Baked Overnight Oat Bites
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
“Change is inevitable”, so the quote goes….
From the time we graduate from milk to solid foods; to leaving high school for college; to getting a job; to leaving a job; to stepping into our first home from an apartment; to getting married – or divorced; change is a surefire guarantee!
There are numerous quotes and articles helping us to adapt to change; that talk us into the importance of leaving our comfort zones and taking a leap of faith; of how to think and thrive when change happens…
But…
What do we do when we thrive on constant change? What do we do when it becomes a need? How do we tame our constant need for it?
It took me awhile to figure out that I fall into this latter category – I need change. In a BIG way. I thrive in/on it.
when I have mastered that new software at work, if I don’t have a new challenge I get bored…and I am not sure how to change this. When a drive gets too familiar, I seek a new route, even if it takes me longer to get where I am going – and that makes no sense with gas prices being what they are. Even though running is such a mental release, an outlet of sorts for me – ever so often I find myself turning to Tony Horton’s P90X workouts and vowing to give up running (though this doesn’t last too long). Sometimes I wonder – is my need for change rolling into my friendships? Am I subconsciously passing this trait onto my daughter?
A coworker/friend and I often talk about the need for self evaluation…and that’s what I am doing today…I don’t have any answers…but I am curious – what end of the spectrum do you find yourself at? Do you resist change? Do you adapt well to it? Or, do you need it to fuel you on?
My desire for change in breakfast is what lead me to making these Baked Overnight Oats Bites. I went for weeks eating baked oatmeal for at least one meal a day – then I went for weeks eating overnight oats for at least one meal a day…and then…I got bored…I was dragging…I needed a change…
So I decided to combine the two for this contest to “develop creative and tasty breakfasts, snacks or side dishes featuring the power of whole grain oats with the goodness of reduced/low-fat dairy” sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and hosted by the Recipe Redux for it’s members.
These bites are loaded with oats, lactose free milk, dates, walnuts and C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E!!! They sure are teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy, – only one mouthful! I had to have four of them to fuel me up (that would be approximately half a cup of oats and half a cup of milk per serving)…I know there are only 3 pictured on each saucer…but…I would never post a recipe unless it was taste tested and approved by my daughter and I 😀
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup lactose free 2% milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons agave
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts
- 4/5 dates chopped up
- A couple of handfuls of dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the oats, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, agave and salt; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 375
- To the overnight oats mix, add the egg, the baking powder, the walnuts, the chopped dates, the coconut flour and one handful of the chocolate chips – reserving the other handful to melt later.
- Roll into balls and place on a parchment lined baking tray.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes
- Melt the remaining handful of chocolate chips and drizzle over the bites
Nutrition
These are all kinds of wonderful 🙂
I know it’s got good stuff but it looks naughty. I like that in a breakfast.
Yum – those look like cookies – I might like them for breakfast!!!
I used to thrive on change but somewhere in the last 10 years or so I’ve sort of gotten to the point that I prefer less change and more even keel!!!
It would be such a treat to start the day with one of these overnight oat cookies. I think these days, things are moving so quickly that we have to be ready for change more than any other generation. I do try to embrace change but that’s not to say there are times when I wish we could go back to the 1950’s where things moved a lot more slowly xx
Shashi! Is this for real?! Healthy oatmeal cookies for breakfast?!? Sign me up! I’ll admit to not being the biggest fan of traditional overnight oats, but bites I can do 😀 And when it comes to change, I feel like I’ve done a complete 180 in the past little while. I used to love following the same routine day in and day out, but lately I’ve been finding that I can’t handle that kind of thing anymore — I need novelty and excitement or I start feeling like I’m going to lose my mind…
These look great! I love breakfasts that are super easy to grab and go. These would be perfect for breakfast in the car!
These oat bites are awesome and I will be making them soon!
I’m ok with change as long as it’s something I feel comfortable with or something I am encouraging myself to do! I think it’s easy to fall in the same routine so lately I’ve been trying to do something a little bit more spontaneous once a week!
I never ever resist change. As a matter of fact I actually seek change Continuously. I fear being stuck in the same routine, it’s really something I don’t want in my life. I’m not sure this is a good thing, but it can’t be bad either. Right?
I’m not a big fan of overnight oats but I’m sure I’d love these bites. They look fantastic!
First of all, these look delicious! I just ate breakfast and I swear my mouth started watering as soon as I scrolled down to the first picture!
And regarding change…change is good. But I guess the thing to figure out is WHY you’re seeking it. For me, the answer to that question brings a lot of clarity. Have a GREAT weekend, Shashi!!
Firstly, these baked overnight oats looks so good I wish I could reach through the screen and grab one! You should totally win the contest. The pictures are so perfect, I can’t decide which one to pin!
I can totally relate to your need for change. Even with friends. I hate familiarity. We’ve been in our current house for 5 years and as much as I love it, I am itching to move. Not just to another house, but another place entirely. Once my kids leave home, I have this fantasy about picking about 10 of my favorite places and then renting a house in one for 6 months, and moving to another every 6 months. It will totally never happen, but it’s fun to think about!
Overnight oats are my faveeee can’t imagine how delicious that would be baked!
Change can definitely be good…especially if we are moving TOWARDS these overnight oat bites! Love that melty ooey gooey chocolate in every bite!
What a great grab-n- go way to enjoy oats and dairy! Perfect for kids and busy people. Great job!
Shashi, this is literally the only way I could eat overnight oats. Otherwise, I can’t STAND the giant soupy mess. These look delicious. To comment on the change thing, I am just the opposite – I hate change. I need to work on a happy medium between thriving on it and avoiding it!
While I do like the comfort of routines, I know change is the only way we can grow as individuals! As food, however, I tend to gravitate towards the same few meals and then switch it up when my taste buds start to get bored. I am ALWAYS down to try oat-based recipes and will surely be trying this soon..I’m sure they’d make a great snack option too!
I like routines..not constant changes..that’s probably the reason I eat the same breakfast every single day..these breakfast cookies look fantastic!
I only tried the yoga part of p90x…and it was pretty tough.