Overnight Oats

This easy overnight oats recipe is a healthy, high-protein, and satisfying breakfast that you can make ahead for busy mornings and customize with many add-ins and toppings!

Overnight oatmeal is a no-cook method of enjoying your comforting bowl of morning oats. Instead of cooking the oatmeal on a stovetop or in the microwave, you let the oats soak in yogurt and milk. The soaking process allows the oats to absorb the liquid and soften. You can let the oats soak for as little as 2 hours but if you prepare them the night before, you'll have a  ready-to-eat, delicious, creamy bowl of oatmeal. 

If you're like me, you're not alway hungry upon waking. I love overnight oats because you can take them on-the-go to enjoy later in the morning as a nourishing and energizing choice to satisfy your hunger.

The recipe below is for the base recipe. From there, you can customize the ONO (that's short for "overnight oats", of course!) to create your own twist on the classic. The sky's the limit with flavour combinations and toppings!

OVERNIGHT OATS

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (125g) plain Greek or Skyr yogurt 
• 1/3 cup (30g) old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp (12g) chia seeds
• 1/2 scoop (15g) vanilla protein powder
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the ingredients in a jar or storage container.
2. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Meal prep this recipe for up to 3 days in advance.

SUBSITUTIONS

• YOGURT: use any type of yogurt including Greek or Skyr. You can opt for an unsweetened plant-based yogurt like coconut but the recipe will be lower in protein.

• OATS: you can dial the servings of oats up or down depending on your hunger and personal energy needs. You can play around with the ratios to achieve the consistency you like best!

• MILK: Opt for your favorite or whatever you have on hand whether that by soy, oat, cashew, almond, or cow's milk.

• PROTEIN POWDER: I add the vanilla protein powder for a hit of sweetness and bonus protein. If you prefer to keep the recipe free of protein powder, you may want to add some sweetness from honey, maple syrup, or date paste. To make date paste, simply smash 1-2 dates in 1 tbsp of hot water and stir into the base recipe.

• FRUIT: when using frozen fruit I usually add it directly to the base recipe and let it sit overnight. When using fresh fruit, I add it before serving!

VARIATIONS

Now this is the fun part - the flavour combinations! Garnish with in-season or frozen fruit, flavour with fun mix-ins like cocoa powder and vanilla, and decorate with toppings like dried fruits, nuts, coconut, and seeds. I recommend starting with the base recipe above and adding what you'd like. Below are some of my favorite variations and add-ins.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

• 1 grated carrot
• 2 tbsp light cream cheese or Laughing Cow cheese wedge
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp raisins

Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats

• 1 cup frozen berries (140g) 
• 2 tbsp. light cream cheese or Laughing Cow cheese wedge
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

• ⅓ cup pure pumpkin puree
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pina Colada

• 1 cup (140g) fresh or frozen pineapple
• 2 tablespoon (30g) unsweetened shredded coconut

Black Forest Cake

• 1 cup (140g) frozen dark cherries
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs (to top)

More often than not I keep the recipe simple by topping it with fresh or frozen berries and whichever nuts and seeds I have kicking around the pantry!

I WANNA KNOW!

Did you try this recipe? Comment below! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!