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Dedicate just two minutes before bed to prep your breakfast and in the morning you’ll have a delicious bowl of creamy oats waiting for you! This vegan oat bowl is packed with nutritional goodness and slow-release energy to keep you fuelled all morning, and costs just 69p per serving!

This recipe is part of my 3 Healthy Meals for £3 a Day series, perfect for anyone seeking easy, nutritious, and budget-friendly meals.

Ingredient Cost Breakdown

Overnight oats:

• ½ cup / 50g rolled oats (Quaker) – 12p
• pinch of ground sweet cinnamon (Tesco) – 1p
• ¾ cup / 180ml soya milk (Tesco Longlife Sweetened) – 22p

‘Pick n Mix’ Topping:

• 6 walnut halves (Tesco) – 18p
• 6 whole almonds (Tesco Aasani) – 7p
• ½ TBSP sunflower seeds (Tesco) – 3p
• ½ TBSP pumpkin seeds (Tesco) – 3p
• 1 TBSP mixed dried fruit (Tesco) – 3p

Cost per serving: 69p

Prices listed are for November 2024, sourced from Tesco where I do my main grocery shop at the moment.

Topping your overnight oats with a mix of nuts and seeds is a great way to boost protein and healthy fats, which will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Each nut and seed offers its own unique nutrient properties, which is why I like to add a mix to my oat bowls. I also love to add some dried fruit for sweetness and an extra boost of vitamins and antioxidants. 

I store my nuts, seeds and dried fruit in recycled glass jars and use them like the ‘Pick n Mix’ breakfast bars you get in hotels. It’s a fun setup that’s also great for making your own Trail Mix snacks!

The Good Stuff

This oat bowl is packed full of nutritional goodness:

✨ Oats are rich in protein, fibre, complex carbs, B vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc and iron, promoting sustained energy, heart health and overall wellness.

✨ Cinnamon contains powerful antioxidants (polyphenols) that have anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

✨ Soya milk is a protein-rich plant milk, with 3.4g of protein per 100g (the same as dairy milk), while low in saturated fat. When fortified, soya milk provides essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12, supporting heart health and bone strength. 

✨ Walnuts are one of the most nutrient-dense nuts, rich in healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids, protein, fibre, antioxidants, vitamin E, and essential minerals, supporting heart health and brain function.

✨ Almonds are another nutrient-dense nut, providing protein, healthy fats, fibre, antioxidants, vitamin E, magnesium, and calcium, supporting heart, bone and skin health.

✨ Sunflower seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, and antioxidants, supporting heart health, and promoting skin and immune health.

✨ Pumpkin seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, fibre, antioxidants, and essential minerals like magnesium, zinc and iron, promoting heart, immune, and bone health.

✨ Dried fruit is a concentrated source of fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and natural sugars, supporting digestive health and energy levels. They should be consumed in moderation though, due to their high sugar content.

Top Tips & FAQS

What kind of oats work best? 

Rolled oats are the best for overnight oats as they soak up the liquid overnight and develop a creamy texture. Quaker rolled porridge oats are my personal favourite. 

How do I achieve the right consistency? 

I use a 1:1.5 ratio of oats to milk (½ cup of oats to ¾ cup of milk). It may look runny at first, but by morning, the oats will have soaked up the milk. I find that using less milk than this produces a consistency that is thicker but a bit ‘gloopy’.

What kind of plant milk works best? 

You can use any plant milk – each offers a slightly different flavour and texture. We are lucky in the UK to have a huge array of plant milks available in our supermarkets both in the chiller cabinets and on the ambient (long life) aisles, so have fun experimenting and finding your personal favourite!

Soya milk is my family’s favorite for breakfast bowls as it’s protein-rich (3.4g per 100g, the same as dairy milk). Tesco and Waitrose sweetened soya milks are particularly good, as they’re sweetened with apple extract which has a lovely subtle flavor. It’s great value too. In Waitrose, it’s currently £1.10 per litre; in Tesco, £1.25 per litre. We avoid milks with maltodextrin or artificial sweeteners, as they can impact gut health.

How do I sweeten overnight oats? 

I recommend tasting your oats in the morning to see if they need sweetening. If so, add a drizzle of syrup or sprinkle of brown sugar. 

Boosting iron absorption

Having a piece of vitamin C-rich fruit or a small glass of orange juice with your breakfast will help your body absorb the iron in the oats and nuts.

Gluten-free options

Certified gluten-free porridge oats can be found on the ‘Free From’ aisles in UK supermarkets.

Recipe Card

Nutrition breakdown

N.B. The above values are estimates and for illustration purposes only. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used. The % Reference Intake (RI) will also vary depending on your age, gender, height, BMI, level of activity and other personal variables.

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If you make these Simple Vegan Overnight Oats, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations. Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I’d love to see them! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,