Our 17 Best Breakfasts You Can Prep the Night Before
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/carrot-cake-overnight-oats-beauty-square-d1460f9338d44470854e33abb974f631.jpg)
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Catherine Jessee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Take a moment the night before to prep one of these delicious breakfasts. Whether it’s for one day of grab-and-go or four days of morning meal prep, you’ll be glad to know your next meal is ready to go. These 17 recipes have been given four- and five-star reviews from our EatingWell readers and we’re sure you’ll love them too. Look forward to enjoying our popular make-ahead High-Protein Lemon Blueberry Muffins or dig into a jar of our Carrot Cake Overnight Oats for a fuss-free start to your day.
Snickers-Inspired Overnight Oats
Photographer: Stacy K. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
Dessert for breakfast? Yes, please! These fiber-rich Snickers-inspired overnight oats have all the features of the famous candy bar—crunchy peanuts, rich chocolate and a buttery caramel drizzle over tender and tangy oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats work best here, as they keep their texture as they sit. While you may be surprised by our use of chocolate chips and caramel sauce in a breakfast recipe, we use a minimal amount of each to mimic the Snickers flavor while still keeping the added sugar to 9 grams per serving—less than many sweetened cereals and fruit-flavored yogurts.
High-Protein Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle, Food Stylist: Julia Levy
These lemon-blueberry muffins are so good, you'll think they came straight from a bakery. A sprinkle of sugar creates a nice crunch on the outside, while strained yogurt ensures the muffins stay moist on the inside. The yogurt also provides a boost of satisfying protein, making these muffins perfect for breakfast or snack time. If using frozen blueberries, there's no need to thaw them beforehand. They will add a purple hue to the batter, but it won't affect the delicious end result.
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Catherine Jessee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Carrot cake for breakfast? We say yes! These carrot cake overnight oats taste just like the classic dessert—complete with a frosting-like layer—but with far less added sugar. We like layering some of the frosting in between layers of oats, but you can just dollop it all on top if you prefer.
Baked Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Muffins meet oatmeal in these moist and tasty grab-and-go oatmeal cups.
Easy Loaded Baked Omelet Muffins
Protein-packed omelet muffins, or baked mini omelets, are a perfect breakfast for busy mornings. Make a batch ahead and freeze for the days when you don't have time for your typical bowl of oatmeal.
Lemon-Blueberry Overnight Oats
These lemon-blueberry overnight oats are layered with creamy oats and a sweet blueberry syrup, with a garnish of fresh blueberries and lemon zest to bring the flavors together. Frozen blueberries work well too, but to get the right texture for the syrup you will need to use 2¼ cups frozen blueberries, 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1½ tablespoons lemon juice.
Vegan Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Having a stash of flavorful bean burritos in your freezer means you'll always have a satisfying plant-based meal ready for a grab-and-go breakfast on a busy morning or to take to the campsite for an easy campfire meal. Our vegan breakfast filling—made with tofu and prepared to mimic scrambled eggs—is tossed with beans, veggies and salsa for a delicious and ultra-satisfying meal.
Baked Apple Oatmeal
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Just like apple pie, the warm flavors from cinnamon and vanilla combine in this baked apple oatmeal. Baked apple oatmeal is the perfect breakfast for busy fall mornings—you can make a batch ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week. Whole milk adds to the creaminess, but you can swap it out for a nondairy alternative if you prefer.
Tres Leches-Inspired Overnight Oats
Tres leches, which is Spanish for "three milks," gets its name from the three types of milk that are used to soak the classic cake: whole milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Here, we use those milks to hydrate oats, creating a creamy, satisfying breakfast. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds a nice touch of spice, while sliced strawberries provide a pop of color. Tres leches cake is usually topped with whipped cream—if you want to re-create that creaminess, try topping these oats with some plain yogurt for a breakfast-friendly twist.
Muffin-Tin Omelets with Feta & Peppers
These Greek-inspired baked mini omelets are the perfect breakfasts on the go. Mix the batter the night before, and they'll be ready to bake in the morning. Once they're baked, you can keep these tasty omelet muffins in your fridge or freezer for future meals. Double score!
Banana Protein Muffins
These healthy banana muffins are packed with protein thanks to ingredients like peanut butter and Greek yogurt, while white whole-wheat flour gives them a fiber boost. Serve them for breakfast or for a grab-and-go snack.
Apple Pie-Inspired Overnight Oats
There's no better way to usher in fall than apple pie-inspired overnight oats in the morning. Prep and store this easy breakfast ahead of time to have on hand for busy work and school mornings. You can substitute any nondairy milk for the reduced-fat milk, or try kefir if you want your oats extra tangy.
Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos with Eggs, Cheese & Spinach
Mornings just got easier with these satisfying breakfast burritos made with eggs, spinach, serrano peppers and cheese. These burritos can last for months in the freezer and reheat within minutes in the microwave, so keep a stash on hand for when you need a quick, healthy breakfast.
Brownie Batter Overnight Oats
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Love dessert for breakfast or breakfast for dessert? This brownie-batter overnight oats recipe is a delicious way to start or end your day. The melted chocolate shell on top is fun to eat, plus adds texture and sweetness. If you want to skip the melted chocolate topping, stir the chocolate chips and cocoa nibs directly into the oats.
Berry Chia Pudding
Chia seeds are a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, plus they have fiber, iron and calcium. Here they're mixed with a fruity base and refrigerated until the chia seeds expand to form a thick, creamy texture similar to tapioca. Pudding for breakfast? We're in.
Muffin-Tin Quiches with Smoked Cheddar & Potato
Potatoes, cheese and greens make this mini quiche recipe delicious and satisfying. Bake up a batch over the weekend and you'll have breakfast available in a hurry for the rest of the week.
Peanut Energy Bars
This carbohydrate-rich bar, full of nuts, seeds, fruit and oats, was adapted from Amy Harrison's prize-winning submission in the Plains (Georgia) Peanut Festival recipe competition sponsored by The Peanut Institute. It includes a little protein, and is a great grab-and-go pre-workout snack on mornings when you don't have time to digest a full meal.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
