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Home Eat Breakfasts

The Basics of Overnight Oats

5 from 5 votes
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Sep 01, 2022 11 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Learn the basics of overnight oats with seven delicious flavor options, from piña colada and peaches & cream to salted caramel and cookie dough!

Seven mason jars stacked in a row of four and three, filled with various overnight oats flavors: piña colada, pb&j, peaches & cream, strawberries & cream, salted caramel, banana bread, and cookie dough

I know I’m super behind on this whole “Overnight Oats” thing, but hey, maybe there’s someone out there just as oblivious to this ready-to-go breakfast movement as I am. But for a newbie overnight oat-er, the sheer quantity of recipes out there can be a bit overwhelming (anyone else get stressed out by oats? no? just me?…).

But first, what exactly are overnight oats? They’re a not-morning-person’s best friend. Mix together some oats, chia seeds, fruits, and milk at night. Stick it in the fridge. When you wake up…breakfast!

Anywho, I’m all about efficiency. Oat-y, tasty efficiency. So, I crafted a formula for 7 different flavors, all made with the same 5 ingredient base. Just prep the base and then add your flavorings!

A mason jar filled with strawberries and cream overnight oats

What you need for the Overnight Oats Foundation

First, let’s talk about the foundation of the oats. For all of ’em, you need to start with 5 main ingredients. These are the same for each flavor!

  1. Oats: First, you need ½ cup of old fashioned rolled oats. (What’s the difference between rolled oats, steel cut, and instant? Read it here!)
  2. Milk: Follow the oats with ½ cup of milk. You can use whatever you like, whether it be soy, almond, cow, sweetened, unsweetened… whatever is to your liking (or whatever is in your fridge)!
  3. Chia Seeds: Next, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. Doing so adds a bit of thickness to the recipe, along with a whole lot of vitamins and minerals.
  4. Sweetener: Add some sweetness with 1 tablespoon of your preferred sweetener. I recommend honey, maple, or brown sugar.
  5. Salt: Finally, finish things off with a pinch of salt!
A four step graphic displaying how to assemble overnight oats - to a mason jar, layer the oats, milk, chia seeds, and sweetener

How to make overnight oats

Once you’ve chosen your flavor combo, you’re ready for assembly. It’s as simple as layering everything and then letting it sit!

  1. Assemble: In a 16-oz mason jar or bowl, combine the Foundation ingredients with your chosen Flavor Option ingredients. Stir to combine.
  2. Rest: Seal shut and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight), until the oats are soft.
  3. Serve: When ready to eat, give it a good stir and then dig in! If the oats appear dry, add a splash of milk.

Banana Bread Overnight Oats

First up, we have banana bread overnight oats! This one’s a classic, and it’s perfect if you’re a banana bread lover.

  • 1 mashed banana
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Milk, honey, or brown sugar to taste
A jar of banana bread overnight oats next to a banana, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey
A mason jar filled with banana bread overnight oats ingredients

Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

Next we have cookie dough oats, which basically gives you the excuse to enjoy dessert for breakfast!

  • 2 Tbsp chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Milk or maple syrup to taste
A jar of cookie dough overnight oats laid out next to chocolate chips, nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla
A mason jar filled with cookie dough overnight oats ingredients

Peaches & Cream Overnight Oats

Peaches and cream ovrenight oats taste like a creamsicle or your grandma’s classic peach cobbler. It’s quite the treat.

  • ¼ cup chopped peaches
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Coconut milk or honey to taste
A jar of peaches and cream overnight oats laid out next to peaches, honey, and vanilla
A mason jar filled with peaches and cream overnight oats ingredients

Nut Butter & Jelly Overnight Oats

Craving an old school pb&j? Enjoy an ~adult~ version by combining it with overnight oats!

  • 2 Tbsp nut butter, any type
  • 2 Tbsp of your favorite jelly
  • A splash of milk
A jar of pb&j overnight oats laid out next to next butter and jelly
A mason jar filled with pb&j overnight oats ingredients

Pina Colada Overnight Oats

Give yourself the tropical vibes with piña colada overnight oats. This one is really fun and one of my favorites!

  • ¼ cup chopped pineapple
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Milk or honey to taste
A jar of piña colada overnight oats laid out next to pineapple, honey, and vanilla
A mason jar filled with piña colada overnight oats ingredients

Salted Caramel Overnight Oats

Next up, we have salted caramel. It tastes like your favorite caramel macchiato, without the espresso!

  • 4 chopped dates
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • Any milk or maple syrup to taste
A jar of salted caramel overnight oats laid out next to dates, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla
A mason jar filled with salted caramel overnight oats ingredients

Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats

Last but not least, strawberries and cream! Load up on the strawberries — it’ll be worth it!

  • ¼ cup chopped strawberries
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Coconut milk or honey to taste
A jar of strawberries and cream overnight oats laid out next to strawberries, honey, and vanilla
A mason jar filled with strawberries and cream overnight oats ingredients

Try these oatmeal recipes next

The oat-filled breakfasts don’t stop there! If you’re looking for some more ways to incorporate the flavor and benefits of oatmeal into your morning meals, try some of these recipes.

  • Savory Oatmeal with Avocado and Poached Egg
  • Overnight Quinoa Breakfast Porridge
  • Cherry Oat Smoothie
  • Egg White Oatmeal

Or make a to-go version of the overnight oats concept with these homemade instant oatmeal packets!

Seven mason jars stacked in a row of four and three, filled with various overnight oats flavors: piña colada, pb&j, peaches & cream, strawberries & cream, salted caramel, banana bread, and cookie dough

Overnight Oats (7 Ways)

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories:
Servings: 1 serving
Print Rate

Ingredients

Foundation

  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup milk see ingredients below for specification
  • 1 Tbsp sweetener see ingredients below for specification
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds
  • Pinch salt

Flavor Options (Choose One)

  • Banana Bread: 1 mashed banana, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp vanilla extract use any milk, honey or brown sugar as sweetener
  • Cookie Dough: 2 Tbsp chocolate chips, 1 Tbsp almond butter, ¼ tsp vanilla extract use any milk, maple syrup as sweetener
  • Peaches & Cream: ¼ cup chopped peaches, ¼ tsp vanilla extract use coconut milk, honey as sweetener
  • PB&J: 2 Tbsp nut butter, 2 Tbsp jelly use any milk, no sweetener
  • Pina Colada: ¼ cup chopped pineapple, ¼ tsp vanilla extract use coconut milk, honey as sweetener
  • Salted Caramel: 4 chopped dates, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, pinch salt use any milk, maple syrup as sweetener
  • Strawberries & Cream: ¼ cup chopped strawberries, ¼ tsp vanilla extract use coconut milk, honey as sweetener

Instructions 

  • Assemble: In a 16-oz mason jar or bowl combine Foundation ingredients with your chosen Flavor Option ingredients. Stir to combine.
  • Rest: Seal shut and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight), until oats are soft.
  • Serve: When ready to eat, give it a good stir then dig in! If oats appear dry, add a splash of milk.
Did You Make This?

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  1. Mary Briggs says

    Posted on 9/13 at 2:50 pm

    I’m going to try the apple pie and peach cobbler overnight oats. This sounds delicious Sarah!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 9/13 at 6:02 pm

      Enjoy!! The apple pie was my favorite šŸ™‚

  2. Kim says

    Posted on 7/3 at 6:02 pm

    I have a question. Can I make the Overnight Oats on Sunday and have them for the week or do you need to make them each night for the next morning?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/5 at 9:56 am

      Hi Kim, great question! Overnight oats stay good for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, so perhaps make a big batch on Sunday and another batch on Wednesday to get you through the week šŸ™‚

  3. donna says

    Posted on 7/6 at 6:50 pm

    So what do you D o in the am to cook it?

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 7/7 at 1:47 pm

      No need to cook it! That’s the beauty of overnight oats. The soak overnight has the same softening effect on the oats as cooking them. If you prefer warm oats, you can of course pop it in the microwave for a minute or two.

  4. Kate P says

    Posted on 1/23 at 6:25 pm

    Hi, I was wondering if I could use homemade apple sauce in place of the apple mixture? Or would that make it too wet?

    Can I use instant oats or gluten free oats in place of old fashioned rolled oats?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 1/26 at 9:14 pm

      Hi Kate, I think this could work, especially if it’s a chunkier applesauce. Perhaps just reduce the amount of liquid you add to the oats to compensate for the wet applesauce. And yes, you should be able to sub instant and gluten free oats! šŸ™‚

  5. Julie J says

    Posted on 6/26 at 2:59 pm

    We made peaches and cream and PB&J. Used almond milk and even chocolate almond milk instead of regular milk. Delicious!! I have this recipe memorized and have been making overnight oats for a few weeks now. Thank you.5 stars

    Reply
  6. Sarah says

    Posted on 8/31 at 1:30 pm

    The measurements for the jam in the pb&j recipe is different than the measurements in the first set you gave. I wasn’t sure which one to use, so that was a little confusing.5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 9/1 at 4:53 am

      Oops, thanks for pointing that out! It can really be either though honestly, but 2 Tbsp of jelly would be tastier šŸ™‚

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