Figgy Overnight Oats Recipe for Busy Mornings
Most mornings, breakfast is the first thing to go when you’re short on time.
You hit snooze one too many times, you’re scrambling to get out the door, the kids need something, the coffee isn’t ready, and suddenly you’re halfway through your morning running on nothing. It happens to all of us, and it’s not a discipline problem. It’s a prep problem.
This overnight oats recipe solves it the night before.
In five to ten minutes the evening prior, you combine everything in a jar and put it in the fridge. That’s your entire contribution. The next morning you stir, add the walnuts, throw on any toppings you like, and you’re eating something nourishing before you’ve had a chance to talk yourself out of it.
I wrote this one for North Bloom Magazine and it’s been a staple in my rotation since. Figs, orange, a warming touch of anise, walnuts, and an infusion point that makes it a proper Bite Me recipe. It’s the kind of breakfast that keeps you full, supports your body, and asks almost nothing of you in the morning.
Which, honestly, is exactly what mornings need. Plus coffee!
The Recipe: Figgy Overnight Oats
Full article and original recipe: Figgy Overnight Oats, BLOOM Magazine
Makes 1 serving. Prep Time: 5 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) rolled oats, old-fashioned, not instant
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) milk of your choice, dairy or non-dairy
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange juice
- 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 ml) maple syrup or honey – infused
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.75 ml) ground anise seed
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) orange zest
- 2 to 3 dried figs, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) walnuts, chopped
Instructions:
- Combine in a jar. In a jar, glass, or bowl with a lid, add the rolled oats, milk, orange juice, maple syrup or honey, anise, figs, and orange zest. Stir to combine.
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. This allows the figs and oatmeal to soften and absorb the liquid and flavors.
- Stir and top. The next morning, give the oats a good stir. Add the chopped walnuts just before serving to maintain their crunch.
- Finish and enjoy. Add optional toppings such as fresh blueberries, a sprinkle of hemp hearts, or a dollop of yogurt. Enjoy.
Listen to this episode:
Pair this episode with North Bloom Is Normalizing Cannabis with Angelique Zerillo.
Why Overnight Oats, and Why Now
Everyone wants a nourishing morning routine. And yet, when you’ve overslept, hit snooze one too many times, or you’re trying to get kids out the door, the healthy breakfast is always the first casualty.
The most difficult part of this recipe is remembering to make it the night before. Once you do that, everything else takes care of itself.
I’ve been making this on rotation and it has become part of my regular routine. It’s hearty, it travels well in a jar, and it keeps you full in a way that a lot of oatmeal doesn’t. The figs do a lot of work there.
Find more breakfast recipe ideas at Wake and Bake Breakfast recipes.
A Note on the Ingredients
Not all overnight oats are created equal. A few things worth knowing before you make your first batch.
Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant. Texture matters here. Instant oats will turn to mush overnight. You want something with a little body left in the morning.
The orange does two jobs. The juice soaks in with the milk and adds flavor from the inside out. The zest brightens the whole bowl in a way the juice alone can’t. If you had to choose one, go with the zest.
Try the anise seed. I know it sounds unusual. It’s a warming, subtle spice and it belongs in this recipe. If you’re really hesitant, start with a smaller amount and see how you feel about it. But give it a chance before you skip it.
The figs are the point. They soften overnight into something almost jammy, they add real nutritional value without dumping a pile of sugar into your morning, and they are what makes this oatmeal stick with you. You can experiment with Medjool dates or dried apricots once you know the base, but try it with figs first.
Walnuts go in the morning, not the night before. This is the one step you cannot prep ahead. Crunch matters. I just break a small handful of walnut halves over the top right before I eat.
This Is Where It Becomes a Bite Me Recipe
The maple syrup or honey in this recipe is your infusion point. And it is one of the most elegant ones you’ll find.
Infused liquid sweetener is probably the most underrated format in an edibles kitchen. It drops into any recipe that already calls for a sweetener, it doesn’t change the flavor, and nobody knows it’s there unless you tell them. In this particular recipe, you know exactly how much sweetener you’re using per serving, which means your dose math is clean and consistent. That’s the advantage of building from scratch.
One thing worth knowing: because THC is fat soluble, it doesn’t bind to a straight sugar the same way it does in a fat-based infusion. There’s a technique to making it work effectively, basically incorporating a small amount of infused fat into your honey or syrup, and I’ve covered it in previous episodes. Links are in the show notes.
CBD honey or a ratio product works beautifully here if THC isn’t your goal. I keep infused CBD honey and ratio honey on hand consistently, and a recipe like this is exactly why.
If you want help figuring out your dose per serving, the Bite Me Dosage Calculator was built for this. It says THC on the label but it works the same way for CBD. Swap the numbers and go.
Why These Ingredients Matter
This isn’t a bowl of empty carbohydrates. Every ingredient in here is pulling weight.
Oranges deliver Vitamin C for immune support and tissue repair, which matters in winter when your body is working harder to stay well. The zest adds a brightness that makes the whole bowl feel alive.
Figs are high in dietary fiber to support healthy digestion, naturally fat and cholesterol free, and rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. They bring sweetness without sacrifice, and they keep you full.
Oatmeal is widely known to be heart-healthy. The high soluble fiber content may help reduce LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. It’s a classic for a reason.
Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties that support heart and brain health. They are one of the better plant-based sources of omega-3s you can reach for.
Using cannabinoids first thing in the morning can also support the endocannabinoid system, which helps bring the body into homeostasis. That’s part of the reason a recipe like this fits so naturally into a wellness routine. You’re not adding cannabis despite the health goals. You’re adding it because of them.
Variations Worth Trying
Once you’ve made the base once, you’ll know how to make it yours. A few things I’ve tried and enjoyed:
- Fresh blueberries for antioxidants and color
- Hemp hearts for extra omega-3s, especially if you don’t have walnuts on hand
- A dollop of Greek yogurt for protein and creaminess
- Medjool dates instead of figs for something richer and more caramel-like
- Dried apricots work well too if you want to switch it up
- A pinch of cardamom or cinnamon in the colder months
- A drizzle of extra honey or maple syrup if you want it a little sweeter
Even without changing the whole recipe, rotating your toppings goes a long way. I can eat the same breakfast every morning for weeks and then suddenly need it to feel different again. Small swaps make the base feel new without starting over.
You can find the original article and full overnight oats recipe over at BLOOM Magazine. If you’re in Minnesota, look for the print issue. And if you’re not in Minnesota but want a copy, send me a message. I have a few copies left.
That’s it for this week friends. Please reach to me, I love hearing from listeners! Direct messages to stayhigh@bitemepodcast.com, or leave a voice message on the podcast hotline.
Support the show by subscribing, sharing, leaving a review or buying me a cookie! Whatever way you choose, I’m grateful that you’re listening.
Stay high,
Margaret
FAQ About Overnight Oats Recipe
Can I make more than one serving at a time? Yes, and I’d encourage it. The recipe scales easily. Double it, triple it, make a batch for the whole week if that’s what your mornings need. Just keep each serving in its own jar so you’re not re-stirring the whole batch every morning.
Can I eat it warm? You can. I prefer it cold or at room temperature, but if you want to warm it up, a quick 60 to 90 seconds in the microwave works. Give it a stir before eating.
What if I can’t find dried figs? Medjool dates are the closest substitute in terms of sweetness and texture. Dried apricots will also work. The flavor profile will shift but the base recipe holds up either way.
Does the anise seed taste like black licorice? A little, yes. It’s a warm, subtle flavor and it softens significantly after sitting overnight. If you’re hesitant, reduce the amount on your first batch rather than skipping it entirely. Most people who were skeptical end up keeping it.
How do I infuse the maple syrup or honey? Because THC is fat soluble, you can’t just stir infused flower into sugar and call it done. The effective method involves incorporating a small amount of infused fat, like infused coconut oil, into your sweetener. I’ve covered this in detail in previous episodes.
How do I figure out my dose if I’m using an infused sweetener? Head to the Bite Me Dosage Calculator. You know exactly how much sweetener goes into each serving of this recipe, so the math is straightforward. Enter your numbers and it will do the rest.
How long do overnight oats keep in the fridge? Up to four days. Make a few jars at the start of the week and you’ve solved breakfast through Thursday with one ten-minute prep session.
Timestamps For Overnight Oats Audio
Introduction to Figgy Overnight Oats (00:00:05)
Host Margaret introduces the episode’s recipe, figgy overnight oats, and welcomes listeners to the “Bite Me” podcast.
A Message from Wayne (00:00:55)
A listener named Wayne from Rochester, New York, shares his “edibles personality” from the podcast’s quiz as “the forgetter.”
The Story Behind the Recipe (00:02:13)
Margaret explains the overnight oats recipe was created for an article in North Bloom, a Minnesota-based cannabis wellness magazine, highlighting its mission.
Cannabis Stigma and Community (00:03:12)
Discussion on how friends and family are often the gateway for people to discover the benefits of cannabis for wellness.
Why Overnight Oats? (00:04:22)
Margaret praises the overnight oats recipe’s convenience for busy mornings, offering a quick, nourishing, and potentially infused start to the day.
Recipe Ingredients (00:05:29)
A detailed breakdown of the necessary ingredients, including rolled oats, milk, orange juice, figs, walnuts, and anise seed to make the overnight oats recipe.
Ingredient Deep Dive (00:06:33)
Margaret explains the role of each key ingredient, like how orange zest brightens the dish and figs add natural sweetness.
Health Benefits and Infusion Point (00:08:31)
The nutritional benefits of the ingredients are highlighted, and infused maple syrup or honey is identified as the infusion point.
How to Infuse Liquid Sweeteners (00:09:21)
Margaret explains the trick to infusing honey or syrup, which requires adding a small amount of infused fat for effectiveness.
Dosing Your Edibles (00:11:33)
The benefits of morning cannabinoid use are discussed, with a mention of the Bite Me dosage calculator for accurate dosing.
Recipe Variations (00:12:33)
Suggestions for customizing the recipe with ingredients like blueberries, Greek yogurt, dates, or different spices to keep it interesting.
Final Thoughts and How to Find the Overnight Oats Recipe (00:13:29)
Margaret encourages listeners to try the recipe and provides information on where to find it in the show notes.
Margaret 00:00:05 Hello, friends. Today we're doing a figgy. Overnight oats, and I'm excited to share this recipe with you for a few different reasons. But I'm your host, Margaret, a certified Ganjier, a TCI certified cannabis educator, and I believe your kitchen is the best dispensary you'll ever have. Welcome to Bite Me, the showboat edibles. Let's grab a snack and dive in, shall we? Well, friends, before we get into today's episode, I just wanted to share with you a voice note from Wayne of New York, who shares with us his edibles personality from the quiz. And if you haven't yet checked out that episode or tried the quiz yourself, I suggest you head on over to Bite Me podcast and try it out for yourself. It's just a little something fun that you can do to find out what edibles personality you are.
Wayne 00:00:55 Hello, Margaret, this is Wayne. I just listened to your podcast and as for what I am, I would say I am the for getter. I've gone found weeds the other day.
Wayne 00:01:08 That was. Oh, I don't know, a couple of years old on my shelf. I was like, hey, where'd this come from? I found gummies that I left in the back of the freezer. So yeah, I'm gonna set it and forget it kind of guy. That's so fun. Enjoy life. Making a mystery. This is your friend Wayne from Rochester, New York. Having a great day. I hope you are too.
Margaret 00:01:36 And of course, if you want to leave your own message via the fan mail in your podcast app, by all means please do. You can send a text message, or now you can leave a voice message, which I think is fabulous because I love hearing people's voices. Now, if you are joining us for the first time today, welcome. I'm really glad that you're here and that you found the podcast. And if you've been with us for a while, thank you so much for your support, I appreciate you. This podcast wouldn't exist without the loyal listeners of Bite Me, the show about edibles.
Margaret 00:02:13 Now today we are talking about figgy. Overnight oats. This recipe comes to you because of an article that I wrote for North Bloom magazine in their winter issue. North Bloom Magazine has a special place in my heart. It is a magazine, a cannabis wellness magazine that is really challenging mainstream ideas about cannabis in Minnesota. And I did have Angelique Cirillo on the show a little while ago. She's an incredible human being. Editor in chief of the magazine is working so hard to change the conversation around cannabis in more mainstream spaces, and I think that is so necessary right now, because of course, during that conversation, we talked a lot about how there is still so much stigma about cannabis, but it's conversations like these. It's magazines like these that are appearing out there, that are changing hearts and minds. And whenever I see an article about, say, seniors who want to go out. I was just reading an article like a few minutes ago, which is why this is top of mind, I guess.
Margaret 00:03:12 But how seniors were interested in trying edibles to improve their lives. The article mentioned how often they heard about the benefits of cannabis from some from the medical community, but many from friends and family. You and I are the way that many people come back to cannabis or discover cannabis for the very first time, and whether that's trying a topical to ease some aches and pains, or whether it's trying out, trying out some new edibles to see if it improves certain areas of your life, or whether it's just enjoying some cannabis to unwind and relax. People are coming to cannabis through people like you and me. Let's keep it up friends. And big shout out to Angelique if you're listening to this and all the hard work that you're doing with all the team that you have in Minnesota with North Live magazine. What I love about this recipe is that you prepped your breakfast the night before and under ten minutes, and this morning, all you have to do is stir it and eat, and that's it. That's what I love about this recipe, is that it is so easy.
Margaret 00:04:22 And for many people, mornings are rushed and we want to leave the house feeling that we've had something nourishing for our bodies and maybe, maybe even including some cannabinoids. Because of course, when you are creating your own edibles and taking control of your high life. You and I both know that it doesn't just have to be THC, it can be CBD, it can be a ratio. It can be whatever serves you best when mornings are so busy. We often don't spend the time to make something healthy before we walk out the door because we're rushed. Everyone wants a nourishing morning routine, but the nourishing morning routine is often the first thing that goes when you've overslept and you've hit the snooze button one too many times when you're trying to scramble kids together. There's a million different reasons why. Mornings can be stressful. This recipe came out of that problem and I wrote it for normal magazine and it deserves our attention. So the thing that I love about this recipe is how easy it is to put together. And I think the most difficult part about it is remembering to do it the night before.
Margaret 00:05:29 But it literally takes like 510 minutes of hands on time, probably closer to five. So what do you need to put together this beautiful recipe? You need obviously rolled oats. Not the instant kind. You need some milk of your choice. It can be dairy or non-dairy, whatever you prefer. You need a little bit of orange juice, maple syrup, ground and Anais anise seed. I never know how to say it. It's one of those spices I hear I see written all the time, but I've never heard it said out loud. So if I'm saying it wrong, feel free to correct me. Send me a voicemail or a fan mail. You need some orange zest, dried figs and walnuts for the oats. You want the old fashioned kind because the texture is going to matter and it's going to be sitting overnight. Clearly, as based on the title of this particular recipe in the milk. So it's going to have a chance to soak up all those all that goodness. I do like to buy bags of oatmeal because it does come in handy.
Margaret 00:06:33 I like making granola. I love making oatmeal. These overnight oats have become part of my regular routine. And oatmeal cookies. How could I forget? I like making oatmeal cookies as well, so I do like to buy my oatmeal in the big bags from Costco. Or any store sells oats. That's they're very accessible. The next is the orange juice and the zest. And the two forms are doing two different jobs. The juice soaks in along with the milk, and the zest wakes up the whole bowl. Honestly, if you had to do one or the other, I feel like the zest really does brighten up the whole dish. I have made it with and without the orange juice and the orange juice. I mean, once you buy it, if you have a jug of orange juice, it only doesn't take very much. So you'll have it to make many batches of this particular recipe. Then you have the anise seed and its warming flavor that I really enjoy. If you're unsure about it, you can always leave it out, but I suggest you try it and see how you like it.
Margaret 00:07:34 The figs. This is where the sweetness comes in. And what I really love about the figs is that they offer some real nutrition without a whole lot of like sugar freeness, if that makes sense. And when they have been chopped and put into the oatmeal and the and the liquids, the orange juice and the milk, they soften overnight. And so it makes for a really hearty oatmeal that's going to keep you feeling full for a while as well. Because sometimes I do find that when you eat oatmeal in the morning, it's sometimes it's delicious and it's satisfying, but doesn't necessarily keep you full for a long time. But the figs really do help with that. And of course you can experiment with other dried fruit as well. If you find that you're having trouble finding figs or you just want to switch it up, but figs or where it's at and of course, the walnuts, they go in in the morning, not the night before because you want them to stay crunchy. I just usually take a small handful.
Margaret 00:08:31 I have like walnut halves and they crunch pretty easily in my hand. I sprinkle it on top and there you go. The maple syrup or the honey that you're going to use. This is if you decide to infuse this dish. This is where you're going to have your infusion point. And that's where the real fun is. Am I right? So the thing that I love about this recipe is that it is, like I said, healthy. You have your your vitamin C from the orange. You have the fiber from the figs, you have the oatmeal, which is heart healthy and also high in soluble fiber. And it can help with, you know, reducing your risk of heart disease. And you have your walnuts, which are high in omega three fatty acids. Oftentimes, if you're interested, you can always add a sprinkle of fiber on top. I have done that before. The next morning I tried it once the night before. It did not work out, so I don't recommend doing that.
Margaret 00:09:21 But sometimes that little extra sprinkle of psyllium fiber can really help with that feeling of satiety sometimes. I also do like the nuttiness of hemp hearts. So if you don't necessarily have walnuts or you still need to go and buy them, sprinkle on some hemp hearts or other nuts that you enjoy. The infusion is where this recipe becomes a bite me recipe, or shall I say a North Bloom recipe. In this particular instance, Maple syrup infused maple syrup, or honey is one of the most versatile, underrated infusion formats that you can have in your kitchen. And I recently did an episode on five pantry items you should have in your infusion pantry. A liquid sugar of some kind was definitely on that list. It doesn't change the flavor profile adoption into any recipe that calls for a sweetener. No one's necessarily going to know that it's there unless you tell them, which you know can be a pro and a con. There is a little trick, of course, to making an infused liquid sweetener Because THC is fat soluble and doesn't necessarily bind to a straight up sugar the same way as it would in a regular infusion.
Margaret 00:10:25 So you have to work with that. And there are techniques to do so effectively, and it's basically just mixing in a little bit of infused fat in with your honey so that it's effective. If you don't do that, it's not really going to be very effective because again, THC is fat soluble, but I can link to some episodes that I've done around making infused sweetener actually rather recently. And in case you need a refresher or you've never made an infused honey or syrup before, but I love having those on hand. I will often have infused CBD honeys in ratio, honeys on hand quite often because they are fabulous in recipes like this and also in beverages obviously shine beautifully in beverages. And of course, even if you're just using a CBD based infusion, you often still want to know, like how potent, how much CBD it is that you're consuming. And if you want help in figuring that out, you can head over to the Bite Me dosage calculator that was designed for that purpose. It probably says something about THC, but you just swap in CBD.
Margaret 00:11:33 It's going to do the same thing using some of these cannabinoids first thing in the morning can really help with that Ex tone that helps bring our bodies into homeostasis or natural balance, which is one of the reasons why we're enjoying a recipe like this in the first place. We're trying to prepare our bodies for a busy day with any recipe. I always recommend to try some variations in order to keep it interesting, and I already mentioned a few, but another that I also really enjoy are blueberries white. Nice on this along with the figs, I did already mention the hemp hearts, but you could also add a little Greek yogurt. You could try dates instead of the figs, or I imagine dried apricots would also work very well for this. A pinch of cardamom or cinnamon, especially in the cooler months, might be nice, but you could also experiment with the different spices that are in this recipe. And once you've made the base, you can make it yours. That's the whole point of building a recipe from scratch.
Margaret 00:12:33 And this is another lovely canvas for you to experiment, because you may find that it is a wonderful recipe first thing in the morning when you're really busy and you're trying to get out the door. But we all tire of the same thing I know I do. Even though, especially when it comes to breakfast, I can eat the same breakfast every morning for a long time and then suddenly be like, I can't do it anymore, and I have to totally switch it up and switch it up. Might just mean changing some of the ingredients in that recipe, changing some of the elements so that it feels fresh again. Take five minutes. Try this recipe out the night before. Pull it out of the fridge. I usually just mix it all up in a jar. You pretty much just add all the ingredients in a jar, leaving out the walnuts like I mentioned, and I put it in the fridge, forget about it. And then the next morning when I'm like, oh, I got so many things to do before I get out of the house, it's ready in the fridge waiting for me.
Margaret 00:13:29 And I love that. And of course, the recipe is written for one person. You can easily double, triple, quadruple if you have more mouths to feed. It's just so nice to be able to pull it out of the fridge, put it into a bowl, add your toppings and you're ready for a great day. You can find the full recipe and the article link in the show notes. If you are in Minnesota, look for North Bloom magazine. I would love to see where you see them in the wild if you do, and if you are not in Minnesota, but you'd like a copy. I do have a couple copies of this issue at my house. Just shoot me a message and I can probably send you one, but it's kind of first come, first serve. I think I only have like three copies, perhaps not too many. I'd have to double check it for this week, my friends. I hope you tried this recipe out. I'm your host, Margaret. Stay curious and stay high.
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