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Overnight Oats are a healthy, versatile, make ahead, portable filling breakfast to get you on your way. These oats have to be one of the best inventions EVER!
Mornings just start off better with a hearty good breakfast. Overnight oats join Keto Pancakes, Easy Egg Muffins and The Best Acai Bowls as one of them.
Healthy Overnight Oats
I’m always looking for things to make life easier, and overnight oats is one of them. Being able to throw this together the night before and have a nutritious, filling breakfast ready when I need it, is a life saver. It makes mornings run smoother and I love that my family (and me) have a healthy option in the morning. I’m telling you it’s a game changer. This works for lunches too!
This basic recipe is so flexible. The whole family will enjoy putting their own toppings and flavor combinations together to create their one of a kind breakfast. Experiment and have fun and enjoy knowing you’re starting the day (or afternoon) off right!
Easy Overnight Oats Ingredients
This comes together beautifully. This is simple and easy!
- Oats: Rolled oats not quick oats
- Milk: Can use any kind of milk you prefer
- Plain Yogurt: I like to use Greek yogurt for the extra protein
- Chia Seeds: Add nutrition and give it texture.
- Honey: Natural sweetener
- Cinnamon: Just a pinch will do, or add more for your liking.
- 8 oz Jar with Lid: Doesn’t have to be fancy
How to Make the Best Overnight Oats
These overnight oats are silky and flavorful and so good for you. If you haven’t tried them, you have to! You’ll wonder what took you so long.
- Mix: In a medium sized bowl combine all the ingredients and stir to mix
- Pour: into a jar and seal with lid
- Fridge: Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight
- Flavor: Top as desired before eating.
What are Overnight Oats?
- What: These are simply rolled oats, not quick oats, that are soaked in liquid of some kind from 3 hours to up to 5 days if you wish. This makes the oats perfectly soft and ready to eat.
- Milk: You can use any kind of milk you’d like, that’s part of the fun. Super simple and individualized.
- Oats: The star of the show, you’ll want to use rolled oats for their texture. Quick oats are so small they’ll turn mushy fast. Steel cut can be used, they’ll require longer soaking and the texture will be chewy.
- Yogurt: If you want to you, you can leave out the yogurt. It does give it a silky smooth texture and adds flavor and protein. Try flavored yogurts to change up the taste.
- Healthy: Not only are oats good for you, think lower cholesterol, help you lose weight, heart healthy. But soaking them overnight actually enhances their goodness. Soaking helps break up phytic acid found in oats that can make it hard to absorb it’s nutrients such as iron and zinc. By breaking it up your body can more easily absorb these healthy nutrients.
- Cold or Hot: You can eat these straight from the fridge, bring them to room temp or microwave them. It’s up to you.
Add More Flavor!
Get ready to be creative. The possibilities for toppings and flavors are endless. But there are a few things to keep in mind to keeping them amazing.
- Add ins: These are flavor enhancers you can add right with the oats to soak along with them. Think of things that won’t go mushy if they soak for a long time. For example, flax seed, protein powders, cocoa, honey, zests, mashed bananas, flavored yogurts, jams and syrups.
- Toppings: These are foods that will go soggy if you soak them. Add these to your oats right before eating. This includes items such as berries, granola, coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts.
- Imagination: The possibilities truly are endless. Here are some ideas however to get you started.
- Apple Pie: chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped walnuts
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: Cocoa powder, Peanut butter, chocolate chips and peanuts,
- Banana Nut: Banana, chopped pecans and maple syrup
- Pina Colada: Pineapple chunks, coconut flakes, vanilla yogurt
- Very Berry: Mixture of frozen berries, granola and coconut flakes
- Mint Chocolate Chip: mini chocolate chips and mint extract
- Nutella: Nutella and chopped nuts
- Carrot Cake: Shredded carrot, ginger, cinnamon and nuts
- Pumpkin Pie: Canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and nuts.
More Oatmeal Recipes to Love
- The Best Carmelitas Cookie Bars
- Insanely Good Homemade Granola
- No-Bake Energy Bites
- Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
- Almond Granola Bars
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Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- pinch of cinnamon
- 8 ounce jar with lid
Optional Toppings:
- Peanut Butter
- Berries
- Bananas
- Apples
- Nuts
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl combine the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, honey, and pinch of cinnamon.
- Pour into jar and seal with a lid. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Top with desired toppings or mix ins.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been thinking about trying overnight oats for a few years now and your sumptuous photo gave me the nudge I needed. I was not disappointed! I love the texture and flavor. I’ve been adding juicy pineapple, perfectly ripened banana and kiwi that gives a pop of colour and that satisfying crunch of seeds 😋 Will I ever eat porridge again?!
It was a consistency thing for me. I couldn’t eat it. Not for me
Beautiful, I’m gonna try this