Make-Ahead Oatmeal Smoothies
These smoothies a day (or two or three) ahead, refrigerate them,
and have a healthy breakfast or snack ready to go.
Step 1. Assemble these ingredients and supplies.
•Oats. Old fashioned rolled oats over instant or quick oats are less processed and better for you. But, instant or quick oats will work. Steel-cut oats aren't recommended for these smoothies, because they don't blend and soften well.
•Chia seeds.
•Yogurt. You can use any kind of yogurt (including non-dairy yogurts).
•Milk. You can substitute any type of milk you prefer.
•Fruit juice. This is optional. You can use all milk for the smoothie liquid, or a combination of milk and juice.
•Blender.
•Pint (2 cup) mason jars. You can use any 2 cup container, but mason jars are the perfect size for storing, serving, and grab-and-go convenience. They stack and store easily in the fridge and freezer. The Ball website has a chart showing which jars are freezer safe. I have frozen smoothies in regular-mouth pint jars without any problems, but Ball recommends using the wide-mouth jars for freezing.
•Fruit. You can use fruit in any form.
•Jams, preserves, spreads. These are optional add-ins. They provide both flavor and sweetness. Read the labels to find no or low-sugar options.
•Fruit sauces, purees, and butters. These can be substituted for fresh or frozen fruit, or used to supplement the flavor. Applesauce is one of my favorites.
•Sweet spices, extracts, flavors. Also optional add-ins. My favorites: cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste (or extract) and almond extract.
•Sweeteners. Optional, depending on how sweet you like your smoothies and the sweetness of other ingredients. Some of the fruits and juices may add enough sweetness without additional sweeteners. Honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup... whatever suits you.
Step 2. Add oats and chia seeds to blender container. Blend on high until you have the consistency of a flour. (It only takes a few seconds in my blender, but blender power varies so much that I can't tell you exactly how long it will take.) This helps the oats and chias blend into the smoothie without a chucky texture. The finer your grind them, the smoother your smoothie will be!
Step 3. Add the liquids (milk/juice) to the blender container. It helps to use a long spoon or spatula to mix in the ground oats/chias from the bottom; otherwise they can get stuck and blend in poorly.
Step 4. Add the yogurt, fruit, and any spices or additional flavors.
Step 5. Blend until ingredients are pulverized and smoothie has a consistency you like. I like mine with some texture; but you can keep blending it until it's smooth if you prefer it that way.
•If you are using dried fruit, it may not blend as well as fresh fruit. I like it with the texture of some bits of dried fruit. If you want yours smoother,You can rehydrate the fruit first by soaking it in juice, milk, or yogurt before making the smoothie. Or, blend the smoothie again after it has it's overnight fridge soak--the fruit will have softened and should blend in better.
Step 6. Put the lid on the individual blender jar container (if your blender has one) or transfer smoothie to a 2 cup container. Refrigerate. Pint size mason jars are the perfect serving size for a full recipe. If you prefer a smaller, snack-size serving, half-pint mason jars work well. I like to use white plastic jar lids sized to fit canning jars--they last longer than the metal tops and rims that come with the jars, and they are easier to screw on and off. Plastic freezer jars are another option, if you prefer not to transport glass jars for on-the-go smoothies. (Various mason jar supplies are available at Walmart, grocery stores, & Amazon)
•Click here for Amazon link to pint (2 cup) jars.
•Click here for Amazon link to half-pint (1 cup) jars.
•Click here for Amazon link to white plastic lids for mason jars (fits all regular mouth canning jars).
Step 7. Put the jars or containers of smoothies in the fridge overnight or a minimum of 4 hours. They need this soak time so the oats, chias, & dried fruit (if using) can soften and expand. This gives the smoothie a thicker texture, too.
TO FREEZE your smoothies, first put them in the fridge for their soak time (minimum 4 hours); then transfer to the freezer. Frozen smoothies can be moved to the fridge a day ahead so they can gradually thaw for drinking the next day. Or, place them in a bowl of cold water on the counter to thaw them the same day; it will take 1-2 hours to thaw this way.
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