These delicious Overnight Oats Recipes are perfect for a quick make ahead breakfast or snack. This post breaks down everything you need to know about overnight oats, how make them, and gives you a list of the best overnight oats recipes!

What Are Overnight Oats?

Overnight oats are made from combining whole grain rolled oats with a liquid, like almond milk, and other tasty ingredients like nut butter, yogurt, or fruit. The oats soak overnight in the liquid, soften, and have the perfect creamy texture, similar to stovetop oatmeal.

Watch How to Make Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Why I LOVE Overnight Oats

I have become a huge fan of overnight oats over the last year or so and I don’t see my love for them going anywhere any time soon. Here are few reasons why I LOVE overnight oats:

Easy to make – all you need is five minutes the night before to stir together your overnight oats and pop them in the fridge for any easy breakfast the next morning.
Incredibly filling – unlike other breakfast options, these oats keep me feeling satisfied until lunch.
Packed with nutrition – overnight oats are packed with fiber, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein!

The Basic Overnight Oats Ingredients

Old Fashioned Oats: old fashioned or “rolled” oats are the best oats for overnight oats! They have a delicious chewy texture and hold up well to being soaked overnight. Oats are naturally gluten free but they are often processed in facilities were gluten is present which can lead to some cross contamination. If you have a gluten allergy, I’d recommend grabbing certified gluten free oats. Also, if you find yourself making overnights a lot (like myself) I highly recommend buying your oats in bulk to save a little money.

Chia Seeds: if you have never used chia seeds before then adding them to your overnight oats is a great way to start using them. They help to give the overnight oats a creamy consistency and pack a punch of extra fiber and healthy fats as well.

Milk: any milk will work for overnight oats so feel free to use your favorite! Regular dairy milk like skim or whole milk can be a good option if you drink dairy milk. If not, then you can use you favorite non-dairy milk like almond, oat, coconut, or cashew.

Greek Yogurt: a little Greek yogurt helps to make the oats creamy as well as give them an extra boost of protein. Feel free to use whole milk, low-fat, or non-fat yogurt!

Nut Butter: the addition of a little nut butter helps to make the overnight oats more satiating by providing some healthy fats. You can use whatever nut butter you prefer! If you do use peanut butter it will give the oats a strong peanut flavor so be mindful of that.

Sweetener: adding a little sweetener to the oats is my preferred way of eating them! You can use maple syrup, honey, or another liquid sweetener of your choice.

Vanilla Extract: this is optional, but it always adds just that perfect touch of flavor to the oats.

Salt: this helps to balance the flavor of the oats.

Extras: these are what help to bring the base overnight oats recipes to life! Things like cocoa powder, mashed banana, or other spices and extracts can all be added to your overnight oats for a little extra goodness.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Overnight Oats in 5 Simple Steps

Step One: Add the Greek yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, sweetener, and nut butter to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined.

Step Two: Add the oats, chia seeds, and salt to the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.

Step Three: Transfer the oats to large wide mouthed glass container with a lid (like a WECK JAR/mason jar).

Step Four: After the oats have chilled, remove them from the fridge and give them a stir.

Step Five: Now it’s time to serve your overnight oats! Separate the oats into two different serving bowls or jars. Feel free to add an extra splash of milk, if you like your overnight oats on the thinner side. Top them with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

My Favorite Ways to Customize Overnight Oats

Sweeten things up – add a bit more of your choice of sweetener to make things sweeter!
Keep the oats dairy-free – if you prefer to keep the oats dairy free then you can use your favorite dairy-free Greek yogurt (like coconut or almond milk based yogurts) in this recipe.
Add extra fruit – my STRAWBERRY OVERNIGHT OATS are one of my favorite recipes because of all of the extra fresh strawberries! You can add a handful of strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries to any batch of overnight oats for extra berry flavor. A handful of shredded coconut would also be delicious!

My Favorite Healthy Additions

PROTEIN POWDER – I love adding a plain or vanilla protein powder to the oats to add even more protein, especially when I’m eating the oats for breakfast.
FLAX SEEDS – try adding half a tablespoon of ground flax seeds to the oats for extra fiber.
HEMP SEEDS – if you like a bit more texture, you can try adding a teaspoon of hemp seeds to the oats.

Delicious Topping Ideas

There are so many delicious ways toots and serve your overnight oats. You can go with fresh fruit, more nut butter, nuts and seeds, and so much more. Here are a few of my favorite topping options:

Raspberries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Creamy or CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER
Sliced bananas
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
SHREDDED OR FLAKED COCONUT
Sliced nuts
Splash of almond milk
Fresh fruit jam
CHOCOLATE CHIPS or CACAO NIBS

How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?

I prefer to eat any leftover overnight oats within 2-3 days while they still have the perfect texture. You can keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days but the texture will change as they sit and they’ll become thicker. You can always add a splash of milk before serving to help thin them out a bit.

Can You Use “Quick” Oats?

You can use the smaller, more processed version of oats, often called “quick” oats to make overnight oats but the texture will be a bit more mushy and like a porridge than if you were using rolled oats. I personally prefer the texture of overnight oats better when using old-fashioned oats.

Can You Eat Overnight Oats Warm?

Yes! Usually overnight oats are eaten cold but you can warm them slightly in the microwave if you prefer.