Overnight Oats are a simple and healthy breakfast that’s conveniently made ahead of time, and the flavor combinations are endless! 

It’s always a good sign when something that was once trendy is still in your life several years after it first became popular.

Overnight Oats - Simple and Healthy Breakfast Presented in Blue Low Bowl and Garnished with Raspberries and Blackberries

Yes, I’m talking about overnight oats. And there are many reasons why overnight oats have stuck around for me.

They’re incredibly convenient, delicious, and it’s easy to keep things interesting with endless possible flavor combinations to try.

Not to mention, I absolutely LOVE the texture.

I’ve never loved hot oatmeal, mostly because of its gloopy texture, and this preparation lets you enjoy oats in a more cereal-like fashion.

Overnight Oats Recipe - Shown in Blue Bowl Garnished with Fresh Berries and Coconut

I first wrote about overnight oats on a guest post for The Pioneer Woman’s site on them in 2016, a time when I seemed to see mason jars full of them everywhere I turned.

Today’s recipe is the version I’ve settled on as my favorite and most frequent preparation these days, but I’ll share more ideas for flavor combinations below.

Step by Step Overview:

Combine rolled oats, almond butter, honey, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and your milk of choice in a bowl or container:

How to Make Overnight Oats - Combine Oats in Bowl With Nut Butter, cinnamon, maple syrup, and more as shown

Many of those ingredients are optional, and many can be swapped. For example, to make it vegan, swap the honey out for maple syrup.

I personally use cashew milk after doing a taste test of all the major nut milks at the grocery store (see Best Tasting Almond Milk and Cashew Milk), but any milk type that you like is fine.

Stir it all well to combine:

Easy Overnight Oats - Shown in Mixing Bowl With Honey and Spices and Other Customizable Ingredients

It looks like a lot of liquid, but it will thicken a bit overnight as the oats absorb the liquid.

A lot of overnight oat recipes use a ratio of 1:1 for liquid to oats, but I find that I like 2:1 best, and will sometimes even add an extra splash of cashew milk before serving.

1:1 to me is too dry, and this gives it a more cereal-like experience.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and store in the fridge overnight, until the oats have plumped and the milk has thickened slightly:

Old Fashioned Oats Soaked in Almond Milk, Sweetener, and Spices in Mixing Bowl

To serve the overnight oats, I like to spoon a cup into a low bowl, then sprinkle with assorted berries and toasted coconut:

Healthy Overnight Oats - Pictured in Low Blue Bowl with Spoon as Dairy Free Option

You can do all sorts of flavor combinations here, and mix in anything your heart desires.

Another favorite flavor combo I do is peanut butter, sliced banana, hemp hearts, and chopped Candied Pecans.

Enjoy, and know that you may also use steel cut oats if you prefer (here’s the recipe for Overnight Steel Cut Oats), but they’ll be more chewy and require more soaking time. I’ll be sharing exact instructions for that in a week or two, so stay tuned!

For more make-ahead breakfasts, I love making overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole and Banana Bread.

Crepes, Buttermilk Pancakes, and Potato Cheddar Frittata are some of my favorite morning-of breakfasts. Happy cooking!

Tips & FAQ:

Can you Store Leftovers: You may keep leftover oats in the fridge for a couple days, just know that the texture will get mushier as it sits. If you prefer a chewier texture, you may wish to use steel cut oats instead for this recipe.

Ideas for Spices to Add: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves are all great.

Ideas for Mix-Ins: 

  • Nuts – I like cashews, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios
  • Seeds – I like hemp seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, chia seeds
  • Fruits – Chopped mango, berries of all kinds, sliced bananas, toasted coconut, soft cooked apples, dried fruits like raisins and chopped apricots, and even freeze dried fruits
Overnight Oats in a blue Bowl Sprinkled with Fresh Berries and Coconut

Overnight Oats

Servings: 3
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Overnight Rest: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Overnight Oats are a simple and healthy breakfast that's made ahead of time, and the flavor combinations are endless! 
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 cups unsweetened cashew milk (or milk of choice)
  • 2 tbsp almond butter* (optional)
  • 1 tbsp honey** (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, stir to combine all of the ingredients. You may also place everything into a large jar or storage container, and shake to combine instead.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours***, then serve.
  • My go-to additions for overnight oats are assorted berries and toasted coconut. See the blog post for more ingredient ideas.

Notes

On the nutrition information: Unfortunately this database only has sweetened almond milk in it, so the sugar is listed a bit higher than if you used unsweetened nut milk. Also, the nutrition information includes all of the ingredients listed (including the optional ones).
On serving size: I typically add a substantial amount of fruit and coconut, so this amounts to about 3 servings for me. If not adding anything, you may need more for a serving.
*The almond butter I use is creamy and flows well, even when refrigerated. If this isn't the case for you, microwave it briefly to loosen.
**If using a honey that's solid at room temperature, microwave it briefly to melt into a liquid.
***If you're okay with a chewier texture, you can soak for a minimum of 4 hours. You can also soak for longer than 8 hours, but they'll have a softer texture. Leftovers will keep for a couple days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Sodium: 316mg, Potassium: 177mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Calcium: 251mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas