Overnight Oats — A Scottish Staple Reinvented

My DNA results came back with a clear verdict: over 50% Scottish. It explained a great deal. The affinity for porridge, the man bag — a modern-day sporran, essentially — and the ability to find oats in almost any situation. My Morrison family tree goes back to 1598 in Clackmannanshire, so the oats were always coming.

Scots have eaten oats for centuries. By the 14th century, soldiers were reportedly carrying bags of oatmeal to make oatcakes on campaign. At twelve years old, I lived with my Scottish granny and two uncles in Angus. Porridge every morning — with salt or sugar depending on who got to the bowl first — boiled eggs, and chewy Scotch bread rolls with butter, jam, or marmalade. A three-course lunch followed. Nobody went hungry.

Fast forward to this winter in Andalucía. A routine blood test revealed high spikes in blood sugar and cholesterol. Time to reintroduce oats — this overnight oats recipe is what I landed on. Overnight oats specifically — no cooking, no faff, just oats soaked in liquid overnight until they are soft and creamy by morning. The beta-glucan in oats helps lower LDL cholesterol and the soluble fibre slows carbohydrate absorption, stabilising blood sugar. All of which sounded very useful.

I use my small coffee cup as the measure — it holds 250ml, which takes 150g of oats. One part oats to two parts liquid. The rest is up to you.

If I eat early enough, I still wander up to the bar for a late morning café and tostada con tomate. Old habits.

Overnight Oats Recipe — Ingredients

(serves 1)

• 150g organic oats
• 250ml oat milk
• A spoonful of kefir or Greek yoghurt

To finish:

• Honey
• Grated cinnamon
• Chopped strawberries or halved blueberries

Method

1. Combine the oats, oat milk, and kefir or yoghurt in a lidded container. Stir well to make sure the oats are fully covered.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, remove from the fridge. Add honey, cinnamon, and fruit. Stir and eat.

This overnight oats recipe is featured in my Scottish Recipes collection — traditional Scottish recipes from a Morrison with roots going back to 1598. It also features in my Gut Health Recipes collection — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.

Overnight oats are a resistant starch recipe — cook it, cool it, eat it cold.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef