Golden milk is trending right now and you'll see it used in lattés, dessert recipes, breakfast recipes, and even cocktails! Golden milk is a traditional South Asian beverage (that's typically enjoyed hot) and generally consists of ground turmeric, milk (or plant milk, for vegan), ghee (or coconut oil for vegan), other spices (such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.), and occasionally a sweetener and other ingredients. Golden milk is highly nutritious and contains powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory ingredients, and plentiful micronutrients. This recipe combines the deliciousness and healthiness of vegan golden milk with the hardiness and tastiness of overnight oats. And this recipe is sweetened with date paste, so you don't have to worry about added sugar negating the health benefits of these oats (look in the "Substitutions" section of this post for alternative sweeteners).
This recipe is based off of my Peanut Butter Chocolate Overnight Oats recipe, and both of these overnight oats recipes are 100% fruit-sweetened and are free of added sugar (SCORE!). I couldn't find any fruit-sweetened overnight oats recipes online, so I figured 'Why not make my own?' and I did. Most other golden milk overnight oats recipes on the Internet aren't dairy-free and even the recipes that are vegan are typically sweetened with sugar, maple syrup, or artificial sweeteners.
There are multiple ways to prepare the golden milk for this recipe. You can either:
1. Simply add all of the ingredients to a mason jar and stir to combine.
2. Combine the plant milk, spices, date paste, vanilla, and melted coconut oil (if using) in a separate small bowl and whisk until smooth (or as uniform as you can get it- the date paste will not blend completely). Then pour the golden milk over the oats and chia seeds in the mason jar and add the nut/seed butter (if using) and gently stir to combine.
3. The last option is the same as option #2, except instead of combining all of the ingredients for the golden milk (plant milk, spices, date paste, vanilla, and coconut oil) in a bowl, you combine them in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, stirring until the spices are dissolved, the coconut oil is melted, and the date paste is at least slightly more incorporated. Allow the golden milk to cool, then pour over the oats and chia seeds in the mason jar and add nut/seed butter (if using) and gently stir to combine.
Nutritional Profile of Golden Milk Overnight Oats
Rolled oats- oats are rich in healthy carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and iron. These nutrients are good for energy levels, digestion, heart health, muscle health, and red blood cell production.
Almond milk- unsweetened almond milk is an excellent source of vitamin E, calcium, and vitamin D (if fortified). Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is good for skin and hair health, while calcium and vitamin D help build bone and support the immune system.
Chia seeds- chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, and iron. Omega-3s are beneficial for heart, brain, joint, immune, metabolism, eye, skin, and hair health. Fiber is good for digestion & heart health, protein builds muscle, and iron builds red blood cells. (Tip: chia seeds can be enjoyed in smoothies, desserts, and breakfasts, among other things. Try adding either 1 Tbsp of chia seeds, flaxseed meal, or hempseed to your smoothie every time you make one, as adding these seeds greatly boosts the nutritional value of your smoothie. Chia seeds can be used in desserts in multiple ways, such as combining water with chia seeds to make a chia egg [a vegan egg substitute] for the recipe. Chia seeds can be used to make chia pudding or overnight oats, too).
Turmeric- turmeric contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that have powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Turmeric is also good for digestion and immune health (Tip: try pairing turmeric with black pepper to spice your dishes because the black pepper immensely increases your body's ability to utilize the bioactive compound in turmeric: curcumin).
Ginger- ginger is filled with antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds that aid digestion, reduce nausea, may have anti-fungal properties, and may ease menstrual discomfort.
Cinnamon- cinnamon is loaded with beneficial plant compounds that reduce inflammation, increase circulation, may have antimicrobial properties.
Cloves- cloves are a great source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that reduce inflammation, may have antimicrobial properties, and may promote liver health.
Nutmeg- nutmeg is rich in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties and may have antimicrobial properties.
Black pepper- black pepper is packed with antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties, may aid digestion, and may prevent disease.
Dates- dates (and thus, date paste which is dates puréed with water) are full of fiber, protein, iron, potassium, and antioxidants. Dates promote healthy digestion, protect against anemia, benefit the cardiovascular system, and fight disease-causing particles.
Substitutions
The gluten-free rolled oats in this recipe CANNOT be substituted with anything else because this is a recipe for overnight oats. You must use rolled oats for this recipe, instant (quick) oats and steel-cut oats won't work. You can use any kind of unsweetened plant milk for these oats (thin unsweetened coconut milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are good options). The chia seeds can't be swapped out because they are a vital ingredient in overnight oats. The spices really shouldn't be tampered with, but if you can't do some of them on your diet, I recommend at least using the turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper and eliminating the others if they don't work.
The date paste can be swapped out with 1 Tbsp maple syrup, agave, or date syrup (if you can do sugar on your diet) or stevia or monk fruit sweetener, to taste. Possibly, you could use one very ripe mashed banana (about 1 cup) to sweeten these oats, but I'm not sure that it would be sweet enough to offset the savory spices in this recipe. And I DO NOT recommend omitting a sweetener for these overnight oats, otherwise your oats will taste savory. The vanilla extract can be substituted with vanilla powder or may be omitted. The nut/seed butter is optional, but try to use a milder, creamier nut/seed butter, if using. The coconut oil is optional and can't be replaced.
Recipes I'm Perfecting Right Now...
Recipes that are currently in the works of getting posted on The Dimpled Date include:
-Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Fruit-Sweetened)
-Chocolate PB + Blueberry Almond Smoothie (Vegan, Paleo, Sugar-Free, Fruit-Sweetened)
-Sea Salt Caramel Swirl Ice Cream (Vegan, Paleo, Sugar-Free, Fruit-Sweetened)
In the meantime, enjoy this recipe and Happy 2021 to everyone (and GOODBYE 2020)!
Enjoy! <3,
-K.
Golden Milk Overnight Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Fruit-Sweetened)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 jar of oats
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup raw, gluten-free rolled oats
-3/4 cup THIN (cartoned, NOT full-fat) unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk, OR unsweetened plant milk of choice
-1 Tbsp chia seeds
-1/4 tsp ground turmeric
-1/8 tsp ground ginger
-1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
-pinch ground cloves
-pinch ground nutmeg
-pinch black pepper
-1 1/2 Tbsp date paste
-1/8 tsp vanilla extract
-1 Tbsp cashew butter or nut/seed butter of choice (optional)
-1 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil (optional)
-pinch cardamom (optional)
For garnish (optional):
-a drizzle of nut/seed butter of choice, unsweetened shredded coconut, a sprinkle of cinnamon, fresh fruit, hempseed, a cinnamon stick, etc.
Directions:
1. Make the date paste ahead of time (if using date paste to sweeten) and grab a mason jar with a lid.
2. Add all of the ingredients to the mason jar and stir until fully incorporated. Alternatively, add the oats and chia seeds to the mason jar, add the golden milk ingredients (plant milk, spices, date paste, vanilla, and melted coconut oil) to a small bowl and whisk to combine, then pour over the oats and chia seeds in the mason jar. Another option is to combine the golden milk ingredients (plant milk, spices, date paste, vanilla, and coconut oil) in a saucepan on the stove over low heat and stir frequently until the spices are dissolved, the coconut oil is melted, and the date paste is at least somewhat more incorporated, allow it to cool, and then pour over the oats and chia seeds in the mason jar. Add nut/seed butter if desired and stir gently.
3. After stirring, lightly press down the oats with the backside of a spoon to fully submerge them so they can soak. Make sure all oats are submerged in the almond milk before putting on the lid and placing in the fridge overnight.
4. Allow the oats to soak/chill overnight. Soaking the oats in the almond milk overnight softens them to an oatmeal-like consistency, which is why you don't need to cook these oats.
5. The next morning, remove the overnight oats from the fridge, add desired toppings, and serve. Enjoy!*
*Note if you want your overnight oats to be warm instead of cold, place your jar of oats in the microwave and heat for several seconds until warm. Also, if your mason jar has a screwable metal lid please remove the lid before putting the jar in the microwave, and/or if the jar has metal hinges, spoon the oats into a microwave-safe bowl before heating it in the microwave.
Comments