{Guest Post: Sarah De la Cruz of Fried Dandelions ~ Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats Recipe}

Happy February! <3

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I thought a sweet recipe was in order and that’s why I asked my friend, fellow blogger, vegan, recipe and photographer extraordinaire (not to mention, a mom raising vegan kiddos!) Sarah De la Cruz of Fried Dandelions to be a guest this week. Sarah and I met briefly last year during my visit to her neck of the woods in beautiful Seattle, Washington and really hit it off. I wish we lived closer so that we could do collaborations more often!

Sarah has whipped up a healthy, simple and tasty meal that also appeals to those who have a sweet tooth. Welcome Sarah to Cowgirls & Collard Greens and thank you for creating a perfect recipe that’s sure to win over the hearts of both singles and couples alike (not to mention kids too)!

xo, Kayle

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Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats are a perfect healthy convenience food to help get your mornings started off right! Bonus—they’re vegan, gluten free, and free of most other common allergens!

I’m not sure about you, but mornings are always a bit of a rush in my house. I’d like to blame my kids, but the truth is that I’ve never been much of a morning person. I like to eek out every last second of sleep, hitting the snooze button on my phone repeatedly until the inevitable freak out when I see how late it is and go scrambling out of bed to try to get my kids dressed and fed and out the door for school! If I can make breakfast ahead of time it is a major win! These Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats do the trick! They are easy to make, delicious to eat, keep you filled up ’til lunchtime, and are kid (and grown up) approved! In fact, my 6 year old calls them Strawberry Pudding!

Healthy Convenience Food

Unbelievably, I hadn’t jumped onto the overnight oats train until last year! When I first gave them a try I couldn’t believe how yummy they were, for such minimal effort. The oats get nice and soft overnight, but don’t turn into mush—they hold their texture. You can portion them out into small jars and store them in the fridge for an easy grab and go option! Basically, they are the ultimate healthy convenience food.

In this version I make a 2-for-1 swap and use strawberry jam to both flavor and sweeten the oats. You can use whatever type of jam you like—whole fruits, lightly sweetened, extra sweet—you get to be your own chef! I use a jam that is whole fruit but also sweetened a bit. I also add hemp seeds to give these oats an extra nutritious boost! Feel free to swap them for chia seeds as well, or stick to only oats if you prefer.

I hope you love these Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats! I would love to see a picture when you give them a try! Be sure to tag me on social media! {@frieddandelions // #frieddandelions}

Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c strawberry jam
• 1/4 c hemp seeds
• 1 c rolled oats (certified gluten free if necessary)
• 2 c plant based milk
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 c freeze dried strawerries, optional (I like the freeze dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s!)
• fresh strawberries for serving, optional

Instructions:

• Whisk strawberry jam, milk, and vanilla together until smooth (you may still have little lumps of jam and this is fine).
• Pour into a large storage container.
• Add oats and hemp seeds and stir well to combine.
• Add freeze dried strawberries and mix to incorporate.
• Store in the refrigerator overnight.
• Serve with fresh strawberries and enjoy! These will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Don’t forget to pin this recipe!

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Sarah De la Cruz is the author of the blog Fried Dandelions. Her recipes are all vegan, and many are free of common allergens as well. When she’s not creating new recipes she’s busy chasing after her two wild boys, ages 6 and 3! She has been vegan since 2012, and she and her husband are raising their boys vegan as well. Check her out on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!