Easy Overnight Oats Recipe

These overnight oats are versatile, portable, and taste great!

I love almost anything with oats. I was thrilled when I discovered overnight oats.

They’re great because you prepare them the day before, and you can grab them on a busy morning for breakfast.

There are no fancy or complicated ingredients. You don’t even have to cook anything or heat anything up!

Overnight oats are a healthy, nourishing meal that is quick and easy! You can also switch up the ingredients, so overnight oats are versatile.

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What are Overnight Oats?

Overnight oats are raw oats that you put into a container, add plant-based milk and other ingredients, and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

The oats get soft when the plant-based milk gets absorbed into the oats. The oats don’t get the gummy consistency that cooked oats sometimes get.

A big bonus is that there’s no cooking required! They’re also good to eat in the summer when you want oats but don’t want to eat anything warm. But I enjoy them year-round.

I love the consistency of the overnight oats in this recipe. But you can play around with the liquid-to-rolled oats ratio to get the consistency you like.

If you prefer thicker oats, add less plant-based milk. If you prefer thinner oats, add more plant-based milk.

Try these oats as a snack or breakfast, especially when busy. They can also be eaten before or after a workout!

After adding them to your mason jar or bowl, the key is to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed well. So, stir the mixture well before putting the overnight oats in the refrigerator to help the oats soften and the flavors soak in.

If you want to eat warm oats, you can heat them in the microwave for around 60 seconds. Or, you can add them to a pot and heat them on the stove.

You can prepare overnight 2-3 days in advance. Overnight oats can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. They’re best when used within 24 hours.

More about the Ingredients

I add nutritional information about the foods in my recipe posts because I know I like knowing the benefits of different foods.

I also have a passion for nutrition and using nutrition to improve my wellness. Eating these foods can improve your health too!

When buying rolled oats, if you are avoiding gluten due to celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance, be sure to get gluten-free rolled oats.

Oats don’t contain gluten in and of themselves. But if they don’t specifically say gluten-free, they can have traces of gluten due to cross-contamination.

I eat oats almost daily! I love them because they have many nutritional benefits. Oats:

Have plenty of vitamins and minerals
Are rich in antioxidants
Are high in fiber, which will help keep you fuller longer. This can help with weight loss
Can help stabilize blood sugar. This can help with weight management, among other things

You can use different types of plant-based milk, such as soy and plain unsweetened almond. I use either almond or soy milk. I like to use soy milk sometimes because it’s higher in protein when compared to almond milk.

100% maple syrup is the sweetener because it is healthier than refined sugar.

This is the only sweetener I’ve tried with overnight oats. You could, however, try stevia, date syrup, date sugar, or another sweetener of your choice.

Maple syrup contains some vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, though less than other sweeteners, such as date syrup or date sugar.

Adding cinnamon is optional. It adds a sweet, warm flavor to the overnight oats. I love cinnamon. I use it every day! Besides being delicious, cinnamon has the added benefits of:

Having anti-inflammatory properties
Regulating blood sugar
Being full of antioxidants

The vanilla is also listed as optional. It does bring out the flavor of the other ingredients more.

It pairs wonderfully with the cinnamon. The vanilla also adds a sweet taste to the overnight oats.

Adding ground flaxseeds is optional. I add flaxseed for its many health benefits but feel free to leave them out. Flaxseeds are:

A great source of fiber, which will help keep you fuller longer

Low in calories
A great source of omega-3 fatty acids
Loaded with vitamins and minerals
Good for stabilizing blood sugar

Toppings

For the toppings, I like walnuts, apples, and raisins. Another good combination is blueberries (fresh or frozen) and slivered almonds. I am a creature of habit, so these are the combinations I eat most often.

For the fruit toppings, if you use apples, I recommend adding them when you are ready to eat the overnight oats. This is because they will turn brown in the refrigerator overnight.

If you use blueberries, you can add them to the other ingredients before putting the overnight oats in the refrigerator overnight.

You can add the nut toppings and the raisins in the morning when you are ready to eat the overnight oats. Or you can add them to the mixture to sit overnight in the refrigerator.

You can stir in ½ tablespoon to a tablespoon of nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter) into the mixture before putting it in the refrigerator to sit overnight. This will give your oats an added protein boost!

The combinations for toppings are endless!

I hope you love these oats! They are:

Free of artificial sweeteners
Plant-Based
Gluten-Free (when using gluten-free rolled oats)
Filling
Healthy
Nutritious