Vegan Mango Overnight Oats

MANGO OVERNIGHT OATS is a super easy, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe. Initially I made a basic overnight oats to break our breakfast routine. Somehow family was not fond of it. I stopped making

it for a while. Recently after having fresh mangoes at home thought of using it up in overnight oats. The flavor of coconut and cardamom is my family’s favorite…so I soaked oats in it and the next day morning added mango puree and chopped fruits. Voila! This Vegan Overnight Oats is a super duper kit among my family members. This is such a delicious and healthy overnight oats and I assure your kids will love it as much as you do! Since then, everyday breakfast has become overnight oats.

Not only this recipe, I have few more overnight oats recipes I do everyday with variations. This is my first overnight oats in blog and I will come up with the rest in the near future.

When I was a beginner in making overnight oats I had several questions in my mind , so sharing what I learnt!

What is Overnight Oats ?

Overnight oats are prepared in the night before and can be eaten in the next morning. It will cost you less time if you use oats recipes prepared overnight. And you no need to rush in early mornings to prepare the breakfast. Soak oats in milk and top it with your favorite fruit to add more fiber and nuts for filling healthy fats.

Why are Overnight Oats Better?

Uncooked Overnight Oats are rich in fiber and protein compared to cooked oat meal. They also contain vitamins and minerals. Some of which include manganese, phosphorous, copper, iron and zinc. It’s a very filling breakfast and also more digestible after being soaked overnight. This means you absorb more nutrition from your food. It also helps to remove toxins and wastes efficiently from the body. Healthy bowel movements reduce the risk of problems such as hemorrhoid’s and disease in the colon.

Research has shown that a daily intake of healthy carbs like oats is connected with greater energy levels, weight loss and good for guts. Uncooked oats are a good source of resistant starch, which acts as a prebiotic in the body. Some of the fiber in oats is fermentable fiber, meaning the friendly bacteria in your gut can feed on it. Resistant starch are thought to feed good bacteria in the gut, which may help to lower the risk of colon cancer.

Variations to this Recipe

• Instead of Coconut Milk do use Almond Milk or any dairy based or dairy free milk.
• Coconut yogurt or any vegan yogurt has probiotics , I mentioned it as optional but I do add in the morning which supports immune system.
• If you are not on Vegan diet do use any yogurt/curd of your choice.
• Add-ins like fruits, fruit purees, and spices will add even more antioxidants plus vitamins and minerals.
• Also I mentioned optional Raw Cane Sugar as a sweetener in this recipe, but do use any sweetener.
• If you use fresh Mango Puree or Fruits, do add it in the morning, but if you are using homemade preserves, do mix it with oats and soak overnight.
• If using fresh coconut, do use coconut water to soak the oats and reduce coconut milk quantity, or add coconut water while extracting milk.
• If using coconut water, do skip the extra sugar.

All about Mango

Mango is a good source of fiber, so adding mango to the diet may help maintain and regulate gut health and levels of beneficial bacteria levels. The researchers found that mango contains a combination of polyphenols and fiber, which is more effective in relieving constipation. It also has several listed health benefits

• High in Antioxidants
• May Boost Immunity
• May Support Heart Health
• May Support Eye Health
• May Improve Hair and Skin Health
• It helps in fighting cancer
• Helps in maintaining cholesterol level
• It helps in cleansing skin

Homemade Mango Puree VS Preserves

You can just blend Mango puree, sugar and lemon juice and use it immediately. But if you are making it ahead, do boil. This preserves stays good for a long time when stored in refrigerator and properly handled using clear spoon every time. I use it up within 15 days (It lasted only that long, I will update details on it in the original preserves recipe). This preserves based recipes have longer shelf life than the fresh one. So instead of adding fresh mango puree or fruits in the morning before serve, do add this healthy preserve in the night mix and allow to soak with oats. I do in this way as well.

Coconut

We being a farmer family use lot of coconuts in today’s cooking. After coming to US , the one I badly miss is tender coconut water and fresh coconuts from our farm. Somehow I satisfied myself with the whole coconuts available in Indian stores. Also I never bought frozen coconut shreds from stores. Whenever I go for groceries I do buy minimum 5 coconuts and use them accordingly. If you are looking for tips to buy and use fresh coconuts, I do have a separate post do check it out HERE.

Coconut is naturally an anti-​viral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasite fruit which improves heart health, digestion, brain health and immunity. Coconut is more preferable in vegan diet since it’s not as allergenic as Soy. Also it has more fiber than other types and gives oats a delightful sweeter flavor. Soaking oats in coconut milk or coconut water reduce the phytic acid naturally found in oats which in turn helps to boost iron absorption in the body. Manganese and antioxidants in coconut may help boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. Few more benefits from coconut are:

• Provides Good Fats
• Improves Skin Health
• Helps to protect skin
• Smooths skin and minimizes the look of fine lines and wrinkles

Sweetener

To be frank we adults don’t add any sweetener to this recipe but I add a bit for my kids who also have the same breakfast. I use Vegan friendly Turbinado or Raw Cane Sugar even to make Mango Preserves and for this ecipe. But, you can use any convenient sweetener as you prefer or do skip if mango is naturally sweeter.

Sabja Seeds

Sabja or Basil seeds are a natural and vegetarian source of protein which is especially acts as a natural body coolant. Its one of the main ingredient in Falooda recipes. It also has several important health benefits:

• Aids weight loss
• Controls blood sugar levels
• Helps relieve constipation and bloating
• Helps treat acidity
• To improve digestive health

FAQ

What type of Oats to use?

Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best choice for overnight oats. They soak up the liquid overnight, leaving you with a creamy texture. No matter what type of oats you choose, quick oats, steel-cut and rolled oats are equally healthy nutrition-wise. But Rolled oats are a type of lightly processed whole-grain food. Traditionally, they are made from oat groats that have been DE husked and steamed, before being rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers and then stabilized by being lightly toasted.

Instant oats are the most processed, rolled oats are less and at least are steel cut oats. The more processing, the fewer nutrients the oats retain. So more nutrition is provided in rolled oats in comparison to instant oats.

Can you eat raw oats?

Though raw oats are safe to eat, it’s recommended to soak them in water, juice, milk, or a non-dairy milk alternative to avoid some unwanted side effects. Eating dry raw oats could lead them to build up in your stomach or intestines, resulting in indigestion or constipation. Oat groats are steamed before they are rolled, so the heat destroys any harmful bacteria in the process and are not technically raw. Raw oats are rolled oat flakes that have been heated during processing, but not boiled for use in recipes like oatmeal or porridge.

Which time is best to eat oats?

The most essential meal of one day is breakfast because it gives you energy that you need during the day. Since oatmeal is a whole grain and rich in fiber, eating oatmeal in the morning may help boost metabolism, helping your body to quickly convert food into energy.

Can you leave overnight oats at room temp?

Though overnight oats are soaked at room temperature in liquid, they cannot be left at room temperature indefinitely. I leave it at room temperature for maximum 1 hour but not more than that. They have to be refrigerated eventually, and most people stick with 4-5 hours to prevent the rapid growth of microorganisms.

How Does Eating Oats Help You Lose Weight?

Oats are abundant with fiber. Fiber is a nutrient that is necessary for helping the digestive health. You will receive the energy that you need by eating overnight oats and you will be provided with fiber which help the control of your appetite you will resist the craving for food. The aid that fiber brings to your digestive system will also boost your metabolism.

This combination of benefits will help you lose weight by making very little effort; though, you should combine this with regular exercise and other healthy food choices. Make some of the recipes with overnight oats if you desire to feel the advantage of its benefits for weight loss.

How to extract fresh Coconut Milk

• Soak shredded coconut or coconut pieces in warm water (only if its stored in refrigerator) for 15 minutes.
• You can very well freeze the coconut with or without shells, in that case use hot water to soak so it thaws quickly.
• If its a room temperature coconut, directly add drinking water and grind.
• If soaked, add coconut meat along with soaked water to mixer.
• Grind for a few minutes until coconut meat ground to smooth consistency.
• Using tea strainer or muslin cloth to filter the ground mixture.
• This thick coconut milk is called first extract.

• Add back the strained ground coconut meat to the food processor jar.
• Pour drinking water and grind for a few more minutes.
• Extract milk again ie second extract , keep the first and second extract for this overnight oats recipe.
• The third or last extract I do use it in curries.

1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp Coconut Pieces soaked in 3/4 Cup Warm Water or 3/4 Shredded Coconut (use 1.25 Cups Water in total to grind).

Vegan Mango Overnight Oats

Ingredients

Rolled Oats – 1 Cup
Prepared Coconut Milk – 1.25 Cups (I use both thick and thin homemade milk, if store bought dilute 1 cup milk with 1/4cup water)
Mango Puree – 1/2 Cup (I use Homemade Preserves (link soon), it has raw cane sugar and lemon flavor)
Kalonji Seeds or Sabja Seeds – 2tsp (Replace with Chia Seeds)
Raw Cane Sugar – 1 Tbsp or As Needed
Cardamom – 2 Numbers or Powder – 1/4tsp
Vegan Yogurt – 1/4 Cup (Optional)
Few Dried Cranberries / Any Dried Fruits – 2 Tbsp
Chopped Fresh Mango – 2 Tbsp

* If using store bought or sweetened coconut milk skip optional sugar according to mango sweetness

Video Tutorial

Mango Overnight Oats Preparation

• In a Mason or any glass jar (Pic 1) do add oats first.
• Add healthy seeds as per your choice (Pic 2).
• To the prepared coconut milk add optional sugar, stir well.
• Pour the coconut milk (Pic 3) over oats and seeds mixture.

• Add dried fruits (Pic 4) and stir them to combine.
• Wrap the glass cups using cling film or close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
• After 6-8 hours or overnight, Next day morning it would be soaked up well like shown in Pic 5.
• Now top it with mango puree (preserve as per your choice Pic 6).
• Add vegan yogurt, I beaten it with a portion of water and added (Pic 7) since kids don’t prefer too thick consistency.

• Finally add chopped fruits (Pic 8) , mix gently from bottom to top and you can serve immediately.
• I do wait 30 minutes before serving it.