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
I topped mine with pineapple, coconut and chia seeds to welcome this first day of spring!
I love these preparations very much.
Delicious and easy! Used almond milk and added PB2, banana, and chia seeds.
I’ve been playing with this recipe for the last few weeks and loving it. I actually wake up craving it and it’s great cuz it’s basically made for me already (though a bit annoying when I forget to soak the oats til right before bed).
I’ve come up with a combination of rolled oats, oat milk, and 1/2TBSP of chia seeds which I soak overnight. I also take 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries and 1/4 cups of frozen Cherries and put them in the fridge for the next morning.
I’ve made a few different berry syrups to layer in the middle, the first being blueberry, cherry, and honey, the second was blueberry, strawberry, and honey. Super simple! Blend two cups of whatever berry mixture you want, mix in 1/4 cup of water and 2 TBSP of lemon juice, set them on a low boil for 5-10 minutes depending on desired thickness, and then when it cools to warm-room temperature you add 1/4 cup of honey. It stores for around two weeks!
So in the morning I layer the oats with 1/4 cup of Cabot French Vanilla Greek Yogurt (sweet and not as sour as Greek yogurts often are, representing Vermont too ☺️), 1.5 TBSP of the berry syrup, and the berries I left to unthaw overnight. Sometimes I add a dollop of whipped cream for fun.
I love it! I’m gonna be playing with overnight oats recipes for a long time to come! Very healthy and tasty at the same time and very few dishes to clean.
Thank you for this easy to make recipe. This was so much fun making your overnight oats recipe and getting creative with the toppings. I loved them and am now finding myself making chia seed jam more often for my overnight oats.
I didn’t realize making overnight oats was so easy and such a time saver in the morning! I had some extra coconut milk to use up and it made the oatmeal taste great. I topped with almond butter, pecans, toasted coconut, and few chocolate chips. So good!
I’ve never made overnight oats before so this was fun! I tried a variation of the tahini version. I used oat milk and then I added tahini, pistachios, craisins, and honey. I also heated mine up a bit because I prefer it to be warm on this rainy morning. Delicious!
Overnight oats have quickly become one of my favorite breakfasts. they are so easy to make and very versatile with toppings! A fun way to spruce up the morning. Thank you for sharing your delicious topping ideas!
Enjoying my Maple Tahini Overnight Oats with Caramelized Bananas as I write! I recently bought a jar of tahini and was looking for other ways to use it. It’s rich & creamy but not as heavy as almond or peanut butter. Threw in some chia, cacao nibs, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla for the soak. Take the extra five minutes in the AM and crisp up the bananas in a bit of coconut oil to throw on top… game changer! Thanks for the challenge!!
Was supposed to include my last name. : )
I never realized how great oats combined with coconut yogurt are! One of my new favorite breakfasts, thanks!
This recipe is so versatile! I made a version topped with a spoonful of dark chocolate sea salt almond butter, a sprinkle of coconut, and a few cacao nibs! Such a fun breakfast 🙂 Can’t wait to try out other toppings! Thanks for the inspiration!
I substituted steel cut oats that were soaked in almond milk overnight; I like the extra crunch. Layered the oats with a little Blueberry Lemon Basil jam and almonds. Almost too good to be so healthy! It’s a bonus that there’s enough for additional breakfasts this week.
I LOVE the Sweet Seasame Tahini combination of sweet and salty. I never thought to use tahini in my oatmeal and now it will be a staple topping 🙂
Jointed your March Cooking Club! Made tumeric overnight oats with lots of good toppings. They are delicious!!
When it comes to make-ahead breakfasts, it can’t get much easier than this! The endless topping combinations and great base flavors make it a fantastic breakfast any day. I like to add ground flax into the oat mixture overnight and top it with fresh fruit, nut/seed butter, or both in the morning. I am excited to try coconut turmeric soon, too!
My first attempt at overnight oats. These are delicious and fun to make! I topped mine with blueberries, pecans and a little cinnamon. Tomorrow I’m going to try bananas, walnuts and chia seeds. Your recipes do not disappoint!
Absolutely loving these topping choices! Just started a gluten free diet and bought gluten free overnight oats that replace my usual oatmeal breakfast. So glad to know their are other delicious options.
These overnight oats are fabulous and are perfect for a quick, healthy breakfast! Love your variation ideas! Thank you! I topped mine with strawberries, chia, homemeade yogurt, and a drizzle of maple syrup! Perfecto!
Yum! I used this formula as a base to create carrot cake oats this morning with shredded carrot, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. I topped mine with walnuts, coconut flakes, golden raisins, and hemp seeds. So tasty and very filling!
First time trying overnight oats – such an easy and delicious breakfast! We added mango, coconut and almonds to our version. Loved the crunch the almonds gave!