This overnight breakfast oats recipe is easy to make in minutes. My ratio of rolled oats and milk makes the most energizing oats breakfast, and the 7 flavors, including chocolate mint overnight oats, makes it interesting.
Overnight breakfast oats make the best grab-and-go breakfasts. Here I provide you with my basic overnight breakfast oats recipe, a single serving that is low in cost, and high in protein, fiber, and flavor. Then I have for you six additional flavors so you have a week of breakfasts covered.
Make a jar the night before and in the morning you can grab a breakfast full of nutrition to energize your day. Like my chocolate baked oats, my chocolate smoothie and my strawberry smoothie, overnight oats are an easy and nutritious way to launch the day. Mine add extra protein in the form of chia seeds and yogurt.
Why You'll Love These
Seven delicious flavors. Here are seven different flavors using fruits, such as raspberries, and vegetables such as carrots and cauliflower, and some unusual flavors such as rose water and a mint fudge sauce.
Easy and inexpensive breakfast. Any one of these recipes cost under a dollar if you keep to minimal additions. And they are so easy to make, just add to a jar and stir.
Nutritional Powerhouse. Overnight oats are full of nutrition including protein, fiber, immunity booster, lower blood sugar, better cholesterol levels, skin support, constipation cure, reduced blood pressure and digestion support.
Basic Overnight Oats Ratio
Overnight breakfast oats is a quick meal made by mixing rolled oats, milk and chia seeds together in a jar, then refrigerating them overnight so they develop a pudding-like texture. You can follow the measurements in my recipe card below to make a single serving, about 6 ounces, or you can double or triple that, or just create your own custom amount using this ratio:
- 1 part oats
- 1 part milk
- ยผ part yogurt
Also per serving, add: ยฝ tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (to assist morning digestion)
Basic Overnight Oats Ingredients
1. Rolled oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats, not quick oats or steel cut oats. Oat are naturally gluten-free but can be contaminated so I use a brand that processes oats in a GF certified facility such as Bob's Red Mill.
2. Dairy free milk: You can use any milk or even water.
3. Chia seeds: The mucilage they create increase hydration and the seeds is rich with nutrition, protein and fiber.
4. Yogurt: This is optional but adds a creamy flavor and more protein. I use unsweetened.
5. Lemon juice: Necessary to brighten the flavor and to deactivate phytates in oats that sometimes interfere with digestion.
6. Maple syrup: To sweeten, although date paste or date syrup works as well.
Expert Tip
How long to chill overnight oats? Chill overnight breakfast oats at least for 2 hours, but overnight will produce the creamiest texture.
7 Different Flavors
In the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post, I provide you with the basic recipe which is plain flavored. I also share 6 additional flavors:
Zucchini bread: raw zucchini, pears, cinnamon and ginger.
Chocolate quinoa: cooked quinoa, cocoa powder, maple syrup and cinnamon
Rosewater raspberry: raspberries and rose water
Chocolate mint : riced cauliflower, cocoa and a homemade mint chocolate sauce.
Tropical mango : fresh mango, coconut and orange juice.
Carrot cake: carrots, date paste and pumpkin spice.
Step by Step Instructions
To make one serving of basic overnight breakfast oats, following this steps:
1: Add all ingredients to a jar, cover and shake or stir with a spoon to break up clumps, and
2: Eat right away or refrigerate overnight.
3: The next morning, stir, and eat chilled or microwave to warm it.
4: Enjoy your healthy whole grained breakfast! Or, proceed to add your mix-ins, either your own custom blend, or try one of my 6 flavors I provide in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Store
You can make three overnight oat jars at once and keep them in the refrigerator and eat one a day. Don't keep them longer than three days or they begin to taste slimy.
Recipe Tips
1. Make them in a covered jar and then they are transportable. Here are my overnight breakfast oats jars. These cups hold 12 ounces.
2. My recipe makes 6 ounces. You of course can double my recipe to make a 12 ounce serving. I chose to make a 6-ounce overnight oats recipe because the daily requirement for full benefits of rolled oats is ยผ cup a day, and my recipe already holds ยฝ cup.
3. You can warm your oats in the morning if you prefer a warm breakfast. Just microwave for about 30 seconds and stir.
4. Enhance the flavor of overnight oats by adding ยฝ teaspoon of vanilla extract and โ teaspoon of salt. If you like cinnamon, add ยผ teaspoon of cinnamon.
FAQS
Are oats overnight good for weight loss?
Yes because they have a high fiber content that makes you feel full longer.
Why add chia seeds overnight oats?
Adding chia to your oats adds nutrition that benefits just about every body process. In that way, they are similar to nutritious avocados. Chia seeds encourage hydration because they can absorb up to 10 times their weight, also making your oats creamier and thicker, and keep you full longer. That said, chia seeds are not essential to overnight oats, you can leave them off.
What is the secret to overnight oats?
The secret is creating a ratio that works for you. Typically it is 1 to 1 with a balance of oats and milk and then additions. But if you want a dryer meal, add less milk; a wetter one, add more.
Other Oatmeal Recipes
- Chocolate Baked Oats
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
- Chocolate Oat Bars
- How to Make Oat Milk
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๐ Recipe

Overnight Breakfast Oats (7 flavors)
Ingredients
Basic Overnight Breakfast Oats
- ยฝ cup rolled oats
- ยฝ cup dairy free milk
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
- ยฝ tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Zucchini Bread
- ยผ cup zucchini, chopped or spiralized, raw
- 2 tablespoon pears, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- โ teaspoon ground ginger
Chocolate Quinoa
- ยผ cup cooked quinoa*
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Rosewater Raspberry
- ยผ cup raspberries
- ยฝ teaspoon rose water
Chocolate Mint
- ยผ cup cauliflower rice, steamed and cooled
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon mint chocolate sauce**
Tropical Mango
- 2 tablespoon chopped mango
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
Carrot Cake
- ยผ cup grated carrots
- 1 tablespoon date paste Use my date paste recipe.
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
Make Basic Overnight Oats
- Add all ingredients to a jar, stir to break up clumps, and eat right away or let it sit covered overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยฝ cup rolled oats, ยฝ cup dairy free milk, ยฝ tablespoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 tablespoon yogurt
Zucchini Bread Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for zucchini bread oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยผ cup zucchini, chopped or spiralized, raw, 2 tablespoon pears, chopped, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, โ teaspoon ground ginger
Chocolate Quinoa Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for chocolate quinoa oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยผ cup cooked quinoa*, 2 teaspoon cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Chocolate Mint Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for mint fudge cauliflower oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยผ cup cauliflower rice, steamed and cooled, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon mint chocolate sauce**
Rosewater Raspberry Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for chocolate quinoa oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยผ cup raspberries, ยฝ teaspoon rose water
Tropical Mango Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for tropical mango oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.2 tablespoon chopped mango, 1 tablespoon orange juice
Carrot Cake Flavor
- Mix up the basic overnight oat recipe, and add ingredients for carrot cake oats. Eat right away or let it chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, stir and eat.ยผ cup grated carrots, 1 tablespoon date paste, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Video
Notes
**Chocolate Mint Overnight Oats: To make a mint fudge sauce, mix 1 tablespoon cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil + 1 tablespoon maple syrup + ยฝ teaspoon peppermint extract or add ยฝ teaspoon peppermint extract to your favorite store-bought chocolate sauce.
Nutritional Information. The nutritional values are for the basic overnight breakfast oats recipe only. Use an online calculator to calculate values for any specific flavor.
Ela
Wow Dee! I love all of these amazing overnight oat creations.
Dee
Ela! Thank you!
Verena
Oh wow these all sound so good and special! Love your twists on them! And I also like your new design- sorry I haven't stopped by since a longer time. ๐
Dee
That is so nice Verena, so happy like the flavors
Klara
Hi lovely Dee, what for delicious overnight oats โจ๐ These look fantastic. Hugs Klara xx
Dee
Klara! Well thank you so much!