Easy Overnight Oats Recipe

The first two ingredients listed below (oats and liquid) are essential for making overnight oats and are perfect if you like a simple unflavoured breakfast.

The other ingredients are optional add-ins and topping ideas so that you can add variety to your oats.

THE BASICS

Oats – Most recipes for easy overnight oats will tell you that old fashioned rolled oats should be the only oat type you should use. But you can also make it with quick cooking oats and steel-cut oats.

What you use all comes down to the type of texture you like. We have made easy overnight oats with all three, and here is what we found.

• Overnight rolled oats are thick with an almost smooth, creamy texture.
• Quick oats, when soaked overnight, are creamier and smoother than rolled oats.
• Steel-cut oats remain grainy and soften to a chewy and gummy texture. Also, steel-cut oats don’t soak up as much liquid as rolled and quick-cooking oats. 

Liquid – is needed to soften the oats. The most common liquid to use is milk or dairy free milk. However, you can also make overnight oats with coffee, tea, water, or fruit juices. 

OPTIONAL ADD-INS

Seeds – are a great addition to any diet because they are a good source of fiber, minerals, and anti-oxidants. You can use chia seeds, basil seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, or any other seeds you like. 

Yogurt – use dairy or dairy-free yogurt plain or flavored.  

Note: If you make the overnight oats using all yogurt and no other liquid, the overnight oats will be very thick in consistency and almost paste-like, and you might not like eating it this way. 

Sweeteners – If you like a sweet breakfast, add a sweetener like; honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, golden syrup, condensed milk, or your favorite sweetener. 

Note: If using plant milk like sweetened soy or almond milk, or flavored yogurt, you may not need to add a sweetener to the oats. So, always taste test before adding extra sweetness.

Flavorings – mix up the flavor by adding either vanilla extract or cocoa powder. You can even add spice powders like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom.

Protein – For protein-enriched breakfasts, mix in nut butter like almond butter, peanut butter, Nutella, or use protein powder.

Want some crunch – mix in mini chocolate chips for a firm and crunchy texture. You could also add chopped nuts and allow them to soften overnight for a soft nutty texture. 

Toppings – You can add just about anything you like as a topping like fresh fruit, frozen fruit, nut butter, jams, stewed fruit, dried fruits, nuts, coconut, or yogurt. 

Note: dried or frozen fruits can either be mixed into the oats or used as a topping. If you enjoy eating dried pieces of fruit or frozen fruit, use these as a last-minute topping. 

Or mix them when preparing the overnight oats so that dried fruit will soften and plump up and the frozen fruits thaw. 

How To Make Basic Overnight Oats

Our easy overnight oats recipe includes some optional add-ins: yogurt, basil seeds (you could also use chia seeds), and a sweetener.

We like to use equal parts of oats (1/2 cup) and milk (1/2 cup). Then mix in 1/4 cup yogurt usually, our plain homemade yogurt but sometimes use a store-bought flavored one, along with either chia seeds or basil seeds. 

These seeds will absorb moisture and swell up to make the oats even thicker. One tablespoon basil seeds will thicken the oats so you can stand a spoon in it.  

If this is too thick for you, thin it down by adding more milk or use less seeds (1-2 teaspoons) or leave them out completely the next time you make it.

The sweetener is optional, and we have included it in the recipe because we know some of you like a sweeter breakfast. 

So we are using one tablespoon of maple syrup, but you can use your favorite sweetener and add it to taste.

All the ingredients are mixed in one container, sealed, and then left overnight in the fridge to soften.

What to Make Overnight Oats In

Many people like to use a jar to make and store the oats in because jars can be sealed and taken for easy breakfasts on the go.

You will need a wide mouth jar like a mason jar or a sealable leakproof food storage container. Having a wide opening makes it easier to eat the oats straight from the container.

The jar or container should also be reasonably large, with space for toppings and easy mixing.

For a single serve of this recipe with some toppings, I would recommend using something that has a least a 3 – 4 cups capacity. This size will allow room for a generous amount of toppings and easy eating straight from the container.

If you are eating at home, you can make single serves in breakfast bowls or any container with more than one cup capacity.

2. Apple, cinnamon, and walnut – mix 1/2 a large diced red apple, 1 tablespoon chopped nuts, a pinch of cinnamon powder.

For a smoother texture replace the fresh apple with 1/2 cup of apple sauce or grate the apple.

(If making the topping in advance, toss the fresh apple pieces in 1 tablespoon of fresh orange or lemon juice (to stop the apples from going brown) before mixing with the other ingredients).

3. Fruit salad and yogurt –  top the oats with pieces of fresh banana, strawberries, mangos, and blueberries tossed in some freshly squeeze orange juice. Then finish of with a spoonful of plain or flavoured yogurt.

4. Peanut butter and strawberry topping – layer on top of the oats: 1 tablespoon strawberry jam (or strawberry compote),1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/2 cup (3-4 large) diced strawberries, and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

5. Mango and passion fruit topping – Add diced mango and passion fruit as a topping. The mango can be fresh, frozen, or drained canned mango. Use fresh passion fruit when in season or canned when not in season.