This recipe features two ingredients you might not have thought of pairing before: coconut and pomegranate; the combination works perfectly. You get the creaminess of the fresh grated coconut and coconut milk punctuated with the slightly crunchy, tangy sweetness of the pomegranate seeds. I always prefer to use unprepared fresh ingredients wherever possible, but this one can take a little longer than usual if you’re going to be cracking nuts and de-pipping pomegranates! To save a little time, you can just as easily pick up some fresh pomegranate seeds and pre-prepared coconut from your local supermarket. If you’re prepping them yourself, then the following will certainly help.

The Coconut:

A simple way to crack the coconut is to take a large chef’s knife, and crack the back edge of the knife (the non-sharp side!) sharply against the hard, wirey husk of the outer nut. You will see a line running around the coconut where the two halves of the shell meet – this is where you want to smack it, hard. Once you’ve cracked the outer shell, simply pull the pieces away to reveal the inner nut. Once you’ve done that, you can simply cut up the coconut flesh – remember there will be a little coconut water inside.

grated coconut

The Pomegranate:

For this recipe (serves 2), we’re going to use half a pomegranate fruit which is roughly 1/2 cup. Simply slice the fruit into two, and then gently break apart the inner pith to reveal the ruby coloured gems of deliciousness. Don’t worry if you get a bit of pith in there, it’s easy enough to fish out and is harmless. It doesn’t take too long, and you’ll be amazed how much comes out from just one half:

coconut and pomegranate

coconut and pomegranate

Health benefits:

Coconuts are a highly nutritious food source packed with fibre, vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6 C and E. It also contains minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and selenium. Coconuts do have a fairly high fat content, but this fat generally takes the form of medium chain fatty acids that are rapidly metabolised into energy and less likely to be stored as fat when compared to other saturated fats. That said, it is still a fat, albeit with different effects than other saturated fats. As with anything in life, moderation is the key, and this recipe uses reduced fat coconut milk which is significantly lower in fat, and a great example of OO’s that are ideal to help fuel your body pre- or post-workout. They’re also very tasty! Pomegranate seeds tick the fibre and vitamins C and K boxes.

Coconut milk by nature is a lot thicker in consistency than the usual almond milk. So if you find that the mixture is a little thick once you’ve mixed all the wet ingredients together with the dry, simply add a little almond milk (or unsweetened milk of choice) to loosen it up. Remember, the liquids reduce a little as they’re absorbed into the oats by the following morning.

coconut and pomegranate overnight oats

coconut and pomegranate overnight oats

coconut and pomegranate overnight oats

PLEASE NOTE: the nutrition information below is based on using full fat coconut milk. Reduced fat coconut milk will be significantly lower in total fat content.

Coconut and Pomegranate Overnight Oats

Prep

Total

Yield 2

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (heaped) organic rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flax meal
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yoghurt
  • 2/3 cup reduced fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp honey

Instructions

  1. Whisk together all the wet ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl until thoroughly blended
  2. Mix in all the dry ingredients
  3. Spoon into jars with a tight fitting lid
  4. If the mixture is a little thick, simply add some almond milk or unsweetened milk of choice
  5. Close and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before eating 

Notes

Vegan Hacks: substitute Greek yoghurt with a vegan yoghurt alternative, and use either maple/agave syrup, or stevia according to taste.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 290mL

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379

% Daily Value

Total Fat 26.8 g

41%

Saturated Fat 20.3 g

102%

Unsaturated Fat 3.5 g

Cholesterol 6.4 mg

2%

Sodium 183.2 mg

8%

Total Carbohydrates 30.2 g

10%

Dietary Fiber 6.9 g

28%

Sugars 8.8 g

Protein 9.9 g

20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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