Learn how to make overnight oats! This easy, make-ahead breakfast is perfect for busy mornings. Find my base recipe plus 4 fun variations below.
When someone asks me for an easy, healthy breakfast idea, this overnight oats recipe is the first thing I suggest. It’s perfect for busy mornings, as you can make individual servings ahead of time and take them on the go. It’s also satisfying enough to keep you full till lunch, made with simple ingredients like oats, chia seeds, and (optional) yogurt. But best of all, it’s fun.
What could be fun about oatmeal, you ask? Well, this yummy breakfast is endlessly customizable. Once you learn how to make overnight oats, you can experiment with mix-ins like cocoa powder or vanilla extract or pile on toppings like nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit. To get you started, I’m sharing four tasty variations (+ my go-to base recipe!) below. Try them out, and then get creative making your overnight oats your own!
Overnight Oats Recipe Ingredients
When I first started making overnight oats, I kept them really simple, using just oats, almond milk or coconut milk, and maple syrup. But after a little experimentation, I realized that adding chia seeds to overnight oats takes them to a whole new level. They give the oats a delicious thick and creamy texture, sort of like that of chia pudding. They also add protein, fiber, and healthy fats. What’s not to love?
Now, I use these ingredients in my go-to overnight oats recipe:
- Whole rolled oats – Also known as old fashioned oats. Quick oats and steel-cut oats will NOT work here. Quick oats will be too mushy, while steel-cut oats will be chewy and tough.
- Chia seeds – For extra protein and the perfect thick and creamy texture.
- Almond milk – Or any milk you like! Dairy milk and oat milk both work well. Coconut milk adds rich flavor and yields an especially creamy texture.
- Maple syrup – For sweetness. Honey works too.
- And a pinch of salt – To make the oats extra-flavorful.
If you like, you can stir in Greek yogurt as well. It adds more protein and makes the oats extra-creamy. Skip it to make this recipe dairy-free.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Overnight Oats
My method for how to make overnight oats is super simple! Here’s how it goes:
- Place the oats, chia seeds, maple syrup or honey, salt, and yogurt, if using, in a lidded container or jar.
- Pour in the almond milk, and stir thoroughly to combine. Make sure that there are no chia seeds clumped around the bottom or sides of the jar!
- Cover and store overnight, or for up to 5 days, in the fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, give the oats another stir, add your desired toppings, and enjoy!
If you’re meal prepping overnight oats, set out a Mason jar for each serving you want to prep. Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the milk to each jar. Then, add the milk to one jar and stir that jar together before adding the milk to the next. I find that adding the milk to one jar at a time helps prevent the chia seeds from getting too clumpy. Once you mix up all the overnight oats, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat!
I recommend waiting to add any toppings until the morning you plan to eat your oats. That way, nuts, seeds, and granola will stay crunchy, and fruit will stay bright and fresh.
Overnight Oats Recipe Variations
Now for the fun part: overnight oats variations! Here are four that I really love:
1. Apple Pie Overnight Oats
This variation is perfect for fall! I stir applesauce and warm spices into the creamy oat base and top it off with diced apples and toasted pecans for crunch. If I have them on hand, I also like to add a scoop of my stovetop cinnamon apples to this variation. They taste just like the inside of an apple pie!
2. Peach Crisp Overnight Oats
Topped with sweet, juicy peach slices and nutty granola, this overnight oatmeal is an ode to my favorite peach crisp.
3. PB&J Overnight Oats
It’s a classic combo for a reason! I load up this variation with creamy peanut butter and a strawberry chia jam that packs a HUGE punch of berry flavor. Fresh strawberries and raspberries amp up that flavor even more, and toasted peanuts add the perfect crunch. For a twist on this variation, swap almond butter and toasted almonds for the peanut butter and peanuts.
4. Chocolate Banana Bread Overnight Oats
I stir cocoa powder, mashed banana, cinnamon, and nutmeg into this variation’s base to give it a rich, chocolatey banana bread flavor. Sliced bananas, walnuts, and chocolate chips top it off.
I hope you love these variations! But remember – you can also feel free to make your oats your own. Try stirring spices or protein powder into the oat base, or experiment with toppings like seasonal fresh fruit, dried fruit, coconut flakes, nuts, seeds, or nut butters. If you find a combination you love, let me know in the comments below!
More Favorite Healthy Breakfasts
If you love this overnight oats recipe, try one of these healthy breakfasts next:
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats
- Baked Oatmeal
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Energy Balls
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Or any of these 60 Healthy Breakfast Ideas!
Overnight Oats
Equipment
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- ½ cup whole rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, optional
- ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk
Variations:
Apple Pie
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
- Diced apple
- Chopped pecans
- Cinnamon Apples, optional
Peach Crisp
- Peach slices
- Granola
PB&J
- Chia Jam, recipe below*
- Peanut butter
- Chopped strawberries
- Raspberries
- Chopped peanuts
Chocolate Banana Bread
- ½ banana, mashed
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- Banana slices
- Chopped walnuts
- Chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the base recipe: In a Mason jar or other lidded jar, place the oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, salt, and Greek yogurt, if using. Add the almond milk and stir until the mixture is well combined and there are no clumps of chia seeds at the bottom of the jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 5 days.
- In the morning, top with your desired toppings and serve with drizzles of maple syrup.
- For apple pie overnight oats, stir the applesauce and cinnamon into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with diced apple, chopped pecans, and cinnamon apples and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.
- For peach crisp overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with peach slices, granola, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.
- For PB&J overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with chia jam, peanut butter, chopped strawberries, raspberries, and chopped peanuts.
- For chocolate banana bread overnight oats, stir the mashed banana, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with banana slices, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- 1 pound strawberries
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
This was super easy to make!! I topped mine with peanut butter, cinnamon, and shaved dark chocolate.
For some reason, I thought overnight oats were such a process, but it was so easy and tasted! Topped with chocolate chips and coconut flakes, and it was like having a morning cookie.
I tried a take on the chia! I added chia seeds, a bit of vanilla Greek yogurt, almond butter, and baked pear!
I added banana, raisins, cinnamon and sprouted pumpkin seeds to the recipe. It was delicious 😋
This is the perfect fuel for the 23-mile run I have planned for today.
Loved how simple and easy this was! I prefer to eat overnight oats as opposed to oatmeal and this was delicious!
This was my first time making overnight oats and I am blown away! I did the berry/Greek yogurt chia version and it’s divine! I’ll certainly be making this again. Thanks so much!
This is a great recipe! A hearty and substantial breakfast that will help me to fit my Mother of the Bride dress in May!
Hi there was wondering if instead of using maple syrup I could use honey? Thank in advance!
These all sound delicious!! I’m fairly new to using frozen fruits in things other than smoothies. How do you defrost yours without ending up with a huge puddle of juice? Also, when do you take them out of the freezer if you are going to put them on your oats? Sorry if this is basic knowledge. I’m very excited to try these!!!
Hi Cassidy, I let them thaw at room temp for 15-20 minutes (if I’m in a hurry, I pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so)… I strain the excess juices. Hope that helps! You can also use fresh fruit! I mix it up, depending on what season it is.
Hello, I never made overnight oats, so I was just wondering, do you eat it hot or cold? Thank you!
Hi Chiara, usually cold, but if you wanted to heat them up until just warmed, (they don’t need to be cooked cooked after sitting overnight), you can. Hope that helps!
Best breakfast recipe to follow …Thanks so much
you’re welcome!
Chocolate chip cookie? Yes, Please.
ha ha, I hope you love the oats 🙂
Do you have any suggestions for substitutions for the almond milk? My son is allergic to cow’s milk, almonds and coconuts. Do you think oat milk would work? Or possibly cashew milk? Thanks!
Hi Jamie – any milk should work just fine!
I love overnight oats. They are some of the quickest and delicious breakfast ever.
OMG! These all sound so good—so hard to choose!
I love the idea of these recipes – they look amazing! What are alternatives to the oats, which can be inflammatory and are high carb? Can these be done solely with chia, or hemp seeds? I’d love some ideas on how to keep these great flavors and the overnight convenience, and strip out some carbs.
Hi Jen, here’s a chia pudding recipe!: https://www.loveandlemons.com/sunshine-citrus-chia-bowls/
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Could we use quick cooking steel cuts oats instead of the whole oats?
Hi Diane, I’ve only made overnight oats with whole rolled oats – I think it should be ok but I haven’t tried myself.
Alright… thank you!
I love steel cut oats. I make a week’s batch in my pressure cooker. I love your variety of toppings and look forward to mixing it up a bit. Thanks for the great ideas!
Hello, I like to soak oats to make them more digestable and less likely to cause bloating. If the oats have been soaked are there changes to be made to your overnight oats recipes? Thank you!
Hi Mary Kay, the oats soak overnight (and last up to 3 days in the fridge), so the soaking part is already taken care of in this case. Does that make sense? I wouldn’t soak them before combining with the milk. Hope that helps!
Thank you for posting this. We love overnight oats, because they are both easy and tasty. I always put a scoop of protein powder (I use Designer Whey naturally sweetened) in mine because we need to make sure we get enough protein. I will definitely be trying at least the coconut/turmeric variety (and hope that my husband likes it – it’s possibly a bit weird for him).
Hi Susan, I hope you enjoy the toppings!