How to Make Overnight Oats (Plus 15 Easy and Delicious Overnight Oatmeal Recipes)

I promise, you can't go wrong with these overnight oats recipes! These overnight oats recipes have been tested, loved, and used by thousands of people-I even get stopped on the street by strangers saying "HEY! I know you! I make overnight oats from your website!" These are the recipes that I come back and use over and over and over again. And I think you will too.
Featured review
"Thank you so much for these recipes! I kept trying overnight oat recipes and choking them down because they are healthy, but I hated them. I look forward to eating these, because they are actually really good." - Amber
What are overnight oats?
If you've never heard of overnight oats before, let me give you a quick little primer. Overnight oats are a no-cook method of making oatmeal. Instead of cooking your oats with liquid on the stove or in the microwave, you stir rolled old-fashioned oats with the liquid and other mix-ins, and let it rest in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you have a pudding-like porridge that is perfect for easy grab-and-go breakfasts.
Overnight oatmeal doesn't have the same texture as hot/stovetop oats. It's creamier, denser, and in my opinion, so much tastier. I'd take a jar of overnight oats over hot oats any day!
Protip: Use rolled oats
For that creamy, dreamy, pudding-like texture, stick with rolled oats. You may also see them labeled as "old-fashioned oats." Steel-cut oats will make for a chewier oatmeal, while instant or quick-cooking oats will make thinner overnight oats.

Do you eat overnight oats warm or cold?
I eat them cold straight out of the refrigerator, and I think most overnight oatmeal aficionados do as well. It's part of the convenience of overnight oats-grab and go! However, if you want them warm, just heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, stirring frequently, or in a small saucepan on the stove until heated to your liking.
Can I make these ahead of time for meal prep?
You certainly can! Overnight oats are PERFECT for weekend food prep, and are my favorite make-ahead breakfast. Back when I was working in an office, I'd make up 8-10 jars on the weekend to grab for quick breakfasts and snacks during the week.

Want to save this recipe?
Okay, let's move on to the actual recipes. Like I said above, each of these recipes makes one very large serving. Great for a big breakfast. If you're looking for a lighter meal or a snack option, halve 'em.
Classic Vanilla Overnight Oats Recipe

First, I'm going to talk you through my overnight oats "base" recipe. This recipe is simple, easy, and delicious on its own. If you're a vanilla fan, you'll love it! But this recipe is also good to know because it serves as a base to get imaginative. Mix in whatever fruit or seeds you like. Change up the milk. Leave out the sweetener. Make this recipe your own!
Suggested Dietary Swaps
- Make it vegan: Use plant-based milk, plant-based yogurt, and maple syrup for sweetener.
- Make it sugar-free: Drop the sweetener and add ½ mashed ripe banana.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free oats.
📖 Recipe

Classic Vanilla Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup heaping rolled oats
- ⅔ cup unsweetened Almond Breeze Original Almondmilk see notes
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Close and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before eating.
Notes
- I like using unsweetened Almond Breeze Almondmilk for my oats, but feel free to use whatever milk you'd like-soy, oat, dairy, coconut-it'll all work!
Nutrition
More Easy and Delicious Overnight Oats Recipes
Wholefully is your one-stop-shop for all kinds of delicious and healthy overnight oats recipes! Click on any flavor that looks good to you to head on over to that variation and get the full printable recipe:
FAQ
Phew! That's a whole lot of overnight oats recipes and information! I hope you were able to find something in there that'll make your breakfasts a little bit more exciting. Enjoy!
Good morning, Cassie 🌞. How are you ? I'm fine. Yesterday I tried classic vanilla overnight oats that I made. I added fresh blueberries 🫐 and chopped walnuts. Mmmmmm 👌! It turned out very delicious 😋, well-flavored, healthy, comforting ☺️, and divine. I loved it 🥰.
Hi Cassie,
Complete overnight oats newbie here. I tried the base vanilla recipe last night and this morning there was a considerable amount of milk that had settled its way to the top of the jar. I mixed it, and it was still very runny. I did follow the measurement instructions. I used steel cut, and a low sugar non fat Greek yogurt. I will have to use regular Greek Yogurt as the low sugar stuff was way to sour tasting. I will try reducing the amount of milk for tonight’s batch, but was curious what your thoughts on the runny texture was. Thank you!
Hi Chris! We think the steel cut oats may be the culprit. It's likely that they need more time to absorb all of the liquid. If you were happy with the final texture, you could try using less liquid and the same amount of rest. But if you found that the oats weren't as soft as you would have liked, then letting them sit in the fridge for longer to absorb more may be better!
Just wondering what I can use I instead of almond milk? I'm allergic to all types of nuts!
Hi Teila! You can use any kind of dairy or plant-based milk you typically use and have on hand. Here's what we say in the post, "This can be dairy milk or any plant-based milk you enjoy. I prefer to stick to unsweetened milk so I can customize the sweetness later. Unsweetened almondmilk is what we use in our house, but we’ve also enjoyed them with coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk, and oatmilk!"
Instead of using milk, I use water and it still comes out creamy and I feel its healthier since you still get the cream from Plain Yogurt (I use greek yogurt). So for people wanting a healthier version do that! 🙂
I’ve made these for my family for years now and we love them! However, due to a diet restriction, is there a way to make these without the chia seeds? Should I just add extra oats to help thicken up the consistency when I omit the chia seeds? Thanks for any help!
Hi Shelby! Here's some info from the post under the section "Do you have to use the chia seeds or flax meal?" that I think will help!
"Have to? Nope. Do I highly recommend you do? Yes. Adding in chia or flax seeds helps the overnight oats thicken and get nice and creamy. If you don’t have them around to add, cut back on the liquid by about 1/4 cup on each recipe, and be aware that your final oats won’t be as dreamy creamy. Oh, and make sure to use ground flax meal instead of whole flaxseeds. The whole ones don’t have the same thickening properties as the ground stuff."
So you can try ground flax meal in place of the chia seeds or leave them out and adjust the liquid as mentioned above. I hope this helps!
There used to be a chocolate peanut butter recipe on here that was perfect! Any idea where I could find it?
Hi Diego! You can find that recipe here: https://wholefully.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-overnight-oats-recipe/ If you're ever looking for it again, you can also use the search feature on the website to pull it up easily! =)
Hi, I'm wondering when you say a cup how many ml's would this be roughly please, and then I can work out for myself half, third etc. Thank you
Hi Michelle! Most online conversion resources put 1 US cup at 240ml (some say 250ml). Volume isn't a precise measurement, so it's approximate. Either one should suit this recipe just fine! You can always adjust to use more or less liquid to suit your preferences after making the first batch. I hope this helps!
If you soak the rolled oats overnight do you still use a heaping 1/2 cup in the recipe? And would you need to decrease the amount of milk you use at all? Thanks! I love the Chocolate PB recipe but wanting my tummy to love it too!
Hi Liz! One of the benefits of making overnight oats is there’s no need to pre-soak the oats! The recipe is formulated to include an overnight rest, so you’ll still get all the benefits of soaking just by following the recipe. =)
Your recipe for overnight oats are my favourite! It gets me eating oats in the morning for a healthier and fibrous alternative to toast or bagel!
Thanks, Mary Anne! We're so happy you love them! =)
Thank you for your awesome ideas. We have been eating overnight oats for three years. If we skip a few days, our digestive systems act up. We use milk kefir instead of milk and yoghurt. As we feed our kefir Jersey milk, it is thick and rich and results in creamy oats. You have given me good ideas on how to jazz up our morning bowls. One note: if the milk is fermented, honey kills the good bacteria, so we use xylitol, fruit or maple syrup as sweetners
Thanks for sharing your insights and modifications with us, Ilse! It's great to hear what's working for other folks. Three years is a good amount of research—we really appreciate you taking the time to come back and share what you found with us =)
I’ve just read this article and I can’t wait to try your recipes!
Thanks, Tracy! We hope you love them =)
Thank you for posting a simple recipe in a simple format without the long narration! Wonderful taste and opportunity for personal variation.
Thanks, Kenny! We're glad you found the recipe format helpful and the end results delicious! =)
I tried overnight oats for the first time and I loved it! Great recipe!
Hooray! We're so happy to hear that, Alana. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about it. Glad you loved them!
I'm just surprised you haven't tried Golden Milk in it yet! That's what I'm going for first because that sounds delicious!
Hi, do you know the conversion from cups to grams? Thank you
Hi, Deborah! We use volume measurements because this recipe doesn't require very precise amounts to be great! If you need to know approximate conversions, though, your best bet would be to put it into your favorite search engine. There are lots of free online tools that can help with that!
Do you have to make it in jars? Or can I use a bowl with a sealed lid work as well?
Hi, Pat! That will definitely work!
I love these recipes thank you. And thanks for adding the nutritional count. Is the 177 cal pr serving including the maple syrup? I am confused since it says 0-2 tablespoons.
Hi, Sarah! We're so happy you love the recipes! Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it!
The nutritional information is automatically calculated in our system, so we can't say for sure which amount in the range was used. Here is a great copy and paste nutrition info calculator that should help: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I found this recipe a few weeks ago and I have been having it every weekday since. Thank you so much this great recipe, I have just been having the vanilla but plan to try to add some other items to it soon to switch it up. I have to say it's great all on it's own. Love!
So glad you love it, Wendy! Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it. We really appreciate it!