Golden Milk Overnight Oats {gluten-free, vegan option}

These easy vegan overnight oats get a nourishing update from turmeric, honey, cardamom, and other warming spices. A breakfast porridge worth waking up for!

Morning people are annoying. "Oh, I've been up since 5 doing crunches and curing cancer. I just can't seem to sleep in!" they trill. Usually they're saying this at noon when I've just managed to roll out of bed. My first instinct is to punch them.

And yet, I've always aspired to be a morning person.

Apparently I'm not alone; there are a zillion articles on the subject. I recently read this one, which resonates with me the most. Getting up extra early, before 7am, gives me the bragging rights to (mostly) keep doing it – none of that "setting the alarm 15 minutes earlier every morning" BS. Having a morning routine to look forward to also prevents me from lying in bed hitting snooze for an hour.

But my biggest challenge comes at night, when bedtime rolls around. The solution turned out to be a change in thinking.

For me, there's often a shame cycle that happens with staying up late. In our culture, going to bed and getting up early is generally considered "good," while staying up late and sleeping in is considered something that lazy derelicts do. At night, my inner rebel would take over, and I'd be too tired to fight it. I would tell myself, "Ok, it's time to get ready for bed. I'll close the laptop at 11." Then 11 would roll around and I'd be all,"Hehe, it's 11:01 / 12:34 / 2am and I'm still up. I'm so bad!" At that point I'd be so tired that the thought of getting ready for bed felt more daunting than just continuing to sit at the computer reading emails, taking Buzzfeed quizzes, or letting Facebook eat my soul. I'd rationalize my actions in my head by saying, "I have a second wind. I'm being good and productive." But the next morning (or afternoon), I'd feel guilty, groggy, and gross – not a nice way to start the day. In reality, I would have been more productive working in the morning when fresh and alert, and better able to stay focused.

The way I tricked myself into being more of a morning person was to turn going to bed and getting up early into a treat. Instead of pushing myself to stay up late, I've been doing the naughtiest thing of all. "Ha!" I say. "It's 9:30 at night and I'm not going to work anymore – I'm going to be a rebel and get ready for bed." It actually works, most of the time.

When I get up early (or at least, earlier) the next morning, I get to treat myself, too. I have a cup of tea (Samovar's breakfast blend with whole milk and honey) while I sit at my computer enjoying the quiet, or I go to a yoga or dance class with a group of fellow overachievers, or I just hang out with the cat, basking in the smug superiority that comes from getting up early in our culture.

But most importantly, I eat oats.

Overnight oats are magic in several ways. First of all, they sound like they would be disgusting – pasty, raw, sodden grains of doom. Au contraire. Rolled oats are not actually raw; the whole groats get steamed in order to soften the hard grains before they are rolled flat. When soaked in liquid overnight, they are a dream. Unlike cooked oatmeal which needs frequent stirring, overnight oats take on a thick, creamy texture without the viscous consistency that stirring creates. They're just sweet enough with a mild, soothing taste, perfect for mornings or an afternoon snack. They take about 1 minute to prepare the night before, and they keep for several days, so you can make a few jars to have throughout the week.

The other magical thing about overnight oats is that when you wander into the kitchen the next morning, be it 5am or high noon, it's as though some kind soul has made you breakfast while you were sleeping. Knowing there's a jar of instant breakfast in the fridge is usually enough to make me drag my tired bones from my cozy bed once the alarm sounds.

I've been making these oats plain for the last 6 months or so, inspired by the beautiful recipes in Green Kitchen Travels, which includes versions made with cocoa powder, nut butters, lucuma, and other intriguing flavors. We usually top bowls with a scoop of yogurt, fresh strawberries or whatever fruit we have on hand, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Then I discovered these golden milk oats. I've been golden milk-curious since I saw Amanda's recipe for Soothing Turmeric Milk, and Dana's way with golden milk here and here. Golden milk is kind of like masala chai without the tea: a warming tonic made with inflammation-curing turmeric, honey, and warming spices. It's delicious on its own, warmed gently and served up in mugs. And when poured into overnight oats, it gives them a brilliant color and adds a bit of pop.

A good dose of chia seeds and hemp hearts give these oats body and add protein to keep you full longer. The floral notes in the honey and nectarines play up the flavors of the spices here, and create something worth getting out of bed for, any time of day.

Any morning people out there? Let us know your secrets in the comments below!

More quick breakfasts:

• "PBJ" tahini pudding cups {vegan, paleo}
• super seeded oatmeal {gluten-free, vegan}
• chia pudding breakfast bowls with kumquats, berries & lavender honey {gluten-free, dairy-free}
• super seedy vegan baked oatmeal with peaches & berries
• sorghum buttermilk dutch baby with maple cranberries {gluten-free}
• baked rolled barley with figs, berries, and cardamom
• skillet custard cornbread with berries and honey

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this golden milk overnight oats recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

4.41 from 5 votes

Golden Milk Overnight Oats {gluten-free, vegan}

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Easiest breakfast ever, and brimming with spicy flavors of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric. Serve with the seasonal fruit of your choosing; we like nectarines and berries.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

Golden milk:

• 1 tablespoon honey, more to taste (15 ml)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons boiling water (30 ml)
• 2 cups plant milk (I like coconut almond milk from Milkman which is essentially equal parts almond milk and coconut water with a little salt and vanilla) (475 ml)

Oats:

• 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if intolerant) (100 g)
• 2 tablespoons chia seed (20 g)
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts (20 g)
• 1 ½ cups golden milk (above) (355 ml)
• fresh fruit and honey, for serving

Instructions

Golden Milk:

• In a medium bowl, combine the honey, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then stir in the boiling water to dissolve the honey. Stir in the plant milk. Taste, adding more honey dissolved in boiling water if you want a sweeter milk.

Oats:

• Combine oats, chia, and hemp seeds in a pint canning jar, stirring or shaking to combine. Pour the golden milk into the jar and stir or shake to combine. Chill overnight or up to 3 days. To serve, top with fresh fruit and honey, if desired.

Notes

Variation: Classic Overnight Oats

Omit the spices and water. Use maple syrup in place of the honey, dissolving it in the plant milk with a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla extract. Proceed with the recipe. 

 You'll have a little golden milk left over for sipping, or to splash extra on your oats the next morning. The golden milk is also delicious on its own, warmed gently and poured into mugs. If turmeric is a new flavor to you, you may wish to start with half the amount, adding more to taste if you like.

To make this vegan, trade in light maple syrup or coconut nectar for the honey.

Nutritional values are based on one of two servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 16gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 332mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 11gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 80IUCalcium: 425mgIron: 5.7mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!