Easy Overnight Oats
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Soak your oats overnight for the quickest breakfast all week long! You can double/triple the recipe. It’s just so easy!
Oats are most commonly used for breakfast as a hot meal. But overnight oats are such a great alternative to regular oatmeal that can be modified in so many different ways so your morning breakfast never has to be the same ever again.
All you need to start is some old fashioned oats and your desired milk choice. From there, layer on your desired toppings from below and refrigerate overnight. That is it.
- Strawberries and Cream: strawberries, vanilla yogurt and mini choc chips
- Tropical Delight: kiwi + pineapple, Greek yogurt and coconut flakes
- Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake: blueberry + Greek yogurt, blueberries, lemon zest and honey
- Pumpkin Pie: pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, chopped pecans and maple syrup
- PB&J: strawberry jam, PB, chia seeds and crushed peanuts
- Apple Pie: apples, cinnamon and maple syrup
Easy Overnight Oats
Soak your oats overnight for the quickest breakfast all week long! You can double/triple the recipe. It's just so easy!
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup milk
For the strawberries and cream
- ½ cup strawberries, chopped
- ¼ cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
For the tropical delight
- 2 tablespoons diced kiwi
- 2 tablespoons diced pineapple
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon toasted coconut flakes
For the blueberry lemon cheesecake
- 2 tablespoons blueberry yogurt
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
For the pumpkin pie
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
For the PB&J
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
For the apple pie
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup diced apples
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Using a 16-ounce mason jar, add oats and milk; layer with desired toppings.
- Refrigerate overnight; serve cold.
Did you make this recipe?
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Loved this, thank you so much Chungah and team!! I tried the pumpkin and strawberry ones so far, both tasted amazing and were so much more flavorful than hot oats recipes with similar ingredients! The tip about layering is spot on, they weren’t soggy at all the next morning.
Any suggestions for savoury overnight oats?
Colleen- can you use steel oats?
Can we instead use quick oats?? Will there be a change in taster anyay other problem if done so?
Overnight oats are usually so boring but these toppings are awesome, I love the blueberry cheesecake!!! I added a spoonful of chia seeds to soak as well, so it needed an extra splash of milk the next morning but YUM! I will try all of these toppings. I’ve made so many of your recipes and you’ve never disappointed!
Your Tropical Delight is amazing!
Isn’t it so good?! Glad you liked it, Paula!
It’s as the website says damn delicious
Added some ideas in my meal plan this week! I never can resist oats and their various hearty toppings
– Natalie
Great Idea! any suggestion to replace the milk with another product? thanks!
Coconut or oat milk should work, but it really depends on your personal taste. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Quaker Oats old fashioned and I did half a cup of oats with half a cup of milk. Then I set it in the fridge for 11 hours with my desired toppings.
The milk didn’t absorb into my oats overnight where did I go wrong?
It’s hard to say, Maggie! Did you follow the measurements as written in the recipe? What kind of oats did you use?
Made the apple pie one with almond milk, added some chia seeds, apple pie spice & walnuts & warmed it with a bit more milk in the morning. So filling I couldn’t finish it & was full for hours!!!
I meal prep can these be make days before and eaten through out the week?
If it keeps, yes, absolutely!
Can you substitute regular yogurt in place of Greek yogurt? I’m not the biggest Greek yogurt fan.
Yes, absolutely. You can substitute any kind of yogurt of your choice.
There are so many ways to make this…I just did one with dried cherries and slivered almonds. Also added just a very small amount of almond extract. Came out yummy!
Sounds so good! I’ll have to try that next time.
why layer and not mix ingredients?
It is more of a preference, but sometimes the consistency can get too soggy when mixing it all together and storing in the fridge. It depends on what you like.
Your flavors are spot on (love the blueberry and lemon) but the liquid ratio is way off. I prepared my mason jar 12 hrs ahead and followed the recipe to a T. The oats were way too solid and very hard to digest. I started getting cramp 30 minutes after my meal. My daughter had the same and had to leave school. I redid the recipe but cut down the oats to 1/4 cup and kept the milk at 1/2 cup and it was easier to eat and digest.
I’m so sorry to hear that! But overnight oats is typically a 1:1 ratio of oats to milk – but as always, please make the appropriate adjustments as needed to suit your needs/preferences.
I put in a 1/2 c lowfat milk, 1/2 c oatmeal and 1/4 c yogurt with some chia seeds and honey. In the morning, nothing looked different and light and fluffy like your pictures. What happened?
What did it look like?
I just tried to make these, I think I messed up! I put everything with out soaking the oats . We will see how they turn out.
Can you refrigerate with the toppings in advance?
Yes.
I noticed the PB and J combination is the only one that doesn’t have yogurt listed as an ingredient? Is there anreason why? Thanks!! 🙂
You can always add yogurt if you’d like!
Made the strawberry & cream last night, couldn’t w. ait to eat breakfast this morning It was GOOD. Can’t decide which flavor I’ll try next PB& J or. Pumpkin
How long i can refrigerate it? Can i refrigerate for a week?
Thanks for great recipe
A few days at least but as I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry, Farheen! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
Hi, and thanks for the recipe
One question… can I use instant oatmeal for these?
I do not recommend using instant.
Noted, thanks
Some calorie work to give you all some idea…
The strawberry one: 1/2 c oats – 150 cals, 1/2 c almond milk – 15 cals, 1/2 c strawberries – 24 cals, 1/4 c plain yogurt – 130 cals, 1 tbsp mini chocolate chips – 70 cals. Equals around 389 cals. Half cup of 2% milk for contrast is 122 cals, so that would bring the total closer to 489, and the yogurt you use will cause a difference also. So if you’re looking to lose weight, you probably want to choose a lower calorie lower fat milk option. 🙂
I just tried these, they are good! I wish I had bought the 12oz jars though. Awesome recipes!! I switched it up a little. Chobani has these amazing single serve yogurts I used. I used the pineapple one in the tropical recipe for example. So tasty. I also put chia seeds in everything because I like the subtle little crunch and the health benefits. Good stuff thank you!!
I think it would answer most questions if you give specific measurements
Specific measurements are given for each variation.
OMG!! I tried this last night – 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1/4 of coconut water and 1/4 of regular full fat milk. 1 tbsp. of raw honey. In the morning I added 1/2 cup of yogurt with some of the bottom fruit. By the time I went to work it was almost room temperature…IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!! THIS WILL BE MY EVERY DAY BREAKFAST!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
I really like this overnight oat. It is very healthy. This is easy and best idea for breakfast. I love blueberry and apple pie oats. Thank you for sharing this receipe.
Love this. I found this on pinterest looking specifically for overnight oats recipes and this had the most intriguing variety. I’m not super into oats but I enjoyed this.
I just ate the PB&J recipe. So good!
I wonder if Oat Bran would work? I have oat bran daily and think it is most likely a better choice, more nutritious. But I am not sure if it has to be cooked or if it can be soaked or not.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Hi Chungah, I am always under the impression that oats must be cooked. However, for this recipe, the oats that were used were not cooked, right? You just have to soak the oats in milk and that’s it? Thank you for sharing your recipes, by the way! They’re always fabulous ❤️
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Love these flavor variations and these photos!! 🙂
For the chilly northeast winter, I do this but put the mason jars (lids on) in a water bath in my crockpot overnight to have a hot oatmeal breakfast I can eat at home or take to work. The fruit gets slow-cooked and the oatmeal really creamy!
That sounds amazing – I will definitely have to try that!
This is a great idea. My husband just started working out early early in the AM and loves oatmeal but only hot. He needs something to take “on the road” so to speak. This fits the bill both ways!
This may be a dumb question, but do you just put them in on low all night? Thanks!
Silly question, but I’ve never made overnight oats. Do I soak the oatmeal overnight first and then layer these awesome creations? I’m making your Asian Meal Prep Bowls for the second time, it is delish!
You can soak and layer the night before! 🙂
Ok-never been on board with overnight oats…I think it has something to do with my brain saying oats should be hot! But these….yeah, I’m gonna have to try these tonight. And I love that it’s for a single serving.
How long will they keep in the fridge? Can I make them Sunday night for my breakfast all week?
A few days at least but as I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry, Courtney! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
Do you happen to know the calorie counts on each of these? Did I miss it somewhere?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
I have never tried cold oatmeal before. Can this be heated up before eating?
I have actually never tried heating it up!
I always heat them up a little. It’s winter in Iowa— nobody wants cold food. I go about 45 seconds in the microwave, stir, then do about 30 more seconds. You can’t go too long at once or the milk will foam over and make a mess. Ask me how I know…
Anyway, thanks for some new combinations to try. The blueberry lemon looks amazing.
These look so good! Anychance you could provide the nutriental info like calories per severing?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, I recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
Does it matter what kind of milk you use? We drink almond milk in our household. If you used whole milk in your recipe, how would using another type of milk affect the taste/outcome of the oats? Thanks. By the way, love your recipes!!! Keep them coming!!! 🙂
You can use any milk of your choice! 🙂
Love these ideas! I’ve done carrot cake overnight oats but will give a few of these a try soon!
I did not realize just how much I love oatmeal until I saw this blog. Thank you so much, because these are yummy oatmeal.
I can’t wait to try each one of them. I love overnight oats and usually go with almond milk, greek yourget, bananas.
Do they have to be made in a mason jar or could I use (for example) a plastic tupperware or something like that? Thanks so much for another great recipe!
Yes, you can absolutely use tupperware.
Wonderful!! that is a great way to prepare oats! (:
I love oatmeal and am trying this tonight!!! Thanks for the great recipes!
Thank you for some Awesome overnight oats recipes. We love these and make them all the time, but had gotten away from it and this gets me excited to make up several. We love your recipes and blog and the cookbook is our favorite!!! Can’t wait for the next one! We are low carb,no carb, with really watching sugars and your tips and recipes are the best and if not, are perfect to adjust a bit, and still turn out just great! Thanks again.
Do o need to cook the oats before layering?? Thanks 🙂
No, you do not. 🙂
I’ve never done overnight oats before but I love all your flavor combinations! I’m going to give them a try this week!
Paige Flamm
The Happy Flammily
http://bit.ly/2jEd6V2
We love overnight oats, but usually just eat them plain with a drizzle of honey or sometimes with yogurt and cocoa for creamy chocolate oats. I can’t wait to try some of these new combos!
I love all your recipes. I have always loved Asian food and you have that healthy thread running through all your foods. I will buy your cookbook for sure and also look forward to your all your posts. Is there a way to save them so they don’t go away or should I just print them as they come?
You can print as needed if you like.
Check out this app called “paprika”.. my friend turned me on to it. You give it a webpage with a recipe on it, and it stores it in the app for you. It pulls out all the info from the recipe page, and formats it into a standardized recipe card for that app. Plus.. you can log into the app from all your devices. So u can save a recipe from your phone, but then it will sync to your iPad so u can have it in the kitchen to work from. It’s 5 bucks, but so worth it! All my bookmarked recipes came out of hiding!
Ok, this has to be the most helpful comment I have ever read! It’s like you just placed a piece of gold in my hands. Thank you so so so much for sharing. I just downloaded it and tried it on this recipe. Mind… Blown….!
Sounds like a good idea! FYI not all oats are gluten free. It must be so sited on the label; otherwise, they contain gluten. Thanks!
No, they don’t contain gluten, but they may have been cross contaminated.
Actually, research has shown that some oats varieties contain gluten (Nave) and some don’t (Irina and Potenza).
do you use the milk AND yogurt?
Yes.
I use vanilla coconut milk in mine and they turn out great!
Great idea for breakfast!
will it work using steel cut oats?
Yes.
I love overnight oats! I want each and everyone of these but my favorite is always just banana and peanut butter!
I’ve always liked the idea of overnight oats, but I normally don’t like cold porridge. Could I heat it up in the microwave for a minute or two in the morning, do you think?
I have actually never tried heating it up!
I don’t like it cold either! 30 seconds in the microwave is perfect. Takes the chill off and it’s just right!