Overnight Oats Recipe

This overnight oats recipe is seriously my newest favorite breakfast staple. Now that school is back in session, our mornings are busier than ever, and having a make-ahead breakfast has been a total lifesaver.

The best part is that while the base of this recipe remains the same, you can top it with whatever you love, such as berries, nuts, or peanut butter, and even switch it up from day to day, so it never gets boring.

I want to apologize in advance if I never publish another breakfast recipe again, because this one just might be the winner of all winners.

The school year has us running in every direction, and I’ve been racking my brain for ways to give my kids a solid, well-rounded breakfast without spending forever in the kitchen. And guess what? I think I finally found the answer.

These overnight oats were an instant hit with all of my kids, and I can’t believe how easy they are to make.

I toss the ingredients in jars the night before, and the next morning breakfast is ready to serve. They are creamy, filling, and absolutely delicious — I couldn’t ask for a better meal prep breakfast!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Make-ahead breakfast: A few minutes of meal prep time at the beginning of the week will get you an easy grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings before school and work.
• Flexible recipe: Overnight oats are endlessly adaptable to your preferences, dietary needs, and what’s in season. Use different milks and sweeteners and add a variety of toppings to make the recipe your own.
• No-cook: Some days I just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This no-cook recipe lets me get breakfast on the table without even turning on the stove, kind of like my granola bars recipe, which is another lifesaver when mornings get busy.
• Whole grains: Between this recipe and my apple cinnamon oatmeal bake, we are getting plenty of whole grains in the morning!

Ingredients

• Old-fashioned oats: I have found old-fashioned oats to have the best texture after soaking overnight. Quick oats work too, but the texture will be different.
• Brown sugar: This adds just enough sweetness in my opinion! If you want to keep it free of refined sugar, feel free to substitute maple syrup.
• Chia seeds: They give the oats a pudding-like consistency and add protein, fiber, and nutrients.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon is so yummy with a variety of other ingredients! Feel free to add other spices, like ginger or nutmeg, if they fit best with your toppings.
• Vanilla extract: Just a touch gives the oats a more robust and delicious vanilla-y flavor.
• Milk: You can use whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, or any other nondairy milk you prefer. This gives you creamy overnight oats that are much better than oatmeal made with water.

How to Make Overnight Oats

Tips + Notes

• The listed ingredients make an individual serving in an 8-ounce mason jar. To make several servings, I recommend scooping the ingredients into each jar, rather than making it in a big bowl and portioning it out.
• This liquid ratio gives you nice, thick, soft oats. If you prefer your oats thinner, add more milk while preparing the oats or right before serving.
• If you want to add a lot of toppings to your oats, you may want to use a 16-ounce jar to allow for more space.
• Adding nuts when preparing the jars will give you soft, slightly chewy nuts. If you prefer crunchy nuts, add them right before serving.
• You can make these overnight oats higher in protein by stirring a scoop of protein powder into the mixture. (Note, I haven’t tried it with protein powder, but others have and said it was delicious)
• In the fall, try adding pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for a yummy fall overnight oats recipe!

Best Toppings for Overnight Oats

You can leave your overnight oats as they are written in the recipe for a delicious breakfast that keeps it simple. If you want to spice it up and get more variety, you can also add an assortment of toppings for additional color, texture, and flavor.

Here are my best suggestions for how to top your overnight oats:

• Fresh fruit- berries, sliced banana (add this right before eating), cherries, diced apples, pears, peaches, or apricots
• Cooked fruit – berry compote, stewed apples, jam, or persimmon pulp
• Dried fruit – raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut,
• Nuts and seeds – walnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
• Nut butter
• Chocolate chips

Or anything else you can think of! Feel free to be creative with this and add whatever you have on hand that sounds tasty.

FAQs

Phew, I don’t know about you, but after writing this post, I am getting hungry! Never mind that it’s early afternoon.

Hey, if you are looking for a snack, why don’t you check out my new pumpkin yogurt recipe? It’s made with just three basic ingredients, four if you count the toppings, and takes only minutes to prepare!

I’m actually going to call it a day and find myself a snack! Maybe I’ll try my no bake protein balls!

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

• Easy Egg Muffins with Sausage
• Sourdough French Toast Casserole
• Cast Iron Breakfast Casserole
• Sheet Pan Eggs
• Whole Grain Puff Pancakes 

If you tried this overnight oats recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!