Easy Overnight Oats

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Jul 09, 2024

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Learn how to make the perfect batch of overnight oats! It’s one of the easiest, no-cook breakfast options that will leave you with healthy grab-and-go breakfasts to enjoy throughout the week. Bonus – it’s endlessly customizable!

Overnight oats in a few jars with fruits on a table.

Why You’ll have These Overnight On REpeat

If you love healthy breakfast ideas but don’t want to do a whole lot of work in the morning, overnight oats were made for you. Honestly, it’s as easy as stirring together a couple of ingredients in a jar, placing it in the fridge, and enjoying the next morning. That’s it! There’s no cooking, baking, and you don’t even get any extra dishes dirty. It’s a total winner all around. Here’s a few more reasons why I love them:

There are endless options: you can make them as simple or creative as you’d like! The base recipe is delicious and filling all on its own. But if you’d like to spruce it up, you can add a variety of toppings and mix-ins, including fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, spices, and jams.
They’re great cold or warm: In the summer I enjoy this chilled breakfast straight from the fridge (perfect on a hot summer day). And in the winter I can warm the glass jar in the microwave for 30 seconds for a cozy breakfast.
They’re a meal prep winner: Sure, you can prep one jar of overnight oats. But you can just as easily prep jars for the entire week. In less than 5 minutes! And who doesn’t love a ready-made breakfast?

A jar with ingredients to make overnight oats.

Overnight Oats Ingredients

While technically you only need rolled oats and milk to make overnight oats, I always add chia seeds, yogurt, and a smidge of maple syrup in my base recipe. That’s what makes them ultra creamy and tasty!

Rolled oats: Make sure to use old fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. And remember to look for certified gluten-free oats if you’re gluten-sensitive or celiac.
Milk: You can use dairy or dairy-free milk (like almond milk, oat milk, or cashew milk), and yes, even water works. It just depends how creamy you’d like it.
Yogurt: A simple Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt provides extra creaminess, protein, and that perfect touch of tangy flavor.
Chia Seeds: These magical little seeds will gel up in the oats to make it creamy and thick. Plus, they’re loaded with health benefits and give a nutrient boost.
Maple Syrup: Natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey blend in beautifully. You can always add as little or as much as you’d like.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Oatmeal versus Overnight Oats

A warm bowl of oatmeal is pretty high up on the list when it comes to healthy breakfast options. But if you have a sensitive gut (as I do), you may prefer overnight oats.

Soaking your oats overnight helps to break down the starches and reduce phytic acid. That means it’s easier to digest the oats and absorb their nutrients more efficiently.

How To Make Overnight Oats (Single Serving)

Stir it all together. In a small jar, stir together the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup.
Let it soak. Place the jar in the fridge to let the oats soak for at least two hours, though overnight is best.
Add toppings and serve. The next morning, add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Alternatively, you can scoop the oats out into a bowl and add toppings from there.

Pouring milk into a jar with overnight oats ingredients.

Stirred overnight oats in a jar with spoon.

How To Make Overnight Oats (Large BAtch)

Make as much as you want. Just double, triple or quadruple the recipe listed below. It’s as easy as that!

Stir everything together. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup.
Cover and soak. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it soak overnight in the fridge.
Serve individually. Scoop out a portion (about 1 cup) from the bowl into a serving glass or bowl. Then add your favorite toppings!

Adding overnight oats ingredients to a large bowl.

Stirring ingredients for overnight oats in a bowl.

Ways To Make Overnight Oats Exciting

Now here comes the fun part – toppings and mix-ins! Creativity is the name of the game here. So whatever your heart desires, go for it. But if you need some inspiration, here’s some of my favorite flavor combinations!

Fresh fruit: Make the most of seasonal fruits, including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches, pears, and apples. You can also blend them into a puree or make a chia seed jam and stir it in.
Dried fruit: Raisins, cranberries, goji berries, and chopped dates lend a chewy texture and fruity flavors.
Nuts and Seeds: Sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and toasted sesame seeds add a subtle crunchy texture.
Extra Flavor: Sprinkle on coconut flakes or cacao nibs. They’ll taste amazing with banana, strawberry, or tropical flavors.
Spices: Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, or ginger to spice things up a bit!
Yogurt: Mix in any type of yogurt for extra creaminess. Plus, it’ll add extra protein and a probiotic boost.
Nut Butter: Choose your favorite nut butter (I always love almond butter), and stir it in or drizzle it on top. It too will provide a protein boost.
Protein Powder: Still want an even bigger protein boost? Feel free to add protein powder or collagen powder.

Jar Recommendations

While many photos show overnight oats filled to the brim with toppings overflowing, that’s just not realistic in terms of mixing. You want a jar that’s large enough to stir everything together without making a mess. So with that in mind, I recommend a 16-ounce jar if you plan to add toppings. And a 12-ounce jar works for the base recipe with a small amount of mix-ins.

Mason Jars: Traditional mason jars are perfect for overnights oats. The pint-sized jars are 16-ounces, and the screw top lid is secure and super easy. You can also get 16-ounce wide mouth jars if you prefer.
Weck Jars: While I normally love Weck Jars for so many things (like chia pudding), if you plan to “grab and go” with your overnight oats, you might lose the clips. But if you’re careful, the 1/4 liter mold jar is the perfect size for the base recipe at 12.5-ounces.

How To Store and Meal Prep

To Store: Overnight oats will stay good for up to four days in the fridge. If you have fruit toppings or fruit mix-ins, I recommend no more than three days, as the fruit is likely to go bad first.
For Freezing: Yes, you can freeze overnight oats! Similar to my meal prep chia pudding, overnight oats will stay good for up to three months in the freezer.

Common Questions

Can you use quick cooking oats?

Yes, you can. But just be aware that the texture will end up more mushy, like porridge.

Do you have to use yogurt?

No, you don’t have to. But I find that yogurt gives a wonderfully rich and creamy texture. If you’re dairy-free, you can always use dairy-free milk and dairy-free yogurt.

Can you eat overnight oats warm?

Absolutely! Overnight oats don’t have to be eaten cold. Just warm them up on the stovetop in a small pot or in the microwave for a minute or two the next morning.

Can you eat overnight oats for dinner?

Of course! As I always say… any food can be eaten any time of any day. So feel free to enjoy overnights oats for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

More Easy, Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast Casserole: Just slice and freeze for easy reheating.
Chia Seed Pudding: Did you know you can also freeze chia pudding?
Breakfast Egg Muffins: These breakfast bites are customizable and can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Sweet Potato Toast: Prep slices for the week for a veggie-heavy breakfast! It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Paleo Pancakes: When you’re craving good ol’ pancakes, these ones store well in the fridge and freezer.

If you make these overnight oats, I’d love to know how they turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.

Recipe originally posted January 2021, but updated to include new information and photos for your benefit!

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.