How to make overnight oats, for a super healthy and filling breakfast you can take on-the-go!
Breakfast Overnight Oats
1 recipe + 15 flavors = endless healthy breakfast possibilities
Be sure to bookmark this post, so you can try a new flavor every day of the week!
All of the prep work is done the night before, giving you an instant healthy breakfast the next morning whenever you’re ready. With fifteen different flavors to choose, breakfast will never be boring again!
You may also like these homemade Protein Bars
Overnight oats in a jar
Any small container works here. I bought these adorable Le Parfait Overnight Jars specifically for this recipe – and now I’m obsessed and use the jars all the time for everything!
To make the recipe, simply add 1/2 cup oats and a pinch of salt to a mason jar or tupperware container. Stir in everything else, put the lid on the jar and shake well, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, just stir and enjoy.
Do you eat them hot or cold?
They are delicious either way! Just make sure to prepare the oats in a heat-safe container if you plan to microwave or warm them in the oven the next morning.
You could also transfer the prepared oats to a small saucepan and heat them up that way. If using yogurt, it’s best to not cook them; and especially in the warmer months, I like to eat them cold.
If you prefer to bake your oatmeal in the oven instead of eating it cold or cooking on the stovetop or microwave, try this recipe for Baked Oats.
Are they good for meal prep?
Stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge, the overnight oatmeal will last about five days, so it’s great to meal prep in advance for the week. You can also portion out extra servings of the dry ingredients into ziploc bags for your own homemade instant oatmeal packets like Quaker.
The original version has 6 Weight Watchers SmartPoints. Overnight oats are the perfect healthy solution if you’re one of those people who like to have breakfast as soon as they get up in the morning.
Can you make overnight steel cut oats?
You can! The results will have a chewy texture that some might even prefer to a version made with quick or rolled oats. They’re less chewy if you make them more than a day in advance.
Can you make vegan overnight oats?
Yes, they make a great vegan breakfast. Feel free to try out different plant-based milks in the recipe – almond milk, coconut milk, ricemilk, cashewmilk, soy milk, or even oat milk – to find your favorites.
Technically, you could use water instead of milk, but the results will be much less creamy. Most regular grocery stores will sell at least one brand of nondairy yogurt, and some even have vegan Greek yogurt.
Or you can skip the yogurt and just add more milk in its place. The recipe is suitable for many gluten free diets as well and is super versatile!
Overnight oatmeal flavors
- Peanut Butter Overnight Oats: Add 2 tbsp peanut butter to the recipe. Throw in a handful of mini chocolate chips if desired.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie: Use vanilla yogurt or add 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract. Stir in 3-4 tsp chocolate chips, optional crushed walnuts, and a dash of cinnamon.
- Nutella: Use your favorite brand of chocolate hazelnut spread or my Homemade Nutella recipe as the nut butter. Add 1 tbsp regular and 1/2 tbsp dutch or additional regular cocoa powder. Top with toasted hazelnuts if you want.
- Blueberry Overnight Oats: Use fresh or frozen blueberries as the fruit. You can also use blueberry yogurt if you wish.
- Monkey Oats: Substitute mashed banana for the yogurt. Add 1-2 tbsp peanut butter and a handful of mini chocolate chips. Or top your oatmeal with Banana Ice Cream.
- Banana Bread: Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1-2 tbsp crushed walnuts or pecans with the dry ingredients. Use sliced banana as your fruit of choice.
- Cinnamon Apple: Add 1/4 tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice. Use diced apple as your fruit of choice, and add 1-2 tbsp raisins and some crushed walnuts if desired.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract, depending on desired strength. Stir in 2-4 tsp mini chocolate chips. If you wish, you can also add a little spirulina powder for color and added nutrition.
Of course there’s also a chocolate version – just use this recipe for Chocolate Overnight Oats.
- High Protein Overnight Oats: Stir 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder into the base recipe. Add extra milk if needed.
- Pumpkin Pie: Substitute canned pumpkin for the yogurt. Add 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and a few drops of pure vanilla extract.
- Carrot Cake: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 tbsp shredded carrot, and optional 1 tbsp almond or coconut butter. You can also stir in a handful of raisins, shredded coconut, or chopped walnuts.
- Piña Colada: Use coconut yogurt and coconut milk. Add a few drops pure vanilla extract, and use diced pineapple as your fruit of choice (or skip the pineapple for plain coconut oatmeal).
- Creamy Coffee: Add 1 tsp instant coffee to the recipe. For an even creamier result, substitute nondairy creamer for half the milk of choice. You can also add 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract if desired. (Use up leftover instant coffee in this Frappuccino Recipe.)
- Strawberry Shortcake: Use strawberry yogurt, and replace the milk of choice with either canned coconut milk or nondairy creamer. Use strawberries as your fruit of choice, and stir in some strawberry jam at the end if desired. The same idea can be applied to raspberries, blackberries, peaches, or cherries.
Above, watch the overnight oats recipe video
Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/2 cup yogurt or additional milk of choice
- sweetener of choice, as desired
- 1/8 tsp salt
- optional 1/2 cup fruit of choice
- optional 1-2 tbsp nut butter
- optional 1 tbsp chia seeds, or add-ins of choice
Instructions
- *This recipe is easily vegan if you choose nondairy yogurt and milk. Options include almond, cashew, soy, rice, oat, or coconut.Combine all ingredients in a lidded container or mason jar. Shake well, then refrigerate overnight. The next morning, simply stir and enjoy! If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate it at the bottom of the post or leave a review. And if you come up with any other flavors, please do share!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Healthy Banana Bread – with an oil free option
Or these Keto Pancakes
Yay thank you for sharing this with us! I love overnight oats. Its so nice to already have your breakfast made when you wake up.
Also, I saw the clip of you on the Dr. Oz show! You looked absolutely beautiful and really comfortable. Up next : CCK cooking show?! :))
Hey 🙂 While I love the idea of the yogurt in this recipe, I don’t usually have it in the house and I’m wondering what you think could be a good replacement for it in this recipe… fruit puree (like banana) maybe?
I am not a fan of yogurt, and I leave it out and use extra milk! 1/4-1/2 c more, depending on your preference.
Thanks for the suggestion! I had the same question…vegan yogurt is not very available for me.
Coconut milk is creamier than regular milk and sweetens without sugar. It certainly has more calories, but if that’s not a problem, I would recommend it. Collagen is another good addition and adds creaminess as well as protein.
Wow these all just look so super yummy!!! It’s nice to see a variation without chia seeds because they can be so expensive!
Thank you for posting these! I have been making overnight oats for the past couple months from a recipe I clipped from a newspaper article and have been trying to think of new combinations to put in it. These are perfect! Overnight oats are so easy to just grab out of the fridge and eat right when I get to work, no prep or thinking involved in the morning rush to get ready. 🙂
So delicious. I made the banana bread. Easy and great to wake up and have a wonderful start to my day.
I can’t wait for summer so that I will be able to try that raspberry oatmeal with fresh Finnish raspberries! Or blueberries. Or strawberries…
Thank you so much for your positive attitude towards food! I used to be extremely obsessive about what I ate. Although I ate plenty, it was constantly on my mind and that kind of attitude is so unhealthy and hurtful. Now I’m free from that, and thoroughly enjoy my food! I don’t think guilt should ever have anything to do with what you eat. I’m always so happy to see blogs like yours!
Do you refrigerate it overnight or leave it out on the counter?
Fridge 🙂
You should really add that to the article. I was leaving it out on the counter and my roommate argued it should sit in the fridge. Had she not said anything I would have left it out! I specifically checked to see if you mentioned refrigeration or not, so I defaulted to countertop when it wasn’t mentioned.
Some people may get sick, it’d be better to state it.
No offense, but why would you think it’s okay to leave dairy products out at room temperature overnight? 😮 The only dairy that’s okay at room temp is the stuff that is purchased in a shelf-stable form (like some of Blue Diamond’s almond milks), and even that goes in the fridge after opening. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a yogurt that’s okay out of the fridge.
I have often left mine on the counter since I prefer eating them at room temperature.
Vegan milk isn’t the same as dairy milk, there isn’t the same safety risks. And my milk has never gone bad during one evening on the counter.
There are even recipes to ferment your oatmeal, I have a friend who does it.
Love the idea for overnight oats, it looks super easy. The flavor combos also looks really good and different.
Definitely you can!
Hey, can I use banana, or will it be too mushy and weird?
Yes, it basically moistens the oats, which is much better than raw oats. It doesn’t cook them exactly, but definitely improves them! 🙂
I made this last night and am eating it cold this morning. It’s very tasty but I’m not sure how I feel about cold oats, can this be heated, or is it meant to be eaten cold?
Can definitely heat it up!
What size mason jar do you use? I love overnight oats, especially in the warmer weather. So refreshing! I usually use a Tupperware container, but the jars make a pretty presentation and could be used for a brunch!
Question: do you refrigerate overnight or let it sit on counter?
This looks yummy and easy. Great for quick breakfast for my hubby although I would probably have to double the portion for him 🙂
Refrigerate!! Dairy is not safe to leave at room temperature (unless it’s an unopened shelf-stable product like some almond milks and coconut milk).
I love overnight oats! Unfortunately, I’m having trouble reading this entry–every time I take my hand off the mouse the page skips down to the video ad above. 🙁
Hi, this is terrible to hear. I’m not able to replicate the issue and haven’t heard it from anyone else yet but would obviously love to help troubleshoot, as I don’t want that happening to anyone! What browser are you using? Does it happen on mobile as well? Thanks for any info you can give me!
These are so easy and delicious! I made up a strawberry version last night and it taste so similar to the strawberry pie that my mom makes. I used So Delicious Vanilla yogurt, sliced strawberries, cashew-almond milk, and about 1 TBS of honey.