Overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast to meal prep for busy mornings. Here you’ll find my base overnight oats recipe and my favorite variations.
Overnight oats have held a special place in my heart since I discovered them in 2009 and you can tell I’m obsessed just by looking at how many different overnight oat recipes I have posted over the years.
They’re such an easy and tasty way to meal prep oatmeal for the week. And the prep is so fast – it literally only takes about 5 minutes to mix your oats together!
What are Overnight Oats?
Let’s start with the basics – overnight oats are an easy, make-ahead breakfast that combines rolled oats with some sort of liquid, usually milk (it can be dairy based or non-dairy like almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk). They’re usually sweetened and additional flavors are typically added as well.
Ingredients Needed
Rolled oats and milk are really all you need, but I love adding a little yogurt, chia seeds and maple syrup to my base recipe. The oats turn out super creamy and the perfect consistency.
- rolled oats – old-fashioned rolled oats are a must for overnight oats. They soak up the liquid, which gives you a lovely creamy texture. Instant, quick-cooking and steel cut oats don’t work because they don’t absorb the liquid in the same way that rolled oats do.
- milk – you can make this recipe with any type of milk you prefer. I personally like non-dairy options and usually use unsweetened almond milk.
- yogurt – this gives the oats a extra creamy texture while adding a bit of protein. I personally like using plain Greek yogurt since it’s the highest in protein and lowest in sugar. To make vegan or dairy-free overnight oats you can use a non-dairy yogurt (I like Siggi’s plant-based or Culina) or skip the yogurt all together and use additional milk.
- chia seeds – while these are optional, I love adding chia seeds to my overnight oats because they add a bit of fiber and protein. Plus they help absorb some of the liquid which gives the oats a thicker consistency.
- Add-ins + toppings – Here’s where you can get creative. Just like with regular stove top oats, there are some classic add-ins like vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, maple syrup (or honey) and a pinch of sea salt that really elevate the flavor and make overnight oats super tasty.
Base Recipe (The Perfect Ratio)
This overnight oats recipe is the perfect base recipe to start with! I recommend a 1:1 ratio of rolled oats to milk, plus half as much yogurt. So for 1/2 cup of oats, I use 1/2 cup of milk + 1/4 cup of yogurt (or an additional 1/4 cup of milk). These proportions seem to give the oats the perfect consistency, not too thick, but not soupy.
How to Make Overnight Oats
Step 1: Add your oats, yogurt, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla and sea salt to a jar or bowl.
Step 2: Add in your milk of choice.
Step 3: Stir to combine. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. If you’re in a rush you can shorten the soak time to 2-4 hours.
Step 4: The next morning (or when ready to eat) give oats a big stir or shake. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Overnight Oat Variations
Like I said, you can mix in different ingredients or add toppings to really take your overnight oats to the next level. Here I’m sharing three fun variations:
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
I love peanut butter so this is probably my favorite flavor to make. Just mix a little peanut butter into the overnight oats as you make them and then top with another drizzle of peanut butter. I also like adding some chopped peanuts and blueberries.
Overnight Oats In a Peanut Butter Jar Hack
Got an almost empty jar of peanut butter? You can use it to make your peanut butter overnight oats. Just add all your ingredients right into the jar, combine, let soak and then enjoy straight from the jar. It’s the perfect way to use up every last bit of the peanut butter.
Berry Overnight Oats
For a berry version, I love adding fresh berries and a little jam. You can do whatever berries you enjoy most and whatever flavor of jam you have on hand. I love using my strawberry chia jam.
Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
Having a little chocolate with breakfast always feels like a treat and this version is super easy. Just mix a few chocolate chips into the mixture and add a few on top when you’re ready to serve it up. I also like adding a drizzle of nut butter and some banana slices.
Add-Ins & Topping Ideas
I love the flavors I shared above, but the flavor options are practically endless. Here are some additional ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Fruit – you can’t go wrong with bananas and berries, but almost any fruit will work. I even have a tropical overnight oats recipe with pineapple, mango and toasted coconut.
- Nut butter – I use peanut butter and almond butter most often, but any and all nut/seed butters will taste amazing drizzled on your oats.
- Nuts and seeds – this goes right along with the nut butter. You can use nuts too! Almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, coconut, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds… you’re options here are endless.
- Granola – I’m a granola girl and love adding crunchy granola on top for a little texture. I highly recommend my homemade granola recipe.
- Protein – feel free to add additional Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or protein powder to bump up the protein of your oats. Also see my protein overnight oats, cottage cheese overnight oats or overnight oats with yogurt if you want a specific recipe.
- Chocolate – I’m all about sneaking a little chocolate into my breakfast. Feel free to use chocolate chips or even a chopped chocolate bar. If you love chocolate, try my brownie batter overnight oats.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Be sure to use the correct type of oats. Old fashioned rolled oats will give you the best results. Instant, quick-cooking and steel cut oats don’t absorb liquid quite the same way so the texture will be different.
- Don’t forgot a pinch of sea salt. It really enhances the flavor of the oats and makes overnight oats taste really delicious.
- I love using milk and yogurt to make my oats extra creamy, but you can try other liquids like apple juice, orange juice, kefir or even cold brew coffee to switch up the flavor. See my kefir overnight oats and coffee overnight oats for the recipes.
How to Store
Store your oats in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5. With this said, overnight oats are great for meal prep and you can make them on Sunday for the full work week.
What Jars to Use
In terms of what type of container to store your overnight oats in, there are a lot of options. I personally like wide mouth 16 oz Mason jars because they’re relatively inexpensive and they offer plenty of space for stirring everything together and for adding toppings.
I’ve also found that these Le Parfait Jam Pots (photographed here) and 9.8 oz Weck jars are perfect for a single batch. They’re durable glass and practical for other uses in the kitchen too.
Of course, regular meal prep containers work great or you can get jars made specifically for overnight oats like these cute jars with colored screw tops.
Questions I Get Asked About Overnight Oats
Yes, overnight oats are healthy breakfast option. They’re made with simple, nutritious ingredients, contain fiber from the oats and most of time they also include a protein source like yogurt or protein powder which will make them satisfying and filling.
Short answer, yes! You can definitely warm up overnight oats, but the whole point of overnight oats is to eat them cold like muesli. Even if you think cold oats sound strange, I recommend giving it shot before you write them off. Of course, if you simply can’t do the cold oats you can always heat them up. Just pop the soaked oats in your microwave, cooking in 30 second increments until the oats are warm throughout.
While you can use water instead of milk, I don’t recommend it. It will be virtually flavorless and lack creaminess, similar to eating cereal with water.
You likely didn’t follow the proper ratio or perhaps you added an additional ingredient (like protein powder) which soaks up a lot of the liquid. If this happens you can always add a splash of milk to loosen the oats.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.
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Add oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla and sea salt into a jar or storage container with a lid. Stir ingredients together. Place in the fridge overnight. If you’re in a rush you can shorten the soak time to 2-4 hours.
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The next morning (or when ready to eat), remove lid and give oats a big stir. If they seem too thick you can add a little more milk to loosen the mixture. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy. You can eat the oats straight from the jar or pour into a bowl for serving.
Storage: Store your overnight oats in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5.
Serving: 1serving w/o toppings | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 257mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Mason Jar (the wide-mouth jars are easy to use)
This post was originally published on August 10, 2020 and was updated December 28, 2024.
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