Overnight Oats

This basic overnight oats recipe is one of my favorite low-prep filling breakfasts. Packed with protein and easy to customize, it’s the perfect way to start your day!

Oatmeal is just about my favorite breakfast. I love to mix and match all varieties. Besides Instant Pot Oatmeal, I adore Blueberry Baked Oatmeal and Apple Oatmeal Bars.

My family begins almost every weekday morning with a variety of oatmeal to give us a healthy, filling start to our days. Even on the weekends, we find ourselves eating oatmeal with my Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles.

But one of my favorite ways to enjoy this grain is making a jar of overnight oats.

WHY MAKE OVERNIGHT OATS

It took me a little bit to jump on the overnight oats bandwagon, but now that I’m there, I’m hooked – overnight oats are amazing!

• Fewer dishes. Refrigerator oatmeal is made in mason jars, stored in mason jars, and served in mason jars.
• Quick and easy to mix up! Just 5 minutes of prep and you’ve got breakfast all week long.
• Easy to make vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Just switch out the milk and yogurt for your favorite dairy-free options. And make sure your oats are certified gluten-free if needed.
• Perfect for busy mornings. If you or the kids need a portable breakfast to eat on the go, just grab a mason jar and a spoon. No waiting for the oatmeal to cool down.
• All the flavors you love in an easy, healthy, hearty oatmeal form. And you can mix up several different flavors for variety throughout the week!
• Packed with protein. This recipe for protein overnight oats already has a few intentional protein boosts, and there are ideas for more below.

OVERNIGHT OATS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

To make oats overnight, you just need a few simple ingredients for a base recipe.

• Oats. This is the main ingredient in overnight oatmeal recipes! Rolled oats or quick oats are best.
• Greek Yogurt. I use vanilla Oikos. Homemade Greek Yogurt is another great option – if your yogurt is plain, you can add a splash of vanilla extract for that vanilla flavor.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk. You can use any variety of milk. I like almond milk, but dairy milk, coconut milk, or even oat milk works great too!
• Protein Powder. I like Legion protein powder, which you can find on Amazon. Collagen is another great protein booster.
• Fruit. You can use frozen or fresh fruit in whatever variety you have on hand! My favorites are strawberries, blueberries, and cherries. When they’re in season, fresh sliced peaches are amazing too!

OATS FOR OVERNIGHT OATS

You can use almost any type of oats for overnight oats. The less processed the oats, the more nutrients they contain.

• Steel Cut Oats. After harvesting, oat groats are put into a large machine that spins really fast, causing the oat groats to separate from their husks. In the process, many oat groats break into small pieces, creating steel-cut oats. Use this recipe for the Best Overnight Steel Cut Oats.
• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Large oat groats are rolled in between large pins and flattened into rolled oats. The result is considered plain old-fashioned oats. These are my favorite to use for just about everything calling for oatmeal.
• Rolled Oats. Old-fashioned oats are steamed and lightly toasted to aid in the cooking process at home. These are called rolled oats.
• Quick Oats. These are old fashioned oats that were cut into smaller pieces before steaming and toasting, making them cook even faster at home.
• Instant Oatmeal. These oats are pre-cooked and then dried before packaging. Typically, you will find them with added sugars and flavors. Not ideal for the real food family on a budget!

When choosing oats for overnight oats, I typically pick old-fashioned oats or rolled oats, although quick-cooking oats can work too if that’s what you have on hand. Steel-cut oats may not soften enough without cooking, and instant oatmeal will turn into mush.

HOW TO MAKE OVERNIGHT OATS

So, how do you make overnight oats? Follow these step-by-step instructions.

Step 1. In a glass jar or 16-oz container (I use reusable deli containers), combine the oats, yogurt, milk, and protein powder. Stir with a spoon to mix well. (You can use a mixing bowl or glass measuring cup if you prefer.)

Step 2. Add fruit, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Most fruit has a better texture if it’s layered on top rather than mixed into the oats with yogurt overnight.

Step 3. Serve in the morning, cold or warmed up.

Overnight oats with yogurt are good for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, so go ahead and prep breakfast for the week on Sunday night!

OVERNIGHT OATS AND MILK TOPPINGS AND ADDITIONS

The main recipe I’m sharing today is for basic overnight oats. But it’s easily customizable – make your own flavor varieties using oats and milk as the base! This is the fun part!

Use different spices, add cocoa powder, or use a little vanilla extract. A peanut butter (or nut butter or almond butter) and chocolate chip oatmeal would be amazing!

Top with a sprinkle of brown sugar, drizzle of honey, or unsweetened shredded coconut.

You can even use up the last bit of your favorite seasonally flavored coffee creamer in place of part of the milk.

Add your favorite toppings! If you like mix-ins like nuts or peanuts, save those for topping right before eating to ensure maximum crunch.

OATS OVERNIGHT FLAVOR VARIATIONS

If you need a little more direction, here are some great overnight oats flavor combinations. Follow the same measurements in the basic overnight oats recipe below, swapping out for these flavors instead:

• Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats. Add 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter in each jar and sliced bananas as your fruit option.
• Peanut Butter and Berries. Add 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter in each jar and berries for the fruit. Or add a dollop of jelly on top after stirring the rest of the ingredients. We call this PB&J Overnight Oats!
• Chocolate Overnight Oats. Stir in 1 Tablespoon of cocoa powder plus a Tablespoon of your favorite sweetener (maple syrup is good here). Or use chopped dark chocolate chunks instead.
• Chocolate Strawberry. Add chocolate chips and strawberries for toppings. Dark chocolate has the perfect amount of sweetness for breakfast. Yum!
• Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal. Perfect for fall! Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Pumpkin Puree and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice. Yum!

PROTEIN OVERNIGHT OATS

Oatmeal is one of the best grains you can eat. There are many benefits to oatmeal, including fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

When you make overnight oats, you’ll use milk and oats as the base (both of which also contain protein), but your options are endless from there! This overnight oats recipe already uses a couple of protein-packed ingredients:

• Protein Powder. Mixing your favorite protein powder into your overnight oats makes for a delicious high-protein breakfast. You’ll typically get 15-30 grams per serving, depending on the brand.
• Greek Yogurt. Using Greek yogurt as part of the liquid-to-oats ratio adds 3 grams of protein.

To make high protein overnight oats, you can also add any of these:

• Collagen. 1 Tablespoon of collagen in each jar of overnight oats will give you an extra 6 grams of protein. This is my favorite brand.
• Nut Butter. A Tablespoon of peanut butter will add 4 grams of protein, and almond butter will add nearly as much at 3.4 grams. Powdered peanut butter also mixes well with oatmeal, with less fat.
• Nuts. Or just add chopped nuts to your overnight oats. 2 Tablespoons of chopped almonds will give you 4g of protein, and the same amount of chopped walnuts or pecans will add another 2 grams.
• Seeds. Adding chia seeds is a great way to add an extra punch of nutrients, with 2g of protein per serving. They also help give a delicious pudding-like texture to your overnight oats. Hemp seeds (3g per Tablespoon) or flax seeds (1.3g for a Tablespoon of ground flaxseed) are also options for adding protein and nutty flavor to your oats overnight.

RECIPES OVERNIGHT OATS FAQS

MORE OATMEAL BREAKFAST FOOD IDEAS

• Ultimate Guide to Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
• Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles
• Single Serve Oatmeal in the Slow Cooker
• Oatmeal Apple Breakfast Bars
• Oatmeal Peach Breakfast Crumble
• Overnight Steel Cut Oats