Recipes: Date & Hazelnut Overnight Oatmeal

Never any time for breakfast? Then this Date & Hazelnut Overnight Oatmeal is perfect for you! You prepare it before bed, chill overnight, and then just grab from the fridge in the morning to take to work with a banana. It is healthy, low-fat, dairy-free, nutritious and easy peasy - a perfect start to the day.

When I'm making it, I chill the muesli in a saved take-out container, which means it can then be used for its purpose in the morning - to take out! Though I rarely eat my breakfast away from home because I work at home, it is handy for those occasions I have to eat on my way somewhere (like if I'm taking the train).

Not only does it mean I won't have to face hunger seeing as the train buffet is unlikely to cater for me, I can then dispose of the container if I wish after eating (but being a keen recycler, that's unlikely to happen!).

If you have gluten-free requirements, then make sure to use gluten-free oats rather than standard oats. The hazelnut milk I use is readily available in Tesco's 'Free From' range, and it is fortified with calcium and vitamins. But Alpro also do a hazelnut milk which is usually among the long-life milk cartons in most supermarkets (at least it is n my local Asda).

Feel free to swap the seeds here for whatever you prefer or have in the cupboard - you could use sunflower and linseed (flaxseed) instead, for example. I like poppy seeds because with the sweetness of the dates and the soft, soaked nuts, they remind me of a kind of a Polish 'fruit soup' that my Granny used to make for Christmas as a starter.

If you are a big eater in the morning, then increase this recipe (at least, the oats and the milk) by one third per person. This recipe provides only a light-eating amount, but accompanied with a banana, for me it is plenty to start the day with.

Date & Hazelnut Overnight Oatmeal
One light serving

⅓ cup organic porridge oats

2 tablespoons hazelnuts, crushed

4 pitted dates, chopped

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

⅔ cup / 120ml hazelnut milk

To serve:

One banana or other fruit

1. Mix all the ingredients into a seal-able container, and chill overnight.

2. In the morning, serve cold with a chopped banana or other fruit.

Variation:

Try swapping the hazelnut milk and hazelnuts, for almonds and almond milk - weyhey!