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How to Make Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are some of the tastiest, easiest, and most nutritious breakfasts out there. Learn how to make overnight oats easily and have your breakfast ready fast!

There‘s nothing better than tucking into a good breakfast. Especially if that breakfast is bacon and eggs.

But let‘s be real-mornings can be pretty hectic. Sometimes, you barely have time to brush your teeth and dress up before you head out the door- let alone sit down to breakfast.

how to make overnight oats

It‘s times like this that you need something that you can grab and go. Like overnight oats.

They’re easy to make, packed with nutrition, and will keep you full for the day to come. What’s not to like?

 

On top of that, they only take 5 minutes to make. All you have to do the night before is to add all your ingredients to a glass jar, mix, and place them in your fridge. These jars should do the trick.

The next morning, all you have to do is grab your jar and go. Does it get any easier than this?

make overnight oats tutorial

Essential Ingredients for Overnight Oats

For this particular tutorial, I’m going to be using the ingredients below. However, the possibilities are limitless, so you can use a bunch of other ingredients I will mention as well.

Rolled Oats

Oats contain a ton of protein compared to other grains. For instance, half a cup of dry oats provides 13 grams of protein.

They‘re are also high in fiber. So, they‘re good for your digestion.

Other ingredients you can use instead: quick oats, muesli, steel-cut oats.

Chia Seeds

Besides adding bulk to your overnight oats, chia seeds pack in a lot of protein. A one-ounce serving provides 4 grams of protein.

They also contain all the essential amino acids. So, they’re a high-quality source of plant-based protein.

If you need to stock up on some, you can get some here.

Instead of chia seeds, you could also use: unsweetened shredded coconut, ground flaxseed, psyllium husk, xantham gum, and quinoa.

Milk

Essential for that creaminess! It softens the oats and makes them delicious. The options include: coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, regular milk, etc.

Fruits

The oats taste so much better with fruits. Some of the ideas: all sorts of berries, bananas, oranges, peaches, apples, nectarines, etc.

Sweetener

If you love your overnight oats, feel free to add in maple syrup, vanilla extract, stevia, honey, erythritol, etc.

Optional

Feel free to also add in any of these ingredients:

Butter: peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.

Protein powder, if you exercise and need to increase your protein intake.

peanut butter banana overnight oats pin

How to Make Overnight Oats

This is the quickest breakfast you‘ll make. Assembling all the ingredients takes only 5 minutes or so.

Ingredients You‘ll Need (check for substitutes above)

  • almond milk
  • chia seeds
  • Greek yogurt
  • rolled oats
  • banana
  • vanilla extract
  • maple syrup
  • vanilla protein powder (optional)
  • peanut butter (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you’re more of a visual learner, check the video!

Otherwise, follow the instructions with the pictures below!

When it comes to making these overnight oats, this is pretty easy. All you have to do is add in all the ingredients in a glass jar like this and mix them together.

overnight oats tutorial

Keep in the fridge for  8 hours or overnight.

how to do overnight oats

Once oats are ready, give it a stir and top up with slices of banana. However, that‘s optional.

You‘re free to use any topping you want, as long as it complements the taste of the oats.

how do you make overnight oats

Are Overnight Oats Healthy?

Overnight oats are mostly healthy, depending on the ingredients you use. However, avoid high sugar foods to keep your blood sugar levels at bay.

Instead, focus on using high protein and fiber ingredients. I mention most of them above.

When overnight oats are full of nutrition, they’re great both for breakfast and as a post-workout meal.

protein overnight oats with peanut butter pin

Tips and Tricks

Here are some of the tips for the questions you might have!

1. Make overnight oats vegan

Making these overnight oats vegan is quite simple. Instead of using Greek yogurt, use a good vegan yogurt.

Some options include coconut milk yogurt, soy milk yogurt, or almond milk yogurt.

Looking for recipes? These  overnight oats are vegan-friendly!

2. Use protein powder that tastes good

Now some protein powders can be pretty chalky and downright awful. And no amount of maple syrup is going to mask the yuck factor.

So, make sure you use a good quality protein powder. I recommend this one here.

overnight oats tutorial

3. Do I have to add protein powder to overnight oats?

No, you don‘t. Your overnight oats will still contain a good amount of protein.

To ramp up the protein content, you can replace the almond milk with soy milk or regular milk. And you can add toppings like almonds and hemp hearts. Yum!

4. Can you heat up overnight oats?

You betcha! Just place your overnight oats in a microwave-safe container. Then, heat for about a minute.

Or, you can pour your oats into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Be sure to add a bit more almond milk if it is too dry.

5. What is the Ratio for Overnight Oats?

If you’re not following a particular recipe, stick to a 2:1 ratio for liquids and oats. Oats will have enough liquid to soak up!

6. Do Overnight Oats Have to Be in a Jar?

No, not really! I love using jars for them but you could just as well use a plastic food container, a coverable bowl, and anything else you can safely cover in the fridge.

Other Overnight Oat Ideas

how to make overnight oats

How to Make Overnight Oats

Quick overnight oats are sometimes just what you need to start your morning right. This tutorial will show you how to make overnight oats easily.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Course High Protein
Cuisine American
Servings 1 jar
Calories 461 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the ingredients in a food container or glass jar. Make sure you combine them well.
  • Keep in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
  • When you take it out of the fridge, top it with slices of banana.
RECIPE VIDEO

Nutrition

Serving: 1jarCalories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10.7gCholesterol: 4.7mgSodium: 106mgFiber: 10gSugar: 16g
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