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Creamy, healthy, and ready in minutes! Learn how to make these easy overnight oats with endless flavor variations for your new go-to breakfast.
These easy overnight oats are the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again because they’re simple, nourishing, and super adaptable. Stir a few ingredients together in a jar, and the rest happens while you sleep!!
Overnight oats have been trendy for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I worked out a recipe that perfectly balanced textures and flavors. It’s been enough of a hit that my kids eat it weekly. The fact that you can prep these in 2 minutes is a bonus for busy mornings!
A Quick & Easy, Make-Ahead Breakfast
These oats are one of my favorite oatmeal recipes because they’re the epitome of a quick breakfast. With just a few ingredients stirred together in a jar, the fridge does the work while you sleep. The result is a creamy, ready-to-eat breakfast that’s rich and satisfying.
To me, they’re the perfect combo of wholesome ingredients and convenience. Heart-healthy rolled oats provide long-lasting energy and fiber. Add some protein with a nut butter or top with antioxidant-rich berries to start your day off right!
Ingredients That Work (And Which Ones Don’t)
The beauty of overnight oats is that they’re easy to make and keep you feeling full. Here are a few simple tips to help you get the perfect texture:
- Use rolled oats. I’ve tested out overnight steel-cut oats, and they had the texture of soaked grains of rice even after several days in the fridge! Go for old-fashioned rolled oats every time. These are the same oats you’d use for your standard oatmeal, savory oatmeal, or baked oatmeal recipes.
- Any milk will do. If you’re looking for a vegan oatmeal, try a plant-based milk like oat or almond milk. It won’t affect the texture. You could even try coconut milk for something a little more tropical.
- Play with sweeteners. I like maple syrup for some subtle sweetness, but agave syrup or honey work well, too. Vanilla extract adds nuance.
- Chia seeds are optional. They add fiber, but if you use too many, they make a jelly-like consistency. I’ve optimized my recipe to use just enough chia seeds to bring together the texture without making it too gooey!
Flavor Variations to Try
These are super tasty with the classic flavors of maple syrup and vanilla extract, but you can vary the flavors if you’re building a daily habit. Here are a few ideas:
- Carrot Cake: Mix in shredded carrots, pecans, raisins, and a hint of cinnamon for a delightfully cozy flavor.
- Tiramisu: For a dessert-inspired twist, try layering your base recipe with coffee, cocoa, and a creamy yogurt topping.
- Apple Cinnamon: Add a little ground cinnamon and maple syrup into your base, then top with diced apple and pecans for a cinnamon apple oatmeal.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: Stir in a tablespoon of cocoa powder and peanut butter for a special occasion. (You can also make it fresh as a peanut butter oatmeal!)
Topping Ideas
Once you’ve got your tasty overnight oats, you can decide on your toppings! Many overnight oats recipes have loads of sugar in the toppings, but I prefer not to overdo it. Here are a few healthy topping ideas:
- Fresh fruit: Try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, sliced bananas, or cubed apples.
- Nut butters: You can even make your own! Steal my recipes for peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or pecan butter.
- Sweeteners: Drizzle a little honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup.
- Dried fruit: Try dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins.
- Nuts and seeds: For a little crunch, my favorite toppings are almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pepitas, or chia seeds (as a garnish).
Best Way to Serve
Overnight oats are typically eaten cold right from the refrigerator, which makes it a little different from classic oats. Think of it as a combination of breakfast cereal and oatmeal that you prep the night before.
If you want to heat it up, you can! Microwave your oats for about 40 to 60 seconds, stopping about halfway through to stir. You can also heat them on the stovetop, but that kind of defeats the purpose of these oats.
Use my classic oatmeal recipe, maple brown sugar version, or microwave oatmeal for a warm, comforting bowl. Both are perfect for those fall cozy vibes.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
The texture of overnight oats is not like normal oatmeal. It’s softer and a little more gooey, but it’s very delicious once you get used to it! Here are a few extra tips for your quick oats:
If you’re adding any toppings, do that right before serving to keep fruit fresh and nuts crunchy!
For this recipe, use a wide-mouth glass jar with a lid. The sizing depends on your mix-ins, but 16-oz mason jars will give you enough room for stirring and toppings. You also want room for the oats to expand overnight.
Overnight oats are best the day after you make them. The texture of oats can get very soggy and gooey after a few days in the refrigerator.
If you don’t mind them being a little soggy, you can meal-prep a few at a time and store them for 2 to 3 days.
More Oatmeal Recipes You’ll Love
Dietary Notes
This overnight oatmeal recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. (Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free!) Make them vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free with plant-based milk as your base.
FAQs
Overnight oats are generally considered a healthy breakfast. The base is made of rolled oats, a whole grain that’s naturally high in fiber, helping keep you full and energized. From there, you can customize them however you like — adding fruit for vitamins or nuts and yogurt for protein.
Keep in mind that adding toppings and sweeteners will change the nutritional information. Watch the sweet stuff in your add-ins and toppings, like chocolate chips and store-bought granola, to keep this on-the-go breakfast healthy and filling.
Greek yogurt can make overnight oats creamier and higher in protein. The best way to add it in is to replace part of the milk in this recipe with your yogurt (e.g., ½ cup milk + ¼ cup Greek yogurt). Stir it right in with the base for your refrigerator oatmeal recipe.
You can also add a layer on top in the morning for a more parfait-style breakfast, especially if you’re adding fresh fruit.
Eating oats every day can be a simple, tasty way to start your mornings on a healthy note. Oats are high in fiber for healthier digestion. I personally eat them every day (per a recommendation from my doctor). With endless topping options, they never have to feel boring, either!
Overnight Oats (The Best Easy Recipe!)
Creamy, healthy, and ready in minutes, these overnight oats are your new go-to breakfast. Here’s how to make overnight oats, complete with lots of topping possibilities.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled Old Fashioned oats*
- ¾ cup milk of choice (2%, oat milk, or almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Topping ideas: berries, banana slices, diced apple, peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, toasted nuts, dried fruit, maple syrup, etc.
Instructions
- Place the oats, milk, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla, and salt in a jar with a cover and stir or shake to combine.
- Leave in the refrigerator or overnight.
- Add toppings and enjoy! If you’d like, you can also microwave the jar for about 40 to 60 seconds.
Notes
*It’s best to use rolled oats for this overnight oats recipe. They result in the best texture and a creamy consistency. Avoid using steel-cut oats: I’ve tried this recipe with steel-cut oats, and they don’t soften enough.
**Recipe updated September 2025: I added optional chia seeds after more testing with my tiramisu and carrot cake overnight oats recipes.
The oats are best the next day, but you can store 2 to 3 days. (The texture becomes more sticky over time). This oatmeal is meant to be enjoyed cold straight from the refrigerator.
How much chia do you use now? It’s not listed in the recipe ingredients.
So not steel cut, but have you tried stone ground?
I buy that since cooked it’s my preferred texture.
It would be worth trying! It might need a little longer to soften up but I’d go for it.
Tried it. It softened in about the same time and came out tasty.
Did have to reduce the amount because ground is denser than rolled.
Went with 1/2 cup but will try to find a weight conversion next time.
Great! Thanks for the comment. Our son eats them every day so I may play with it just for variation.
Stone ground (I use Bob’s Red Mill) seems to not change texture after 2 days. I didn’t wait much longer to finish it though.
We enjoy overnight oats at our house. I add 1 heaping tsp of flax seed to mine and I love the nutty flavor and added protein. I also use 1/4 tsp cinnamon just because I like it. Glad you gave it a second try.
Can you use a protein drink like Core or Koia instead of milk?
I think that would work fine!
Just sharing my Christmasy mix ins: half a gingerbread cookie chopped up and some toasted sliced almonds. YUM!!!
Yum!
Can you add the toppings and leave over night or best to add the next day
Best the next day!
Going to try ur oatmeal overnight
I love reading your recipes! Simple easy to follow.
I’m trying over night oats for the first time. Using your recipe! I’m excited about starting to eat breakfast consistently in 2023, happy New Years
Can you use flaxseed? Thank you
Hi there! We have not tried this with flaxseed — it would not work in the same way as the chia at thickening the pudding. You’re welcome to add some in addition to the chia seeds though!
I love this post! I remember the days when overnight oats was just that oats! Not a cross between overnight oats and chia pudding. Speaking of, looking for the right ingredients makes such a difference! In a nutshell, I thought I hated porridge (in all forms) and yoghurt but it turns out, using more expensive ingredients (sadly, at least here in the UK) makes a much more delicious experience – oats really do have texture and fat free yoghurt isn’t tangy (and not OTT sweetener in overnight oats). Thanks again :)
So glad you enjoyed! :)