7 Overnight Oats Recipes to Help Your Drop the Pounds and Save a Ton of Time

Mornings suck. And I’m not trying to be cliche here, either. I really hate them. Since I discovered a few super simple overnight oats recipes, though, I’m not hating them quite as much.

Let’s be real, though. If you haven’t tried overnight oats, it can sound kind of weird. I mean, cold oatmeal? Not even cooked?

But I swear, it isn’t.

I love them. My kid loves them. And they make our mornings so much easier.

Now, there are thousands of overnight recipes all over the internet. When I first started making them, I followed a couple.

But here’s a few things you may not know about me: I don’t like complicated recipes and I hate following directions.

#rebelwithoutacause

So once I got the hang of things, I went off in my own direction.

I have about 7 different overnight oats recipes that I rotate, and I’m going to share them all with you here.

They’re nothing fancy — you can make a week’s worth in about 2 minutes.

But they’re freaking good, super good for you, and guaranteed to tide you over until lunch.

So let’s dive in!

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Overnight Oats in a Jar

So, first things first, all of these are going to start with the same base.

I use 8-ounce mason jars for my oats because they take up less room in the fridge and are easier to keep organized.

 

Base Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Quick Oats (like these) 

1/2 cup Milk (Dairy or Non-Dairy)

Directions:

Pour the steel cut oats into the mason jar. Pour the milk on top.

Super easy, right?

 

You may be questioning if this is going to fit, especially if you add anything else. But the milk goes in around the oats, leaving plenty of room on top. You can always use a bigger mason jar if you think this will be a problem.

I also don’t have a problem eating them directly out of the jar, though some people do with the smaller jars. So again, just grab a bigger size if that’s an issue for you.

Every single recipe I came across when I started making overnight oats said to use the quick oats. I don’t know if it makes a difference if you do or not. I just went with what everyone what saying here.

 

 

Once the base is in, you can add whatever toppings you want. I like to get some protein and healthy fats in mine, but get as creative as you want.

Just put each of the ingredients into the mason jar in the order they’re listed below and then adjust them however you wish.

Once the toppings are in there, just pop the lid on, and put them in the fridge overnight (or for at least 6 hours).

When you take them out, they’ll be good to go.

I normally make 10 jars on Sunday so we have enough to last us the week.

It’s seriously the easiest breakfast ever. Even with a messy, picky toddler.

So here are a few of my favorite ways to spice them up.

 

Almond Blueberry Overnight Oats

This is probably our favorite out of the bunch because we absolutely love blueberries. So I always have sure I have a couple of these on hand. 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk 

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Almond Extract

Top with sliced almonds and blueberries.

 

 

Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats

Strawberries come in a close second as our favorite fruit and the chia seeds and yogurt in this recipe take it to the next level.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1/4 cup Vanilla* Greek Yogurt (or however much fits in the 8-ounce jar once the milk has settled into the oats)

Top with diced strawberries. You can add nuts, too, if you like.

 

* If you use plain yogurt, add honey or another sweetener.

 

 

Cinnamon Sugar Overnight Oats

What can compete with the combination of cinnamon and sugar? Not much. This simple recipe is packed full of nutritional value, and you can dress it up however you like.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Top with almonds (or whatever you feel like).

 

 

Peaches and Cream Overnight Oats

While we love the Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats, sometimes we like to switch it up with peaches instead.

This is another healthy take on a classic flavor.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

1/4 cup Vanilla* Greek Yogurt (or however much fits in the 8-ounce jar once the milk has settled into the oats)

Top with diced peaches. You can add nuts, too, if you like.

 

* If you use plain yogurt, add honey or another sweetener.

 

 

Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats

Sometimes the fruit-filled overnight oats just don’t cut it. And sometimes I’m just craving chocolate. When that’s the case, I put in a batch of Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats. (Actually, in our case it’s Almond Butter Cup Overnight Oats because we have a peanut allergy. #justasgood!)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Vanilla* Greek Yogurt (or however much fits in the 8-ounce jar once the milk has settled into the oats)

Top with a dollop of peanut butter (or almond butter) and dark chocolate chips.

 

 

Almond Joy Overnight Oats

Another chocolate favorite around here is the Almond Joy overnight oats. With toasted coconut and crunchy almonds, it’ sure to satisfy your chocolate craving.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Vanilla* Greek Yogurt (or however much fits in the 8-ounce jar once the milk has settled into the oats)

Top with shredded coconut, almonds, and dark chocolate chips.

 

 

Lemon Pie Overnight Oats

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup Milk

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

3 Drops of DoTERRA Lemon Essential Oil

1/4 cup Vanilla* Greek Yogurt (or however much fits in the 8-ounce jar once the milk has settled into the oats)

Top with any fruits or nuts you would like.

 

* If you use plain yogurt, add honey or another sweetener.

 

 

Protein Packed Overnight Oats

If you want your overnight oats to have an extra dose of protein, you can always add one scoop of protein powder to the mix. I don’t do this with any I give to my kid, but I’ll occasionally add some to mine.

To do this, you’ll want to mix all of the ingredients (minus the toppings) in a bowl before putting them in the mason jar. If you don’t the protein powder won’t mix in.

And while it seems like an extra step, if you batch 5 of them together, you can mix it all up in one bowl.

Pretty much any of these recipes could be mixed before you put them in the jar. You could even add some extra protein by throwing in a scoop of peanut or almond butter.

If you go that route, either put your toppings on after you mix them, or wait until you open the jar.

 

And that’s it!

What’s your favorite overnight oats recipe? Let us know in the comments!