Overnight Oats

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You can’t go wrong with overnight oats for breakfast! Our famous overnight oats recipe is made with just a few ingredients and there is no cooking involved. You need oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and milk.

A variety of bowls of overnight oats with different toppings.
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Here at Fit Foodie Finds, we are known for overnight oats. Heck, we’ve been posting about them since 2010 and have over 30 variations on the site! So many of you love our overnight oats recipes and rightfully so! They’re thick, creamy, and taste like dessert.

This is our guide to overnight oats. In this post, we’ll teach you how to make overnight oats and how to flavor them, too! We have a base recipe that we swear by and have tested 8 simple flavor variations so that you don’t get bored.

My 1-year-old, Gus loved EVERY version of these oats and if he could talk, he’d tell you his favorite flavor is the peanut butter and jelly (he even had seconds!).

What do you need for overnight oats?

To make the most basic (and easy) overnight oats recipe you really only need oats and liquid. However, our famous overnight oats recipe calls for a few more things to give it that dreamy + creamy texture!

  • Oats: we’ve tested this recipe with both rolled oats and quick-cooking oats and they both work great. Rolled oats will give you more of a “bite” and quick-cooking will be creamier.
  • Milk: feel free to use any kind of milk with this recipe. We prefer almond milk, but cow’s, soy, oat, etc. work too!
  • Chia seeds: chia seeds are our secret weapon for thick overnight oats. As chia seeds sit in liquid, they expand and become gelatinous. DO NOT skip the chia!
  • Greek yogurt: Not only does Greek yogurt add protein, but it will make your oats taste like cheesecake. Feel free to use a plant-based yogurt if you’re looking to keep things vegan.
  • Vanilla: you can’t go wrong with vanilla. We almost always add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to all overnight oatmeal recipes!
  • Honey/maple syrup: these are our preferred all-natural sweeteners, but you can also use agave or even brown sugar.
A bowl of oatmeal, oats and a dollop of whipped cream.

How to Make Healthy Overnight Oats (2 Steps)

  1. Mix: Add all ingredients for your overnight oats in a bowl or jar and stir until combined.
  2. Soak: Cover and let the oatmeal soak in the fridge overnight (or for at least 2 hours).

Do I have to let me oats sit overnight? The longer you let your oats soak in the liquid, the thicker they will be. We recommend at LEAST 2 hours, but overnight is optimal.

Oats too thick or too thin?

  • Too thick: add more milk and mix to thin things out.
  • Too thin: add more oats and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Make them Blended Overnight Oats!

If you love a smooth and creamy overnight oats recipe, then blended overnight oats are for you.

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a high-speed blender.
  2. Blend on high for about a minute. This will pulverize the oats and make them super creamy.
  3. Transfer the overnight oats into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  4. In the morning, you can eat as-is, or add a splash of milk to thin things out a bit.
A group of jars filled with oatmeal, fruit, and nuts.

8 Overnight Oats Flavors

Below we are sharing 8 different overnight oats flavor variations. Simply add the additional ingredients to the base recipe, and you’ve got 8 different ways to eat overnight oats!

Snickers

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts 
  • 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1 more tablespoon maple syrup
Oatmeal in jars with different toppings.

PB&J

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons preserves
A bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, jelly and strawberries.

Chocolate Protein

  • ¼ cup chocolate protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup milk, any kind
Oatmeal in jars with bananas, strawberries and chocolate chips.

Lemon Blueberry

  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Three jars of oatmeal with black olives and almonds.

Vanilla Latte

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Replace 1/2 cup of the almond milk with brewed coffee or bold brew
Three jars of oatmeal on a white background.

Apple Pie

  • 1/2 cup shredded apple
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Three bowls of oatmeal with fruit and granola.

Strawberry Banana

  • 1 medium banana, mashed
  • 4 medium strawberries, diced
Three jars of oatmeal with chocolate chips, bananas and strawberries.

Banana Cream Pie

  • 1 medium banana, cut into slices (or mashed)
  • 2-4 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
Two jars of oatmeal with bananas, nuts and whipped cream.

Overnight Oats FAQ

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a thick and creamy way to make oats that taste just like dessert. Making oats overnight is when you soak oatmeal in a liquid such as milk, making it no-cook oatmeal. Instead of having to cook your oats, you can actually eat them raw by soaking them in milk or water for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Do you eat overnight oats Cold?

Overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, however, if you prefer warm oats you always have the option to heat them up. Because you soak the oats overnight, they become soft and easy to digest making them delicious eaten cold!

What is the texture of overnight oats?

I like to eat my overnight oats thick and chewy with more of a bite, but you can always add more milk to thin things out.

Can you make overnight oats without milk? 

Of course, you can make overnight oats without milk. If you need a dairy-free option, you can use any kind of dairy-free milk or even use water!

How long does it take to make overnight oats?

It takes about 5 minutes to prepare overnight oats and about another 2 hours for the overnight oats to soak and be ready to eat! We recommend preparing your overnight oats before bed so that you can wake up to an already-made breakfast!

Can you make overnight oats with quick-cooking oats? 

You can make overnight oats with quick-cooking oats. You can sub quick-cooking oats for rolled oatmeal 1:1.

Can you make overnight oats with steel-cut oats?

You can make overnight oats with seel cut overnight oats but they require a bit more liquid and leg work. We have an easy steel cut overnight oats recipe for you to try.

A bowl of oatmeal with a spoon in it.

Storage

The best way to store overnight oats is in a glass container in the refrigerator. You can either store your overnight oats in one batch in a large meal-prep container, or you can store them individually (our favorite jars are the W&P jars) for an easy grab-and-go breakfast option.

How long do overnight oats last?

Overnight oats will last around 3-5 days in the fridge. If you’re using fruit, we recommend days and if you’re not using fruit, they will last 5 days.

White jars stacked.

W&P

Jars

The W&P Porter Seal Tight Jar holds 16 oz. and is perfect for oats, soups, salad, etc.

4.91 from 60 votes

Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe (+ 8 flavor vacations)

This is truly the best overnight oats recipe! It's ready to go with just 5 ingredients and comes out so thick and creamy. Make our base recipe, or make one of our 8 flavor variations.
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Servings: 2
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Ingredients 

Base Recipe

Snickers

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Banana Cream pie

  • 1 medium banana, cut into slices,
  • 2-4 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
  • Strawberry Banana
  • 1 medium banana, cut into slices (or mashed)
  • 4 medium strawberries, cut into slices

Chocolate Protein

  • ¼ cup chocolate protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup milk, or more, to taste

Apple Pie

  • 1/2 cup shredded apple
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Lemon Blueberry

  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Vanilla Latte

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Replace 1/2 cup of the almond milk with brewed coffee or bold brew

PB&J

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons preserves

Instructions 

  • Place all of the ingredients for the base recipe into a large container and mix until combined.
    A bowl of oatmeal, oats and a dollop of whipped cream.
  • Add in any variation ingredients and mix again.
    Oats in a bowl with a spoon.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight (preferred).
    A bowl of oatmeal with a spoon in it.
  • When you’re ready to eat, stir your overnight oats. Add more milk, as desired. Some people like it super thick, and others do not.
  • Top your overnight oats with more flavor toppings and enjoy cold.
    A bowl of oatmeal with berries, bananas, and granola.

Tips & Notes

  • This recipe was updated on December 27, 2023. The base recipe is the same, but we added 8 different flavor variations. We’re linking to the original round-up recipes below the recipe card.
  • Batch cooking/meal-prep: This overnight oats recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and is great for meal prepping.
  • Protein powder: feel free to add 1/4 cup of protein powder to this recipe. You will likely need to add 1/4 cup – 1/3 cup more milk.
  • Vegan: To make this recipe vegan – use plant-based yogurt and non-dairy milk.
  • Nutrition: The nutrition information is for JUST the base recipe and not the flavor variations.
  • Storage: overnight oats will last in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
  • Some people like to heat up their overnight oats (it’s not my preference, but I know there are some of you out there!). If that is you, feel free to microwave for 30-60 seconds before eating.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Z6OMXhi5″ upload-date=”2020-07-09T21:10:18.000Z” name=”Best Overnight Oats Recipe” description=”Looking for a delicious basic overnight oats recipe that you can take and make your own? Look no further! Here’s our classic overnight oatmeal recipe that can be flavored and altered as desired.”]

Nutrition

Calories: 229 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 6 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 15 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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8 flavors of overnight oats.

8 MORE Healthy Overnight Oats Recipes

Since we’ve got so many overnight oatmeal recipes on Fit Foodie Finds, we thought we’d share 8 more flavors. These 8 flavors are some of our very first overnight oats recipes on the site and were originally photographed and linked in this post!

  1. Maple French Toast Overnight Oats
  2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
  3. Moose Tracks Overnight Oats
  4. Neapolitan Overnight Oats
  5. Coconut Latte Overnight Oats
  6. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats
  7. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
  8. Vanilla Strawberry Overnight Oats

Similar Recipes:

About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Amber
Amber
October 26, 2016 4:46 pm

Can you make a large batch at one time and freeze them or refrigerate for how long?

Wendy
May 19, 2016 7:38 am

These look incredible! I was wondering if you can make them using Quaker quick oats? I have a huge container in my cabinet and am hoping to be able to use them. ๐Ÿ™‚

lucy tottle
lucy tottle
May 16, 2016 4:18 am

Hiya, If i make in bulk how many days can i go for?

Summer C
Summer C
January 24, 2016 11:20 am

Ok I’ve never made overnight oats, but really want to try these receptors! Quick question do you eat them cold?

Patty
Patty
November 15, 2015 10:09 am

How come I don’t see any RECIPES? Only pictures? I would love to know HOW you make them. Looks so yummy!!

Emie
Emie
April 9, 2015 9:20 am

Hi! I loved this series! I just recently discovered overnights and am completely obsessed with it, and so I was thrilled to see you dedicate a whole week to them. The one that immediately caught my eye was the French Toast and I LOVED LOVED IT! I used to love French toast growing up but as I have gotten older I stay away from eating and even more so cooking it because of the eggs (I have a slight strange and unfounded aversion to eggs, lol!)And this oatmeal gave me back that taste! I got so excited and shared it with my staff at the office and they all loved it! I have done it twice already and can’t wait to introduce this to my cousins who have a major sweet tooth! I think they will be extremely happy! Next I will try the Coconut Latte oatmeal. I live in Belize so I grew up with the taste of coconuts, so I am looking forward to tasting and ‘showing’ off the results of it! Thank you!!

Emie
Emie
April 13, 2015 6:12 pm
Reply to  Lee Funke

Not really. Our breakfast consists more of tacos, eggs, beans, flour tortillas & these amazing but not so healthy fried jacks (fried dough)! But I am from the island and we have a rather large expat community living here, so that may well be where my mom got to taste that back in the 80’s; however, we didn’t have all these yummy variations. They were mostly made on the stove top and topped off with lots of cinnamon and sweet condensed milk. I hadn’t even heard of overnight oats prior to last year lol!

Patty
Patty
April 8, 2015 2:15 pm

Can you tell me where I can find peanut flour? I believe you use it in 1 of the overnite oatmeal’s.

Patty
Patty
April 8, 2015 7:55 pm
Reply to  Lee Funke

Is this the same as the powdered peanut butter, like the pb2?

Anna
April 7, 2015 3:45 pm

These all look so creamy and delicious! I’m a fan of overnight oats but don’t make them frequently enough. Now that I have some serious visual inspiration, I think one of these will be breakfast tomorrow!

Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A.
April 7, 2015 9:52 am

I’m sad the week is over!! Absolutely amazing recipes Lee! I just ate my old boring OO recipe this am and was wishing I had made one of your beautiful creations instead – next time! These all look fabulous ๐Ÿ™‚

Healing Tomato
April 6, 2015 10:35 pm

What a delightful recipe collection. Every recipe is so good, I cannot decide which one I will start with.