Easy Rainier Cherry Overnight Oats

These simple and Easy Rainier Cherry Overnight Oats are perfect for spring and summer mornings when you’re in need of a nutritious ready-made breakfast!  They’re so quick to make, and you can prepare as many servings as you like!  They’re a great choice on busy days, or when you need your morning meal to go!

If this is your first time trying overnight oats, yay!  They’re one of my favorite easy healthy breakfasts.  You can prepare them in any glass, jar, or container that you have on hand, and you don’t even technically need a lid!  You can use plastic wrap (or an equivalent) to keep them airtight in the fridge overnight.  Simply throw the ingredients in, stir them up, and refrigerate!  Overnight oats are enjoyed cold, which makes them ideal for warmer weather.

This recipe makes one serving, but line up as many containers as you please, assembly-line style, to have several days worth of breakfast waiting for you in the refrigerator!  Eat them straight from the container (that’s what I do!), or feel free to serve them in a bowl if you prefer.  Whatever’s most convenient!

Read more about Rainier Cherries below!

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WHAT ARE RAINIER CHERRIES?

Rainier Cherries have been around since the early 1950s, and are named after Mount Rainier as they were developed at Washington State University.  They’re a cross between Bing Cherries and Van Cherries, and they’re only available during a short window of the year (typically late spring to early summer)!  That’s what makes them such a special treat.  They can be more expensive because of their limited availability, but if you find them at a good price, or have a big batch from cherry picking, there are so many delicious ways to eat them.  They have a fairly high sugar content compared to other cherries, and a unique floral flavor with notes of peach.

A tip to try: Speed up your cherry pitting with a straw or a chopstick!  You can also just carefully chop around the pits, or use an official cherry pitter; Whatever floats your boat!

OTHER INGREDIENT NOTES:

Rolled Oats: Rolled Oats, or Old Fashioned Oats, are what you need for overnight oats!  Quick Cooking Oats unfortunately are too absorbent, and would result in too mushy of a texture.  The specific oats that I used and shared within the ingredient list below happened to be gluten-free making this a fully gluten-free recipe!

Chia Seeds: Chia seeds form a gel-like coating around themselves from the liquid ingredients which does wonders to hold everything together!

Dark Maple Syrup: Maple Syrup is perfect for a bit of sweetness along with a little flavor complexity.  I like to use Dark Maple Syrup for added flavor!  If you prefer the oats sweeter, feel free to add more to taste once ready to eat!

Salt: A couple little pinches of salt are a must for balancing out the sweetness!  Start small as you can always add more to taste when the oats are ready.

Reduced Fat Milk (2%): This was the type of milk I had on hand and found it to be perfect, but something else like whole milk would also be fine!  I have not tested these oats with a plant-based milk, but if you do, please let me know!  Certain plant-based milks can have their own unique flavor profile, but feel free to experiment.

Optional Vanilla Extract: The addition of a little vanilla extract adds a delicious more dessert-y flavor to the oats, but it does make the cherry flavor less prominent.  Feel free to try it both ways to see which you prefer!

Optional Toppings: I love them plain too, but for a fun addition to the texture and taste, feel free to add a sprinkle of a favorite topping such as granola, shredded coconut, or whatever else you love when you eat oats!  (Give it a taste test first before you decide, but something crunchy and sweet works great!)

Kitchen Equipment:

• A Jar, Glass, Or Container Of Choice

• Plastic Wrap (or equivalent) (If you don’t have a lid)

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Chopped Rainier Cherries
• 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Dark Maple Syrup
• A Couple Pinches Of Salt
• 1/2 Cup + 1 Tbsp Reduced Fat Milk (2%)

OPTIONAL

• 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract, See Ingredient Notes Above

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Granola, Shredded Coconut, or something else crunchy and sweet would be delicious here!

Directions:

Remove the pits and chop the cherries (An imprecise/mixed-size chop works fine!)

Set the cherries aside

Add the oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, salt, and milk (along with optional vanilla if using) to a glass/jar/container of choice, and stir until evenly combined

Stir in the cherry pieces

Cover and store airtight in the refrigerator overnight

Once ready to eat, give them a little stir, add additional maple and/or salt to taste if desired, and top with your choice of toppings if using

Enjoy!