Overnight Oats Recipes
New trendy & healthy solution for breakfast fixed up the evening prior.
Whether or not you have breakfast is important to your whole day, but getting up the gumption to make pancakes and bacon at 7 a.m. is pretty unrealistic for the modern mom and pop. Don’t worry; millennial moms have found a new trendy solution that you can fix up the evening prior. This short collection of healthy overnight oats recipes are super simple and delicious. Just pick from our list of overnight steel cut oats and find one that’s right for you and your family!
How do you make overnight oats?
Overnight oatmeal recipes are never as complicated as one thinks! You just start by placing your overnight oats in a jar, which can either be a mason jar or any other type of glass jar with a seal. Then, you fill with milk or another type of liquid. If you want to make vegan overnight oats, you can substitute coconut milk or almond milk here. Then you can addyour fruits, nuts, seeds, or yogurt. To have a different texture, you can wait to add ingredients until the morning.
After you’ve combined the ingredients you want, let your mixture soak overnight. Some people ask, “Can you make overnight oats with steel cut oats?” The answer is yes; you just need to let the mixture sit at least 12 hours. After it’s sat for the night, you can add sweetener, more milk, or something crunchy at the end. When in doubt, follow your steel cut overnight oats recipe!
Overnight Oats Recipes infographic20 Overnight Oats Recipes for Easy, Wholesome Meal Prep
How to make:
- Into a mason jar or a covered glass container, pour oats.
- Fill with milk of your choice until oats are well-covered.
- Add nuts, fruits, seeds, yogurt, etc. If you want some ingredients to be crunchier, add them in the morning.
- Mix all ingredients and seal container. Let soak overnight (at least 4 hours for rolled oats and 12 hours for steel cut oats).
- Add sweetener and more milk to achieve desired sweetness and consistency.
- Enjoy heated up in a bowl, or straight from the container!
Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Blueberry Cashew Cream
- ½ banana mashed
- ½ cup oats
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp flaxseeds
For blueberry-cashew cream:
(Blend all ingredients until smooth, top oat mixture)
- ½ banana mashed
- ½ cup blueberries
- 1 medjool date
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts
- 2-4 tbsp of water/dairy-free milk
Carrot Cake
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
- 2 tbsp softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Spice
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup plain pumpkin puree
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Banana Chocolate Chip
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ ripe banana, chopped and mashed
- 2 tbsp chocolate chips
Strawberry Cheesecake
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 3 tbsp softened cream cheese
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Lemon, Thyme and Honey
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp honey
Cocoa Nib and Pomegranate
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup vanilla almond milk
- ½ cup cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp cocoa nibs or coarsely chopped dark chocolate
Salted Maple
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- ½ tsp maple extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp blackstrap molasses
Toppings:
- Chopped pecans
- Maple syrup
- Pinch coarse salt
Chunky Monkey
- 1 container Chobani banana yogurt
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ banana sliced
- Handful chocolate chips
Double-Chocolate Brownie Batter
- 2 heaping tbsp creamy almond butter
- ¼ cup vanilla yogurt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate almond milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup oats
- Optional: Additional sweetener to taste
- Optional: Mini dark chocolate chips for topping
Orange, Coconut and Vanilla
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- ½ cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp shredded coconut
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of 1 clementine or mandarin
Maple Bacon
- 1 cup Quaker old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (1 to mix, 1 for topping)
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 slice maple bacon, cooked and crumbled (for topping)
Coconut Latte
(Makes 2 servings)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup coconut water
- ¼ cup + 1 tsp brewed coffee
- ¼ cup + 1 tsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp coconut cream (for topping)
- Dash cinnamon (for topping)
- Shredded coconut (for topping)
Skinny Funfetti Cake Batter
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 2/3 cup skim milk (or non-dairy milk)
- ¼ tsp butter extract
- 1-2 tsp rainbow sprinkles
- Sweetener to taste
Key Lime Pie
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 large lime
- ¼ tsp coconut extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Apple Cinnamon
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- 2 tbsp applesauce (or chopped apple)
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp brown sugar or honey/agave (optional)
Coconut Mango
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup diced mango
- 1 tbsp shredded coconut
- 1 ½ tbsp agave nectar
Cookie Dough
(2 servings)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup protein powder (or additional oats)
- 2 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp chocolate chips
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
Cherry Pie Protein
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup nonfat milk
- ¼ cup diced cherries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 2 tsp sweetener
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)
There are so many different options and avenues for experimentation. It’s all about personal preference. Some people love pumpkin overnight oats for the fall and others like apple cinnamon. Fun fruity flavors of overnight oatmeal like strawberry cheesecake, banana, or raspberry can be a sweet treat to steer you away from temptation later in the day. If you want to get really decadent, consider coffee, chocolate, or carrot cake.
For those who are starting out and are unsure of flavors, it might be smart to experiment with cheap ingredients like vanilla. Start by learning how to make overnight oats with peanut butter or banana, which are easily replaceable materials should something not go as planned, and then introduce other flavors or learn how to thicken with chia seeds. The best overnight oats recipes might just be the most convenient ones for you!
Why are they so good for you?
Are overnight oats healthy? By-and-large, the case is usually yes. Depending on what you put in your mixture, there are many different health benefits of overnight oats. Consider putting in antioxidant-rich fruits like blueberries, and be cautious of your sugar intake if you’re diabetic. Overall, though, eating breakfast can help you curb your appetite throughout the day, and since these treats are high in protein, they’re likely not going to drag you down like carb-filled pancakes or fat-rich bacon. Always listen to your body.
But these overnight oatmeal recipes aren’t only for adults. Consider making them for kids too! If you’re planning a long trip, overnight oatmeal makes for a great road trip snack to add to your list!
