All You Need Are Cornflakes For An Instant Twist On Overnight Oats

If your go-to overnight oats have gotten a little boring, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to say goodbye to them as a breakfast option altogether. Part of their charm is that they're wonderfully creamy, but sometimes you just need a little change in texture to make things interesting again, and that's where cornflakes come in. These little flakes really might be the most versatile of the breakfast cereals — not only can they make your crispy fried chicken even crispier, but they can add some crunch to your overnight oats, too.

But the timing is everything. An overnight oat mix-in mistake to avoid would be adding the cornflakes in the initial stages. Doing that would only cause them to soak up the milk, become soft, and lose the crunch that makes this trick so appealing in the first place. So instead, make your overnight oats recipe like you always do, and then scatter cornflakes on top immediately before digging in. You can sprinkle a few over the top, or make a thick layer if you want lots of crunch in every bite.

The easiest version of this option needs very little planning. Just add your cornflakes at the last minute along with any other creative additions to your overnight oats like fruit, nut butter, or any syrups that you usually enjoy. Plain cornflakes can even work with savory overnight oats – their mild flavor means they can add crunch to oats mixed with ingredients such as cheese, miso, or cherry tomatoes. And while plain cornflakes straight on top are already going to bring you some brilliant textural variation, you can also play around with sweetened or flavored varieties. Strawberry-flavored cornflakes, for example, could work particularly well with soft, fresh fruit like banana and berries while chocolate-flavored ones could be paired with peanut butter and cinnamon-flavored cornflakes could be served on top of apple-pie-style overnight oats. You also have the choice to crush them slightly for a finer, more crumbly topping if you prefer that over big, crunchy flakes. 

And if you're looking to add even more flavor to your morning routine, trying coating the cornflakes in melted chocolate first and then adding them to the top of your oats, letting the chocolate cool and set in the fridge. This gives the flakes a richer, more indulgent finish while keeping their crunch, which turns the whole experience into something more akin to dessert than just another Tuesday's breakfast.