Easy Overnight Oats for Busy Mornings and Meal Prep
Make your mornings easier with a breakfast that feels simple, fresh, and satisfying. This Overnight Oats recipe is a wonderful choice for busy days and relaxed mornings alike. It brings a wholesome and comforting feel to the breakfast table.
The creamy texture makes every spoonful enjoyable. It is also easy to customize for different tastes and preferences. That makes it a great option for families, meal planners, and anyone who enjoys variety.
Whether you need a quick breakfast before a busy day or a satisfying snack later on, overnight oats fit beautifully into your routine. They are simple, versatile, and easy to enjoy. If you love practical breakfast recipes that still feel delicious and inviting, this one deserves a place in your collection.
Keep it handy whenever you want a breakfast idea that makes mornings feel a little easier.
If you’re new to making overnight oats, I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!! To start, you only need a 2-ingredient base of oats and milk, and then you can literally mix in any toppings or add-ins you like. It’s a simple recipe to remember, great for beginners, and one of my top grab-and-go breakfasts because there’s no cooking involved.
I also shared the ratios for my favorite way to make overnight oats with chia seeds, Greek yogurt, and a little honey for extra texture, protein, and flavor. I also usually prep three or four days’ worth of overnight oats at a time, store them in the fridge, and change up the toppings so breakfast feels a little different each day, even when I am eating pretty much the same thing. (I’ve been making this recipe for over 10 years now, multiple days a week, and I have yet to get sick of it.)
Before we get into the recipe, I just want to say how wild it is that it’s been almost seven years since I first shared these overnight oats on Feel Good Foodie (January 2019 is when I first published the recipe!) . This has become one of the most-loved recipes on the site, with nearly 1,500 comments and more 5-star reviews than I can count. It’s one of my original recipes, and still one I truly love and stand by. Thank you sooo much for making it, rating it, commenting on it, and bringing it into your mornings.
Below you’ll find some tips for meal prepping them in batches, and some topping and add-in inspiration with six of my top overnight oatmeal flavors.
What are overnight oats?
If you’ve never had overnight oatmeal, it’s basically a no-cook method of making oatmeal. So, instead of cooking oatmeal on the stovetop or in the microwave, you soak the raw oats with milk. That soaking process allows the oats to absorb the liquid and soften them enough to eat uncooked. You only need to let the oats soak and rest in the fridge for 2 hours. But it’s ideal if you soak them overnight…hence the name overnight oats!
The next morning you have a ready-to-eat, delicious, creamy bowl or jar of “oatmeal.” The consistency is like a porridge or pudding. It makes for an easy, convenient breakfast that has a denser and creamier texture than warm oatmeal.
Best of all, you reap all the healthy benefits of oats in a fun grab-and-go breakfast:
- They contain more protein than most grains (5g per serving).
- They’re a rich source of fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer (4g per serving).
- They are a nutrient-dense food, which makes you feel more satiated.
Base Ingredients You Need to Make Overnight Oats
You only need two ingredients to make overnight oats: milk and oats. But it probably won’t taste very good, and by adding in Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and a drizzle of your favorite sweetener, you’re really creating a well-rounded breakfast.
- Oats: This is really the only ingredient that’s non-negotiable. Make sure to use plain old-fashioned oats and not quick oats because the consistency is best with rolled oats. You can also use gluten-free oats. Do not use steel-cut oats.
- Milk: For the liquid part, you can actually make this with water! But it’s more common to use milk. You can use full-fat, 2%, or low-fat milk. You can also use plant-based milk like almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, or oat milk.
- Chia seeds (optional): These seeds are packed with tons of nutrition, and they help give the oats a pudding-like texture. So I always like to include them in my base recipe.
- Greek or vegan yogurt (optional): This gives the oats a tangy flavor, creamy texture, and boost of protein.
- Vanilla extract (optional): This enhances all the flavors that go into the overnight oatmeal as well as giving it sweetness without any sweetener.
- Sweetener (optional): Use honey or maple syrup to sweeten the mixture, especially because oats can be somewhat bland on their own.
- Toppings: This is where you can have some fun with fresh fruit, dried fruit, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom). There are so many topping ideas and combinations, and I think that’s what makes this such a great versatile recipe!
How to make a basic overnight oats recipe – the ratio
It’s all about the ratios to get the consistency you like. So try the suggested ratio below and then add more milk or use less milk until you find what works perfectly for you! Once you nail down the ratio of the basic overnight oats recipe, the sky’s the limit with the flavor combinations and toppings.
The ratio you want to use for just oats and a liquid:
- 1 part oats + 1 part milk
Here’s my simple ratio when adding chia seeds:
- 1 part oats + 1 part milk + ⅛ part seeds
The above is really my ideal texture; it’s creamy with enough liquid that it doesn’t feel like soup. That being said, please adjust the ratios based on your preferred texture. Sometimes it takes a little engineering to get that “just right” bite of oatmeal.
How to Make 2 Ingredient Overnight Oats
These photos walk you through both versions: the simple 2-ingredient base and the version I actually make with add-ins. Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the → Overnight Oats Recipe below:
- Add the Rolled Oats: Pour the rolled oats into a mason jar or glass container. Use something large enough that there is room to stir without everything spilling over the sides.
- Pour in the Milk: Add the milk directly over the oats. Give the jar a gentle tilt to help the milk start working down through the oats before you stir.
- Stir to Combine: Mix until the oats are fully coated and the milk is distributed throughout. The mixture will look quite liquid right now, which is normal. The oats absorb as they sit.
- Cover Oats and Refrigerate: Seal the jar with a lid or cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, though overnight gives the best texture. The oats will be thick and ready to eat straight from the jar the next morning.
How I make my overnight oat base
The 2-ingredient version works great on its own, but personally I like to add chia seeds for the omegas and Greek yogurt for some extra protein. I also add a little honey, but I don’t like my overnight oats too sweet, so I keep it minimal. You can adjust the amount to your taste or just leave it out completely.
One thing to keep in mind: anything that absorbs liquid, like chia seeds or ground flaxseed, needs to be balanced with more wet ingredients. In this case, the Greek yogurt takes care of that. But if you add chia seeds without the yogurt, bump the milk up a little so the oats don’t end up too thick or dry by morning.
- Layer the Add-Ins: Start by adding the Greek yogurt, chia seeds, sweetener, and vanilla to the jar. Layering these at the bottom before the oats and milk go in makes it easier to stir everything evenly.
- Add the Milk: Add the milk over all the layers. Everything looks separated at this point, but it all comes together once you stir.
- Stir the Overnight Oat Base: Mix until there are no dry spots and the chia seeds are worked through evenly. They tend to clump if they settle in one area, so make sure they are fully distributed before refrigerating.
- Seal and Chill Overnight: Seal the jar and refrigerate. By morning, the chia seeds will have expanded, and the whole base will have thickened into a creamy, set texture. Give it a stir before adding toppings, and thin with a splash of milk or water if needed.
The next morning, grab a spoon, add your favorite toppings, and dig in!
Easy Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk of choice
My Add-Ins
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt non-fat
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon sweetener honey or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter & Jelly
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup strawberries diced
- 2 tablespoons peanuts crushed
Apple Pie
- ¼ cup apples diced
- 1 tablespoon pecans chopped
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Banana Nutela
- ½ banana sliced
- 1 tablespoon Nutella
- 1 tablespoon hazelnuts crushed
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
Almond Joy
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon almonds chopped
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Blueberry Lemon Muffin
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pinch salt
Maple Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a large glass container and mix until combined.
- Cover the glass container with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Toppings can be added the night before or immediately before serving.
- Uncover and enjoy from the glass container the next day. Thin with a little more milk or water, if desired.
Notes
- Make it vegan: Use plant-based milk, plant-based yogurt, and maple syrup for sweetener
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats
- Make it sugar-free: Omit the sweetener altogether or use mashed or pureed fruit in the base recipe