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.
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 overnights 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.
How to Make Overnight Oats (2 Steps)
- Mix: Add all ingredients for your overnight oats in a bowl or jar and stir until combined.
- 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.
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
PB&J
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons preserves
Chocolate Protein
- ¼ cup chocolate protein powder
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind
Lemon Blueberry
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Vanilla Latte
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Replace 1/2 cup of the almond milk with brewed coffee or bold brew
Apple Pie
- 1/2 cup shredded apple
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Strawberry Banana
- 1 medium banana, mashed
- 4 medium strawberries, diced
Banana Cream Pie
- 1 medium banana, cut into slices (or mashed)
- 2-4 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
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.
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.
W&P
Jars
The W&P Porter Seal Tight Jar holds 16 oz. and is perfect for oats, soups, salad, etc.
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Easy Overnight Oats Recipe (+ 8 flavor varations)
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1 cup quick cooking oats rolled oats work too
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup milk, any kind we used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
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.
- Add in any variation ingredients and mix again.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight (preferred).
- 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.
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
Nutrition facts
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!
This overnight oats recipe is a wonderful way to show yourself some LOVE ❤️…who doesn’t love chocolate covered strawberries 🍓
I made the Maple French Toast version and topped it with raspberries the next morning. Such an easy breakfast prep, and so good!
We had so much fun making these overnight oats into our favorite ice cream dessert!! We are hooked
I love how you served this!!
This was a dud for me unfortunately. I did the chocolate covered strawberry recipe. First, I heated it in the microwave in the morning because I found eating cold oats wasn’t very satisfying. Then, I had to add quite a bit of honey because it was quite bitter. Even then, I found it pretty bland.
The texture was nice, though, so that’s a plus. Clearly some people really enjoy this recipe, so you can ignore my curmudgeonly oat related opinions if you’d like 😅
Hi Joyce! Im sorry you had a hard time with this recipe! If you do try this recipe again try more almond milk and sweetener at the beginning! Thank you for posting your photo, still!
Overnight oats are one of my most favorite breakfasts! They are easy and require no extra work in the morning. I loved having new options to create with this post. I went for the peanut butter cookie oats with raspberries this morning.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them! Love the raspberry add!
We absolutely love the flavor of these Maple French Toast Oats. It’s like you’re eating the most delightful French toast!!
Kind of like dessert, right? Thank you for sharing!
So filling and delicious! I did a chocolate strawberry version with chocolate protein powder mixed into the oats, topped with strawberries and almonds. Will definitely make again.
I made the Maple French toast overnight oats because I wanted to try OO with flaxseed since I’ve always made them with chia seeds. I have to say it was tasty! I topped mine off with bananas and peanut butter 👍🏼 after warming up for about 45 seconds in microwave.
Meal prepped the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Overnight Oats – we used almond milk, honey, and homemade peanut butter (just roasted peanuts in the food processor until smooth) instead of the peanut flour and it was delicious. Might add a pinch of cinnamon and homemade granola next time – but overall the consistency was fabulous, and the added crunch of the dark chocolate chips was perfection. Officially an overnight oats convert, love how convertible they are for any diet or taste!
Love how fillings and delicious these oats are! I did a chocolate strawberry version with chocolate protein powder topped with strawberries and almonds. So good!
Maple french toast has my heart!! Topped with berries, it has become on of my weekly breakfast items!! I add my protein powder and eat them cold but I’m tempted to try them heated next time! Thanks for the great recipes.
Gorgeous!!
This cookie “dough” oat recipe is right on the money!! Tastes just like you’re eating an actual batch of raw cookie dough!! NO GUILT!! Just goodness!!
This cookie “dough” oat recipe is right on the money!! Tastes just like you’re eating an actual batch of raw cookie dough!! NO GUILT!! Just goodness!!
We love ❤️ these Neapolitan Oats. It’s one of our favs!! We grew up in the town of the very 1st banana split so when we thought it be fun to make these oats look like that iconic summer dessert!!
I have to admit there are very few overnight oat recipes that I’ve actually enjoyed until now. This was going to be my last attempt before swearing them off forever but these coconut latte overnight converted me! It tastes just like an indulgent latte you would get at a coffee shop. Absolutely delicious! So good that I’m going to make myself a coconut latte with the same ingredients, minus the oats of course. Can’t wait to try some of the other overnight oat flavors on your site!
I loved the strawberry vanilla overnight oats! I’m a senior in college, so quick breakfasts are key right now. I like that it has yogurt and seeds in it to keep me full. Thanks!