Overnight Oats (Recipe & Tips)

Overnight oats are a healthy, delicious, make-ahead breakfast! Find my favorite overnight oats recipe here, plus simple tips on how to change it up.

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Learn how to make your own favorite overnight oats with this comprehensive guide! cookieandkate.com

I’ve been making batch after batch of overnight oats, and taking notes. Overnight oats are a healthy, make-ahead breakfast option, but they’re not always enticing enough to get me out of bed.

I’m sharing my best tips and my favorite overnight oats recipe today. Ready? These overnight oats are legitimately delicious, and so easy to make!

overnight oats ingredients

Overnight oats are typically served chilled, straight from the refrigerator. That makes them perfect for warmer months, but you can certainly enjoy overnight oats year-round.

Overnight oats keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days. So, prepare your oats on Sunday night, and you’ll have breakfast covered for the workweek. If you really want to get ahead, you can freeze jars of overnight oats and defrost individual jars overnight in the refrigerator.

how to make overnight oats

How to Make the Best Overnight Oats

I make my overnight oats with old-fashioned rolled oats, toasted or regular. Then I add chia seeds for a more pudding-like texture and more fiber, and a spoonful of nut butter to make them extra creamy. (Would you believe that one serving of these overnight oats contains nearly half of your daily fiber requirements?)

Here’s what you’ll need to make overnight oats:

Oats: You can’t make overnight oats without oats! Overnight oats are typically made with plain old-fashioned oats. I actually prefer to make overnight oats with homemade muesli instead, which is made with toasted old-fashioned oats, nuts and dried fruit. The muesli offers more texture and flavor.

If you want to go the easier, more traditional route, simply use old-fashioned oats and add a dash of cinnamon. Don’t use instant or quick-cooking oats, because those will turn to complete mush.

Chia Seeds: Technically, these are optional, but I love how chia seeds absorb moisture and make the final product more creamy and luscious. Chia seeds contain healthy omega-3’s and, like oats, lots of fiber.

Nut butter: Almond butter or peanut butter makes these oats even more creamy, while adding delicious savory, nutty flavor.

Milk of choice: You can use your favorite milk here (almond milk, coconut milk from a carton, homemade cashew milk, homemade pecan milk, oat milk or cow’s milk). I suppose you could use water instead of milk, but the final result won’t be quite as creamy or flavorful.

The amount of liquid is key to the final consistency—I like my overnight oats really thick and creamy, with concentrated flavor. If you prefer a looser consistency, add a little more milk.

Fruit: Now that we’ve formed the base of the oats, I like to add fruit. If you’re following my formula with just 1/2 cup milk and using a fruit that stores well for a few days (as in, sliced strawberries, not sliced bananas or apple), you can go ahead and toss the fruit on top of the oat-and-milk mixture.

In fact, you can top the oat mixture with frozen raspberries or blueberries and they’ll defrost overnight. (Don’t try this with frozen strawberries or other large chunks of frozen fruit; they release too much water). Or, you can wait to top your oats with fruit before serving.

Optional sweetener: Overnight oats are generally sweet enough for me as-is. However, add a drizzle of sweetener if that makes your oats more enticing!

Watch How to Make Overnight Oats

Design your own overnight oats! Learn how to make your ideal overnight oats (and make enough to last through the week) at cookieandkate.com

That’s it! Go forth and make overnight oats to last you through the week. Please let me know how your overnight oats turn out in the comments below!

Find my favorite overnight oats recipe and learn everything about overnight oats at cookieandkate.com

More Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfasts

Try these recipes on Cookie and Kate:

In my cookbook, don’t miss the toasted coconut muesli (page 2), apple crisp breakfast parfaits (page 7) and carrot cake breakfast cookies (page 26). With so many options, you won’t want to skip breakfast.

This is a healthy and delicious breakfast! Overnight oats with blueberries and almond butter (gluten free and vegan) - cookieandkate.com

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Overnight Oats

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 120 reviews

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Here’s my favorite recipe for overnight oats! Feel free to make it your own. Overnight oats are a simple, healthy breakfast that you can make ahead for busy mornings. The recipe below yields 1 serving, so make as many servings (each in a separate jar) as you’d like. Overnight oats will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup homemade muesli, or ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats plus ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter
  • ½ cup milk of choice for a very thick consistency, or up to ⅔ cup milk for a lighter consistency
  • ½ cup fruit (I like fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries, or sliced fresh strawberries)
  • Drizzle of maple syrup or honey, if desired

Instructions

  1. In a jar or bowl (a working jar or 1-pint mason jar is perfect), combine the muesli (or old-fashioned oats and cinnamon), chia seeds and nut butter. Add a splash of the milk and mix the nut butter into the oats. Then add the rest of the milk and stir to combine.
  2. Top with your fruit of choice. (If you used more milk than ½ cup and you want your fruit to stay on top, wait to top the oats until you’re ready to serve. If you’re using fruit that doesn’t store well, like sliced apple or banana, wait to top the oats until you’re ready to serve.)
  3. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight, or up to 5 days. When you’re ready to serve, add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey if you’d like, and enjoy chilled.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats.

Make it vegan: Choose one of the dairy-free milk options listed above. If adding additional sweetener, use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make it nut free: Omit the nut butter or replace it with sunbutter. If you’re using muesli, follow my instructions for making nut-free muesli in the recipe notes for that recipe.

Warm it up: Overnight oats are typically served chilled. However, if you prefer warm oats, you can heat them in the microwave. Just use a microwave-safe jar and stir frequently while you’re warming them up. Since the oats are so thick, I’m not sure this would work well on the stovetop, but you could give it a try.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Erin Denisi

    I followed the recipe to a T, using steel-cut oats. After a day in the fridge, I had a jar of raw steel cut oats, nut butter, and milk, in three separate layers. They didn’t mix at all. What happened?

    1. Kate

      You really want to use old fashioned rolled oats for this recipe. Steel-cut typically need cooking time.

  2. Olivia

    I make this recipe at least 2 times a week! It is so amazing! Some days I add jam time it as a substitute to fruit, it works amazingly! Thank you for such an amazing quick and easy breakfast, Kate!

    1. Kate

      I love that! Thanks, Olivia.

  3. Meesha

    Delicious and quick to make. Used cranberry pecan muesli instead of rolled oats and PBfit for nut butter. Look forward to this morning snack during the work week.

    1. Kate

      Thanks for sharing, Meesha!

  4. Rosie

    My all time favorite breakfast choice :-)! At first I didn’t have chia seeds, but the recipe was still tasty without them. When I added the chia seeds it made the oats creamier and the oats were even tastier! Perfect, simple, make ahead breakfast!!

    1. Kate

      Wonderful, Rosie!

  5. Kelly

    This recipe is fantastic! This breakfast idea has changed my daily routine and made my mornings so much better. Thanks for your creative ideas. :) I use almond milk, almond butter, and whatever fruit I have fresh or in the freezer.

    1. Kate

      You’re very welcome, Kelly!

  6. Dawn

    Meal prepped this weekend and ran across this recipe. This was by far the best overnight oats I’ve had yet. Your muesli is a must for this one! Thanks!

    1. Kate

      Wonderful, Dawn! Thank you for letting me know.

  7. Healthy Kitchen 101

    Preparing everything on Sunday for the whole weekday is what I used to it for 3 months in a row xD Now I make my choices various but oat is always in the list ;)
    – Natalie

    1. Kate

      Thanks for sharing! It’s a great weekday breakfast, that’s for sure.

  8. Alicia

    This was my first time trying overnight oats. It was absolutely delicious. It might be my new favorite breakfast!

    1. Kate

      Wonderful, Alicia! There are so many ways to change it up, too. Thanks for the review!

  9. rosalyn begelman

    can you make overnight oats in a plastic container?

    1. Kate

      I prefer to use glass, but it should work fine.

  10. Katie

    Delicious! I normally don’t like breakfast foods, but I love this recipe. I can eat different variations every day and have a healthy breakfast.

    The addition of chia seeds was brilliant. Just enough to add protein and fiber without altering the taste of the oats. Thank you!

    1. Kate

      This recipe is magic that way! I love it, Katie. Thanks for sharing!

  11. Juste

    Do you know how many calories are in this?

    1. Kate

      Hi Juste! Check the nutrition information below the notes section of the recipe. Make sure you allow pop-ups as it is a plug in.

  12. Gary Leifson

    have you made this with Irish oats?

    1. Kate

      Hey Gary, if by Irish oats you mean steel-cut oats, I’m afraid they won’t sufficiently soften overnight.

  13. Roy

    Hi I wanna try it soon

    1. Kate

      Let me know what you think when you do, Roy!

  14. Stephani M

    THANK you so much for this recipe. I’ve been “making” overnight oats by adding milk to a cup of oat stuff sold by a well known mass producer of instant oatmeal and other oaty items. They tasted good but the nutritional stats were just plain bad. so much sugar and carbs and very low protein and highish fat.. I know there had to be a healthier version out there. And I found yours!! almost every day this past week I have had your recipe. Two days with bananas, two days with strawberries. I used homemade peanut butter and split the chia into flax seeds and chia. I added a little honey two days and none the other two for variety. WONDERFUL!!! and so much more filling (and higher in protein) than the store bought. I THINK also lower in carbs but can’t be completely certain.

    1. Kate

      You’re welcome, Stephani!

  15. Sara Rodrigues

    This recipe was really easy to out together, much to my surprise.

    I have never eaten chia seeds so I did 1 tsp of those to be safe. I also used cashew butter and cashew milk, and did the rolled oats/cinnamon option. I used fresh blueberries.

    I was astonished at how creamy it was, even though I didnt use much chia. Thank you Kate, easy recipe and I’m just now feeling hungry four hours after eating this breakfast!!

    1. Kate

      I’m glad you thought it was easy and excited you loved it! Thanks for the review.

  16. Sara

    I tried this last night and unfortunately it came out, like milky, soggy cereal—inedible. I even stuck with the less milk option—1/2c milk with 1/3c oats as per the recipe. I used rolled oats. ANy idea what could’ve gone wrong?? I was looking forward to the super thick version of overnight oats but I don’t see how others got that result.

    1. Kate

      Oh no! That is a bummer. I haven’t had that happen before. You throughly mixed all the ingredients together? What type of container to store did you use?

  17. Sandy

    I rarely leave comments but I appreciate this recipe so much. I got hooked on cacao Mush but it’s very expensive. I used Trader Joe’s cacao cashew almond beverage and it’s so delicious. It tastes almost as good as the store bought! I like it super thick so I use a heaping 1/3 scoop of oats and a scant 1/2 cup of liquid. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Kate

      Thank you for stopping to leave a comment, Sandy!

  18. Lucy

    Love this recipe! Is there a link to the nutritional info? The drop down on the page has no table.

    1. Kate

      I’m glad you loved it! Make sure you allow cookies in your browser as this is a plug-in. Let me know if you are still having issues!

  19. Gennipher Staroscik

    I LOVE this recipe!! I used a flax/hemp/chia blend and I also used your Muesli recipe – love, love, LOVE!! So very yummy and EASY!

    1. Kate

      I’m glad you love it! Thanks for your review.

  20. Lori Fujita

    What brand/where did you get those containers for your overnight oats? It looks like the perfect size.

  21. Candice

    I made the overnight oats with your cherry pecan muesli recipe and soy milk and blueberries. Delicious!

    1. Kate

      I’m so happy you loved it, Candice!

  22. Lindsay

    I have your overnight oats every morning and am obsessed with your recipes! One quick question… Do you have a favorite brand of Almond Butter? Mine is always just one big clump no matter how hard I shake it. Thanks!

  23. Jessie

    I would like to heat my overnight oats just a bit to take some chill off them but they have yogurt in them. Can they still be heated. I was thinking like 20 seconds. Thanks

    1. Kate

      Sure! That should work ok. I like mine right from the fridge.

  24. Laurie

    Made this twice! Once with almond milk, mixed-nut butter & blueberries and once with cow milk and no butter for the husband :)
    We both loved our breakfast, I will definitely make it again!
    Thanks for a great recipe

    1. Kate

      You’re welcome, Laurie!

  25. Lili

    Hello from a Brit in Paris! I’m more of a toast and bacon girl when it comes to breakfast but I’m trying to balance things out a bit more these days and tried your overnight oats today. I used regular large rolled oats and a coconut-almond butter with oat milk topped with raspberries, blueberries, toasted pecans and a trickle of maple syrup. It was really delicious – great texture, not too stodgy, the fruit and chopped nuts gave textural contrast and the serving was a generous size for me. I might have to reduce the chia as it can give me “digestive” issues if I eat it every day, if you know what I mean, but I agree that the chia does help the creamy, puddingy texture a lot. Thanks for the recipe!

  26. OLGA

    Amazing! I did it with almond milk and it was great, although I did forgot to mix cinnamon in it and I sprinkled only on the top. Next time I will mix a little honey too,not only on the top because I think it needed a little more sweetness for my taste. I loved it!

    1. Kate

      Thanks for sharing!

  27. Katie J

    This is exactly the consistency I was going for with overnight oats! Thanks.

  28. Cindy

    Good morning! Are the overnight oats supposed to be runny?

    1. Kate

      They should be pretty thick. If you like it runny, add more liquid.

  29. Halie

    So, I recently decided I wanted to start trying overnight oats. I’ve never heard of muesli but decided, I wanted to follow exactly what you do (plus, I loved all the things in the museli). Well, I’ve been eating overnight oats every morning for over a week now and I don’t think I’m going to be stopping. The first few days I ate them cold but now the temperatures are starting to get in the 40s and snow will be coming soon so I decided to warm them up. I’m a sucker for hot foods. I love them hot or cold though. I just throw some blueberries in and add a tiny bit of honey and I’m good to go. I don’t think I’ll ever want to try them with just plain outs and not the museli. It adds a ton of flavor and texture. Thanks so much for this great recipe and teaching me something new :)

  30. Crystal Allison

    Where did you get those jars? They are awesome but I can’t seem to find online!
    I tried the recipe and it is great!!!!!!

  31. Manjini

    Perfect. I have been eating overnight oats for a long time but I don’t really pay attention to measurements when I make it for myself. I made this for a brunch using your measurements (in a mason jar) they were perfect. I used 2/3 cup almond milk and it was nice and thick consistency. The next morning I topped it with 1 tsp of lemon curd and four blue berries and one strawberry. It was perfect. I made 20 of these and it was all gone by the end of my brunch.

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing! I’m glad this worked out so well for you.

  32. Katrina

    I’ve been making this for the past couple weeks . I omitted the cinnamon and used cashew butter instead of almond butter and soy milk instead of regular milk. Sometimes I’ll throw chopped pecans on top. It’s delicious, and I like that the chia seeds add more omega 3 fatty acids (as someone who doesn’t eat fish).

    Thanks for the recipe!

    photo posted to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B653HSyn7_5/?igshid=1u79dylng8b2v

    1. Kate

      Sounds great, Katrina! I appreciate your review.

  33. Jan

    Can you use yogurt in overnight oats

    1. Kate

      Sure, I prefer how its listed. But I know some other recipes have used it. Make sure you have enough liquid to help the oats and chia seeds soak.

  34. Davelene

    Hi, it’s the first week of 2020. I don’t see any comments more recent than 2017. If someone is still monitoring this sight I have just started reading about make ahead oatmeal ( and salad’s in a jar) some of the suggestions I have read suggest adding Greek yogurt. I was wondering how this effects other moisture…do you leave out the milk if you you use yogurt? I’m still trying to decide what type and size containers to use ( I always get bogged down in the mini details) any information on you can give will be greatly appreciated.

    1. Kate

      Hi! This is a recipes from a previous year, but still a very popular one! I prefer the way the recipe is written, but I know others have added greek yogurt in the past. Just make sure you do add some liquid in (water, milk, or non-diary milk) so the oats and chia seeds can soak appropriately. I hope this helps, Davelene!

      1. Davelene

        Thank you so much for your reply! I have decided I don’t like the peanut butter in my base recipe. I seem to have memory of adding applesauce if not adding things like peanut butter or butter. So I am trying that. I bought a few more things to try adding in, like Almond Milk. Thank you for your help Kate.

  35. Holly

    These turned out great!Cant believe I waited this long to try overnight oats. I love your recipes, especially your healthy banana bread : ) I make it almost every other week!

    1. Kate

      I’m so glad you made them! Great way to start your morning, for sure.

  36. Natalie

    What jar do you use for the overnight oats?

  37. Lianne byrne

    Love this recipe, one of my favourites I add some chopped hazelnut into it. but if I wanted to use 1/2 cup of oats how much milk would I use?

    1. Kate

      Hi Lianne! Adjust the liquid and other itms accordingly since you will be adding more.

  38. Janet

    Do you think I could use Splenda as a sweetener? Trying to keep it low on WW smart points. Thanks in advance!

    1. Kate

      Hi Janet! I think so, but I don’t have any experience with Splenda. You could potentially just reduce or omit the sweetener as well. Depends on your taste buds!

  39. Nicole

    Can you use traditional steel cut oats or would they have to be cooked?

    1. Kate

      Hi Nicole! I just recently learned that steel-cut oats, once soaked for at least 10 hours, turn soft enough to enjoy without cooking. I haven’t tried steel-cut oats in this recipe, but I believe they would work! They soften up even more with time. Please let me know if you try it.

  40. Claire

    This is so good! This is my my first time making overnight oats, and I had trouble finding recipe without yogurt (we don’t have any). I used sunbutter (I’m allergic to nuts), added a few apple slices and chocolate chips, and added a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, and it all held up well overnight! I will definitely be making again.

    1. Kate

      That’s great to hear, Claire. Thanks for sharing!

  41. Jo Jo

    I have a question. Can you tell me if the oats are Instant or Regular?

    1. Kate

      Hi there! I like regular oats here, but instant would work, too (they won’t offer as much texture).

  42. Vikki

    Loving overnight oats at the mo and am just noodling online for recipe ideas. I’m not a fan of the texture of chia… do you promise if I add a spoonful in I won’t get a slimy mess?! I’m worried about wrecking an otherwise delicious breaky!

    1. Kate

      Hi Vikki! If you don’t love the texture, I’m not sure you will love it here. You could try a small batch and see. If you don’t add it, you will need to decrease the liquid or increase your oats. Let me know what you think!

  43. Katy

    These overnight oats are the best. So delicious! I tried the muesli version and I love the added texture. I tried almond butter, almond milk and berries this time. Look forward to trying different versions. Thank you!

    1. Kate

      I love your variations, Katy! Thank you for sharing.

  44. charlotte

    This is great! So easy to make and great taste! I used linseed instead of chia in combination with soy milk and ‘crunchy speculoospasta’. I started intermittent fasting and this is very easy to take on the go.

    1. Kate

      Thank you for sharing, Charlotte!

  45. Ilana

    Made this for breakfast twice in the past week. Used your coconut pecan muesli recipe as the base for this. My husband and I loved it! The idea of having a healthy breakfast ready when you wake up is amazing :)

  46. Nina

    Thank you for this recipe! I love it so much.

  47. Laura

    I really want to try this recipe, but I can’t find how much cinnamon to use in the ingredients list…..can you tell me how much cinnamon to use in this recipe?
    Thanks in advance! :)

    1. Kate

      Hi Laura, it’s listed in the first ingredient 1/4.

  48. Christi Tallent

    Absolutely delicious! I added a tiny bit of honey. Also, I didn’t have chia seeds so I added a few tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. I love the addition of nut butter, it really makes the oats stand out.

    Your recipes really inspire me to eat healthier. You provide such tasty and healthy ideas. Thank you for sharing with us. My husband and I are trying to get healthier and websites like yours make it all the easier.

  49. Shannon

    Can you use milled chia instead of chia seeds

    1. Kate

      Hi! Sure, but your amounts would vary and it won’t likely soak up the moisture the same way. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

  50. Ruslana

    Just made another batch after the first one passed my taste test. I didn’t add any sweetener the blueberries added enough flavor and added cinnamon that made it very tasty too and used oat milk. Yummy, and so easy! Thank you! Everyone at work was asking what I’m eating haha, made them all hungry

    1. Kate

      I’m glad you loved them, Ruslana! Thank you for your review.