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 love love love the peanut butter one (only one I tried so far lol) you saved my mornings!!!!!
I have made four of these recipes so far - banana chocolate chip is my FAVORITE! We had the pumpkin spice this morning - it was a little too moist for my taste (I would cut back on the milk or yogurt next time since the pumpkin puree is also like a liquid - the liquid to oats ratio seem to work best at 2:1) I also thought the spices were a little overpowering on the pumpkin - maybe a little less clove next time? But overall these have been such a delight. Thank you for sharing!
Your overnight oats have changed my breakfast for the better. I used to reach for easy baked goods while running out the door. Now, I make jars of your overnight oats in Sunday and I am good for the week. I love the banana chocolate chip and I took your base recipe and made a cinnamon brown sugar raisin combo. Tastes like a Cinnamon roll. Yummy. Thanks for my healthier breakfast!
Do you eat them cold or warm them up in the microwave?
They are meant to be eaten cold. If you'd prefer warm oats that you can prep in advance, these would be a good fit: https://wholefully.com/8-healthy-instant-oatmeal-cups/
Is it possible to make these ahead of time and freeze them? Either before they set or after they set?
You know, I've never tried it! It might work, although depending on the milk and yogurt you use, you might have separation issues. If you try it, let me know!
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.
The only substitution I make is agave syrup as the sweetener.
amazing, amazing! Have tried original and peanut butter choc and put in small mason jars. So cute and so delicious and healthy. AND FAST!
Where did you get the jars that are pictured??
Those are the Weck jars - http://amzn.to/1pu3JXK and http://amzn.to/21h08rA
I just made the banana chocolate chip today. I just tried it before going to bed. It's amazing! I don't think I've ever been so excited for breakfast before!
These recipes look great! However, isn't the whole purpose of soaking oats to protect our guts from phytates that inhibit nutrient absorption? Am I missing something? Because there are all kinds of these things on Pinterest saying "overnight oats" but they don't add an acid to help break down the oats for easier digesting, and they put it in the fridge. I know the science behind this so I'm wondering if there is something I missed?
If you'd like to/need to soak your oats to aid in digestion, then these aren't the recipes for you! 🙂 Basically, the idea here is to give you an easy/tasty pre-made breakfast option—you won't get the benefits of easier digestion from this option.
How many calories per serving in these recipes?
There are lots of great calorie calculators out there that you can use!
These are awesome, and I was just planning on enjoying them and not commenting... until I saw you wrote "sugar is pretty evil, so why do you use it?" or something along those lines... and I knew you were pretty darn hilarious! Here's to moderation! Great post 🙂
Delicious, I'm will make them all, thanks for sharing!
I stopped eating Oats when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Now that certified GF Oats are readily available, I have tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter recipe but I sub Almond Butter and the Strawberry Cream Cheese and I love them. I can't wait for fall to try the Pumpkin Spice.
I do heat mine up. I can't imagine eating cold oatmeal. If the recipe has fruit in it, I do not heat to as high a temperature.
So easy to make ahead and grab on the way out the door for work. Next step is to have my teenager give them a try.
Do you suggest 2% Greek yogurt or 0%?
Can't wait to try all of these!
Oh and how many days in advance can I make these (a.k.a. shelf life)?
Thanks!!!
For the recipes with fruit mix-ins- 3-5 days. The ones without - 7-10 days, I think!
I think either will work, but 2% will give you a creamier, thicker texture.
I was just looking for a quick recipe for oatmeal that was different and I landing on your AMAZING site! I can't believe how many wonderful ideas you had for cold oatmeal and then BAM...you threw in the link for the warm ones! I thank you for being so organized. The cold oatmeal reminds me of backpacking through Europe where we were on a shoestring budget and learned a trick from a fellow traveler to keep from feeling hungry overnight when we couldn't afford a decent meal. Oatmeal, a banana and milk cold for dinner which would expand and fill you up. Simple and good 🙂
What kind of milk do you suggest? I am allergic to nuts so almond milk is out and I shouldn't really do soy....
Regular milk works well, but if you are dairy free, maybe coconut milk?
Just tried the strawberry cheesecake one and I can't stop eating it! Can't wait to try the other ones.
Thank you so much! I was researching anti-inflammatory foods and overnight oats kept popping up as something I should do. This post is so very helpful. Thank you!!
Can you use steel cut oatmeal
For this?