How to make creamy Overnight Oats, an easy no-cook technique for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or snack that is full of fiber and vegan-adaptable.  Add your favorite toppings.  Try our Super Food Crunch Mix (recipe included in recipe card notes). Video

How to make Overnight Oats with your choice of coconut milk or yogurt chia seeds, almond milk and a variety of toppings.

Through Love all that is bitter will be sweet, through Love all that is copper will be gold, through Love all dregs will become wine, through Love all pain will turn to medicine.

Rumi

I was not sold on Overnight Oats until I found a method and combination of ingredients that make them truly creamy, perfectly chewy, and, most importantly for me, not gloppy or goopy. After some trial and error and tweaking, I am quite happy and delighted when I open the fridge in the morning and find these lovely little jars waiting for me.  It is nourishing to do these things for ourselves.  Self-care is so important and every little thing counts.  Starting the day with a little breakfast gift for yourself is happiness in a jar!

Coconut milk makes these rich, naturally sweet, and ultra-creamy.  You can also use yogurt, or other milk of choice such as almond milk or hemp milk if you prefer.  Chia seeds really contribute to the texture, you hardly notice them, they seem to absorb some of the starchiness of the oats and give a smoother mouthfeel.  Plus they are full of fiber, omega-3 and protein!

Don’t add that cinnamon until the morning!  It is one of the culprits in producing a gluey texture.

Table of Contents

Creamy Overnight Oats, an easy no-cook technique for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or snack that is full of fiber and completely adaptable.  Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and yogurt.

What are Overnight Oats?

Oats are packed with nutrients and full of fiber, becoming more digestible when soaked overnight.   The soaking increases mineral absorption and does not interfere with digestive enzymes.

Overnight Oats are a great source of resistant starch feeding the good bacteria in your gut, boosting metabolism and speeding up calorie burning!

Having breakfast waiting for you when you wake up is a beautiful form of self-care!  Treat yourself, you deserve it!

Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe Ingredients

  • Regular rolled oats- this will give you a creamy yet still chewy texture.
  • Coconut milk or yogurt- or a mixture of both!
  • Water or milk- your favorite: almond milk, hemp milk, etc.
  • Maple syrup- honey or coconut sugar works too.
  • Chia seeds- adds fiber and nutrition, also makes the tex

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.     

ingredients in healthy overnight oats

What type of Oats are best to use for Overnight Oats?

  • Regular rolled oats give the best results.  The oats still have some texture but are soft enough to chew.
  • Instant oats completely break down turning soft and mushy.  But if you like that texture then go for it!  Make it your way.
  • Steel Cut Oats can be used although they need more time and liquid to soften.

How to make Healthy Overnight Oats

mixing oats in bowl

Step one– Start with rolled oats-organic, gluten-free, old-fashioned oats all work fine.

Add chia seeds and a pinch of sea salt.

You can also make this in individual containers for an individual grab-and-go breakfast.  1/2 pint mason jars are great for this!

adding in milk, yogurt, coconut milk, or almond milk

Step two– Coconut milk makes these rich and gives a less gluey yet ultra-creamy texture and adds natural sweetness.  You can also use yogurt or other milk of choice such as almond milk or hemp milk.  Add maple syrup and vanilla.

Raisins, currants, dates, orange or lemon zest, chocolate chips, nut butter are all good to add in now to flavor your oats.

Mix up thoroughly.

filling jars for ready made breakfast

Step three– Refrigerate overnight. Serve with your favorite toppings, adding more milk or yogurt if needed.

The Topping!

This Super Food Crunch Topping (recipe in the recipe card notes) is super versatile and adaptable.  It is easy to make and so convenient to sprinkle over your Creamy Overnight Oats, adding delicious texture and massive nutrients.

  1. Lightly toast nuts, seeds and coconut.

2. Feel free to adapt and create your own favorite blend adding dried fruit, cocoa nibs, etc.

3. Store in a sealed container.

Overnight Oats Healthy Variations

GET CREATIVE WITH TOPPINGS!

  • fresh fruit: berries, bananas, pears, peaches, apples
  • dried fruit: raisins, dates, dried cherries, currants, goji berries
  • nut and seed butter: peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, pumpkin seed butter, sunflower seed butter
  • toasted nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews
  • seeds: sunflower, pumpkin seed, sesame seeds, hemp seeds
  • toasted coconut flakes
  • chocolate: cocoa powder, chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
  • spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin pie spices, chai spice

Best Overnight Oats Recipe Tips

Some spices, especially cinnamon, can have a mucilaginous-like quality when soaked. This greatly affects the texture of the overnight oats making the oats pasty and goopy.☹️

Add your spices just before eating, unless you don’t mind this texture.

How to store Healthy Overnight Oats

They remain fresh for four days, refrigerated in a sealed container.

Overnight Oats Recipe Topping

Can you eat overnight oats hot?

Yes!  Lightly heat when ready to serve.

Are oats gluten-free?

Oats are naturally gluten-free. The issue is more cross-contamination.  Oats that are labeled gluten-free have been grown in fields that have not grown gluten grains and processed with gluten-free equipment, including gluten-free trucks.  If you have a sensitivity, it is best to avoid bulk bins as cross-contamination is hard to avoid.

More Recipes You May Enjoy

Creamy Overnight Oats, an easy no-cook technique for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast or snack that is full of fiber and completely adaptable.  Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and yogurt.

Let us know what you think!

~Tonia

Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.

Overnight Oats | 60-Sec Video

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overnight oats in jars with a spoon

Overnight Oats Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Tonia | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cup
  • Category: breakfast
  • Method: overnight
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

How to make creamy Overnight Oats, an easy no-cook technique for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast that is full of fiber and vegan-adaptable. This base recipe is easy to make ahead.  Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and yogurt. Just 10 minutes of hands-on time, before going into the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

Units

1 serving

  • 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk or yogurt ( or use vegan yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup water or milk (your favorite: almond milk, hemp milk, etc.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons chia seeds (optional)

4 servings

  • 2 cups regular rolled oats
  • 1 1/3 cups coconut milk or yogurt
  • 1 cup water or milk (your favorite: almond milk, hemp milk, etc.)
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds

Additions:

Add overnight: raisins, currants, dates, orange or lemon zest, chocolate chips, nut butter

Add morning of: fresh fruit, spices, toasted nuts and seeds, cocoa nibs, toasted unsweetened coconut, a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Favorite combinations:

  • almond or peanut butter, banana, cocoa nibs, a sprinkle of cinnamon
  • yogurt, blueberry, lemon zest, cardamom, almond
  • dates and superfood crunch mix
  • raisins, apple, cinnamon
  • orange zest, peach, pecan, cinnamon
  • dried cherries and almond butter
  • tahini, cocoa powder, coconut flakes and dates

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Place in a sealed container.
  3. Store in the fridge overnight.
  4. Top with desired toppings, add yogurt and more milk if needed.

Notes

Full-fat coconut milk will make a thicker texture.  You may want to add less if using a different milk.

Super Food Crunch Mix

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 274
  • Sugar: 9.5 g
  • Sodium: 4.1 mg
  • Fat: 5.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 42.1 g
  • Fiber: 4.8 g
  • Protein: 5.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Comments

  1. I love this recipe! I make it every week and it is so easy and versatile! I usually add raisins and dried cranberries, with cinnamon, or just a homemade blueberry compote. And I always top it with toasted nuts. I have also been adding vanilla protein powder to get my morning requirement! So good.

    Reply

  2. Can you prep these days in advanced or does it need to be done the night before? We meal prep a lot and anything I can make once and eat over the week works best with our schedule. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Yes! These last about 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them- thaw overnight in the fridge and they are ready in the morning!

      Reply

    1. Just guessing but I’d say about 1 1/2 times the amount of steel cut oats. You’ll want to let them soak for about 24 hours.

      Reply

  6. I just made this for the second time last night Love it! Preferred it with plain yogurt as opposed to fruit yogurt

    Btw- Love, love, love this site. We try and be vegan at home so I really appreciate both the wonderful recipes and all the helpful comments

    Reply

  8. I have hesitated to consume overnight oats & esp oat milk as oats release phytic acid, an antinutrient that chelates many important minerals. Since phytic acid can be destroyed by cooking or removed by soaking, ever consider soaking your oats in water (discarding the water) before you using?

    https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-phytic-acid

    Reply

    1. Hi Bri- yes Phytic Acid (also found nuts and seeds, beans and grains, may prevent mineral absorption (not in general, but from that specific meal), so if I were undernourished or if I were eating whole oats daily, soaking first would be a good option. You can also neutralize the Phytic acid, by adding a tiny squeeze of lemon juice or AC vinegar to the overnight oats which will also help with mineral absorption.

      Reply

  10. Hi there! Has anyone used Greek yogurt (vanilla or plain) specifically in this recepie? I’m totally going to try this! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    1. Greek yogurt is great! If it seems thick when you eat it just add milk of choice if desired.

      Reply

  11. I see that you have used dried mulberries… I bought the packet on offer but I’ve never tried them before, can you give me an idea of flavour and texture, the product website itself is unhelpful. Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  12. Loving your recipe, thanks for sharing.can’t stop eating. I was wondering if it would be okay for 5 hours in car before eating.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Debbie! Can you keep it in a cooler? Or with an ice pack? I wouldn’t let it sit out if it is above 4o degrees.

      Reply

  13. Hi there! What all is in the super food crunch mix? The link isn’t working and I don’t recognize everything in the picture! Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Amy, The ingredients for the Super Food Crunch Mix are listed under the recipe card in the notes. 🙂

      Reply

        1. Hi Kara, Did you check in the notes? Scroll down under the recipe instructions to the notes. See it?

          Reply

  14. This recipe was fantastic and the end result was a little pot of delicious goodness! It was creamy (I had to loosen it up slightly with a bit more almond milk the following morning) and had just the right sweetness. I don’t have a sweet tooth and it was great. I put some currants in which provided a nice ‘pop’ when eating and topped with chopped strawberries when I decanted into the small pots. Very delicious !

    Reply

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