Overnight Oats 101
Stir, chill, and wake up to breakfast.
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Overnight oats might sound trendy, but they’re really just oatmeal that you make in advance. No stove, no stress.
This base recipe is perfect if you’re new to the whole thing. It’s flexible, forgiving, and honestly kind of fun to customize. Think of it like a breakfast base that you can dress up with whatever you have on hand.
Recipe Info
This recipe is:
- Quick and convenient. Just five minutes of prep the night before and breakfast is ready when you wake up.
- Super customizable. Toss in your favorite toppings—nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, or whatever’s hanging out in your pantry.
- Ingredient-flexible. No chia seeds? No big deal. Want it vegan? Easy. Looking to up the protein? We’ve got options
Making overnight oats for the first time? Read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Rolled oats. These are your go-to—they hold up best after a long soak. Quick oats get a bit mushy.
- Milk of choice. Dairy or non-dairy, they all work. I usually go for regular milk, but almond, soy, oat, or coconut milk are all great too. If your milk is already sweetened, skip the extra sweetener.
- Chia seeds. Optional, but they thicken things up and add some nutrition without messing with the flavor.
- Salt. Just a pinch makes a big difference—don’t skip it.
- Liquid sweetener. Maple syrup and honey are classic, but you can use any liquid sweetener. Using granulated sugar? Check out the tips below.
- Vanilla extract. Totally optional, but adds a nice touch of flavor.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Overnight Oats
- Mix dry ingredients. Into a bowl or jar, add rolled oats, chia seeds, and salt. Give it a quick stir.
- Add wet ingredients and mix. Pour in milk of choice, sweetener, and vanilla extract (if using). Stir well.
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover the jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Top and eat. Take the oats out of the fridge, top with your favorite topping options and dig in.
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Variations
High Protein
Plain overnight oats are a bit heavy on the carbs and light on the protein. Here’s how to balance that out:
- Add Greek yogurt. Stir in 1/4 cup (60g) of non-fat Greek yogurt for an extra 6g of protein. It also makes the oats creamier.
- Add protein powder. Mix a scoop of your favorite protein powder into the milk before pouring it over the oats—about 20g of extra protein right there. If your powder is sweetened, cut the liquid sweetener in half to start.
If you want to turn these overnight oats into a protein powerhouse, simply add both.
| Protein per serving (g) | |
|---|---|
| Regular | ~13 g |
| Regular + Greek yogurt | ~19 g |
| Regular + protein powder | ~33 g |
| Regular + Greek yogurt + protein powder | ~39 g |
Vegan
Making overnight oats vegan-friendly is as simple as using a milk alternative (I like oat milk, but use your favorite option) and a vegan-friendly sweetener, such as maple syrup. If you want to make vegan overnight oats high in protein, mix in a scoop of plant based protein powder into the liquid before stirring it with the remaining ingredients.
Meal Prep
Overnight oats are one of the meal prep all-time classics. All you need is to multiply the ingredients by how many servings you need and make the oats.
You can either make everything in a big bowl and then portion it or measure everything separately for each jar or container. Your choice.
A couple of things to remember when meal-prepping these:
- Granola will lose crunch if you add it to the oats more than a few of hours before eating. Add it right before serving if possible.
- Berries often go bad in a matter of days. Add them right before serving or the day before.
- If you want to keep things interesting, try a different topping every day.
Modifications and Tips
Overnight oats are as customizable as it gets. Here are the most important ones you need to know about:
- Using granulated sweeteners. I recommend liquid sweeteners because you don’t have to worry about dissolving them. If you want to use a granulated sweetener like sugar or stevia, add it to your milk of choice and stir until it dissolves before you add it to dry ingredients. If the granules are stubborn, warm up the liquid a bit in the microwave or on the stove and repeat. That should do it.
- Skipping chia seeds. Chia seeds gel some of the milk, making the oatmeal thicker. If you skip them and still want that pretty firm texture, limit milk to about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp per serving, making sure there’s enough liquid to cover the oats.
- Making it creamier. Many overnight oats recipes call for Greek yogurt, and for good reason. Stirring in just a tablespoon of thick Greek yogurt improves the texture of overnight oats by making it much creamier. Plus, it gives it a protein boost. You can stir in the yogurt when making the oats, or right before eating.
- Sweetening with banana. Mash up half a ripe banana (or 1/3 of a large one) and stir it in instead of sweetener. Just know it’ll add a banana flavor, which may or may not vibe with your other add-ins.
Topping Ideas
You can top your overnight oats with almost anything. Here’s a list of popular choices to get you started, and don’t be afraid to mix and match based on what you have on hand:
- Greek yogurt. Adds creaminess and protein—stir it in or dollop on top.
- Nuts. Great for crunch and healthy fats. Try walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, or cashews.
- Granola. Crunchy, flavorful, and even better if it’s homemade. Add granola right before serving so it doesn’t get soggy and lose crunch.
- Fresh fruit. Whatever’s in season or in your fridge—sliced, diced, or tossed in whole.
Storage
Overnight oats keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Store them in a sealed jar or container so they don’t soak up any fridge smells.
Overnight Oats Recipes Published
Below you can find all the overnight oats recipes I’ve published:
- Peanut butter banana overnight oats. Love bananas & PB combo? You’ll love these.
- Chocolate overnight oats. Into chocolate? Stir in some cocoa powder and chocolate chips and you’re all set.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats 50 g
- 1/2 cup milk of choice 120 g
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds optional, 12 g
- pinch of salt half of 1/8 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener 12-14 g
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients. Into a bowl or jar, add rolled oats, chia seeds, and salt. Give it a quick stir.1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, pinch of salt
- Add wet ingredients and mix. Pour in milk of choice, sweetener, and vanilla extract (if using). Stir well.1/2 cup milk of choice, 2 teaspoons liquid sweetener, 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover the jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Top and eat. Take the oats out of the fridge, top with your favorite topping options and dig in.
Notes
- Macronutrient information is a rough estimate.
- Macronutrients calculated with chia seeds, using full fat milk as the milk of choice and honey as the sweetener