Overnight Oats: Recipes and Shopping Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans in Spain

If you are planning a trip to Spain and are staying in self catering accommodation – overnight oats are a great option for a quick and easy breakfast (well, quick to prepare, the ‘over night’ bit is a bit of a clue that there’s a bit of waiting involved): These are an ideal breakfast when staying in self-catering accommodation as they are simple to prepare in even the smallest of Airbnb kitchens!

Overnight oats are not only a quick and easy meal to prepare, they are also nourishing and filling. They are as healthy as you want to make them. Use low fat milk and fresh unprocessed toppings for a super healthy version. This is also a dish which is super-easy to make vegetarian or vegan. You will find plant based milks in most supermarkets.

This is also a great way to try some fresh Spanish produce. Depending on the time of year you will find an abundance of fresh fruit in supermarkets, fruit shops (frutería) and markets. Look out for fresh strawberries (there is a long growing season for strawberries in Spain, starting in early spring), cherries from Extremadura, bananas from the Canary islands, kiwi fruit from the north of Spain…

Shopping Tips for Spanish Supermarkets

You will find all you need in most supermarkets throughout Spain. Here are some tips:

Nuts & seeds: Usually in the dried fruit/nut section or near baking supplies. You will likely find a range of different package sizes. Nuts and seeds are also a great addition to a salad, so it might make sense to buy a bigger packet as long as you have room to store it.

Oats: Supermarkets sell copos de avena in the cereal section. Some may have instant oats (avena instantánea), but regular rolled oats are better (suave).

Milk alternatives: Found in the long-life milk section, often with a good selection of soya, oat, almond, and rice milks. Alpro is a common brand. Some plant based milk is sweetened.

Sweeteners: Miel (honey) is widely available, but for vegan options, look for sirope de agave in health food sections. There are many premium and local suppliers of honey. So again, this is a great way to sample local produce. However, if you don’t want to buy a whole jar of honey, a spoonful of jam or sugar could be used to add a touch of sweetness to your oats if necessary.

Overnight Oats Recipe and Topping Ideas

Overnight Oats – Spanish Style (with Vegan Alternative)

Overnight oats are a quick to prepare breakfast for your next self catering holiday in Spain. Using little in the way of equipment and easy-to-find ingredients, these are a great stand-by. We've got a basic recipe for you with ideas of how to dress it up using typical Spanish ingredients.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Servings 4

Equipment

• Container or bowl You will need a container or bowl to mix the ingredients. Depending on what equipment you have to hand, you could use this to keep the oats over night and serve from the next day. If you have enough glasses or small bowls, you could spoon the oat mix into these as single servings to keep overnight.

Ingredients

  

Basic Overnight Oats Ingredients

• 160 gms Rolled oats (copos de avena) Look for "copos de avena suaves" for a softer texture.
• 500 ml Milk or plant-based alternative (leche / bebida vegetal) Common vegan options include soya (soja), oat (avena), almond (almendra), and rice (arroz) milk.
• 2 tbsp Optional: Chia seeds (optional) (semillas de chía) Helps thicken the oats. Found in larger supermarkets or health food shops.
• 2 tbsp Optional : Honey or maple syrup (miel / sirope de arce) This will sweeten the mix, you may not need this depending on your taste and the toppings used. For a vegan option, use sirope de agave or azúcar moreno (brown sugar).

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl or four individual containers (e.g. glasses, jars, or Tupperware), mix the oats, milk, chia seeds, sweetener, vanilla, and salt.
• Stir well, cover, and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours).
• In the morning, give it a stir and add your chosen toppings.

Notes

Topping & Flavour Ideas

All ingredients should be easy to find in Spanish supermarkets.

Strawberry & Almond (Fresas y almendras)

• Handful of fresh strawberries (fresas) – Available year-round, but best in spring.
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds (almendras laminadas) – Look in the baking or dried fruit/nut section.
• 1 tsp honey or agave syrup (miel / sirope de agave) – Optional for extra sweetness.

💡 Vegan option: Use agave syrup instead of honey.

Banana & Cinnamon (Plátano y canela)

• 1 banana, sliced (plátano) – Spanish bananas are often smaller and sweeter than those in the UK.
• ½ tsp cinnamon (canela en polvo) – Check the spice section.
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (optional) (crema de cacahuete) – Look for 100% peanuts; avoid those with added sugar.

💡 Vegan option: Already vegan!

Apple & Walnuts (Manzana y nueces)

• ½ apple, diced per serving (manzana) – Look for crisp varieties like Granny Smith or Reineta.
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts (nueces troceadas) – Usually near dried fruit/nuts.
• 1 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar (sirope de arce / azúcar moreno).

💡 Vegan option: Already vegan!

Chocolate & Hazelnut (Chocolate y avellanas)

• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (cacao en polvo) – Look for unsweetened varieties.
• 1 tbsp chopped hazelnuts (avellanas troceadas).
• 1 tsp maple syrup or agave (sirope de arce / sirope de agave).

💡 Vegan option: Use plant-based milk and check that your cocoa powder is dairy-free.

Chocolate & Hazelnut (Chocolate y avellanas) v2

• 1 tbsp of hazelnut and chocolate spread – this is widely available, look for Nocella or supermarket own label.

Mango & Coconut (Mango y coco)

• ½ mango, diced per serving (mango) – Found in most supermarkets, best when ripe.
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (coco rallado).
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt (yogur griego / yogur de coco).

💡 Vegan option: Use coconut or other plant based yoghurt.

This is a great fall-back breakfast for when you are staying in self catering accommodation and visiting Spain. Easy to find ingredients and not much required in the way of equipment – winner!

If you have visited Spain and stayed in self catering accommodation, what has been your ‘go to’ breakfast – or do you just head to the churros van 😉 Share your tips below!