Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe (+18 Flavors)
This is the only healthy overnight oats recipe you'll ever need! The THOUSANDS of 5-star ratings can't be wrong. Packed with 20g+ protein and 10g+ fiber, these oats are as nourishing as they are tasty. And with 18 flavor options, you're sure to find your perfect meal prep breakfast.
🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe
- ⏰ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🕰️ Chill Time: 4+ hours
- 🥣 Flavor Profile: The base recipe below is a amazing vanilla overnight oats flavor, but I also have nearly 20 other flavors to try like my strawberry cheesecake overnight oats, carrot cake overnight oats, or my super popular chocolate peanut butter overnight oats
- 💪 What Makes It Healthy: 20g+ protein and 10g+ of fiber per full-size serving, tons of gut-nourishing probiotics
- 🥄 Good For: Meal prep breakfasts, busy weekday mornings, kid breakfasts
- ↪️ Make Ahead: Designed for meal prep! Whip this up on the weekend to eat on all week.
- 🧡 Difficulty: If you can stir, you can make these overnight oats!
"I've been making overnight oats for a while now, using different recipes I've found online, and I gotta say, this is THE BEST recipe by far!
- FRAN -
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🧡 Why You'll Love This Recipe
"Hey! Aren't you the overnight oats lady?!" I've been stopped on the street more times that I can count to talk about my overnight oats (my job is so weird sometimes 😂). These oats are THAT good. I promise you'll love them, too!
Here's why you'll love this recipe:
- Make Ahead: Prep a batch of these overnight oats in literally 5 minutes
- So. Many. Flavors: I currently have 18 flavors (and counting) ranging from lemon poppyseed overnight oats to chai latte overnight oats to pina colada overnight oats-if you can dream it, I've probably already made it.
- Packed Full of Protein & Fiber: A full batch has 20g+ of protein and 10g+ of fiber without any added protein powder or fiber.
- So Easy To Make: If you can stir, you can make these.
- A recipe you can trust: The overnight oats recipes have been viral on the internet for well over a decade! With thousands of 5 star reviews, you can trust my oats recipes.
"LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! By far the best overnight oats I've made and tried"
- LYNN -
🥛 The Ingredients You Need
- Oats: I recommend rolled oats here. Quick cooking or steel cut oats won't have the same texture (but they are great in my slow cooker steel cut oats recipe).
- Greek Yogurt: any plain Greek yogurt will do, or you can use homemade yogurt, just make sure to strain it first (here's the yogurt strainer I use every week)
- Chia seeds: help them thicken up the oats as well as add protein and fiber, you can also swap in equal amounts of flax meal
- Honey or maple syrup: I prefer the flavor of maple syrup in these oats, but either option works-or leave out the sweetener all together if you want to cut back on sugar.
- Flavoring: the recipe listed here is for the base vanilla overnight oats recipe, but depending on what flavor you are making, you'll add all kinds of yummy goodies!
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.
"I usually don't like oats, but this recipe...SOOO YUMMY, I want to eat it everyday, that's how good it is."
- IVANA -
🔁 Variations & Substitutions
- Make it vegan: Use maple syrup, plant-based milk (almond milk or oatmilk work great) and vegan Greek yogurt
- Make it gluten-free: These oats are naturally gluten-free as long as you choose certified gluten-free oats.
- No chia seeds? Swap in equal amounts of ground flax.
- Up the protein: Add a scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder!
- Make it sugar-free: Drop the sweetener and add a ½ mashed ripe banana. Or use stevia or monk fruit sweetener in place of the maple syrup or honey if you prefer.
🥣 How to Make Healthy Overnight Oats
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix well to combine.
Step 3: Spoon into a jar or other food storage container. I like either Weck 742 Half Liter jars or Ball Wide Mouth Pint jars for the full batch. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Step 4: Serve cold topped with whatever toppings bring you joy: nut butter, nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, etc.
"I've almost tried all of the flavours now, and they're all amazing!! It's like having dessert for breakfast 🙂"
- TASH -
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🙋🏻♀️ Healthy Overnight Oats FAQs
Yes! Overnight oats are packed with protein, fiber, and a good mix of macronutrients to make for a balanced breakfast.
Yes, you can use steel cut oats to make overnight oats but the final texture will be more chewy than creamy. Because steel cut oats are inherently less processed, you should increase the amount of liquid by ¼ cup, and prepare for a chewier oatmeal in the morning.
The recipes with fruit mix-ins, eat within three days. The ones without fresh fruit, you could get by with letting them chill in the fridge for up to a week.
👩🏻🍳 My Expert Tips & Tricks
- Make lots: doubling or tripling this recipe takes no extra time but gives you lots of extra breakfasts-perfect for big families!
- Boost the nutrition: add in protein powder, collagen powder, fiber supplements, oh my!
- Wait at least 4 hours: yes these are called "overnight" oats, but you can get away with eating them after at least 4 hours in the fridge
- Sweeten to taste: some people like breakfast foods sweeter than others, so start with a small amount of maple syrup or honey, taste your oats, then add more if you like.
🥣 All of My Healthy Overnight Oats Flavors
- Lemon Poppyseed Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Chip Banana Overnight Oats
- Chai Latte Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
- Key Lime Pie Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Coffee Overnight Oats
- Cherry and Toasted Almond Overnight Oats
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Peppermint Overnight Oats
- Piña Colada Overnight Oats
- Coconut Chocolate Overnight Oats
- Eggnog Overnight Oats Recipe
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats
If you tried these Healthy Overnight Oats or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe (+18 Flavors)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup heaping rolled oats
- ⅔ cup milk of any kind
- 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
- This recipe is delicious on it's own, but it really shines topped with fresh fruit, nuts, or peanut butter!
- Doubling or tripling this recipe takes no extra time but gives you lots of extra breakfasts-perfect for big families!
- Feel free to add in protein powder, collagen powder, fiber supplements, or other nutrition boosters.
- This recipe is the base for all my other 18 overnight oats flavors! Find links to all of those in the post above.
Nutrition
This blog post is sponsored by Almond Breeze. The content and opinions expressed here are mine.
I have only just discovered the convienence of overnight oats and have been "winging it" in the recipe department. I plan on making the chocolate peanut butter tonight! Thank you for the inspiration!
Love all the great variations! Also a question, I really like your glass jar/lid with the clips. Where did you find something like that?
Sorry...I see you posted above about the jars!
Can you use the quick cook rolled oats? Is there a difference?
They'll just be a little more mushy, and not quite as pudding-y. Still delicious, though!
My daughter picked up the groceries for me and accidentally got the quick cooked oats. I was afraid they would be mushy so I cut back on the liquid just a little. They weren't mushy but they are a very different consistency. Still very yummy just more like cream of wheat vs. oatmeal 🙂
I think Overnight Oats and I, we're not made for each other. I love them because they're creamy and yummy and awesome especially for hot days, but they make me bloaty and it seems my stomach just can't deal with them 🙁 Bad stomach pain for at least half an hour is what I get for eating this creamy goodness *sigh* Porridge on the other hand,... no problem with that ... Overnight Oats, just let me love you ;_;
They are too cold for you...try to have a glass of warm (lemon) water in the morning and eat the overnight oats at room temperature, definitely not straight from the fridge. That might work for you!
I think it sounds like a gluten or dairy intolerance or peraps the overload of fiber is too much for you, I would slowly introcude fiber into your diet and then give them another try, or try them with no dairy or gluten free oats and see if one of those things helps
I feel the same way. Without cooking, they sit like a rock in my stomach. I cheat and cook mine at night, then cool and refrigerate. delicious!
Love that I can print the recipe! What plugin do you use??
Thanks for sharing☺
Has anyone ever tried these recipes with steel cut oats?
I only ever use steel cut outs. I also make my overnight oats slightly different. Fruit, Oats, Yoghurt, Fruit Oats, Yoghurt. Adding seeds into the yoghurt as I go. Don't add any sugar or even vanilla, honey.
Thank you for so many wonderful oatmeal recipes. We eat oatmeal every morning to replace bread and the more recipes, the merrier.
Not a fan of the texture of oatmeal. Would blended oats be okay for the recipes?
I've honestly never tried it, but I don't see why not. Let me know if you try it!
Just when I thought I'd tried every overnight oats concoction, I find your blog. Hooray! And yum!
Great "8 CLASSIC OVERNIGHT OATS RECIPES YOU SHOULD TRY" I adore love making overnight oats for the children and for me, These look so great!
Much obliged to you for sharing your basic, sound, yummy formula!
Regards
Annabel
Thank you for these fab recipes for overnight oats. I was already doing my oats the night before for an early work start the next day, but I wasn't as creative with my oats as you are. I have printed off the ones I prefer and am on to it, thank you so much.
Hey there, just found your blog and I am enjoying it! Also, I thought this was weird... My name is Cassie, I have a baby girl named Rory and a dog named joon that we call joonbug. Too funny!
That's so crazy! It's awesome to meet you, Cassie. 🙂
Thanks for the lovely recipes. I do try this style of breakfast frequently. Not sure where to find the lovely jars though. Thank you.
I have just discovered overnight oats and was on the hunt for more recipes. I am so glad to have found these.
hey,how would you do this?
I love love love making overnight oats for the kids and for me, These look so good!
Thank you for sharing your simple, healthy, yummy recipe!
There look delicious! Thank you! I am allergic to yogurt (active cultures)--do you think I can just replace it with the same amount of milk? I'm just unsure if the oats need that moisture from the yogurt or if it's just sort of added for texture/nutrients. Thank you for ALL for your fabulous recipes and articles!
You can leave out the yogurt completely (I'd swap in 1/4 cup of milk for the yogurt), but it won't be quite as dreamy creamy. But still delicious!
We love the coconut milk yogurts available now! You still get the tang without the dairy?
When I make mine. I NEVER add yogurt.. (just the milk).. I fill 1/3 of the jar with OATS.. then add 1tbsp CHIA SEEDS.. then fill the rest of the jar with half CHOPPED APPLES sprinkled with a bit of BROWN SUGAR and half DRIED CRANBERRIES.. then I fill the jar up with ALMOND MILK and give it a really good shaking... they are absolutely PERFECT... : ) [Just make sure to leave a bit of space at the top to make shaking (mixing it) easier]
This is the exact same combination I tried today, excluding the cranberries. There are so many variations, I love it.
These looks so yummy! I failed at making overnight oats once, and I haven't tried again. Now I will! And those jars...those jars...SO adorable!
These look so good! Who would have thought of carrots!!!
Awesome! Thank you!
Crazy question: If you were making these for a family, would you just use a bigger container, or use more small ones? As in, does the size of the container matter at all to the oats' ability to absorb liquid? I know in some jam recipes, for example, the size of the jar actually matters..
I'm making for two hungry adults and a one-year old.
Just as long as you mix it up really well, you can divide it into as many containers as you like! For your family, I would recommend doubling the recipes, and then dividing that between 2 pint/half-liters for the adults and then a 4 ounce jar for your little nugget (like this: http://amzn.to/1M4JAwc). I also use those small jars to make homemade chia pudding packs and homemade fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts!
Thanks!
FYI depending on the age of the little one is you may want to omit the honey. Off the top of my head I can't remember how old a child has to be before he/she can have honey. I also forget why they can't have honey, lol.
Kids cant have raw honey due to rare botulism caused by botulinum toxin commonly found in honey. Above 1 year olds its ok, but just better to substitute as its a pain dealing with sick bubs generally :')
Any child over a year will not get botulism from eating honey. You won't be dealing with a sick bub. The botulism comes from spores that infants can't ingest, but over a year, there is no issue. Don't substitute honey unless you're doing so for another reason.
Can i use NUTIVA ground hemp seeds instead of the flaxmeal?
The ground hemp seeds won't have the same thickening properties as flax or chia, but if you're fine with a thinner end product, go for it!
Awesome recipes!
Its suggested that children below the age of 3 do not consume honey. Early research points to some co-relation between honey and Autism. Though its not been proved yet to the best of my knowledge, Better be cautious. More Over they arent missing anything by missing honey for 3 years!
Please share your research! I've never heard of this connection or read this suggestion before. I personally feed my 2 year old honey all the time.
Just remember causation and correlation are very different things.
As regards the claim about an association between honey and autism, I'm not sure where the commenter got this idea but there is no veracity to it whatsoever.
Does the container have to be a mason jar or even a jar at all? Is there some reason this wouldn't work in a bowl with a lid (or plastic wrap)? I understand the grab'n'go feature of a mason jar, just curious if there was something else at play here.
Yup, you can use whatever container with a lid makes you happy. I prefer to store my food in glass, and I'm a canner, so I always have canning jars! 🙂
you are officially my overnight oats guru!