when eaten?
The night before, in Step One!
Would 2% milk work and what about regular nonfat yogurt instead of Greek?
You can use whatever kind of milk and yogurt you prefer!
this is great. I am going to see how these fly with the kids!
Just made this with almond milk, almond butter, chia seeds and strawberries we picked this weekend. It is incredible! Can't wait for breakfast. Catherine, you are the best.
I make milk kefir & berry smoothies in large batches on the weekend. I portion them in small jars and my hubby chugs one before running out the door or takes it to the office. I have never thought about adding oatmeal and who would have guessed it doesn't need to be cooked like this?! Brilliant!!
I read your refrigerator Oatmeal ? not sure about the cockpot. How long do I cook it in the cockpot? I love this receipt.
I'm totally doing this tonight! It will be a great surprise for my kids in the morning. My son loves oats and has been asking to eat our fruit all day. Now he can have both at once. I love it!
So my kids tasted it this morning. My son (I was right) LOVED it. He said, \"Mom, this is SO good!\" I love it and so does my daughter. I made some with fresh chopped blueberries, fresh chopped strawberries, and another one with mashed bananas. Thanks for the great idea!
Where are those jars from?
They are 8 ounce mason jars!
I made this last night and am eating one right now. All I can say is, it is delicious and I love it!! Will continue to make them, The different combination of fruits and such are endless!!! Thank you for such a yummy recipe that I can use for my breakfast every day! I love oatmeal like you.
This is awesome! Made it for this morning. Have you ever used steel cut oats?
I think they would come out too chewy!
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What a great idea!! I love this and I know my family will too! Your blog is still my favorite year after year! Now I just need to get your cookbook!
So delicious
...\"unexpected flavors and sganrte looks results in a magical pie\" - just stumbled over your blog, just love it, just printed out a few recipes :)
Catherine, how much oatmeal do you end up with and what size glass containers are you using?
These are 8 ounce containers! It comes out to about a 1 cup serving!
I am so excited to try this. I had something like this on a cruise and loved it.
[...] refrigerator oatmeal from Weelicious looks yummy and [...]
This was wonderful. At first my son didn't want to eat it because \"I want hot oatmeal\". After two days of watching me eat it he tried it and loves it. Great way to make sure we both get a good breakfast in the morning. When using flavored yogurt omit the homey; makes it a bit too sweet.
If you don't have mason jars, is there something else that we can use? Tupperware or a bowl, mug, etc?
You can store this in any food-safe container you have!
Does anyone know if this can be frozen?
This is very goid and I've made this the for the past few mornings. My only question is -- Why do you have it listed as \"dairy-free\" when it still calls for Greek yogurt? I just use more almond milk to make it dairy-free but I was initially very excited & then a little disappointed.
It is listed in the dairy-free section because you can use any type of milk or yogurt you prefer!
Just made this and we will try it in the morning. But, I tell you, I get a strange feeling of satisfaction when breakfast is made the night before! That is a lot more sleep that I get in the morning. Love this idea - an awesome solution to the quick breakfast before swim team early in the morning.
This is like muesli! But I like the idea of adding the yogurt. I am not a yogurt fan so this would probably get me to add it to my diet. Thanks for this! My kids will love it!
Sounds delicious...I am going to try this. Maybe my husband will eat it.
Do you think it would be fine to make in baby food jars with the same 1:1:1 ratio (plus honey)?
Nevermind, I overlooked that you mix it into a bowl 1st and then pour it in the container. Sorry, I got it!
Love your site! Can this recipe be frozen? This sounds yummy!
I haven't tried freezing it, but I don't see why not!
[...] found this idea on two different websites, Weelicious and Kath Eats Real Food. I hesitate to even call it a “recipe”…it’s so [...]
I didn't have any honey on hand, so I pureed about ten strawberries to mix in. I'm excited for my little guy to try this in the morning!
Thank you so much for this recipe,just brilliant! My kids absolutely LOVE this, this is the only thing they want in the mornings now. I love that it is so easy to do and so good for them,breakfast in the mornings just became easier,thank you so much.
Really good and so healthy too, for both my son and me as well! Never would have thought to soften up the oatmeal this way but it turned out great! My 19month-old loved it too. Thanks so much for the great ideas, I just recently discovered your website and my son really seems to like almost everything I've tried so far! He's not terribly picky, but does have his days. Love how your recipes are so simple and not terribly time-consuming.
YUMMY!
Yum-E!!! Made this with SO Delicious Greek style coconut milk yogurt and rice milk for a dairy free alternative.
Honey is dangerous for babies.
Then, don't give it to babies, silly! Replace it with maple syrup, or no sweetner.
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Thanks for letting me know!
Would this work with quick oats?
I think they would get too mushy after sitting overnight! So I would say no! :)
[…] Prepare the night before. There are plenty of tasty meal options that you can prepare or at least start the night before to save you even more time in the morning. You can pre-slice a fresh bowl of fruit, set out the cereal and bowls, hard-boil some eggs, pre-package your homemade trail mix into snack baggies, or load up the ingredients for overnight or refrigerator oats. […]
YUM YUM YUM!! I add cranberries, Dark Agave Nectar, Chia seeds and Pepitas and no matter how much I make, it is always devoured within 24 hours- I can't make it fast enough for the hubby & kids!! Thanks for the recipe!
What a time saving delicious breakfast/dessert! I made this for my 16 month old, who can be picky about somethings, but loves oatmeal. I served it cold and she loved it, but prefers it warm. She gobbled it up for breakfast this morning. Your recipes have been a life saver. I will be trying the banana porridge as well. Did i mention, i loved it as well! 2 for 2 on your recipe that i have tried!
[…] with fresh berries and granola were my postpartum go-to, but other terrific choices would be overnight oatmeal, chia seed pudding and avocado toast. (I favor mine with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous […]
Love this recipe! Can I just put a double batch in the fridge in a big bowl and put it in serving dishes in the morning? Thanks!
I think that would work! As long as all the oats are covered with the liquid and yogurt!
I've made this recipe several time already. My baby who is 16 months old and I prefer it warm, plus I don't like the raw taste of oat meal. Solution, I always heat it up for a minute and that does the trick! Yumm!!! I put it in 8 oz jars and freeze them after it's been refrigerate over night. Thank you for your recipe!
How many days are they ok to be in the fridge or is it just eat it all the next day kinda thing?
They keep for about a week in the fridge!