How to Make Overnight Oats – 5 Easy Recipes!
on Jan 27, 2020, Updated Jul 25, 2024
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Are you wondering how to make overnight oats? These are the easiest and tastiest overnight oats recipes! With just a few minutes of prep the night before, you’ll have delicious, grab-and-go breakfasts ready for busy mornings.
Truly, anyone can make this recipe—it doesn’t matter if you love the kitchen or prefer to be the food sampler over the food maker—because it’s so straightforward that it’s foolproof! And it makes a decadent breakfast, even when you’re short on time.
I’m partnering with Bob’s Red Mill again this year, and I’m so excited that this is the first recipe we’re creating together. I’ve been planning on sharing my favorite easy overnight oatmeal recipes with you for a while anyway, and this was the perfect chance to get it done.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You have so much flexibility with this simple recipe. I’ll often make the base recipe and we’ll just add optional toppings like nuts or fruit in the morning before serving.
- I love them because I can prep them ahead of time, they are filling, delicious, and nutritious, and because they take 5 minutes of hands-on prep time. That’s it!
- The recipe is SO flexible—you can use any kind of milk you like or have on hand; add in fun additions like berries, nuts, jams, or more; and omit or change the kind of yogurt you use depending on your preferences.
Recipe Ingredients
- Oats – old-fashioned or rolled
- Chia seeds or Flax seeds
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Maple Syrup
How to Make Overnight Oats
- Add the ingredients to a container of your choice.
- Mix ingredients togethere and toss in the fridge overnight.
- Add any additional toppings you like and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
They will last for up to 5 days! They get creamer the longer they sit.
Yes! I like to eat them cold out of the fridge, you could certainly warm them up if you wanted to.
While the name suggests overnight oats need to soak over night, you can soak them for as little as 2–3 hours, but they are also delicious if they soak for several hours.
This is my favorite Steel-Cut Overnight Oat recipe. And either of these recipes goes great with Instant Pot Yogart. If you are in the mood for a sweet treat with your oats, try these easy Oatmeal Cookies.
Expert Tips
- Just a pinch of salt in this recipe helps the oats to not taste “flat.” In fact, I’d highly recommend adding a dash or two of salt to your hot oatmeal too; it’s a game changer.
- The chia or ground flax add great nutrition but they also help make the overnight oats thick and creamy. They are both natural thickeners. Bob’s Red Mill also sells both of these if you are placing an order.
- Use whatever milk you have and what you like. I tested these recipes with both organic whole cow’s milk and almond milk. I’m sure it would work with just about any nut milk you like or have on hand.
Additional Optional Add-ins for Overnight Oats:
Start with the base vanilla recipe and add the following to make new combinations.
For Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats:
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon jam (I normally use a bit less maple syrup when I make this one since my jam is sweet)
For Peanut Butter Chocolate Oats:
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
For Apple Cinnamon Oats:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped or grated apple
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For Coconut Almond Oats:
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 1 pinch cinnamon
More Breakfast Recipes to Consider
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Quesadillas
Breakfast Recipes
Protein Shakes
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Burritos
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Easy Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Base Vanilla Overnight Oat Recipe
- 1/2 cup old fashioned or rolled oats
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seeds
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk, any kind
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Additional optional add-ins, see below
Additional Optional Add-ins:
For Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats:
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon jam
For Peanut Butter Chocolate Oats:
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
For Apple Cinnamon Oats:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped or grated apple
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For Coconut Almond Oats:
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 1 pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the oats, salt, and chia or flax seeds in the bottom of a glass container (a wide mouth pint canning jar works perfect for this).
- Add the Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup to the jar and stir well to combine.
- If you are adding any optional extras, add them and stir well to combine.
- Place a lid on your container and place it in the fridge.
- Let the mixture rest for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Add a splash more milk when serving if desired to thin the oats a bit.
- Eat within 5 days of making.
Video
Notes
- You have so much flexibility with this simple recipe. I’ll often make the base recipe and we’ll just add optional toppings like nuts or fruit in the morning before serving.
- Feel free to set up as many jars as you’ll use in the week and assemble multiple jars assembly-line style all at the same time. I’ll often make 10-12 jars or individual servings at one time.
- I love working with Bob’s Red Mill because I use and love their products in my home all the time. They’ve been on my “dream client” list for ages, and now look at us! As always, thank you for supporting the brands that I choose to work with.
- I use old-fashioned or rolled oats. They have a great texture after sitting in the fridge. I buy the Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats by the 25-pound bag and store them in a bucket in my pantry. The oats are whole grain, easy to find organic, and you can find them certified gluten-free as well. They provide great fiber because they are whole grains, too.
I love Bob’s Red Mill! I first bought it because my brother was named Bob and he lived in Oregon….they are from Oregon and there was the Bob name. So…hahahaha…..I liked whatever it was and it felt like a healthier choice so I kept on buying their products. Plus….I always transfer things into canning jars for storage…..I then cut their bag across the top and bottom, slit it down the side and tape it onto the jar….now I still have their awesome label and I remember what is in there. I know my reasons are silly, but there is usually always a method/reason for my madness! Now….overnight oats….I actually use steel cut oats…I like the tougher chew. Once I made some using pumpkin mash, pie spice and vanilla….yup…pumpkin pie for breakfast! I’m gonna try the chocolate peanut butter one….two flavors that were meant to be together and…it will HAVE to be warmed up. Cold cereal is Tony Tiger and Fruit Loops…..everything else needs to be warm…hahaha!
Ohhh thanks for the tip! I was going to try them with steal cut oats next because I like them really chewy too!