Lemon Meringue Overnight Oats Recipe

You've heard of lemon meringue pie, but what about lemon meringue overnight oats? As it turns out, it's quite easy to transform the iconic, citrusy pie into a breakfast treat that you can make ahead the night before for extra ease. These lemon meringue overnight oats, brought to us by recipe developer Annabelle Randles, capture the essence of the classic pie but in a less labor-intensive way — you don't have to worry about making your own lemon curd or meringue for this recipe. (You could, of course, make your own lemon curd if you feel so inclined to or have a little extra time.)

As expected, you'll find oats as the base of the recipe, but they get a citrusy twist thanks to the lemon curd layered in between. As for the meringue part, crushed meringue cookies serve as a super easy solution and final garnish for your parfait-like oat creation. For added convenience, the overnight part of this recipe (a.k.a. the part you have to put some forethought into) doesn't actually involve any of the lemon meringue aspects, so even if you only remember to prepare plain oats the night before, you can still put a dessert-inspired spin on them the following morning.

The ingredients list for these overnight oats is short and sweet: You'll need rolled oats, chia seeds, milk of your choice, plain yogurt, lemon curd, and crushed meringue cookies.

Place the oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds in a lidded jar or container.

Stir until all of the ingredients are combined.

Place container in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

The next day, stir the oat mixture, adding more milk if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Place 2 tablespoons of oats at the bottom of a glass or serving container.

Top oats with 2 tablespoons of lemon curd.

Add another layer of oats and lemon curd to the serving containers

Top with crushed meringue.

Repeat the steps to build an oats and lemon curd parfait in the second serving container.

Serve straight away.

In case you've never experimented much with chia seeds (or perhaps are only familiar with them in chia pudding), allow this recipe to introduce you to a nutrient-dense resource that enhances overnight oats. When considering what chia seeds do in overnight oats, there are essentially two answers — they add a nutritional boost and they help thicken up the oats themselves. It's pretty much a win-win to include them in the mix.

As for nutritional benefits, chia seeds are superfood, so they're packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and various antioxidants and minerals. Aside from a health boost, chia seeds will actually affect the texture of your overnight oats for the better. Chia seeds absorb moisture and become gelatinous when they do so (anyone who has had chia pudding can attest to the jelly-like texture), so it only makes sense that you'd include the seeds in overnight oats to help absorb any excess liquid. Don't worry: Chia seeds won't completely transform your oats into a pudding-like consistency, but they will help thicken everything up so you can enjoy overnight oats, not overnight soup.

Anyone well-versed in the world of oats (or someone who regularly enjoys oats for breakfast, at the very least) likely knows that there are a few types of oats out there. A common mistake that people make with overnight oats is using the wrong kind of oats, but it's relatively easy to troubleshoot the kinds that work best and those to avoid. 

Two of the most common oat types you'll find at the grocery store, rolled (or old-fashioned) and steel-cut, are both worthy contenders for overnight oats. The biggest difference between the two comes down to the way that they're processed. Both of them are minimally processed, but steel-cut even less so than rolled. Thanks to this, neither will become too soggy when soaking in milk overnight. That means that your breakfast won't taste like absolute mush. If you were to use a more processed type, such as instant or quick oats, then you'd still yield an edible result, but the oats would absorb the liquid much quicker and result in a mushier meal. 

When in doubt, you can always use the type of oats you have on hand (again, there's a good chance they'll be rolled or steel-cut oats). This recipe uses rolled oats and yields a successful result, so look for that kind at the grocery store for the most foolproof lemon meringue overnight oats possible.