These overnight oats are most definitely one of my all time favorite breakfasts. There are too many wonderful dishes in the world to pick one favorite, but this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites. I find that the cashew espresso cacao cream adds so much flavor and is why I love these more than any other overnight oats that I have yet to try. Sometimes for an evening snack or dessert I’ll just eat strawberries and the cacao cream. It’s truly amazing. Then again I do love fresh berries, and the oats are nice and cinnamony so all together this makes a great breakfast.

When I get up in the morning I like to dive straight into my day. I either get up and go straight to the gym or school so having my breakfast ready is very helpful. You make this recipe ahead of time so when you wake up in the morning you just cut up some strawberries, throw them over the oats, add a scoop or two or the cacao cream, sprinkle some cacao nibs on top and you’re good to go!

In this recipe I give you two options for the oats; make 6 servings in one big jar or make individual servings in smaller jars. I find one big jar is great if you have limited fridge space or limited jars. On the other hand I find the proportioned servings in individual jars more efficient to grab in the morning. The choice is yours, I have done both many many times.

Also, I love making my own homemade almond milk for this recipe. It has only a few simple ingredients, it’s fresh, delicious, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

Lastly, I cannot end this post without giving credit to the person who’s recipe this is based off of, Terry Hope Romero. She is an excellent chef with tons of delicious recipes. I have made her overnight oat recipe with the cashew cacao cream from her book “Salad Samurai” many times. (1) Over the years I have tweaked it around to make it just the way I like it. I have added espresso to the cashew cacao cream, have cut back the oat portion, and added protein powder. The recipe I am giving you today is my version of Terry Hope Romero’s wonderful overnight oat recipe. Anyways I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I freakin love it!

With love from my kitchen to yours,

Kayley

Overnight Oats with Cashew Espresso Cacao

Cream and Fresh Berries

AuthorKayley Lynch

*Prep Time note- If you make your own almond milk it will add about 10 minutes to the prep time. Also the prep time does not include the waiting overnight for your oats to be ready.

Yields6 ServingsServingsQuarter (1.5 Serving)Half (3 Servings)Default (6 Servings)Double (12 Servings)Triple (18 Servings)

Prep Time38 mins

Ingredients-

Cashew Espresso Cacao Cream:

 1 cup cashews

 ⅔ cup almond milk

 6 pitted dates (97g)

 6 tbsp raw cacao powder

 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder or fresh ground espresso

 ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

 a pinch of salt

 a dash of cayenne

Overnight Oats: (measurements for 6 servings)

 2 cups rolled oats

 2 cups almond milk (add an additional 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp if using protein powder)

 3 scoops protein powder (optional)

 2 tbsp chia seeds

 ¼ cup and 2 tsp maple syrup

 ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

 2 ½ tsp cinnamon

Overnight Oats: (Single serving)

 ⅓ cup rolled oats

 ⅓ cup almond milk ( add an additional 1.5 tbsp if using protein powder)

 ½ scoop protein powder (optional)

 1 tsp chia seeds

 2 ⅓ tsp maple syrup

 a dash of vanilla extract (optional)

 a scant 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toppings:

 strawberries or other fresh berries

 cacao nibs

Recipe-

1

Start by placing the cashews for the cashew cacao espresso cream in a pot and add water to cover the nuts. Then bring to a boil over high heat. Once they begin to boil, reduce heat slightly to medium-high and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. This process will make the cashews softer and easier to blend into a smooth puree. Once done, drain the cashews and set aside.

2

Combine the almond milk and pitted dates in the blender and blend. Then add the cashews and blend. Add the remaining ingredients for the cashew espresso cacao cream and blend till you get a smooth creamy consistency. It helps to use a tamper to push the cream around while you're blending since it gets kinda thick. You also might have to stop the blender a few times to let the motor rest. When you are done transfer to a jar or tupperware and store in the fridge.

3

For the oats, decide whether you want to make on big jar of oats or put all six servings, or less if u want, in separate jars. I find that one big jar takes up less room in the fridge, yet the already pre-proportioned jars can be more convenient if you are rushed in the morning. If u go for the big jar, combine all the ingredient in the jar and stir with a fork to fully mix.

4

If you go with the little jars, follow the single serving oat measurements for each jar. Stir the ingredients with a fork and mix thoroughly. If you opt for the small jars I suggest using 16 oz mason jars so you have room for the cacao cream and berries in the morning. Place the oats in the fridge for at least a couple hours preferably overnight, hence the name.

5

Now for the assembly. In the morning scope out 1/6th of the oats into a mason jar or bowl or grab an already proportioned jar. Cut up some strawberries or your favorite berries and add to the oats along with 1/4 cup of the cashew espresso cacao cream, top with cacao nibs, and enjoy!

 

Ingredients

Ingredients-

Cashew Espresso Cacao Cream:

 1 cup cashews

 ⅔ cup almond milk

 6 pitted dates (97g)

 6 tbsp raw cacao powder

 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder or fresh ground espresso

 ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

 a pinch of salt

 a dash of cayenne

Overnight Oats: (measurements for 6 servings)

 2 cups rolled oats

 2 cups almond milk (add an additional 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp if using protein powder)

 3 scoops protein powder (optional)

 2 tbsp chia seeds

 ¼ cup and 2 tsp maple syrup

 ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

 2 ½ tsp cinnamon

Overnight Oats: (Single serving)

 ⅓ cup rolled oats

 ⅓ cup almond milk ( add an additional 1.5 tbsp if using protein powder)

 ½ scoop protein powder (optional)

 1 tsp chia seeds

 2 ⅓ tsp maple syrup

 a dash of vanilla extract (optional)

 a scant 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toppings:

 strawberries or other fresh berries

 cacao nibs

Directions

Recipe-

1

Start by placing the cashews for the cashew cacao espresso cream in a pot and add water to cover the nuts. Then bring to a boil over high heat. Once they begin to boil, reduce heat slightly to medium-high and let simmer for 8-10 minutes. This process will make the cashews softer and easier to blend into a smooth puree. Once done, drain the cashews and set aside.

2

Combine the almond milk and pitted dates in the blender and blend. Then add the cashews and blend. Add the remaining ingredients for the cashew espresso cacao cream and blend till you get a smooth creamy consistency. It helps to use a tamper to push the cream around while you're blending since it gets kinda thick. You also might have to stop the blender a few times to let the motor rest. When you are done transfer to a jar or tupperware and store in the fridge.

3

For the oats, decide whether you want to make on big jar of oats or put all six servings, or less if u want, in separate jars. I find that one big jar takes up less room in the fridge, yet the already pre-proportioned jars can be more convenient if you are rushed in the morning. If u go for the big jar, combine all the ingredient in the jar and stir with a fork to fully mix.

4

If you go with the little jars, follow the single serving oat measurements for each jar. Stir the ingredients with a fork and mix thoroughly. If you opt for the small jars I suggest using 16 oz mason jars so you have room for the cacao cream and berries in the morning. Place the oats in the fridge for at least a couple hours preferably overnight, hence the name.

5

Now for the assembly. In the morning scope out 1/6th of the oats into a mason jar or bowl or grab an already proportioned jar. Cut up some strawberries or your favorite berries and add to the oats along with 1/4 cup of the cashew espresso cacao cream, top with cacao nibs, and enjoy!

Notes

Overnight Oats with Cashew Espresso Cacao Cream and Fresh Berries

IngredientsDirections

Cashew Cacao Cream

Whole meal without protein powder

Whole meal with protein powder

(2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Notes:

• Nutrition is based on the products I use. I provide a nutrition table so that you can quickly check to see if your food products match or so that you can easily calculate the nutrition for any changes you want to make to the recipe. I think this helps if you have very specific diet goals and/or fitness and/or health goals. I also wanted you to be able to see exactly where I get the numbers for my nutrition facts so that you can see that they are reliable and learn more about macro breakdowns of food.

Works Cited

1. Hope Romero, Terry. “Overnight Oats with Mexican Chocolate Crème.” Salad Samurai. De Capo Press Books. 2014

2. Nutritionix. Gladson. https://www.nutritionix.com/ Accessed 21 January 2019.

3. “Nutrition Label of Cacao Nibs.” Trader Joes, Monrovia, CA, 2019.

4. “Nutrition Label of Cacao Powder.” Trader Joes, Monrovia, CA, 2019.

5. “Nutrition Label of Maple Syrup.” Trader Joes, Monrovia, CA, 2019.

6. “Nutrition Label of Oats.” Bob’s Red Mill, Milwaukie, Or, 2019.