Overnight Oats

Everything you need to know about making your own Overnight Oats from home! With four overnight oats recipes and all the best tips and tricks, this is your one-stop Overnight Oats read!

Next time, try one of these other healthy breakfast ideas: an acai bowl, healthy breakfast cookies, mango smoothie, or strawberries and cream oatmeal.

Nutritious and easy breakfast

Overnight oatmeal is one of my favorite nutritious breakfast options. It’s easy to make, fun to customize, and packed with good-for-you ingredients. And one bowl will leave you fueled and satiated for hours.

It’s probably no surprise to you how much I love Overnight Oats; I’ve been sharing Overnight Oat recipes for years!

Here are some of the recipes I’ve shared:

• Cheesecake Overnight Oats
• Almond Joy Overnight Oats
• Brownie Batter Overnight Oats
• Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Overnight Oats
• Brownie Batter Overnight Oats
• Peanut Butter Cookie Overnight Oats
• Peach Overnight Oats
• Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats

How to make Overnight Oats

Overnight oatmeal is as simple to make as stirring a few ingredients together and refrigerating overnight. The next morning, you can add on your favorite toppings and eat. They’re really that easy! That said, here are a few tips: 

• Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best oats to use; they’ll give you a creamy and smooth texture with just the right amount of chewiness. Avoid quick or steel-cut oats. Click this link for my recipe to make overnight steel cut oatmeal.
• Give your overnight oats one final stir in the morning after taking them out of the fridge, and before adding any optional toppings. This ensures good textures throughout.
• Wait to add toppings. In order for the raw oats to soften, they need to be able to absorb the liquid they’re combined with. Toppings will prevent this process and become soggy, so hold off on toppings until morning!

Notes

• Overnight Oats are meant to be eaten cold. As they soak overnight, they become soft, luscious, and creamy. That said, if you prefer them warm, you can certainly warm them up in the microwave or on the stovetop.
• You can make Overnight Oats in the morning to enjoy. I typically make them first thing when I wake up, go work out, and enjoy them post workout. (So they’ve sat about 30 to 45 minutes). I guess that technically, they’re not really overnight oats, but we’re all friends here!
• Make them thicker. I’m obsessed with creamy oatmeal — the creamier the better! I’d say Overnight Oats are fairly creamy (even after thickening overnight). If you’d like them thicker, add in a few tablespoons of chia seeds or a few additional tablespoons of oats.

Ingredient Tips

While most of the ingredients are fairly standard, I wanted to include a few helpful tips.

• Sweetener. Depending on how sweet you prefer your breakfasts, feel free to scale the sweetener up or down. You may even decide you don’t want or need any sweetener! If you don’t want to use honey or maple syrup, liquid stevia drops are another great alternative; I usually add 1/4 teaspoon. Maple syrup is my personal favorite sweetener to add to Overnight Oats.
• Greek yogurt. The yogurt can totally overpower the oats, so get a mild-tasting, sweetened yogurt. My personal favorite is Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt (made by Greek Gods®; not sponsored). It’s sweet, mild, and creamy. Whatever yogurt you choose to use, make sure you like it plain or you likely won’t love it in the oats. A plain vanilla yogurt (not Greek yogurt) is also a great option.
• Dutch-process cocoa powder (for the chocolate overnight oats). This cocoa powder contributes the deep and intense chocolate flavor. I highly recommend using a Dutched cocoa powder as opposed to a plain (natural) cocoa powder. Any Dutch-process cocoa powder will work, but Hershey’s® does sell a Special Dark cocoa powder that is readily available at most grocery stores.

And here is my go-to base recipe for Overnight Oats.

(And below the recipe you’ll find three other bonus recipes (chocolate, banana-almond, and berry). After the bonus recipes I answer some common questions.)

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Overnight Oats base recipe

5 from 3 votes

- Review this recipe

Everything you need to know about making your own Overnight Oats at home! With four recipes and all the best tips and tricks, this is your one-stop Overnight Oats read. 

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Overnight Oats base recipe

5 from 3 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

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Everything you need to know about making your own Overnight Oats at home! With four recipes and all the best tips and tricks, this is your one-stop Overnight Oats read. 

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Overnight Oats

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chilling 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Chelsea Lords

Calories 376kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $1.82

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• ▢ 1/3 cup honey vanilla greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods) (Note 1)
• ▢ 2/3 cup unsweetend vanilla almond milk, or milk of choice
• ▢ 1-1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (Note 2)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• ▢ Small pinch fine sea salt
• ▢ Optional toppings: swirl of almond or peanut butter, miniature chocolate chips, fresh berries

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• PREP THE OATS: In a small bowl, mason jar, or plastic container, stir together the old fashioned oats, honey vanilla Greek yogurt, vanilla almond milk, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon (if desired), and salt.
• STIR: Stir well and make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
• CHILL: Cover the container and refrigerate overnight or until sufficiently cooled and thickened. (Sometimes I'll even make them in the morning, get ready, and then go eat them -- they are great even after only 30 minutes in the fridge)
• ENJOY: When ready to eat, top with any additional toppings if desired. Store Overnight Oats in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: The yogurt can totally overpower these oats, so get a mild-tasting, sweetened yogurt. My personal favorite is Honey Vanilla Greek yogurt (made by Greek Gods®). It's sweet, mild, and creamy. Whatever yogurt you choose to use, make sure you like it plain or you likely won't love it in these overnight oats. A plain vanilla yogurt (not Greek yogurt) is also a great option.

Note 2: We like 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup best, but sweeten to personal preference (1/2 tablespoon up to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.8g | Protein: 6.1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 130.3mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8.8g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.

Overnight Oats Calories: 284 calories for the base (not including toppings)

CHOCOLATE OVERNIGHT OATS

serves 1

ADD THE FOLLOWING TO A MASON JAR OR PLASTIC CONTAINER AND STIR TO COMBINE:

• 1/2 cup (55g) old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup (75g) honey vanilla Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods!)
• 2/3 cup (156g) chocolate almond milk (or vanilla almond milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (add more or less to personal preference)
• Optional: mini dark chocolate chips

Refrigerate overnight (or until softened; even 30-45 minutes softens the oats a lot), stir well and add toppings.

TOPPING OPTIONS: (Below are a list of suggestions; add as many or as few of your favorite toppings.)

• Additional maple syrup (or honey or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia) If you don’t add this to the base, I recommend adding it on top.
• 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped dark chocolate, cacao nibs, or miniature chocolate chips
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted flaked coconut
• 1 tablespoon roasted and lightly salted almonds

BANANA-ALMOND OVERNIGHT OATS

serves 1

ADD THE FOLLOWING TO A MASON JAR OR PLASTIC CONTAINER:

• 1/2 cup (54g) old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup (82g) honey vanilla Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods!)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (130g) ripe banana, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Refrigerate overnight (or until softened; even 30-45 minutes softens the oats a lot), stir well and add toppings.

OVERNIGHT OAT TOPPING OPTIONS: (Below are my recommendations; add your favorite toppings and add to your desired quantity.)

• 1/2 thinly sliced banana
• Any additional maple syrup  If you don’t add this to the base, I recommend adding it on top.
• 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter
• Extra sprinkle of ground cinnamon  
• Chia seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 teaspoons miniature chocolate chips

BERRY OVERNIGHT OATS

serves 1

ADD THE FOLLOWING TO A MASON JAR OR PLASTIC CONTAINER:

• 1/2 cup (54g) old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup (82g) honey vanilla Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods!)
• 2/3 cup (156g) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (add more or less to personal preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup assorted fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc.  (I like to chop up fruit first)

Refrigerate overnight (or until softened; even 30-45 minutes softens the oats a lot), stir well, and add toppings.

OVERNIGHT OAT TOPPING OPTIONS: Below are my suggestions; add as much of your favorite toppings as you prefer.

• 1/3 cup assorted fresh berries
• Any additional maple syrup  If you don’t add this to the base, I recommend adding it on top.
• Handful of granola
• 1-2 tablespoons toasted and chopped nuts
• Chia seeds

Other topping ideas

• Vanilla-almond granola, or your favorite homemade/store bought granola
• Fresh fruit such as: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, mango, banana, peaches, pineapple, kiwi, apple, etc.
• Flaked coconut
• Chia seeds
• Dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, dried blueberries, dried apricot, dried mango, raisins
• Freeze-dried fruit, like dried bananas, dried strawberries, dried blueberries
• Cacao Nibs, or chopped dark chocolate or miniature chocolate chips
• Hemp seeds
• Flax seeds

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Overnight Oats healthy?

And that’s it for today! If you have any questions, comments, or tips, please leave a comment below. Happy Overnight Oat-ing!

*While I have my background in Exercise and Wellness (B.S.), all the content in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult a doctor or dietician for any specific dietary needs/questions.