Last updated on May 5th, 2020 at 08:35 am
Wake up to a dreamy breakfast with this peanut butter overnight oats recipe. Add a handful of mixed seeds and cacao nibs or treat yourself with my gorgeous sticky buckwheat granola. If you are going to get a healthy start to the day it might as well taste like a chocolate bar.
No doubt you’ve seen overnight oats before. But, have you tried them with steel cut oats?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEEL CUT, ROLLED AND QUICK OATS?
Steel-cut oats aren’t as popular as rolled oats but they should be! Yes, they take longer to cook – here they just require more liquid – but the benefits are worth it. Besides being delicious with a slight nutty flavour, steel cut oats are better for you than other oats.
Steel cut oats retain their shape and have a more chewy texture than rolled oats so it comes down to how you like your oatmeal. Rolled, steel-cut and quick oats all begin their journey as groats, the difference is in the processing.
Steel-cut oats most closely the resemble their harvested state – they are the least processed of the oats. The whole groat is sliced in to smaller pieces using a steel blade – thus the name “steel cut.”
Rolled oats (or old-fashionded oats) are whole oats that have been steamed, pressed and then toasted. They are are popular in overnight oats like in my Peanut Butter Apple Oats Jar recipe.
Quick oats are pre-cooked, dried and rolled thinner for faster cooking.
WHY CHOOSE STEEL CUT OATS?
Steel cut oats are high in dietary fibre. Dietary fibre is something our body can’t digest but still needs – it’s required to keep us lovely and healthy. Steel cut oats, in particular, contain a soluble fibre made up of beta glucans.
Source: Bob’s Red Mill
Steel cut oats take longer to digest than other oats. Being thicker our digestive enzymes have to work harder to reach the starch inside the oat and therefore it takes longer for them to convert the starch to sugar. Put simply, steel cut oats cause less of a blood sugar spike than other oats.
Source: Insider
HOW TO MAKE STEEL CUT OVERNIGHT OATS
Making steel cut overnight oats is simple. They are prepared the same as regular overnight oats – like in my Vanilla Oats with Coffee Syrup and Berries recipe – although the ratios are different. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl and set them overnight to soften and work their magic.
I’ve used steel cut oats in this peanut butter overnight oats recipe because I love the slight chewiness of the finished bowl. The nuttiness of the oats works with the sweet peanut butter flavour.
I’ve combined the oats with a wonderfully sticky buckwheat granola littered with cacao nibs for added crunch and chocolate goodness. You could also try my Almond Butter Maple Granola.
But, if you are after a truly no-cook breakfast, you could sprinkle a smattering of mixed nuts, seeds and cacao nibs followed by a tiny drizzle of maple syrup. I currently have a food crush on buckwheat so I went the extra mile and baked the granola. You can find the recipe below.
If, like me, you are still loving the overnight oats trend, try this steel cut variety. High in fibre to keep you fuller for longer, it is a nutrient packed start to the day. Enjoy, x.
*This recipe originally appeared as Chocolate Bar Oats. The recipe has been changed, re-named and posted with more nutritional information.
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Peanut Butter Overnight Oats with Sticky Granola
INGREDIENTS
For the peanut butter oats
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut water or regular water
- 1 cup almond milk or soy millk
- 1-2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup steel cut oats
For the sticky buckwheat granola
- 1 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup raw almonds chopped
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
INSTRUCTIONS
- To prepare the buckwheat oats for the granola, soak overnight covered in cold water with the apple cider mixed in.
To make the overnight oats
- To make the overnight oats, whisk the milks, coconut water, peanut butter and syrup together until combined. Stir in the oats.
- Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
To make the sticky granola
- Drain and rinse the buckwheat thoroughly the next morning.
- Pre-heat the to 160 degrees C (320 F) and line two baking strays with baking paper.
- Combine all the granola ingredients in a large mixing bowl making sure all ingredients are well coated in the coconut oil and syrup.
- Lay the mixture out evenly over the two trays and bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool.
- To serve, spoon a serving of the peanut butter oats in to a jar or bowl, add granola, fresh fruit (I use blueberries) and another sprinkling of the cacao nibs.
Notes
NUTRITION
