Overnight oats are a simple and delicious way to make sure you get a healthy breakfast no matter how busy your morning is! Ready in less than 5 minutes, these 5 flavours of overnight oats are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast to get you out the door and off to work every day of the week.
Typically served chilled straight from the fridge, overnight oats are a great portable breakfast idea for mornings when you need to get out the door in a pinch. Not only are they quick and easy to make but they are made of real food, low in sugar, low in calories and a healthy way to start your day. Oats themselves are a source of complex carbohydrates that are high in fibre, which helps to keep you full, balance blood sugar and keep cravings at bay.
How to Make Overnight Oats
Making overnight oats is actually a lot easier than it may seem. By simply combining rolled oats, milk and flavourings of your choice you can easily create a healthy handheld breakfast without much effort. Here are the most important ingredients to consider when learning how to make overnight oats:
- Oats: Use rolled oats or quick-cooking oats for the best results. Steel-cut oatmeal is far too tough for overnight oats and won’t soften enough in the milk, while instant oats end up a little too mushy.
- Milk: You can really use any type of milk you like in your overnight oats. My personal favourite is cow’s milk because it provides a natural sweetness, but almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, rice milk or any other milk alternative would work just as well. I don’t recommend using water because it won’t provide much flavour and will leave the oats tasting quite bland.
- Salt: Just like any other food, oats need to be salted to provide the right balance of flavour. A small pinch of salt goes a long way to help bring out the flavours and also helps to break down the oats for a softer texture.
- Thickeners: You can make overnight oats by simply combining oats and milk, however, adding a thickener is a nice way to tie everything together and create a more decadent texture. Ingredients such as chia seeds, peanut butter, almond butter and yogurt work very well.
- Flavours: This is where you can have a lot of fun! Essentially any type of sweet spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cocoa powder, etc) will work well; you can also add vanilla extract, peanut butter or other nut butters for an added punch of flavour.
- Fruit: Once you have the base formed, you can add fruit for extra flavour and added sweetness. Fresh or frozen fruit work equally well; frozen fruit is best added the night before, while fresh can be added at any point.
- Sweeteners: Sweetening overnight oats is completely optional and can be done during preparation or when you are ready to serve. Regardless of what you choose, natural sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup are the healthiest options and just a little drizzle goes a long way.
The Best Ratio for Overnight Oats
The key to good overnight oats is the right ratio of oatmeal to liquid; too much liquid and you end up with a runny mess, and too little liquid leaves you with dry, raw oatmeal. The best ratio is1/2 cup oats to 3/4 cup liquid; it doesn’t matter if you want to use milk, almond milk, coconut milk or rice milk, this ratio tends to provide the best flavour and texture for the oats. Although some recipes will call for a 2:1 ratio, this can leave the oats a little too liquidy, so I prefer to stick with the 1/2 cup oats to 3/4 cup liquid ratio and adjust the milk in the morning if needed.
Healthy Overnight Oat Flavours
Once you’ve got the basics down you can truly create any flavour of overnight oatmeal you like. Essentially, any oatmeal flavour you eat warm you can eat cold by simply making some changes to the preparation method. Here are 5 basic flavours to help get you started:
- Vanilla Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
Once you’ve got your ingredients mixed together, overnight oats can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For the best results and texture, be sure to give them a big stir in the morning, add more liquid if needed, and don’t skimp on the extra toppings!
Peanut Butter & Banana Overnight Oats
Author: Stephanie Kay
These peanut butter and banana overnight oats are the perfect use for ripe bananas! Naturally sweetened and high in protein, this recipe is the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
- Author: Stephanie Kay
Prep Time: 5 minutes- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:Print Recipe
Scale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Instructions
- In a small mason jar or container, add rolled oats and sea salt and stir to combine.
- Cover with milk, add mashed banana and peanut butter, and stir or shake mason jar to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Remove and top with additional chopped banana and/or peanut butter to serve (if desired).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar
- Calories: 380 calories
- Sugar: 16 grams
- Fat: 11 grams
- Carbohydrates: 59 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
- Protein: 11 grams
Vanilla Blueberry Overnight Oats
Author: Stephanie Kay
A classic combination of flavours, these vanilla blueberry overnights oats are a low-sugar and high-fibre breakfast. Feel free to use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe.
- Author: Stephanie Kay
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe
UnitsScale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- In a small mason jar or container, add rolled oats, chia seeds and sea salt and stir to combine.
- Cover with milk, add vanilla extract, honey and blueberries, and stir or shake mason jar to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Remove and top with additional chopped blueberries and/or honey to serve (if desired).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar
- Calories: 244 calories
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 41 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats
Author: Stephanie Kay
Made with rich cocoa and tropical coconut, these chocolate coconut overnight oats are a healthy breakfast that taste like dessert! This recipe calls for plain yogurt, however, you could use Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- Author: Stephanie Kay
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe
UnitsScale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice
- 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- In a small mason jar or container, add rolled oats, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, sea salt and stir to combine.
- Cover with milk, add yogurt, vanilla extract and maple syrup, and stir or shake mason jar to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Remove and top with additional shredded coconut to serve (if desired).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar
- Calories: 286 calories
- Sugar: 10 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 41 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 9 grams
Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats
Author: Stephanie Kay
These strawberry chia overnight oats are low in sugar and high in fibre making them a healthy and filling breakfast! Feel free to use fresh or frozen strawberries in this recipe.
- Author: Stephanie Kay
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe
UnitsScale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup strawberries, diced
Instructions
- In a small mason jar or container, add rolled oats, chia seeds and sea salt and stir to combine.
- Cover with milk, add honey and chopped strawberries and stir or shake mason jar to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Remove and top with additional chopped strawberries and/or honey to serve (if desired).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar
- Calories: 276 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 6 grams
- Carbohydrates: 43 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Protein: 9 grams
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Author: Stephanie Kay
These apple cinnamon overnight oats have all of the flavours of apple pie without any of the work! I used a Gala apple in my recipe, however, any crisp and crunchy apple would work.
- Author: Stephanie Kay
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
- Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe
UnitsScale
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup milk of your choice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 medium apple, diced
Instructions
- In a small mason jar or container, add rolled oats, cinnamon and sea salt and stir to combine.
- Cover with milk, add apple and maple syrup and stir or shake mason jar to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Remove and top with additional chopped apple and/or maple syrup to serve (if desired).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 jar
- Calories: 293 calories
- Sugar: 23 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 58 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Protein: 7 grams
