Creamy Overnight Oats
This creamy overnight oats recipe combines rolled oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, vanilla, and a touch of maple syrup for an easy make ahead breakfast. It is perfect for meal prep, busy mornings, healthy snacks, and customizable breakfast jars.
Servings: 1 person
Calories:
Ingredients
- ½ cup Old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup Milk dairy or nondairy
- ¼ cup Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Chia seeds
- 1 to 2 tbsp Maple syrup or honey
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tiny pinch Salt
- ½ cup Fresh berries optional for topping
- ½ Banana slices optional for topping
- 1 tbsp Nut butter optional for topping
- 1 to 2 tbsp Chopped nuts or granola optional for topping
Instructions
- Use ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. Rolled oats soften well overnight while still keeping a pleasant chew. Quick oats can become softer and more pudding like, while steel cut oats stay much firmer unless soaked longer and adjusted with more liquid.
- In a mason jar or airtight container, add ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 to 2 tsp maple syrup or honey, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tiny pinch of salt. The salt is small, but it helps the oats taste fuller and less flat.
- Stir the mixture for 30 to 45 seconds until the oats, yogurt, milk, chia seeds, and sweetener are fully combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the jar so no dry oats remain. The mixture should look loose at this stage because the oats and chia seeds will absorb liquid as they chill.
- The mixture should be creamy and pourable, not stiff. If it already looks too thick, add 1 tbsp milk. If it looks extremely thin, do not worry too much because it will thicken in the refrigerator. A good starting texture looks like a loose oatmeal mixture.
- Seal the jar or container tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight for the best texture. During this time, the oats soften, the chia seeds swell, and the flavors blend together. The mixture should become thick, creamy, and spoonable by morning.
- Open the jar and stir the oats well. The top may look thicker than the bottom, so mixing helps even out the texture. If the oats are too thick, add 1 to 2 tbsp milk and stir again. If they are too thin, add 1 tsp chia seeds and let the jar sit for 10 more minutes.
- Top with ½ cup fresh berries, ½ sliced banana, 1 tbsp nut butter, or 1 to 2 tbsp chopped nuts or granola. Add crunchy toppings right before eating so they stay crisp. Fruit can be added the night before, but softer fruit like banana tastes fresher when added in the morning.
- Overnight oats are usually served cold straight from the refrigerator. For a warmer version, transfer the oats to a microwave safe bowl and heat for 45 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of milk after heating if the oats become too thick.
Notes
This recipe makes 1 jar. Multiply the ingredients to prepare several jars for the week.