A Bite Inspired by… Hiking:
One of my favorite hobbies is hiking the U.S. National Parks with my family. Whenever we go hiking, it’s super important to have a filling, healthy, and delicious breakfast that will keep us full all day. My Blueberry Basil Overnight Oats are the perfect breakfast to start your day, no matter what activities you have planned! Chewy oats topped with sweet blueberries, fragrant basil, and crunchy almonds– what more do you need? If every good day starts with a good breakfast then these oats are a must! Enjoy!
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Whenever people ask me what my favorite hobby is, my answer is always the same: hiking. Hands down, no questions asked. I love to hike. I was pretty much raised on hiking. It’s one of our favorite activities to do as a family and we went almost every other weekend when I was growing up.
My mom has the lofty goal of hiking every National Park in the United States during her lifetime. There are a total of 59 National Parks and we’ve done 21 of them, so a little less than halfway there. We keep track of all the National Parks we’ve been to on this awesome poster that I got my mom as a present a few years ago. It’s basically a giant map with all the National Parks marked and you put a sticker on each one that you’ve been to. This map is one of our favorite family possessions and is proudly displayed in our living room. It’s a great conversation piece. We always end up pulling out all of our trip photos when people come over and ask about the map. If you’re interested in keeping track of your family’s National Park adventures, you can get the same exact map that we have right here
Another cool thing that we use to keep track of our National Parks visits is the “Passport to Your National Parks”. As you can see from the picture below, we have more than one copy of this little book (we actually have 3 copies because we filled up the first two). These passports are awesome if you’re a fan of U.S. travel. Basically, every time you visit one of the 417 units in the National Parks System (this could be a National Park, a National Monument, etc) you get a cancellation stamp with the name of the park, its location, and the date you visited. They’re a really fun souvenir for both kids and adults (I first started when I was kid) and a great way to keep track of your travels. You can get one of these passports in the Gift Shop at any National Park Service owned park, monument, or area. After that, you can get the cancellations stamps at each park you visit in the Visitor Center.
While hiking all 59 National Parks in a lifetime definitely won’t be an easy feat, my mom is pretty determined, so I have faith that it will happen for her. Whenever we go hiking, we always need a very filling, hearty breakfast that has a good balance of carbohydrates and protein. Our go-to for the perfect hiking breakfast is overnight oats. You can make them the night before, store them in the fridge or a cooler, and then add the toppings in the morning. This is particularly helpful when we’re staying at the Park overnight. I just pack the prepared oats in a well-insulated thermos (I recommend this one here
If you’re not hiking, you can just make these oats at home in a bowl and stick them in the fridge overnight. It’s perfect for a quick, nutritious breakfast before work. They’re so easy and delicious!
My version uses soy milk, so it’s dairy-free, but you can use any milk that you want to prepare these. I also add a little maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and ground flaxseed
If you’ve read my Strawberry Basil Smoothie post, you know that I really like the combination of fruit and herbs. Basil is such a natural herb to pair with fruit because it has an inherent sweetness to it. I’ve topped this version of overnight oats with blueberries, torn basil leaves, and some slivered almonds. It might sound simple, but the flavors are lovely together and the basil adds a nice complexity, while still complementing the other ingredients. You can also use this overnight oats recipe as a base and add whatever toppings you want. It’s super versatile. Get creative!
Whether you need a filling and healthy breakfast before a hike, a run, work, school, shopping, playing with the kids, or whatever else your day has in store for you, these Blueberry Basil Overnight Oats are the perfect way to start your morning! They’re delicious and will keep you full for hours. Enjoy! 🙂
- For the oats:
- 1 cup soy milk
- ¾ cup rolled oats (see note)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
- Pinch of salt
- For the topping:
- 1 large basil leaf, torn
- Large handful of blueberries
- Large handful of slivered almonds
- Pour milk into a bowl. Add maple syrup and ground flaxseed. Stir well.
- Add rolled oats to the bowl. Stir carefully until combined.
- Add salt. Stir.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Remove bowl from fridge. Stir the oats.
- Arrange blueberries, basil, and almonds on top of the oatmeal. Enjoy!
Oh wow! I never thought to put basil in oatmeal. This looks amazing
Thank you so much, Deanna! The basil goes perfectly with the fruit– definitely give it a try!
Basil and blueberries. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that combination before but I am going to try it out as soon as I can get my hands on some decent blueberries. I see the minimum time is 6 hours. What is the maximum time assuming I use regular milk?
Thanks for the great question, Romain! The oats will get soggier the longer you let them sit. 8-12 hours is probably the ideal, but I would imagine you can let them sit for up to 16 hours and they would still be good. It really depends on personal taste and how you like your oats. I usually make mine a few hours before bed and then eat them after I work out in the morning, so they probably sit for about 12-14 hours on average. You would have to experiment and see what timing works best for you, but generally speaking, I would try to stick to 16 hours or less. The timing should be the same regardless of what kind of milk you use. Thank you again for stopping by!
I agree, the basil in oatmeal is creative! I bet this is very fresh tasting. Awesome goal about hiking in all the parks; I covered a good number (though didn’t count) as a kid. We’ve covered a bit less ground with our son but now that he’s a bit older we’re getting the travel bug, so I’m sure we’ll hit more now.
Thank you so much, David! I really appreciate your awesome comment! Definitely consider getting your son a National Parks Passport the next time you visit one. I got started on mine as a kid and that’s what really led to my love of hiking and nature today. 🙂
I have never ever thought of Basil and Oatmeal. I’m so intrigued. Cannot wait to try.
Thank you so much, Veena!
I love your mom’s goal. It sounds like the perfect way to experience different parts of America!
These overnight oats look delish, and I like that they are portable and perfect for hiking!
Thank you so much, Tracy! It really is a great way to see the country. I love packing these oats for a hike because they keep so well in a thermos and provide great hiking fuel. Thanks again for stopping by!
I love this idea. I never thought of using basil in a breakfast food, but I’m sure it will be delicious. Can’t wait to give this a try. 🙂
Thank you so much, Amanda! Herbs and fruit are really a dynamite combination and the basil goes well with the maple syrup in the oats too! 🙂
I am a huge fan of basil, and I bet is amazing with blueberries! Love the concept, can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much, Riva! I love eating this breakfast a few hours before a run too, so it definitely goes well with the concept of your blog! Enjoy! 🙂
I love hiking! It’s really cool to connect with nature and enjoy the silence away from the city buzz. I usually always have basil on hand but I never think to use it with fruit, until this blog! 🙂 I love this idea the smell of basil just wakes me up in the mornings.
That’s exactly why I love hiking so much, Joyce! It’s so serene and it feels like a whole other world away from the hustle and bustle of city life. And, yes! Fruit and herb combinations are definitely becoming a bit of an unintended theme on my blog, but they really are phenomenal together. Enjoy and thank you so much for another thoughtful, awesome comment! 🙂
Yum, this sounds delicious! And I love that you can prep breakfast the night before. I’m horrible at making sure I get a good breakfast, I’m betting your overnight oats could change that! Thank you!
Haha I’m totally the same way, Erica! Breakfast is a struggle for me, but overnight oats have really helped with that. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
oooh, this is making me crave summer and all the produce right now. and i love that you added flaxseed for a bit more staying power!
Thank you so much, Heather! This oatmeal definitely has some bright summer flavors that have been helping me get through the cold winters over here. 😉 I’m a huge fan of flaxeed. It’s definitely a staple in my breakfasts (along with chia seeds!) Thanks again for stopping by!
Gorgeous photos! Thank you for sharing. Pinning this one for later!
Thank you so much, Jamie!
I bet the basil adds some flavor and attitude to the oats. I like your aim of hiking in all of those National Parks as well.
Thank you so much, Mark! The basil definitely does give the oats a fresh, delicious kick you don’t usually get from breakfast. Perfect for all that National Park hiking the future has in store for me. 😉 Thanks again for stopping by!
I’m a complete National Parks NERD! My passport is running out of room for cancellation stamps! Glad to know I’m not alone!
YES!! Always happy to find another lover of National Parks! No shame in starting that second passport– I’m on my third one. LOL Hopefully these overnight oats will come in handy for you during your future National Parks trips. Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
I hear you on the hiking and travel passion–living overseas has made it far easier for me to knock places off my list, but I can still never get enough! In any event, add me to the list of folks who never considered adding herbs to fruit, but are now super intrigued. Can’t wait to experiment with this combo!
Definitely agree, Monica! You can never get enough travel– too many amazing places to see in just one lifetime! But, I’m happy to hear you’ve been able to knock a bunch off your list! 🙂 Definitely give these overnight oats a try next time you’re hiking. The oats provide much needed protein, while the smell of the basil wakes you up and gets you ready for a day of adventure! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Yummy! I love the combination of blueberries and basil!
Thank you so much, Whitney!
I love the combo of basil with berries, I bet that’s delicious in oatmeal! Thanks for the inspo!
Thank you so much, Abra! So glad this recipe inspired you! 🙂
What a lovely flavour combination! I would love to hike the national parks! One day I’ll make it to the States 🙂
Thank you so much, Sasha! When you come to the states, I definitely recommend visiting a National Park… or 3! 😉 Thanks for stopping by!