All You Need Is A Little Condensed Milk To Sweeten Up Overnight Oats

Whether you prefer them boiled over the stove or baked into a cookie, oats are a nutritious, satiating, and versatile food. Among the many ways to prepare them, one of our favorite oat dishes is overnight oats. A combination of old-fashioned oats, paired with some milk and an assortment of fixings, then stored for a few hours in the refrigerator, overnight oats are a convenient, no-cook bounty of parfait-style oats perfect for enjoying any time of day. As much as we love them, oats have an inherently neutral flavor that benefits from added flavor, and if you like your overnight oats on the sweeter side, a dash of sweetened condensed oat milk will take them from drab to fab.

Sweetened condensed milk is a thick, creamy, and concentrated expression of milk made by simmering regular milk to reduce its water content. Once its texture has shifted, sugar is added to give it its signature sweetness. Introducing sweetened condensed milk to your overnight oats is an easy way to give it a dulcet twist. 

Thanks to its concentrated flavor and texture, you only need a small amount of sweetened condensed milk to transform your overnight oats into a rich and decadent treat. Not only can it improve the flavor of the oats, but it also facilitates a luxurious and velvety texture that enhances the mouthfeel of the dish. And because it's crafted with simple, commonly used kitchen ingredients, sweetened condensed milk pairs seamlessly with other classic overnight oats fixings.

There are a few different sweetened condensed milk options to consider adding to your overnight oats: regular and dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, as well as evaporated milk. Regular sweetened condensed milk is the quintessential, dessert-style condensed milk. It's widely available at most supermarkets and is frequently used to impart a milky, candied twist to desserts, beverages, and more.

Because the vegan market is still growing, dairy-free sweetened condensed milk might be a bit harder to locate at supermarkets, but it makes for a great vegan alternative. Just as sweet as the classic, plant-based sweetened condensed milk can be made with oats, almonds, and even rice flour. If you have a hard time locating vegan sweetened condensed milk, there are various brands available for purchase online.

Evaporated milk is a bit different. Although it's made by removing excess liquid from regular milk, and shares a similar texture to the formerly mentioned variations, evaporated milk is typically unsweetened (although it does contain natural sugars). Evaporated milk is a great option for foodies who want to bring a noticeable richness into their overnight oats without the added sugar.

If you tend to keep things simple in the kitchen, oats, the milk of your choice, and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk is a tasty, no-frills recipe for overnight oats. But if you're looking for something with a bit more pizzazz, consider including additional complementary ingredients to round out the dish.

Incorporating fresh fruits like tangy raspberries and blueberries, succulent melons like honeydew melon and cantaloupe, or tropical fruits like mango and pineapple will complement the creamy richness of sweetened condensed milk by introducing a subtle acidity that rounds out the overall flavor profile of the oats. Nuts and seeds like chopped almonds, pistachios, and chia seeds bring a crunchy textural contrast to the silky smooth quality of the condensed milk-kissed overnight oats. And although sweetened condensed milk certainly has a prominent flavor, cinnamon and nutmeg spices along with a hare of vanilla can bring an aromatic warmth to the oats that easily meshes with the condensed milk. 

For an even richer overnight oats texture, nut butter like peanut or almond butter can bolster its lush consistency. Whichever way you choose to make them, as long as you're including sweetened condensed milk, your tastebuds will thank you.