Most mornings I get up before 6 a.m. My kids wake up before the sun even realizes it’s dawn. Since we start our days early I want to spend as little time on breakfast prep as possible. That’s why my toddler and I eat make-ahead soaked chia oats or a nutritious smoothie almost every morning. 
The beauty of this breakfast is threefold.
First, you get to roll out of bed to a premade breakfast. Just combine everything and refrigerate overnight. Easy peasy!
Second, it’s healthy, wholesome, and filling. You won’t be reaching for snacks for a few hours.
Thirdly, you can adjust this recipe to use any seasonal fruit, milk of choice, and even decide upon the type of oats you want to eat.
I usually make this with quick oats because it’s more economical. If steel cut or old-fashioned oats were reasonably priced in my area I’d definitely choose those healthier options. Sometimes I get the craving for chewy steel cut oats and make my chia oats with a 50-50 blend to make the pricy bag go further.
[Tweet “Shave time off your a.m. routine with this wholesome make-ahead breakfast!”]
My toddler loves soaked chia oats and even wakes up asking for a bowl. She often chooses them over pancakes. I know, what kind of kid am I raising? Most mornings we do a blend of oats, 2% milk, chia, and in the morning add bananas. Simple, but delicious.
- 1 c. oats (steel-cut, old-fashioned, or quick)
- 1 c. milk of choice (great with coconut milk!)
- 1 t. chia seeds
- chopped fruit of choice
- honey, to taste (optional)
- Combine oats and chia in a bowl with a lid. Add milk, stir to combine and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning stir the oats and add your favorite fruits and toppings. Add honey to sweeten, if you like.
Try this basic recipe and then tweak it to your tastes. It’s a great way to fuel your mornings, stave off cravings, and feel good knowing you’ve filled up on nutritious foods. 
What is your favorite make-ahead breakfast? I’d love to know. Please share in the comments below!
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Thanks for sharing this great breakfast idea! I am always wracking my brain to figure out easy and quick morning meals.
You’re welcome, Janice. You’d be hard-pressed to find another nutritious breakfast with such little fuss to make. We really enjoy this and hope you and your family do too!
I love make-ahead recipes and chia is so healthy too! Thanks for sharing this! I can’t wait to try it out.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Thank you for linking up with us at the #WWDParty and sharing this great recipe. Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m totally going to try this tomorrow for breakfast! I have just started using chia in my cooking and love it. I think I will add an egg white into the oatmeal and then cook it, it’s super extra protein.
Thanks for the recipe!
Great idea, Sami! I love cooked oats too, and when the mornings get chilly I still go back to stovetop oats sometimes, but for time’s sake, I just can’t beat the overnight oats. Hope you enjoy your protein-packed oats with chia. Thank you for stopping in!
I just started doing soaked oats for breakfast with chia seeds about a week ago and love it! I tend to add greek yogurt and cinnamon to mine, but I like the idea of using honey to sweeten it up a bit! What other recipes do you like to use chia seeds in?
Loving how simple, hearty, and nutritious this breakfast is Jelli, perfect way to start the morning! Pinned!
Thank you so much, Krista! I’d definitely recommend starting the morning with this. Goodness, if it energizes me before 6 a.m. I can only imagine how revved up someone’s day could be if they mustered up a few more hours of sleep and then tried this for breakfast. Thank you for visiting.
I’ve been enjoying overnight oats for a while, but I just recently purchased my first bag of chia seeds. I’m on the hunt for new ways to enjoy them, so I’ll definitely give this recipe a try. Thanks! Pinned!
Definitely give it a try and let me know what you think! Chia seeds are really versatile. Many people like them in smoothies and tossed into breads and muffins too. Hope you enjoy your first bag and especially the health benefits. Thank you, Blair, for visiting me this week. Have a fantastic weekend!
I might be asking a stupid question but you don’t have to cook the oats before soaking them overnight? I add chia seeds, flax, and hemp seeds to my cooked oats in am. But if you don’t have to cook them saves me one less thing to prep on Sundays!
Cori, you don’t have to cook the oats at all! That’s the best part of it, in my book. I love being able to simply pop the bowl of oats out of the fridge, slice in a few bananas and sink in my spoon. It’s great! I’ve never seen hemp seeds around here, but I’d love to try adding them too. What a good idea. Thank you so much for stopping by, Cori.
Hi Jelli!
I featured your recipe for my brand new linkup: Create & Share DIY and Recipe Party!
I hope you stop by and keep linking up with me, otherwise I will miss you tons!
http://mrsthreeinthree.com/2014/04/create-share-diy-recipe-party.html
-Karly
Karly, thanks so much. Can’t wait to check out your new party. Have a great Easter!