How much milk to put in overnight oats

Learn how to make overnight oats! This easy, make-ahead breakfast is perfect for busy mornings. Find my base recipe plus 4 fun variations below.

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When someone asks me for an easy, healthy breakfast idea, this overnight oats recipe is the first thing I suggest. It’s perfect for busy mornings, as you can make individual servings ahead of time and take them on the go. It’s also satisfying enough to keep you full till lunch, made with simple ingredients like oats, chia seeds, and (optional) yogurt. But best of all, it’s fun.

What could be fun about oatmeal, you ask? Well, this yummy breakfast is endlessly customizable. Once you learn how to make overnight oats, you can experiment with mix-ins like cocoa powder or vanilla extract or pile on toppings like nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit. To get you started, I’m sharing four tasty variations (+ my go-to base recipe!) below. Try them out, and then get creative making your overnight oats your own!

Overnight Oats

rate this recipe:

5 from 10 votes

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Serves 1

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Learn how to make overnight oats! This healthy, make-ahead breakfast is easy to customize. Try one of the variations in the recipe below, or experiment with your own combinations of mix-ins and toppings.

Ingredients

Base Recipe

• ½ cup whole rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
• Pinch of sea salt
• ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, optional
• ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk

Variations:

Apple Pie

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
• Diced apple
• Chopped pecans
• Cinnamon Apples, optional

Peach Crisp

• Peach slices
• Granola

PB&J

• Chia Jam, recipe below*
• Peanut butter
• Chopped strawberries
• Raspberries
• Chopped peanuts

Chocolate Banana Bread

• ½ banana, mashed
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• Banana slices
• Chopped walnuts
• Chocolate chips

Instructions

• Make the base recipe: In a Mason jar or other lidded jar, place the oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, salt, and Greek yogurt, if using. Add the almond milk and stir until the mixture is well combined and there are no clumps of chia seeds at the bottom of the jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 5 days.

• In the morning, top with your desired toppings and serve with drizzles of maple syrup.

• For apple pie overnight oats, stir the applesauce and cinnamon into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with diced apple, chopped pecans, and cinnamon apples and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.

• For peach crisp overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with peach slices, granola, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.

• For PB&J overnight oats, make the plain overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with chia jam, peanut butter, chopped strawberries, raspberries, and chopped peanuts.

• For chocolate banana bread overnight oats, stir the mashed banana, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the overnight oat base. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with banana slices, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and drizzles of maple syrup, if desired.

Notes

*Chia Jam Recipe

• 1 pound strawberries
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds