Short on time in the morning? Whip up this Easy Overnight Oats recipe the night before. Breakfast will be waiting for you when you wake up!
Recipe review
A quick look at the recipe
- Recipe name: Easy Overnight Oats
- Ready in: 10 minutes prep, refrigerate overnight
- Serves: 4
- Calories: 258 per serving
- Main ingredients: Rolled oats, milk
- Difficulty: Easy
I always in a rush to make breakfast in the morning. I'm lucky if I run out the door with a cup of coffee in hand. I stumbled upon the novel idea of making this easy overnight oats recipe (with fruit and nuts too!) to up my breakfast game. They're a make ahead breakfast favorite I love to keep in the refrigerator just like these crustless quiche squares.
Not only have my mornings become more relaxing, but I can power through until lunch without any hunger pains. Overnight oatmeal is a lifesaver!
I'd love to eat one of these banana muffins or a few mini chocolate puff pastry rolls every day. But I try to stick to a healthier breakfast most days. I love this recipe so much that is now one of my menu suggestions for my personal chef clients.
Jump to:
What's to love about this overnight oats recipe
- No cook breakfast recipe: Just stir the ingredients together and the refrigerator does all the work.
- Perfect for busy mornings: A grab-and-go breakfast is ready when you wake up.
- Easy to customize: Swap in your favorite milk, fruit, nuts, and sweetener.
- Great for meal prep: Make once and enjoy for a few days.
- Simple ingredients: No special equipment or hard to find ingredients.
- Eat cold or warm: Enjoy overnight oats straight from the refrigerator or heat in the microwave for 30 second intervals.
- Filling and nutritious breakfast: Made with whole grains and simple wholesome ingredients keep you going all morning long.
Ingredients & substitutions
When short on time in the morning or looking to get a jump start on the day, my Overnight Oats recipe provides a healthy and filling start to the day.
Even a blurry eyed and tired non morning person can grab a spoon and stir their way to a delicious breakfast.
- Rolled oats: Skip instant oats for this recipe.
- Cinnamon
- Milk of your choice: Cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, oat milk
- Fruit of your choice: Apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas
- Nuts of your choice: Pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, almonds
- Sweetener of you choice: Honey, maple syrup, agave syrup
How to make easy overnight oats
Like so many lunches and dinners, breakfast can also be prepped in advance. This overnight recipe is one of the easiest breakfast to make.
- Combine rolled oats, cinnamon, and any type of milk in single serve containers in the evening. I love these pretty vintage mugs with lids too. Pop the dishes into the refrigerator for an overnight stay.
- The oats soak up the liquid, whether it is cow's milk, almond milk or soy milk, to make the dish ready to be served in the morning. The resulting oats have a toothsome chewiness and a hardier bite.
- Top with your favorite fruits like chopped apples, peaches, bananas, and blackberries. Sprinkle with almonds, walnuts or pecans. A drizzle of maple syrup, honey, or agave syrup adds just a touch of sweetness.
Variations for overnight oats recipes
The possibilities are endless for the versatile breakfast recipe. No combination of fruits, either fresh or dried, nuts, and spices is off limits. I like to tailor my oatmeal to the seasons.
- Add mangoes or pineapple along with almonds in the spring time.
- Blueberries and strawberries are at their peak of flavor in the summer. Pair them with walnuts.
- Add apples and figs with pecans in the fall months.
- In the winter months add cranberries or pomegranate along with pine nuts.
Tips for healthy overnight oats
- Single serve containers are the easiest way to make grab and go breakfasts.
- Milk, whether it's cow, oat, or almond, is my first choice for making Overnight Oats recipes. But water can be substituted for the milk. The oats will not be as flavorful, but it's still an option.
- Skip instant oats for this recipe. They will end up almost dissolving in the milk. Rolled oats result in a chewy and hardy breakfast.
- Add vanilla extract and/or nutmeg to change up the flavor of the oats.
- Serve cold straight from the refrigerator or slightly warmed in the microwave. About 1 minute on HIGH will warm this make ahead breakfast just enough.
Frequently asked questions
Store the oats in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Yes! After prepping the oats, store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight to enjoy in the morning.
You can use water in place of milk, but the oats won't have as much flavor. But this is a preference and totally up to you.
You can enjoy overnight oats cold straight from the refrigerator. Or warm in the microwave at 30 second intervals.
More make ahead breakfast recipes
- Pumpkin Quinoa Bowls - a fall favorite!
- Quinoa and Sausage Breakfast Bowl ~ a personal chef favorite!
- Freezer Smoothies - just whip up in the blender
- Scrambled Eggs in Muffin Pan - heat and eat for breakfast or lunch
- Ham Egg Cups - only 3 ingredients!
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Easy Overnight Oats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon divided
- 2 cups milk divided (such as cow, soy, or almond)
- 1 ⅓ cups cut up fruit divided (such as apples, blueberries, strawberries)
- 4 tablespoons chopped nuts divided (such as pecans, walnuts, almonds)
- 4 teaspoons honey maple syrup or your favorite sweetener, divided
Instructions
- Assemble 4 - 2 cup glass containers. To each dish, add ½ cup rolled oats, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ cup your milk of choice. Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Cover with lids. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, top the oats with ⅓ cup fruit of your choice, 1 tablespoon nuts of your choice, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of the sweetener of your choice.
Notes
- Single serve containers are the easiest way to make grab and go breakfasts.
- Milk, whether it's cow, oat, or almond, is my first choice for making Overnight Oats. But water can be substituted for the milk. The oats will not be as flavorful, but it's still an option.
- Skip the instant oats for this recipe. They will end up almost dissolving in the milk. Rolled oats result in a chewy and hardy breakfast.
- Add a bit of vanilla extract and/or nutmeg to change up the flavor of the oats.
- Serve cold straight from the refrigerator or slightly warmed in the microwave. About 1 minute on HIGH is good.
Farrukh Aziz says
These are so easy to make yet so delicious! Definitely my favorite oats!
Amy Casey says
Mine too! So yummy!
LaKita says
Overnight oats are my favorite weekday breakfast to have and this recipe and options certainly did not disappoint!
Amy Casey says
I love them too LaKita!
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I love oatmeal in every shape and color. This overnight oatmeal recipe turned to be as good as it gets! Thanks for sharing!
Amy Casey says
You are welcome Enriqueta 🙂
Marisa Franca says
This recipe is just what I needed! Sometimes the mornings get away from me and before you know it I have other things to do and I just grab something for breakfast. Not always anything healthy. I tried out this recipe yesterday morning and it tasted fantastic. Plus I didn't have to worry about measuring and putting things together. Thank you.
Amy Casey says
Same for me! I never seem to leave enough time for breakfast.
Linda says
I love an easy, healthy, and yet filling breakfast to start my day; and this overnight oat can't be any better
Amy Casey says
Me too! This is one of my favorites.
veenaazmanov says
A colorful Bowl of goodness and health for the start of an amazing day is the best one could get. Delicious and inviting.
Amy Casey says
Thank you!
Susan Pridmore says
What a great way to start the day. I'm always on the run too - and I love that it can be put together ahead, slid into the refrigerator, and all set to go in the morning. And I always have fresh fruit on hand!
Amy Casey says
Thanks Susan!
Marie says
Overnight oats are one of my favorite breakfasts! It's so nutritious and easy to pull together. Taking a few seconds to garnish a bowl with fresh fruits on a weekday morning feels luxurious! Loving the flavor combination and substitution ideas in your recipes. It makes this breakfast classic even more versatile!
Amy Casey says
Thanks Marie! The flavor combinations are endless.