Overnight Oats with Skyr and Cardamom Blueberry Compote

Say hello to your new favorite make ahead breakfast! These Overnight Oats with Skyr and Blueberry Cardamom Compote are SO satisfying and delicious, and a very nutritious and Nordic way to begin the day. Think of overnight oats as a refreshing warm weather version of porridge that is served chilled. It’s a welcome summertime change from the traditional bowl of warm porridge.

The History Behind Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are essentially a modernized version of muesli, a Swiss oatmeal dish that is traditionally served cold. The recipe was developed by a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, in the early twentieth century as a “health food” to serve to his patients as part of their strict vegetarian diet regimen. The original version contained diced apple, nuts, rolled oats that had been soaked for 12 hours, lemon juice and either milk or cream. Interestingly, muesli was originally served as an appetizer course before dinner and not as a breakfast food.

How Overnight Oats Differ from Traditional Oatmeal

As I mentioned above, overnight oats are not cooked. Instead, they are soaked overnight in a mixture of milk (regular or plant-based), possibly some yogurt or skyr (Icelandic yogurt), sweetener (usually pure maple syrup or honey) and chia seeds which help thicken the mixture and give it a hearty, substantial texture. They are almost always made with old-fashioned rolled oats as opposed to quick-cooking or steel cut. Quick-cooking or instant oats create an overly mushy texture to the final product, and steel cut oats don’t soften enough during the soaking process to be pleasantly edible. But not to worry! All oats, regardless of their processing, contain the same amount of desirable nutrients, including  fiber, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iron.

How to Make and Store Overnight Oats

Making overnight oats couldn’t be simpler. No need to turn on the stove or even pop anything into the microwave! Simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Allow the oats to soak for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge and top as desired. DONE! I will often portion mine into individual servings in small glass jars prior to placing them into the refrigerator. This saves me a step in the morning…all I have to do is top my oats and enjoy! Overnight oats will keep for 4 days covered tightly in the fridge. Almost a week’s worth of nourishing breakfasts at your fingertips!

Topping Ideas

My recipe here calls for Blueberry Cardamom Compote and a little granola for crunch. This is a heavenly combination and you MUST try it. BUT there are MANY options for topping your overnight oats! Here are a few ideas for when you are ready to branch out from the original:

• Fresh berries
• Stirred Lingonberries or Lingonberry Jam (serious Scandi vibes!)
• Sliced banana
• Chopped apple, mango or pineapple
• Coconut flakes
• Shaved dark chocolate or cacao nibs
• Nuts and seeds of all kinds
• Granola
• Nut butter (roasted almond butter and diced apple are wonderful together)
• Shredded carrots and warm spices (think carrot cake vibes)
• Any seasonal compote (Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger, or Roasted Peach Ginger Compote are all AMAZING!)

I hope you give these Overnight Oats with Blueberry Cardamom Compote a try! Please drop me a line or leave a comment below and let me know if you do. And I’d love to hear how you mix it up with your own topping combinations!

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