Apple cinnamon overnight oats are a make-ahead breakfast built in two parts. You soak oats with cinnamon and a little brown sugar overnight, then top them with apple compote, which is really just apples cooked down on the stove until soft and saucy.

Good one for fall and winter mornings, meal prep, or when you want something that tastes like apple pie without the pastry. The cinnamon and the soft cooked apple make it properly cozy when it’s cold and grey outside.

Recipe note: Skip the raw apple. Chopped apple stirred into the oats overnight never comes together as one thing, and you end up with overnight oats and some apple sitting next to it. Cooking the apple into a compote is what turns it into a single meal. Serve it in a bowl with a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt on top for extra protein.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a healthy breakfast that actually fills you up. The oats and chia seeds bring fiber, and a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt on top handle the protein.
You control the sweetness. Taste the compote before it comes off the heat and adjust the sugar, lemon, or cinnamon until it’s where you want it.
The compote is worth making extra of. It multiplies without any fuss and it’s just as good on yogurt, pancakes, or a bowl of hot oatmeal.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Overnight Oats

Rolled oats. The base. Old-fashioned rolled oats hold their texture overnight, unlike quick oats.
Chia seeds. Thicken the oats as they sit and add fiber.
Milk of choice. Dairy or oat milk both work well here. Room temperature is easier to work with than fridge-cold.
Brown sugar. Sweetens and brings a light caramel note that suits the cinnamon. Swap in white sugar for a cleaner, less cozy apple flavor, or use maple syrup instead.
Cinnamon. The main flavor alongside the apple.
Salt. Keeps the oats from tasting flat.

Apple Compote

Apple. One medium apple is enough for a single serving. Any variety works, though a firmer one holds its shape a little better.
Brown sugar. Sweetens the apples. White sugar gives a cleaner apple flavor if you prefer that.
Cinnamon. Ties the compote to the oats underneath.
Lemon juice. Brightens the compote and keeps it from tasting flat and sugary.
Salt. A pinch sharpens the apple flavor.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Apple Compote

👉 Head over to my apple compote post for a bigger batch and more on how to make it.

Prep the apple. Wash, peel, and chop the apple into even pieces so everything cooks at the same rate.
Start it off. Pour a little water into a small pot, just enough to barely cover the bottom. Add the apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, set over medium heat, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.
Simmer. Lower the heat and cook until the apples are soft and most of the water has evaporated. Stir every minute or two, and more often near the end so nothing scorches.
Finish. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste. Adjust with more sugar, lemon, salt, or cinnamon until it tastes right.
Cool or store. Use it right away, or let it cool and refrigerate in a sealed container.

Overnight Oats

👉 Check out my overnight oats guide for more details and tips.

Dissolve the sugar. Brown sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold milk. Either use room temperature milk and stir until it disappears, or pour 2 tablespoons of the milk into a small pot with the sugar, set it over low heat, and stir for about 2 minutes until dissolved. Add it back to the rest of the milk.
Mix everything. In a jar or bowl, add the oats, chia seeds, salt, and cinnamon to the milk and stir well so nothing clumps at the bottom.
Refrigerate. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so the oats and chia have time to thicken.
Stir and top. In the morning, give the oats a stir and add a splash of milk if you want them looser. Spoon the apple compote over the top and eat.

Tips for Success

Serve it hot and cold. Make the oats the night before, then cook the compote fresh in the morning and spoon it on while it’s still hot. The cold oats against the warm apple is the best way to eat this.
Store the parts separately if you’re prepping ahead. If you’re making a few days’ worth, keep the compote in its own container and top each portion right before you eat it. Compote stirred through the oats days in advance goes watery and dulls the cinnamon.
Use a bowl, not a jar. A wide bowl gives you room for a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt and lets you get oats, apple, and yogurt in the same bite. In a jar you mostly eat them in layers.

Storage

Keep the oats in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store the apple compote separately in its own sealed container for the same 3 to 4 days, and spoon it over each portion right before eating.

If the oats have thickened up too much after a couple of days, stir in a splash of milk to loosen them.