Learn how to make overnight oats with kefir milk. All you need are oats, kefir milk and a bit of maple syrup or honey for oatmeal with the best texture.

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I recently took a poll on Instagram, and almost everyone said that breakfast was the toughest meal of the day. Sure, lazy weekend breakfasts are great, but the weekdays are a different story. That’s where these kefir overnight oats sure come in hand.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we love prepping a good Venison Breakfast Bowl or Casserole. They are also great for grab and go and let’s not forget about my Venison Breakfast Sandwiches. If you prep these Venison Sausages ahead of time, they are the perfect addition to any breakfast. We also make my Sourdough Waffles on repeat, they are always a hit. But the best type of grab and go breakfast (and my go-to) is always oatmeal, especially overnight oats.

WHAT IS KEFIR?

Kefir is a fermented milk traditionally made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk. It’s produced by fermenting milk with kefir grains, which are a combination of bacteria and yeast living on a substrate made up of proteins, lipids, and sugars. The result is a tangy, slightly effervescent beverage that’s rich in probiotics, which are beneficial for gut health. Kefir can also be made from non-dairy alternatives like coconut milk, rice milk, and other plant-based milks. It has a consistency similar to drinkable yogurt and can be enjoyed on its own, in smoothies, or as an ingredient in various recipes. It’s very probiotic-rich so it’s great for your gut (helps aid in digestion) and immune system.

I like cows milk kefir but many people also drink goat or sheep’s milk kefir. As I said, it is thicker than milk, it gets that way during the fermentation process. It’s easy to make your own if you grab some milk kefir grains (it’s a VERY cheap thing to do) or pick some up at the store. You can use the plain kefir, or do a second ferment and add fruit/flavor for flavored kefir. You can buy plain or flavored, but the flavored, store-bought varieties usually have added sugar, like flavored yogurt. For this recipe, I like to use plain kefir and add my own sweetener and/or fruit.

Like I said, kefir is thicker than milk and thinner than yogurt, giving it the perfect consistency to both saturate the oats so they can soak and thicken the mixture so it’s satisfying, not runny.

I’ve very picky about my overnight oats because I love oatmeal so much. Overnight oats with just milk or non-dairy milk are too thin and there isn’t enough liquid in yogurt to saturate the oats to soak them. Therefore, for good oats, you need a combination of both. Which, isn’t so bad it just takes a bit more stirring and more ingredients.

But if you want an easier and probiotic rich ingredient that makes whipping up overnight oats a breeze, opt for kefir.

INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS

Want to know the best part about these overnight oats – they only need 3 ingredients to be delicious. Why is that? Kefir is thicker than milk but thinner than yogurt.

• Old fashioned rolled oats*
• Plain kefir milk (I used whole milk but any fat percentage will work)*
• Maple syrup or honey

Optional add ins:*

• Fruit or berries (optional)
• Chocolate chips
• Sea salt
• Vanilla extract
• Nut butter (peanut butter or almond butter work great)
• Granola
• Chia seeds, flax or hemp seeds

NOTES:

• Quick-cooking oats will work, but I prefer old fashioned rolled oats. I have not tested this with steel cut.
• Gluten-free oats are great – oats are naturally gluten free, but sometimes they are processed in facilities that work with gluten-containing food and can be contaminated.
• If you have flavored kefir, it is most likely sweetened. If so, taste the mixture before adding any excess sweetener. It may be sweet enough as is and you can omit the maple/honey. If you avoid processed sugar, opt for plain kefir.
• Any of the add ins are optional. The recipe will work and be delicious with just the oats, kefir and maple/honey. The add ins just take it to the next level.

Kitchen Tools:

By gosh by golly, this is the best part. You literally dump everything in a glass mason jar, screw on a lid (I use these nonreactive, plastic ones for anything fermented) and shake shake shake until everything is mixed.

STEP BY STEP

Step 1: Add the oats, kefir, and maple or honey to a glass jar with a lid.

Step 2: If you’re using any add ins, add them at this time.

Step 3: Screw the lid onto to the jar (I like to use plastic, non-reactive lids with fermented foods), and shake until everything is combined.

Step 4: Place the jar in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours, and serve! You can make these as soon as 3-4 days before you want to enjoy them, so prep a few at a time!

HOW TO SERVE

The recipe will work and be delicous with just the oats, kefir and maple/honey. The add ins just take it to the next level.

STORING AND ENJOYING

You can make these as soon as 3-4 days before you want to enjoy them, so prep a few at a time, they are great for meal prep!

OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPE’S YOU’LL LOVE

• Banana Blueberry Breakfast Oatmeal
• Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
• Venison Breakfast Sausage
• Venison Breakfast Casserole

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