Overnight Oats (5 Ways!)

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Overnight Oats (5 Ways!)
Published August 18, 2024

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Overnight oats are rich, creamy, and perfect as a hearty and satisfying breakfast on the go. Learn how to make the best overnight oats that you can customize with your favorite toppings and add-ins. Plus, 5 delicious flavor variations!

Quick, grab-and-go breakfasts don’t have to be boring. The proof is in the oats! If you’ve never tried overnight oats before, you’re in for a satisfying treat. With only 5 ingredients, this easy recipe makes the BEST overnight oats that are rich, creamy, and just sweet enough. Perfect for customizing with all sorts of delicious toppings and flavors. Add everything to a jar with your favorite mix-ins, and after a rest in the fridge, this overnight oatmeal is ready first thing in the morning.

Why You’ll Love This Overnight Oats Recipe

• Easy. This is the perfect overnight oats recipe for beginners. You need just a handful of ingredients and most of the magic happens overnight in the fridge. Zero cooking needed! (If you’re looking for warm oatmeal though, definitely check out my oatmeal made 8 ways.)
• Ready-to-eat. Prep your oats the night before, and wake up to a batch of delicious, creamy oatmeal the next morning. Overnight oats are great to take along for breakfast or as an easy midday snack.
• 5 ways. You’re going to love experimenting with endless flavor combinations for your overnight oats! I couldn’t settle on a favorite, so I’m sharing 5 easy ideas to get you started.

Watch the Overnight Oats Video:

Check out this quick video that shows you how to make creamy homemade overnight oats. You’ll find all of my helpful recipe notes and tips below.

Ingredients You’ll Need

A basic recipe for overnight oats calls for only 2 ingredients: oats and milk. I’ve included some notes below, with a few (optional) add-ins that make these oats extra delicious. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list of ingredients for your oats, plus 5 flavor variations.

• Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats are my oats of choice, see below.
• Unsweetened almond milk – Any dairy or non-dairy milk works here, such as rice milk, coconut milk, or cow’s milk.
• Greek yogurt – An optional add-in, Greek yogurt makes the oats especially rich and creamy. You could substitute your favorite non-dairy yogurt if you’d like.
• Sea salt – Regular table salt will work too, but I love the milder flavor of sea salt.
• Honey or maple syrup – I like to sweeten the oats with honey or maple syrup, but brown sugar or a sugar-free substitute will work too. Feel free to skip any added sweetener if you prefer.

What Kind of Oats Should I Use?

I’ve found that the best oats for overnight oats are old-fashioned rolled oats. They soak up just enough of the liquid to make them creamy, but not mushy. Quick-cooking oats are too soft, while steel-cut oats tend to be chewy.

How to Make the Best Overnight Oats

The secret to overnight oats? Give them enough time to soak. Follow these quick steps to make prep your oatmeal the night before. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.

• Combine the ingredients. Combine the oats with milk and yogurt. Stir in salt and maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice), along with any mix-in ingredients (see below for 5 easy variations). Transfer the oats to jars.
• Soak. Refrigerate your oats and let them soak. For the best texture, I do like to allow a full 8+ hours of rest time, but in a rush, 4 hours should do.
• Enjoy! The next morning, add any toppings just before serving, and dig in!

Tips for Success

Once you’ve made these overnight oats, you’re going to want to make them all the time. Here are my tips for the best results:

• Use the right oats. Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats here (not quick oats), or your oats won’t have the right consistency.
• Correctly measure the ingredients. It’s tempting to simply eyeball your ingredients, but measuring is important for the most consistent results.
• Season your oats. A little salt to balance the sweetness goes a long way. Don’t forget to season the oatmeal, or they’ll taste flat.
• Let the oats soak. Let the oats soak for at least 4 hours, or 8 hours for the creamiest results.
  Add toppings when serving. Wait until the morning to add any toppings, like nuts, so that they don’t become soggy overnight.
• Use another liquid. In place of almond milk, you can use coconut milk, oat milk, or another dairy-free milk. You can also use dairy options like cow milk, goat milk, buttermilk, kefir, whey, or even extra yogurt.

Overnight Oats Variations (5 Ways!)

These are 5 of my favorite easy variations on overnight oats. Get creative! The mix-in options are endless.

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

These pumpkin pie overnight oats taste like a lighter version of homemade pumpkin pie! To make them, you’ll need:

• Pumpkin – Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!).
• Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. You can also replace the individual spices with pumpkin pie spice.
• Vanilla
• Toppings – Dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

When preparing the oats, stir in canned pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla. Before serving, sprinkle over some chewy dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for crunch.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

These dreamy chocolate and peanut butter oats are the best way to satisfy a chocolate craving in the morning. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cocoa powder – You can use unsweetened or sweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give a fudgier, more chocolatey flavor.
• Peanut butter – You can use creamy peanut butter or the crunchy kind, whichever you prefer. You can also skip the peanut butter to make chocolate overnight oats as is.
• Banana – Mashed ripe banana is the best way to sweeten up these oats.
• Vanilla
• Toppings – Chocolate chips and toasted shredded coconut taste amazing on these oats!

To make this variation, stir in the cocoa, peanut butter, vanilla, and mashed banana while mixing your overnight oats. When you’re ready to eat, top the oats with chocolate chips and coconut.

Berry Chia Overnight Oats

I love these berry chia overnight oats in the summertime when fresh berries are in season. You need only 3 ingredients:

• Fresh berries – Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or any combination of your favorite berries. You can use frozen berries when fresh are out of season, just thaw and drain them first.
• Vanilla
• Chia seeds – Chia seeds are a great way to bulk up overnight oats with some extra nutrition. You’ll find these tiny black seeds in most grocery stores, either in the baking section or alongside the rice and quinoa.

To make this berry-licious version, stir the berries and chia seeds into the oats, and top with more berries before serving.

Banana Almond Overnight Oats

These banana almond oats with flax are extra filling and packed with rich, nutty flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Banana – Choose a small-ish ripe banana and mash it up.
• Almond butter – I love almond butter, but feel free to use your favorite nut butter. Peanut butter, macadamia nut butter, and cashew butter are also tasty choices.
• Flax seeds – You can substitute flax seeds with chia seeds if you’d like.
• Almond extract – Just a couple of drops. To make sure that you don’t add too much, pour your extract into a spoon or the lid of the bottle before adding it to the oats.

Mix all your ingredients into the oats and refrigerate as directed. Serve topped with extra banana slices and a drizzle of nut butter.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Sweet and spiced apple cinnamon overnight oats are perfect for fall. You need just a few easy ingredients:

• Apples – Any variety you’d like. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Golden Delicious and MacIntosh apples are all good options.
• Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg. You can also use apple pie spice.
• Pecans – Chopped up, for topping. You can use walnuts or almonds if you prefer.

To make these cozy apple cinnamon oats, stir your chopped apples and spices into the oat mixture. Top with pecans just before serving.

How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?

• To Store. Plain overnight oats will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge. Keep them stored airtight in jars or containers. This recipe is wonderful for meal prep! Make a big batch on Sunday and enjoy your overnight oatmeal all week with your favorite toppings and flavors.
• Freeze. You can freeze your overnight oats for longer-term storage. Store the oats in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost the oats in the fridge before serving.

More Easy Oat Recipes

• Warm Oatmeal (8 Ways)
• Amish Baked Oatmeal
• Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
• Banana Pecan Baked Oatmeal
• Coconut Blueberry Oatmeal