Wake Up to Tiramisu Overnight Oats
If you love the flavors of classic Italian tiramisu but want a grab-and-go breakfast that’s also healthy, these tiramisu overnight oats are for you! By combining rolled oats with strong coffee, cocoa powder, and a hint of vanilla, you can create a nutrient-packed breakfast that tastes just like the decadent dessert. And it comes together in minutes the night before so your morning routine is simplified.
Getting Started with Overnight Oats
Overnight oats have become a staple easy breakfast for good reason. Simply mix together oats and liquid in a container before bed, then wake up to perfectly creamy, flavor-infused oatmeal you can take on-the-go. Using an airtight overnight oats container is key to prevent your oats from getting dried out overnight. I like to use jars or reusable food prep containers that seal tightly.
Once you’ve assembled your oats and liquid the night before, the oats soak up the liquid as they sit and become soft and creamy, no cooking required! The possibilities for flavors are also endless depending on extracts, spices, and mix-ins you add. Sweet flavors like pumpkin pie spice or berries are popular, but overnight oats shine with richer flavors too, like the mocha and cocoa notes in this tiramisu recipe.
Creating the Tiramisu Flavor
To infuse traditional tiramisu flavors into our overnight oats, we’ll first create an ultra-strong “tiramisu mixture” to pour over the oats. This concentrated mixture steeps into the oats overnight, infusing them with delicious flavor. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare before bed!
The tiramisu mixture includes strong brewed coffee, cocoa powder, vanilla, and just a touch of sugar. Here’s why each ingredient is important:
– Strong Coffee: Coffee is essential for creating the mocha flavor in tiramisu. Use twice the amount of coffee grounds you normally would to brew a super rich, strong concentrate. I like to prepare this in my French press so it steeps longer. Choose a medium or dark roast coffee – lighter roasts won’t have as much flavor.
– Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder gives both chocolate richness and that iconic tiramisu dusting on top. Use natural cocoa for the strongest chocolate punch. Mix the cocoa right into the coffee while it’s hot so it melts smoothly.
– Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract enhances all the other flavors and makes your oats taste like they came from a gourmet cafe.
– Sugar: Just a teaspoon or two of sugar balances out the bitterness of the coffee and cocoa. You still get intense flavor without over-sweetening. Maple syrup, honey, or agave would also work well here if you prefer liquid sweeteners.
Once the strong coffee mixture comes together, simply pour it over rolled oats in your overnight oats container and mix well. Then refrigerate 8+ hours so they can soak up all that decadent tiramisu flavor as you sleep!
Does Tiramisu Have Caffeine?
Since coffee is one of the integral ingredients in tiramisu, the dessert does contain a meaningful amount of caffeine. Likewise, our tiramisu overnight oats use strong-brewed coffee in the mixture poured over the raw oats. So yes, these oats will give you a caffeinated kick to help wake you up!
The amount of caffeine per serving will depend on the brewing method and coffee you use. Expect your oats to have slightly less caffeine than a regular 8 oz cup of coffee from that batch.
I recommend enjoying these as a morning breakfast. But if caffeine later in the day affects your sleep, you could soak your oats in decaf coffee or vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk instead. They would still have great flavor without the stimulant effect.
Healthy Tiramisu Recipe
While traditional tiramisu made with heavy cream, egg yolks, mascarpone, and liquor is delicious in its own right, it’s not the healthiest breakfast option. That’s where these tiramisu overnight oats shine!
Oats are a nutritional powerhouse packed with:
- Fiber to keep you full and aid digestion
- Protein to maintain and repair muscles
- Antioxidants that fight disease and inflammation
- Iron, magnesium, zinc for immune support and energy
- B vitamins including folate and thiamin
By pairing oats with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and coffee in this recipe, you create an extremely nutritious, well-balanced breakfast. The complex carbs from the oats combined with caffeine provide sustained energy. And you get all that from a recipe that comes together in mere minutes the night before!
To lighten up our recipe even more compared to heavy cream-laden tiramisu, opt for unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond or oat milk. You still achieve a creamy texture without excess saturated fat or calories. I recommend an unflavored variety over something like vanilla almond milk. Otherwise it competes with the tiramisu flavor profile we worked hard to create!
For sweetness, a touch of sugar balances out any bitterness from the cocoa and coffee. Adding a fruit like raspberries or strawberries gives you an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants without contributing many calories. This makes your breakfast sweet and satisfying without added refined sugar.
Customize Your Tiramisu Overnight Oats
Once you’ve tried the base recipe, have fun customizing your tiramisu oats to suit your taste and dietary needs! Here are some easy ways to put your own spin for this sweet yet healthy breakfast:
- Change up the milk: As mentioned above, any unsweetened dairy or non-dairy milk works well.
- Stir in mix-ins before refrigerating: Fresh berries, banana slices, almond slivers, shredded coconut.
- Swap additions like cacao nibs for cocoa powder, espresso powder for brewed coffee, etc.
- Top with whipped cream: For a weekend splurge, you can’t beat a dollop of sweet whipped cream!
- Adjust sweetness: Add less sugar if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth in the mornings.
- Soak oats in water for a low-calorie option.
Serving Suggestions
While tiramisu overnight oats taste delicious chilled straight from the fridge, you have a few options for serving them warm if desired:
- Microwave your container for 1 minute before eating. Stir well.
- Transfer oats to a small saucepan and gently heat over medium, stirring frequently until warmed through.
- Prepare them “stovetop style” in the morning by adding more milk and warming until thickened and creamy.
Stored in an airtight container, tiramisu overnight oats will keep for up to 5 days refrigerated. So you can make a big batch at the start of your week for easy grab-and-go breakfasts.
Give Your Mornings a Flavor Boost with Tiramisu Oats
If you’re seeking more inspiration for creative flavor combinations to try in your overnight oats, be sure to check out my other oatmeal recipes. I have over a dozen regimental favorites featuring ingredients like peanut butter, chia seeds, pumpkin, and more. With so many options, you could enjoy a different style of overnight oats every day of the week without getting bored!
But for now, give this fun tiramisu spin a try. These oats harness the indulgent flavors we all love in a traditional Italian dessert while being wholesome and nutritious at the same time. The step-by-step instructions make it simple to whip up the night before too. So next time you’re craving something sweet for breakfast but still want balance, reach for these creamy, caffeinated tiramisu overnight oats! Your mornings will feel like pure decadence.
Tiramisu Overnight Oats
Ingredients
For the tiramisu mixture
- 1 1/2 cups hot strongly brewed coffee can use espresso
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp sugar or honey or maple syrup optional
For the overnight oats
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice dairy or non-dairy
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt can sub with more dairy/non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional
- Pinch of salt
Mix-ins (pick 1-2)
- Fresh berries
- Sliced banana
- Slivered almonds
- Shredded coconut
- Cacao nibs
Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Cocoa powder
- Chopped nuts
- Vanilla extract
Instructions
- The night before, brew very strong coffee, about 1 1⁄2 times the amount you’d typically use for that quantity of water. Allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener (if using) into the hot coffee until smooth. Set aside tiramisu mixture to cool completely.
- In your airtight overnight oats container(s), mix together the oats, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, and salt.
- When coffee mixture is room temperature or cooler, pour over the oat mixture. Stir well to fully incorporate.
- Select any additional mix-ins and gently fold in.
- Seal overnight oats container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 5 days.
- The next morning, give oats a stir. Top or mix in any additional toppings if desired. Enjoy chilled or gently warmed.