These are strange and scary times. After having almost no time to work on the blog, I suddenly have plenty of it and like a lot of people, I’m pretty much stuck at home.
It seems more important than ever that we are eating healthy, varied food so I’m really happy to share this new overnight oat recipe. It’s a little bit more complicated than most of my other overnight oat recipes – as it has three separate elements – but it is deliciously worth it and if you’re feeling in limbo like I am, then it does give you something small but productive to do with your time.
Creamy yogurt-soaked oats layered with sweet maple-pear compote and topped with a crunchy and aromatic nut and oat topping…this recipe is so good it makes me go all ‘restaurant menu blurb’. Especially the topping. Oh, the crunchy nut topping…it tastes EXACTLY like the crushed up biscuits of a cheesecake base*
This recipe manages to hit that oh so sweet spot between healthy and tasty so well. It’s good for eating in a duvet on the sofa (or anywhere) at breakfast time (or any time). Try it and let me know what you think!
*really really really good
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Pear Compote
- 5 medium pears, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (or you could use a stick and remove it after cooking)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (or grate in some fresh ginger)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup/40g sultanas
Overnight Oat Base
- 2 cups/210g oats (GF if necessary)
- ½ cup/80g dried pear, chopped into small pieces
- ¼ cup/40g ground golden (or brown) flaxseed (or sub for whole chia seeds)
- 2 cups/500ml dairy-free milk
- 1 big tub/500g non-dairy yogurt
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Crunchy Nut Topping
- 1½ cups/150g walnuts (or sub other nuts/seeds of choice), roughly broken in a food processor or by chopped by hand.
- ⅓ cup/35g oat flour (grind oats in a food processor for 30 seconds)
- ¼ cup/25g whole oats
- ¼ cup/60ml coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
METHOD
- Start by making the compote. Put all the compote ingredients in a large saucepan and add ½ cup/125ml water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
- Combine all the ingredients for the overnight oat base in a large tupperware and place in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 160C.
- Combine the dry ingredients for the topping – walnuts, oat flour, oats, cinnamon and salt.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil and maple syrup, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread this mixture out well on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes. Use a spatula to loosen it (it will all be stuck to the tray). Leave to cool. Store in a tupperware or jar.
- The next morning, layer the compote and overnight oat base before finishing with the nut topping. Eat it all before someone else decides they want some!
