Grated Apple Overnight Oats
The apple goes in raw and grated, which is the whole trick: it releases enough liquid overnight that the oats end up creamy without extra cream.
Most overnight oats come out of the fridge stiff. The fix is not more milk, which makes them soupy at the edges and stiff in the middle anyway. The fix is grating an apple into the jar before it goes in.
The apple gives off water slowly all night, so the oats hydrate evenly instead of sitting in a puddle. It also means you can cut the sweetener to almost nothing, because a grated apple tastes considerably sweeter than a sliced one.
Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1/2 cup | rolled oats, not instant |
| 1/2 cup | milk of any kind |
| 2 tbsp | plain yoghurt |
| 1 | apple, coarsely grated, skin on |
| 1 tsp | honey or maple syrup, optional |
| 1 pinch | ground cinnamon |
| 1 pinch | salt |
Method
- Grate the apple straight into a jar, skin and all. Work around the core.
- Add the oats, milk, yoghurt, cinnamon and salt. Stir properly, right to the bottom — dry oats hiding under the rest is the usual complaint.
- Taste. Add the honey only if it needs it; a sharp apple will, a sweet one will not.
- Lid on, fridge, at least six hours. Overnight is easier.
- Stir again in the morning. If it is thicker than you like, a splash of milk fixes it in a second.
Notes
- Rolled oats only. Instant turns to paste by morning and steel-cut never softens.
- It keeps three days, and it is better on day two than day one.
- Frozen berries stirred in at night thaw by morning and colour the whole jar.
Questions
Can I skip the yoghurt?
Yes, use the same volume of milk. You lose a little of the tang and some of the thickness, and it is still good.
Does the apple go brown?
Slightly, and only at the very top. The yoghurt and the lid keep most of it pale. It makes no difference to the taste.
Can I make a week at once?
Three days is the limit before the oats go from creamy to heavy. Make two jars, not five.