Healthy Indian Overnight Oats have unique flavors infused with ground cardamom, saffron and then topped with pistachios. It is an Indian-style oats recipe that tastes like Kulfi ice cream!
If you adore the combination of saffron and cardamom, then give these saffron tres leches cupcakes a try!
What is Indian overnight oats? It is overnight oats infused with aromatic Indian spices such as ground cardamom and saffron, which makes it not only taste exotic, like the almond halwa, but also like a healthy Indian dessert.
Overnight oats is a popular no cook breakfast dish made by soaking raw oats in a combination of dairy liquid, such as milk or yogurt, along with a sweetner and flavorings, such as cinnamon. It is left to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
This allows the oats to soften and absorb the flavors of the liquid, resulting in a creamy and flavorful breakfast dish that can be enjoyed cold or warmed up the next morning.
It's the ultimate go-to for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack, especially during those scorching summer days when you crave something chilled right out of the fridge. It is a popular recipe using oats.
💡 This Indian style overnight oats tastes exactly like a kulfi ice cream!
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Why you'll love it?
- Cool and creamy
- No overly sweet
- Exotic
- No yogurt
- No cooking required - Just mix, sit and enjoy
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Oats - Use old-fashioned or rolled oats for overnight oats recipes, since they are ideal for soaking. Steel-cut oats are too hard and require cooking, while quick cooking or instant oats become mushy with prolonged soaking.
- Milk - You have the choice between full-fat or reduced-fat milk. However, vegan milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and others will add great flavor, they won't quite match the knockout kulfi taste.
- Sweetener - I opt for white sugar to allow the spices' flavors to shine through. Healthier alternatives such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave, and others won't deliver the same taste.
- Chia seeds - Adds nutrition and helps it to thicken as this saffron oats is made without yogurt.
- Saffron - Saffron infuses our Indian overnight oats with a golden hue and an unparalleled flavor, as in mango crepes.
- Cardamom - No Indian dessert is truly authentic without the addition of ground cardamom. I prefer to grind my cardamom fresh at home, as store-bought ground cardamom can often lose its potency from sitting on shelves for extended periods. You can read more in cardamom recipes.
- Pistachios - It brings a delightful crunch and vibrant green color contrast when paired with the golden hues of our cardamom overnight oats, as in mango chia pudding.
Pro tip: Grinding just ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder isn't practical. Instead, I grind a handful of green cardamoms in a dry grinder until finely powdered. Then, I transfer the powder to a quart-sized ziplock bag, seal it tightly, and store it in the freezer for future use.
Looking for more ways to use leftover ground cardamom? Try make a mango mug cake or mango and raspberry clafoutis
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Step 3 - Mix everything together.
Storage instructions
As mentioned in the roundup of overnight oats recipes, it's best to store this Indian style overnight oats in the refrigerator for up 4 days when sealed in mason jar or an air tight container. Top them with chopped chopped pistachios just before eating, to maintain the crunch.
Tip: This kesar overnight oats is always enjoyed cold straight from the refrigerator.
Although this Indian overnight oats tastes like Kulfi ice cream, it uses only 1 tablespoon of sugar for one serving, making it healthy!
Helpful tips
- Use rolled or old fashioned oats. Instant oats will turn mushy.
- Use gluten free oats to make it gluten free Indian overnight oats.
- Don't have saffron? Simply skip it! The oats will have a pale color instead as the mango overnight oats.
- Use chopped toasted almonds and almond milk instead for a kesar badam oats.
More Recipes with saffron
Indian Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rolled oats
- 1 cup Milk preferably full fat
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons Chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch saffron crushed with your fingertips
- 3 tablespoons raw pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except pistachios in a mason jar or a container and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
- Before serving, stir in half the pistachios and give a taste. Like it more sweeter? Then mix in more sugar. Enjoy topped with more chopped pistachios.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Oats with saffron and cardamom? I'm SO IN! This is my new favorite overnight oats recipe 🙂
Maria Doss
Yes, mine too. Thanks dear:)
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
What a creative overnight oats recipe! The flavor must be a amazing! I love oatmeal but have never tried overnight oats before. Now I must try this! Xoxo 🙂
Maria Doss
Oh you have to try overnight oats Kelly. So convenient for busy mornings:)
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
overnight oats that taste like kulfi?! you come up with the best overnight oat ideas 😍
Maria Doss
Thank you so much dear:)
Supriya Kuttty
I’ve never heard of this oats kulfi. The sound of the kulfi only makes your mouth watering. Thanks for the introduction of tasty and healthy for diet people ti have a diet kulfi.
Maria Doss
Thank you very much:)
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
Mithai like oats 😀 !! With Diwali approaching, this is such a great recipe to make! It's like eating healthy mithai! Trying tomorrow 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Haha I love the "what the what!?" intro - so fun. This is such a cool overnight oats flavour Maria!!
IGT LPG
This is looking like a so yummy... great and healthy recipe.
Maria Doss
Thank you so much:)
Nehal Preet
What a creative overnight oats recipe! The flavor must be amazing! I will try this for my brother, he is an Oat person. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe with all of us. Regards
A Young
Thanks for sharing! This recipe was great. I've always been a big fan of traditional Indian flavours ever since I visited India back in 2007.
Maria Doss
Glad you liked it 🙂
Siddhi Raina
Thank you for sharing. Will definitely try. Can I use Gluten Free Rolled Oats - Protein Rich Oats from True Elements - a clean label food brand Gluten Free Rolled Oats - Protein Rich Oats for preparing this recipe? Please let me know if I can do that? Also the recipe looks so delicious and I can't wait to try this out !! YAYY !
Maria Doss
Hi Siddhi, You can totally use gluten free oats, Maria
Claudia Phillips
Looks delish! I'll be trying this soon. Question: Do you heat it up in the morning or eat it cold?
Maria Doss
Hi Claudia, overnight oats are supposed to be eaten cold, straight out of the refrigerator - Wishing you happy holidays, Maria
Gillian
Delicious! I added some chopped up apricots too and they seemed to go well with the cardamom and pistachios 🙂
Maria Doss
Hi Gilian, Happy to hear hun, Maria
Anu
Can I use sugar substitute instead of sugar. I am trying to adapt this recipe to suit the needs of diabetics.
Maria Doss
Hi Anu, You can use a sugar substitute, but keep in mind that the flavor of the cardamom and saffron may change slightly compared to using regular sugar - Maria
Matilde
First time preparing overnight oats and I love it! So easy, so flavorful, healthy, yummy!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡