1/3cupold-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
3/4cupmilk, divided use (I use almond or coconut milk; use what you prefer)
1tablespoonchia seeds
1/3cupblueberries or berries of choice (frozen are fine)
1/2a banana
1teaspoonhoney or maple syrup*
Pinch(1/16 teaspoon) kosher salt
1/4teaspooneach cinnamon and vanilla extract
Instructions
Topping options: the other half of banana, chopped; granola; nuts and/or seeds; shredded or flaked coconut; raisin, dried cranberries, etc.
The night before, add the oats, 1/2 cup of milk, and the remaining ingredients (except the toppings) to a blender. Put the top of the blender and refrigerate overnight. (You don't blend now.)
In the morning, add the remaining 1/4 of milk and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice, as needed.
Notes
Soaking the oats and chia seeds overnight softens them and creates a thick and creamy mixture when blended in the morning.
Feel free to omit or adjust the sweetener to taste or use a different sweetener, as preferred. The first time you make this smoothie, you may wish to omit any sweetener until you have blended the ingredients and tasted. Then you can truly add to taste.
After you make the smoothie once, feel free to adjust the amount of milk up or down by a couple of tablespoons if you'd prefer a thicker or thinner consistency.