For A Unique Spin On Overnight Oats, Take Inspiration From A Popular Drink

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Here at Tasting Table, we're proud proponents of an unexpected overnight oats combo. Today, we're shining the spotlight on one avant-garde flavor idea to make your overnight oats less boring – and it stars an ingredient that tea-lovers might already have stocked in their pantries: matcha. Matcha powder can work wonders in non-bevy recipes, like this matcha pudding with sweet red bean paste, or this matcha strawberry tiramisu, and it totally belongs in your breakfast rotation.

For the uninitiated, matcha is a highly concentrated tea ground into a superfine powder with a vibrant green pigment. Its unique tasting profile offers a distinctive earthy nuttiness and slightly bitter grassiness, often served with a touch of sugar or sweetened milk for a balancing touch. 

To incorporate that irreplaceable matcha flavor into your overnight oats, simply blend a scoop of matcha powder directly into the measured milk for hydrating your oats; add any other liquid elements (such as maple syrup or vanilla extract) to the blender during this step, as well. In lieu of a blender, you could also use an immersion blender, or a small ceramic bowl and a bamboo matcha whisk (like this one by Jul Wind brand, $9.99 per two-pack on Amazon). Roughly one teaspoon of matcha powder is the right amount per serving (½ cup of dry rolled oats), but feel free to bump that up to 1 ½ teaspoons if you prefer a stronger matcha flavor. As the oats absorb the flavorful liquid, they'll take on the cheerful pigment alongside.

Since it's getting mixed into overnight oats, there's no need to use premium ceremonial-grade matcha powder here. Any tasty, budget-friendly matcha tea powder (like this offering by MATCHA DNA, $19.99 per 16-ounce container on Amazon) will work fabulously to take your oats to new, emerald-tinted heights. Now for the fun part: Loading up the complementary mix-ins. 

You could take a cue from classic overnight oats accouterment, like brown sugar, granola, honey drizzle, and berries. Or, lean into matcha's unique profile with shredded coconut flakes, vanilla extract, and dark maple syrup. Chia seeds and a handful of dried cherries or fresh sliced strawberries would pair well, too. Pro tip: You could even add a tablespoon of matcha powder to our strawberry overnight oats recipe. For a kick of protein and fiber, toss in a few unsalted Brazil nuts, pistachios, or cashews.

For a little sakura matcha action, add a splash of food-grade rosewater to the hydrating liquid for your overnight oats; this one pairs especially well alongside vanilla soy milk. That rosewater can also be used to whip up a knockout iced rose matcha latte later in the day for lunch, or even transformed into an evening cocktail with Cointreau, soda water, lime juice, and a few fresh raspberries. Or, for a low-ABV sipper, combine rosewater, Luxardo liqueur, and seltzer, which would incidentally make a delightful pairing alongside your matcha overnight oats for an elevated, dimensional Sunday brunch.