Summer is finally here, and it’s so hot that I have no desire to stand over a boiling pot at a blazing stove stirring and stirring.

I don’t have time for that—I want to go to the beach.

I love oatmeal, but during the warmer months, I don’t want to cook it, so I turn to overnight oats instead. Overnight oats aren’t cooked, and they’re eaten cold, which is delicious and refreshing.

You throw everything together in a jar the night before—and in the morning, all you have to do is grab the jar from the refrigerator, give it a quick stir, top with fresh fruit if desired, and you have an instant breakfast that’s also easy to eat in the car on the way to work.

The basic formula is old-fashioned rolled oats, a pinch of salt, sweetener of your choice (or not), and whatever non-dairy milk you prefer. However, I like to get more creative. I add all sorts of fresh and dried fruits, nuts, coconut, and flavoring to mine for variety.

Sometimes, I like to have a little fun with my healthy breakfasts, which is how I came up with this cake-inspired creation that has become a new favorite.

Growing up, my mom used to make me German chocolate cake. It’s still a favorite, but I try to stay away from heavy desserts like that.

What if, I thought, I could incorporate all the flavors I love from German chocolate cake into my breakfast?

I played around, and here’s what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

German Chocolate Cake Overnight Oats.

Ingredients:

1 small-size Mason jar with lid

½ cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 tsp chia seeds

1 dash of sea salt (Do not leave this out!)

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp shredded coconut, or more if you like it

1 Tbsp chopped, toasted pecans (It’s fine to leave out or substitute for allergies.)

½ tsp cacao nibs

¾ Cup non-dairy milk of choice. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can also add more or less liquid according to how thick or thin you like your oatmeal. I like mine runny, instead of pasty.

Optional: sweetener of choice. I like pure maple syrup—and I have a sweet tooth, so I use a little over a teaspoon. You can make it as sweet as you like, or leave out the sweetener all together.

Optional: fresh fruit topping. I think fresh cherries and chopped fresh pears work best with the flavors here.

Optional: If you want to be really decadent (like me) you can add a sprinkle of vegan, dark chocolate chips as a garnish.

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in the jar. Taste—and adjust flavorings if necessary. Screw on the lid and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, give it a stir, add the fresh fruit if using, and devour. If it gets too thick overnight, just add more liquid until it’s the desired consistency. You can’t really mess it up!

 

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Author: Victoria Fedden
Image: Author’s own
Editor: Yoli Ramazzina