Overnight Oats

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Overnight oats are just oats soaked overnight that absorb the liquid you put them in – any kind of liquid you like! The most common mixture is equal parts raw rolled oats, milk and yogurt (I like 1/3 or 1/2 cup of each). You can use any kind of yogurt or milk. Put in the fridge overnight (uncoverd or covered, your choice) and let ‘em soak up the liquids.

That’s the base, and toppings are endless. Add the toppings the night before or the next morning – either way works. Just don’t put anything in you don’t mind getting soggy (i.e. crunchy cereals)

There is NO COOKING involved at all!

(Although you could heat them just a tiny bit in the microwave to take the chill out)

Basic KERF Recipe

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 – 1/2 cup milk [depending on how thick you like it]

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 banana

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

Pinch salt

Pinch cinnamon

Directions

Stir everything together in a bowl. Place in fridge overnight. In the morning top with something crunchy and something with healthy fats – like nut butter or nuts.

Some variations…

See every overnight oats breakfast here!

Basic with Toppings

BreakBlog

Knock On Wood

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Strawberry Cookie Butter

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In A Jar

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Strawberry Fields

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Blueberries

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Nut Butter Jar

JarzBlog

Trapped Banana!

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Sunbutter Jar [THE BEST!!!]

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Serves Two!

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With Crunchy Granola

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Barney Butter Jar

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Pumpkin!

BowlBlog Breakfast-9Blog

Simply Delicious

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Cereal Surprise

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In A Ball Jar

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Pumpkin Pi

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More Sunflower Butter

JarBottomsBlogIMG_7790-2Blog

Pillow Top

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With Crumbled Muffin

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Basic Blue

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With Susan B Anthony

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Soupier

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Berryfull

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With Coach’s Oats

CoachesoatsBlog

Jars Are The New Placemat

JarzBlog IMG_2494Blog

Berrylicious

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Check out this incredible tutorial and 6 variations on The Yummy Life!!

{ 155 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Cate September 25, 2008 at 9:40 am

Hi Kath,

I have a silly question. I’ve never made or had muesli before. Am I supposed to cook the oats with the hemp and/or skim milk first and then add it to my bowl with the other ingredients?

This look yummy. I will make it for breakfast tomorrow. I made the banana oatmeal – so delicious! Texture was perfect. Too bad my 4 year old wouldn’t take a second bite = ( I look forward to trying all the other variations and making up other concoctions along the way.

Keep those post coming. I love your blog. Have a great day.

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2 Kath September 25, 2008 at 3:55 pm

Cate ,
Everything is raw!! Enjoy.

Kath

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3 Marlene February 10, 2009 at 4:39 pm

Hi Kath

I am sorry to tell you but this is not really “muesli”. I am French and have traveled and lived overseas my entire life, and muesli is actually just a breakfast cereal with oats, fruits, and nuts, kind of like what Americans call “granola”, but you can get it cooked or raw. It is not necessarily prepared overnight with yogurt, but can be eaten like cereal with milk, or with cream, cottage cheese, etc. Just thought I’d let ya know!

Marlene

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4 Katie Lane February 9, 2010 at 2:57 pm

Marlene-

Noticed your comment on this…I am studying abroad in France right now and have fallen in LOVE with Muesli!!! Don’t know how I will live without it when I go back to the states.

~Katie

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5 Ali Romaine June 19, 2010 at 6:03 am

You can get muesli in the states. Visit a health food store, if they don’t have it, just ask for it. They should be able to get it for you. I have never been out of the states and I have a box of Swiss Muesli in my pantry right now. I love the stuff and just sprinkle a bunch of it on my yogurt plus any combination of fruit in season. Then I top that with a big sprinkle of Brewer’s yeast. Yum.

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6 Hannah March 11, 2009 at 10:25 pm

I really want to try Muesli, is it like cereal or oats? Is it better warm or cold? Can I buy muesli like Bob’s Red Mill brand?

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7 Elizabeth April 28, 2009 at 7:50 am

Thanks Kath! Had overnight oats this morning…. the perfect warm weather fuel!

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8 Eve May 9, 2009 at 1:39 pm

I have heard of letting oatmeal soak overnight but never tried it. Now I will. Thanks. I love oatmeal too. I like mine with raisins, honey and pecans. But adding banana is also good. Coconut is another good topping and if you have some dried pineapple along with that, hmmm. Of course, I have to be careful with my add ons, they go straight to my upper arms. lol

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9 Stacey May 9, 2009 at 10:22 pm

Silly question… do you let it soak in the fridge, to keep it cold, or do you leave it out?

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10 Kath May 10, 2009 at 7:39 am

Stacey,
In the fridge!! You won’t want milk to sit out all night for bacteria purposes.

K

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11 Lauren A. May 21, 2009 at 8:59 pm

have you ever tried this with steel cut oats? i wonder how it would turn out…

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12 elie January 8, 2010 at 11:02 am

Hi….I have tried it with steel cut oats and it is a bit too crunchy for my taste because these oats don’t absorb the milk as well.

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13 Vickie May 3, 2011 at 10:57 am

For overnight steel cut oats:
Using a rice cooker. Add four cups of water to the rice cooker. Bring the water to a boil using the steam cook setting. Stir in one heaping cup of steel cut oats. Bring it back to a rolling boil. Shut the lid, turn off and unplug the rice cooker. Do this right before you go to bed. In the morning the oats are done just right. You will need to heat them up in the microwave for a couple of minutes. I make a double batch to last me all week. You can add in any of Kath’s yummy combinations or make up your own. I like various combinations of non-fat milk, bananas, walnuts, apples, peanut or almond butter, Craisins, cinnamon, agave nectar for sweetness. I love the nutty texture of steel cut oats.

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14 Lori May 23, 2009 at 7:00 am

Do you then heat it before you eat it? Or do you eat it cold?

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15 Kath May 23, 2009 at 8:14 am

Lori ,
Eat it cold. Or sometimes I might microwave for 30 seconds to take the chill out.

K

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16 Kate June 4, 2009 at 4:46 pm

@Marlene: I’m a Kiwi, and have travelled plenty too. Traditionally, “muesli” generally referred to Swiss style “bircher” muesli (see Wikipedia), and it’s only more recently (still well before my lifetime) that it’s become common to eat toasted muesli (granola to the Americans) and describe it as such..And I don’t think it’s common at all in the US to refer to granola as muesli, so Kath’s “right” anyway…

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17 Natalie June 5, 2009 at 10:02 pm

Mmmm convenience tastes delicious :) hahah

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18 Kristen June 26, 2009 at 3:17 pm

I just tried overnight oats & they are delicious! I love oatmeal but don’t always want something hot in the morning- thanks so much!

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19 Cindy October 5, 2009 at 11:41 pm

WOW, thanks AGAIN for these awesome recipes. You’re blog is really entertaining! Your oatmeal variations are just WOW! Oatmeal doesn’t seem boring at all.

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20 Jac October 15, 2009 at 4:32 am

hey kath. i never liked oats (no pun intended).. but overnight oats changed me! superb no cook recipe! thanks kath

http://peachesandcupcakes.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/overnight-oats/

here’s my post on it..
JAc

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21 Demetra Lambros December 7, 2009 at 5:20 am

Hello Kathy,
I just wanted to thank you! I am living in Athens, Greece, and my family lost whatever initial enthusiasm it had for oatmeal about the time we moved here… When I read this post this morning, I hadn’t had breakfast yet. Well, you know what I did. And i just had the BEST late-morning breakfast ever, thanks to your oatmeal-inspiration. Love your site. Thank you for doing it…and for the oatmeal tribute!!! Very good especially for Americans overseas…

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22 Kath December 7, 2009 at 8:49 am

Glad you liked it!

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23 jac December 7, 2009 at 5:25 am

hi. was just wondering if it could be made with oat bran?

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24 Kath December 7, 2009 at 8:50 am

Jac, I’ve never done it, but I’m sure it could be done!

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25 elie January 8, 2010 at 11:03 am

Oat bran gets too soggy so I add it in the morning

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26 crystal January 18, 2010 at 12:00 am

Cant wait for breakfast! This is such a wonderful way to make skim milk and nonfat yogurt so decadent. I added raisins, dried apricots, banana, Kashi 7 whole grain puff cereal, and cinnamon. In goes flax and wheatgerm in the morning! My babies thank you for sharing as well, overnight oats makes wonderful baby food.

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27 Ali Romaine June 19, 2010 at 6:26 am

Why does everyone insist on eating lowfat everything? Please visit the Weston A Price Foundation’s website to find out about the real benefits of eating healthiy fats including saturated. So many sites have otherwise healthy bloggers, blogging away, which I read until I get to the part about skim milk, lowfat this, and nonfat that. Wake up people! We need good, healthy, fats for a variety of bodily functions. These include, coconut oil, EVOO, peanut oil, palm oil, and animal fats. Otherwise you are going to end up like many people who are in nursing homes wishing they had their health. Another good site is Cheeseslave. Enjoy.

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28 Marie February 14, 2011 at 4:55 am

Possibly because of the groundbreaking results of Dr. Esselstyn’s 20-year nutritional study—the longest study of its kind ever conducted. His book explains, with irrefutable scientific evidence, how we can end the heart disease epidemic in this country forever by changing what we eat. He convincingly argues that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent and stop the progression of heart disease, but also reverse its effects. He’s not the only one. Dr. John McDougall and others support the idea of a fat free, plant-based diet to prevent and reverse most of the diseases plaguing the western world.

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29 Melissa August 17, 2011 at 12:58 am

Um, the Weston A. Price Foundation has an agenda, if you haven’t figured it out yet. Of course they want you to think that eating animal fat is healthy….so you keep buying their product! DUH! I agree with you, we need healthy fats, but there are not-so-healthy fats that we should not be eating. Please don’t push that BS on people, keep it to yourself.

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30 Lisa January 21, 2010 at 9:46 pm

can you do “overnight cereal”? like cheerios? how would that work?
i tried it with annies bunnie cereal tonight- 3/4 cup annies, 1/3 cup choc milk, 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt and a dash of cocoa powder.
we’ll see how it turns out tomorow!!

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31 Kath January 22, 2010 at 5:51 am

The whole idea is for the oats to absorb the water, so if you like soggy Cheerios, then you could do it, but I wouldn’t recommend them!

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32 Cobie January 24, 2010 at 4:51 pm

I like the whole idea of NOT cooking the oats. Raw whenever I can get it is appealing to me. Also, time-wise, it’s a little more efficient.

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33 chelsea January 28, 2010 at 9:40 am

Hi kath,
Would this work with quick oats, have you ever tried? thats all i have!

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34 Kath January 28, 2010 at 8:42 pm

Yep!

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35 Katie January 30, 2010 at 8:03 pm

I am so intrigued! planning to make some overnight oats tonight to eat in the am. Have you ever tried adding frozen fruit? I don’t have any dried fruit. Was thinking of adding frozen and maybe warming in the micro in the morning?
don’t want to ruin my first bowl, though;(

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36 Meredith February 3, 2010 at 8:32 pm

I’ve been eating this every morning for a week or so, and have used frozen fruit almost every time. It’s great! The fruit thaws overnight, and mixes in with the yogurt/milk, etc.

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37 Miles February 10, 2010 at 10:07 am

Hi Kath,

Great ideas here and elsewhere. A friend referred me to your website and I love all the potential ways to make granola/muesli/ whatever you want to call it. I’m going to have to forward this on to my friends!

I have a quick question. Do you grind up your chia and flax seeds before you put them in your cereal? I wasn’t seeing that as part of the explanation and I hear it makes the nutrients bio-available rather than having the seeds pass right through you. Just wondering.

Keep up the great work!

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38 Kath February 10, 2010 at 8:31 pm

Miles,

Welcome!! I grind up flax because you need to to absorb the omega-3s, but I don’t grind chia because you don’t!

Kath

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39 Lauren February 13, 2010 at 1:01 pm

I can’t wait to try overnight oats! It sounds like the perfect way to have breakfast ready in the morning before you have to rush out the door to work! Thanks for sharing all of these recipes!!

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40 Monica (Musings of The Granola Girl) February 18, 2010 at 9:38 pm

I tried these this morning and they were uh-mazing!

Have you ever tried them with no milk and just yogurt as “liquid”?

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41 christina February 18, 2010 at 10:48 pm

holy crap. i just referenced your overnight oats on the blog and realized i’ve been freakin’ cooking mine. my oats DID NOT soak up all of the liquid…i used milk and water. maybe next time i’ll pay more attention. geez, i’m embarassed!! i will make the correction on my blog, promise!!

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42 Kath February 19, 2010 at 8:18 am

Hahah – no worries!

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43 Sara February 21, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Hey Kath!
Do you put your 1/2 a banana in the mix at night, or do you add it in the morning?

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44 Kath February 21, 2010 at 8:16 pm

Both – depending on if I remember to!

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45 zoomy April 8, 2010 at 6:03 pm

so i put rolled oats in a bowl of skimmed milk mixed with natural yogurt?
and leave it in the fridge overnight then just eat it the next morning?
i dont like porridge but i love oats with shredded wheat with milk poured over.

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46 Kath April 8, 2010 at 8:13 pm

Yup

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47 Cindy April 14, 2010 at 10:10 pm

My dietitian recommended your site! Wow! Can’t wait to try the overnight oats and all the additions.
Thanks

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48 Miles April 17, 2010 at 12:02 pm

Hey Kath,

Just wanted to give you a heads up that I linked to your site in an article I just wrote on how to avoid HFCS in your diet. I use your model for breakfast eating as a means of showing people a fun and easy but nutritious alternative to their morning routine. Thanks again!

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49 Wei-Wei April 21, 2010 at 7:33 am

I tried this with homemade, unsweetened yogurt… I don’t know if it was the yogurt or something but I just found the taste of the yogurt with the oats really, really weird… Would I be able to just use water or milk as seen here on Tina’s blog:
http://carrotsncake.com/2009/02/overnight-oats-and-hemp-protein.html

Thanks!

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50 Di May 1, 2010 at 10:56 am

HI – I love, love, love overnight oats. However, I was wondering if they keep long term – could you make a larger amount for several days?

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51 Kath May 1, 2010 at 11:01 am

I’ve never tried it but I don’t know why not?

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52 Kirsten May 12, 2010 at 8:57 am

Have you ever tried half orange juice and half yogurt instead of milk? I tried it once and it was nice and tangy. I think I heard about it in a tweet but can’t be sure.

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53 Rhonda May 30, 2010 at 9:46 pm

I have an intolerance to yogurt. Can I use something different in it’s place, or can I just double the Lactaid Milk?

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54 Kath May 31, 2010 at 6:09 am

I’d recommend a coconut or soy yogurt. Or Angela at Oh She Glows has a vegan chia-seed based version. Milk only probably wouldn’t thicken that well.

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55 Mary May 30, 2010 at 11:06 pm

Hello! I am starting to love reading your blog. As we speak I just made some overnight oats and put them in the fridge! I used greek yogurt, skim milk, and added dark chocolate chips for sweetness :) keep adding these awesome recipies I really want to try them all!

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56 elaine! June 15, 2010 at 4:48 pm

Kath, would Scottish oats work here, or do they actually have to be cooked before hand?

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57 Kath June 15, 2010 at 5:12 pm

They are never cooked before hand. EVER!!! But I dont know if Scottish oats would work. I’ve never tried them.

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58 Katie June 27, 2010 at 2:14 am

I have some overnight oats soaking right now. I usually do just yogurt and no milk. (and by usually, I mean the now 2 times I have had them…. including the ones that are soaking now)
Is that weird…. they didn’t seem too try or anything…. they were quite delicious, actually. Perhaps tomorrow I will use some milk too. That means I will let you know monday what the verdict is…. to milk or not to milk
You have some great ideas though…. I will definitely be trying these!!!!!

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59 Lisa July 16, 2010 at 11:12 am

I have used Scottish oats and they turn out yummy! I use just under a half a cup of oats with a half a cup of soy or rice milk, sometimes a bit of agave. Stick in the fridge and enjoy on a warm summer morning. Now I see that I need to get creative on toppings…

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60 eat August 1, 2010 at 10:37 pm

I was wondering if there’s supposed to be a beneft to the overnight oats?? they are sooo popular – do they taste better than morning preparation?? or are they better for the digestive system?

Anybody?!

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61 Kath August 2, 2010 at 8:13 am

The main benefit is convenience – no cooking at all, portable, cool in the summer.

But they also taste great.

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62 Maria September 8, 2010 at 7:01 pm

Thank you so much for this! I’m going to try making overnight oats for the first time tonight and this was super helpful. The cereal + berries mix looks delish!

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63 Lindsay September 12, 2010 at 4:03 pm

Hey Kath!
I want to make a bowl of these oats for tonight, but I worry that refrigerating them for only 2 to 3 hours might not be the best idea. What do you think?
Also, I would like to bring overnight oatmeal to school sometime for lunch, but I don’t have access to a refrigerator from 7am-12pm. Will the milk spoil?

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64 Kath September 12, 2010 at 4:07 pm

2-3 hours should be enough time.

I would put an ice pack in your lunchbox!

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65 Sheri October 16, 2010 at 11:04 am

Thanks for the awesome recipe ideas! Could you make a bigger batch of this and use it each morning for 2-3 days (or even for the whole week?) or would it get too soggy or weird?

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66 Kath October 16, 2010 at 11:06 am

I think you could probably do 2 mornings, but I wouldn’t make too much, as it might get rather soggy

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67 Liz October 23, 2010 at 10:08 pm

Thank you for posting the ratios! Making my first 2 batches tonight for tomorrow morning. Oats + Siggis acai yogurt + half container of blueberries each! Can’t wait til morning!

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68 Kristal November 17, 2010 at 9:33 pm

I love this and can’t wait to try it….just wish I had started reading earlier in the day and had already gone to the grocery store! I’ve always eaten cooked oatmeal and had honestly never heard of cold or overnight. And I’m a southern gal—-how did my Nan and mother miss this part of my cooking education????
My question is this: do you cover the dish? I’ve googled it and it looks like it’s a 50/50 kind of thing. Since you’re now my self appointed expert ;) I wondered what you do.
Love the blog!!
Kristal

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69 Kath November 18, 2010 at 8:47 am

I don’t cover it because I am a lazy cook and don’t have the energy to put a lid on it!

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70 sarah (the SHU box) November 18, 2010 at 8:33 pm

1) i was so happy your post popped up first when i searched overnight oats!

2) just made my very first batch everrrrr (i’m doing a breakfast challenge this week = something different each day)

3) i did the pumpkin version. i’m so excited to see how it turns out!!

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71 the blissful baker December 8, 2010 at 9:46 am

i had overnight oats for the first time this morning following your recipe, and it was fantastic! i added 1/3 cup each of oats, plain nonfat yogurt, and Silk Soy Milk Eggnog. it was so deliciously cool and creamy – a perfect breakfast treat! i will be making this many, many, many more times in the future!

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72 Caroline January 17, 2011 at 1:02 am

One thing I noticed no one mention in the comments as an alternative to milk products is just soaking them in water. You can soak them in water and even add Braggs apple cider vinegar (just a tablespoon or so) not for flavor, but health benefits and it works just as well. You can leave it on a pot on the stove to soak overnight and just turn it on in the morning on a low heat setting and leave it to heat for 5 minutes to warm it up while you make your coffee, do your hair, whatever. If you have a large crew in your family, this is a really easy way to feed them a healthy nutritional breakfast. Also the benefit of soaking the oats is to aid digestion because oats unsoaked are really hard for the body to digest!

Just found this blog tonight while looking for spelt flour benefits….I also enjoyed your variations on the oatmeal and the lovely pictures!

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73 Elaine September 5, 2011 at 10:34 pm

When you soak the oats in water, do you add just equal parts? (ex: 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup water?) Does it turn out runny with just water? Thanks!

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74 The Cuke January 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Hey, thanks for the great idea. This makes a great lunch item or any-time snack that I can just grab out of the ‘fridge and eat when I’m rushed for time. I’ve been experimenting to find the right proportions for my preferences, and find I like it a bit thicker and drier. I’ve been using plain, non-fat yogurt and unsweetened almond breeze. I’ve also enjoyed adding a small spoonful of sugar-free jam while it chills.

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75 Shannnon February 10, 2011 at 2:39 pm

I recently started reading your blog and have had overnight oats every day this week. Thank you for the great idea. I make mine without yogurt because I like it on the thinner side.

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76 Lori February 24, 2011 at 12:39 am

Should you use quick oats or regular oats for overnight oats?

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77 KathEats February 24, 2011 at 7:59 am

You can use quick, but I think rolled oats make the best

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78 Lia March 19, 2011 at 4:53 pm

I’d like to say, as a high school student who barely has enough time to dress properly in mornings, that you, ma’am, are a genius:)

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79 Emily March 29, 2011 at 3:39 pm

I’m going to start having these for breakfast. They look sooo yummy! :)

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80 Jenn April 16, 2011 at 10:58 am

Overnight Carrot Cake Oats! I loved the Carrot Cake hot oatmeal recipe so much that I thought of a way to make an overnight oats version as well. I like to add carrot juice, greek yogurt, dried unsweetened coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger to my dry oats and let them sit in the fridge over night. Thanks for the inspiration Kath!

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81 Lynn Casavant April 22, 2011 at 8:28 pm

Do you have a healthy recipe for baked oatmeal? Thank you!

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82 KathEats April 22, 2011 at 8:29 pm

Yes, check my Recipage!

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83 Trula April 22, 2011 at 9:32 pm

I love chewy….are the wheat berries cooked? Is there prep directions somewhere?

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84 KathEats April 22, 2011 at 9:34 pm

Yes, cooked. Check my Recipes page for a wheatberry lesson!

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85 Spinnr May 11, 2011 at 9:13 am

So yummy sounding! I am a breastfeedin new mommy and I eat oatmeal every day to increase my supply. Awesome to be able to just mix it up the night before and grab in the morning when we have our first nursie in the am. Looking forward to trying all the variations!!

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86 Jody May 16, 2011 at 3:42 pm

Thanks for all the overnight oat ideas! I tried them for the first time and featured it on my blog. Honestly – it wasn’t my thing but maybe I should try one of our other awesome looking combinations!

http://blogfoodbetter.blogspot.com/2011/05/overnight-oats.html

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87 Sprinkled with Love May 22, 2011 at 6:24 pm

Quick question, do you cook the wheat berries before you add them into the overnight oats or do you just put them in as is (I have Bob’s Hard Red Wheat Berries)?

Thanks!

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88 KathEats May 22, 2011 at 7:45 pm

Cooked first!!!

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89 Josh June 28, 2011 at 7:08 am

If I were going to use steel cut oats, for 1 cup of oats, how much milk would you suggest I use? My plan was to add some strawberry whey protein to it. When I would go to eat it, I was planning on mixing in some cut strawberries, and add some honey nut cheerios on top for some “crunchiness”.

Thanks,
Josh

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90 KathEats June 28, 2011 at 8:38 am

Hey Josh,
I haven’t ever made OO with steel cut – I think they might not be able to absorb enough liquid without the heat. You could still soak them and then cook them in the morning – which would reduce cooking time. The overnight oats that I make use rolled oats, which have more surface area. I also add yogurt for thickness and a real food protein source (so I never heat mine because of the yogurt)

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91 Josh June 28, 2011 at 7:33 pm

I did not give the steel cut oats a try last night, but I will be trying them tonight. I ended up just cooking it up the old fashioned way (30 min on the stove). The reason I end up using the protein powder is because I like to have a high(ish) protein breakfast without a huge caloric intake. I thought about using sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc, but with them, a little goes a long way with calories, but only about 10-15% of the calories are from protein. What would you suggest for a real food protein source that could be added?

Thanks again,
Josh

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92 KathEats June 28, 2011 at 7:39 pm

Cottage cheese and/or making the oats with milk. Or a yogurt topping (I wouldn’t mix it in though)

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93 Seth June 30, 2011 at 8:32 am

Very new to OO and loving it. My favorite is Muesli soaked overnight in Hemp Milk and then in the morning I add a nice amount of organic cinnamon with a good handful of sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. AMAZING!

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94 Mekaela July 8, 2011 at 8:33 pm

I made OIAJ last night for my mother and I. It was quite delicious. I used raw oats, vanilla almond milk and plain yogurt with diced peaches and strawberries. In the morning I topped it off with almonds and walnuts as well as some crumbled multigrain cereal. It was very delicious. Thank you for suggesting this….I would have never thought to make oats this way!

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95 Clinton July 12, 2011 at 1:44 pm

Overnight Oats is my new absolute favorite thing in the world. I have a bowl every morning now and it really gets me going in the morning. I fat free plain greek yogurt for mine so I add a pump or two of sugar free coffee syrup and it really gives it amazing flavor. My favorite is the Sugar Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Torani makes. That and a teasponn of Splenda brown sugar and its like dessert for breakfast. I actually wake up excited to eat my oats.

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96 Kerry July 18, 2011 at 5:59 pm

I recently started reading your blog, and I love it! Yo have so many great ideas that I can’t wait to try! I just had overnight oats for the first time this morning, and they were SO good. I used an almost empty peanut butter jar and added oats, milk, yogurt, banana, raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla. It’s nice to have an alternative to hot oatmeal. Thanks for the great idea!

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97 KathEats July 18, 2011 at 6:17 pm

Welcome and thank you!

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98 Alison August 1, 2011 at 5:40 pm

Do you ever put cottage cheese in overnight oats?

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99 KathEats August 1, 2011 at 5:53 pm

No, I haven’t done them with cottage cheese. The main reason is I love them with yogurt so I almost always use yogurt and adding cottage cheese in my opinion would be a ‘waste of expensive protein’ – double what I’d need. I guess I could always do half and half though!

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100 juliendbq August 3, 2011 at 10:49 am

Has anyone tried adding long-grain or brown rice? I think you would have to cook it beforehand, which defeats the purpose of convenience, but I enjoy a little more texture in my oats. I’ve only ever cooked my oats on the stove–large batch that tides me through 7-10 days. When the weather’s hot and/or space in my fridge is limited, the excess goes into the freezer until I need it. I also add oatbran to my old-fashioned oats, steel cut oats and/or brown rice. I’m going to give the “overnight” method” a shot. Thanks!

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101 Dillan August 7, 2011 at 9:26 pm

Kate! Thanks for your post on my site—and for sharing all these great recipes on yours! So tell me: what led you to start soaking your oats? I know what I learned as I was becoming certified as a holistic health coach, but tell me more about why you do it. ;)

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102 KathEats August 7, 2011 at 9:29 pm

I do it for the convenience and taste – not any health reasons

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103 Bridget August 8, 2011 at 7:38 pm

Just throwing it out there that I have made oo with muscle milk and soy milk ( 1/2 and 1/2 measurements) and It’s sooo good! May be a tad more protein than some people are looking for but I don’t really eat meat and my schedule doesn’t always allow for healtful filling meals. Thanks so much for this! I usually make a double batch (1 cup of oats, and 1/2 cup of each kind of milk) with fruit and sometimes peanut butter. Then, I eat half for lunch and the other half as a midmorning snack. YUM!! love your site! :)

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104 Bridget August 8, 2011 at 7:39 pm

I mean half for breakfast and the other half as a midmorning snack..:p

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105 willow August 10, 2011 at 11:15 pm

How many serving does this make? Fingers crossed you say one, ’cause I made them for breakfast this morning and yum!

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106 KathEats August 11, 2011 at 7:13 am

One!

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107 Robyn W August 23, 2011 at 8:13 am

I made these for the first time and am eating them right now! My new go to breakfast, thank you!

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108 Samantha September 1, 2011 at 2:35 am

THANK YOU for finally explaining what overnight oats are! I have been reading food blogs for a few months and haven’t been able to figure it out (OIAJ was even worse haha) because everyone else seemed to have known what they were for a long time and wouldn’t bother explaining the term. I am now a converted Overnight Oats girl and have been making it for breakfast almost every morning the past few days! My favorite so far is a banana + jelly combo but I can’t wait to try more!

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109 Elaine September 5, 2011 at 10:29 pm

I’m a 1st time visitor to this site and I’ve also been reading about overnight oats for months now, but couldn’t exactly what the mixture is! Glad I’m not the only one :)

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110 Kimberly H. September 1, 2011 at 6:51 am

Just made these and had them for breakfast. Delicious! I had some flavoured yogurt (Yoplait = 3/4 cup) and tossed that in with the oats, soy milk, and banana. It was perfect and I didn’t need to add any flavouring. An even quicker shortcut for a quick breakfast.

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111 Steve September 1, 2011 at 8:06 am

First time–quick, convenient, and delicious. Thanks.

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112 Elaine September 5, 2011 at 10:28 pm

Hi there! Glad I found your blog so I could get an idea of what the “base” for overnight oats is.

I don’t tolerate dairy products well, so I’m wondering what I could use to mix with the oats? I like my oatmeal on the thicker side, so I don’t want to do just almond milk. Any ideas??

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113 KathEats September 6, 2011 at 6:36 am

Hi Elaine, I would use a soy or coconut based yogurt – yogurt is key! And the chia seeds for sure

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114 Megan M September 6, 2011 at 8:07 am

Can I use Almond milk as a substitute to milk or hemp milk? I live in a place where I don’t have access to hemp milk and prefer not to use dairy products whenever possible. Thanks!

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115 Megan M September 6, 2011 at 8:08 am

I just read the comment posted before mine…so you can disregard it! I’ll follow the advice above.

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116 KathEats September 6, 2011 at 8:10 am

Yup!

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117 Karalea September 8, 2011 at 3:40 pm

I LOVE bananas, and I notice you use them in a lot of recipes, but I’m allergic to them. Can you suggest any good substitutes?

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118 KathEats September 8, 2011 at 5:04 pm

Pumpkin!! And applesauce

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119 Denise September 22, 2011 at 5:02 pm

Would you mind clarifying the Banana Crunch recipe for me? The recipe calls for prepared steel-cut oats and prepared wheatberries; I understand that you’d need to cook steel-cut oats beforehand because of the texture, but how do you prepare the wheatberries? Can you purchase them pre-cooked?

Also, any ideas for an overnight oatmeal that would work with plain rice milk?

Thank you!

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120 KathEats September 22, 2011 at 7:23 pm

Denise,

Here’s a post I did on wheatberries. I used to make them a lot to throw into things like soups and oatmeal. If you don’t already have some cooked, I wouldn’t bother for this recipe – but they sure do add some nice chew!

http://www.katheats.com/?page_id=4309&preview=true

Kath

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121 Shan October 17, 2011 at 12:41 am

What’s the ratio of oats to milk if yogurt isn’t an option? I’m lactose intolerant and really don’t like the taste of soy yogurt. I’m planning to use coconut milk, so should i just double the amount of coconut milk?

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122 KathEats October 17, 2011 at 7:50 am

Shan,
Skipping the yogurt will drastically change the texture – it will be much more liquidy even if you don’t add more milk. Yogurt really thickens it. I might add a bit more milk – like 1/2 cupish and perhaps some more chia seeds to help thicken it too? Unless you don’t mind it being more like cereal and milk – then add as much as you like.

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123 Beth October 30, 2011 at 3:25 pm

Do you have to add milk as well? What would happen if you just mixed oats and yogurt and let it sit overnight?

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124 KathEats October 30, 2011 at 8:43 pm

The liquid is pretty key – without it the oats would be SUPER thick and not as “cooked.” When you use a liquid the oats absorb it and it helps to tenderize them.

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125 Beth November 11, 2011 at 6:07 pm

Well, I just did 1/2c. each of oats, yogurt, almond milk, and pumpkin – hoping it’ll turn out as my first batch of overnight oats :) Planning to slice a banana to put on top in the morning!

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126 Jenifer Harrod January 9, 2012 at 1:40 pm

I just added your overnight oatmeal to my post.

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127 Lizzie January 23, 2012 at 4:08 pm

Wow I really must try overnight oats. I need a really simple, but yummy recipe. Any suggestions? All I have is yogurt,milk,oats,cereal,granola,fruit. I am trying to use minimal ingredients.

Thanks! Oh, and how would this be calorie wise? I am trying to keep it on the lower side, but nutritious!

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128 Eline January 24, 2012 at 4:44 pm

In the fridge! I used the first recipe.

I used chocolate soy milk because I didn’t have plain, and plain soy yoghurt (both 1/2 cup), a small banana (mashed) and oats (1/2 cup). I added some cocoa powder (the normal raw kind). I don’t have strawberries but might slice up a banana tomorrow morning or maybe a pear to go with it. Also, all out of trail mix at the moment, might add a couple of cashews tomorrow morning :)

I’m excited to see how this will turn out! Much more chocolatey than any of the recipes here… good thing I like chocolate ;)

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129 Barbie January 26, 2012 at 12:41 pm

I have been eating overnight oats for about 2 weeks now and I really am enjoying them. I actually found the recipe on a Whole Foods newsletter. Finding your blog this morning, was the first time that I heard about adding yogurt and I will have to try it. I just usually use 1/2 cup organic rolled oats, 1/2 cup organic rice milk, walnuts and a generous sprinkle of organic cinnamon. I mix all the ingredients in a bowl and cover it with wax paper. What a delicious breakfast or an anytime healthy meal.

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130 Leila January 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

Mmm, the pumpkin was really good, and easily adaptable for apple as well: I use applesauce and apple chunks and keep the pie spice.
Yummy breakfast.
http://cenabimus.blogspot.com/2011/09/overnight-oats-anyone.html

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131 Ev February 2, 2012 at 12:56 pm

Hello!

Just wondering where you get your chia seeds??

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132 KathEats February 2, 2012 at 1:21 pm

Chiaseedsdirect.com. I got a 2 lb bag and it lasted me ages (still going). Whole Foods for smaller quantities

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133 Crystal March 13, 2012 at 8:42 pm

Looking forward to trying these in the morning!

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134 Janice March 15, 2012 at 6:58 am

I made the strawberry banana overnight oats. It was soooo good! I loved the fluffy and creamy texture! Its a great and refreshing breakfast to have, especially since its going to be hot today! I mixed in cinnamon and pure vanilla extract the night before. The next day I cut half of a banana and “melted” it and mixed it with the oats then topped it with chopped strawberries and the rest of the small banana. Then I put some mixed raw nuts on top and a spoonful of peanutbutter. Mmmm…

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135 KathEats March 15, 2012 at 6:59 am

Eating them right now!!

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136 Susan April 5, 2012 at 1:08 pm

I tried this the first time and didn’t love it. However, I tried it again yesterday using vanilla greek yogurt, 1% mlik, pure vanilla extract and a little brown sugar. Right before eating it, I stirred in some walnuts and topped it with blueberries, sunbutter and shredded unsweetened coconut. I also warmed it to lukewarm before eating it and softened the sunbutter first. DEEEELLLLLISH! Loved it, loved it, loved it. So very glad that I gave this a second try :-) .

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137 Mariel April 10, 2012 at 9:35 am

OK so I tried and failed at OO with Steel Cut Oats. I actually think they are the quick cook kind so I need to get the right kind. I did double liquid to oats and they absorbed everything and then some! Super gummy/thick. Hoping round 2 works!

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138 KathEats April 10, 2012 at 9:37 am

Yeah, rolled oats are ideal!

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139 Shannon April 10, 2012 at 6:17 pm

Oh my! I just made some of this for the first time! I can’t stop eating it even though I am STUFFED! A little fills me up. What a FANTASTIC breakfast or snack for a pregnant mama! :) So delicious! I’m off to look at the rest of your stuff…

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140 Beki April 14, 2012 at 1:41 pm

This is an amazing idea! I’m hopeless at trying to decide what to eat for breakfast in the mornings so to have something tasty ready prepared sounds perfect. I even have some jumbo oats in the cupboard at the moment so will definitely have to give this a try! Any idea whether you can get chia seeds outside the US?

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141 KathEats April 14, 2012 at 1:43 pm

I’m not quite sure, but the internet might ship them, and natural food stores with bulk bins here usually have them

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142 Beki April 15, 2012 at 6:21 am

Thanks! I’m in the UK so will do a Google search and see if I can find some. Loving your blog btw :)

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143 Jennifer April 18, 2012 at 7:40 pm

oh my goodness, after reading this post, I wish overnight oats didn’t have to sit overnight :) I want some for my bedtime snack.

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144 Lindsey R. April 19, 2012 at 10:52 am

Okay Kath you have to tell me where you got that floral spoon thats shown in the barney butter jar photo! I’ve been dying for one and can’t find them anywhere.

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145 KathEats April 19, 2012 at 11:29 am

It’s an antique iced tea spoon that i got from my grandmother. Antique stores (and Ebay) have them, but they can be expensive

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146 Katie Cummings May 7, 2012 at 11:19 pm

I tried the basic recipe and wasn’t a fan, I need some sweetener in my life!

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147 Priya May 10, 2012 at 7:46 pm

Has anyone tried using kefir in place of yogurt and/or milk?

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148 KathEats May 10, 2012 at 7:57 pm

Yeah it’s great!

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149 Carly May 11, 2012 at 8:21 pm

Hi!
I only have minute oats at my place. I was wondering if anyone has tried overnight oatmeal with the instant variety? And if so, how was it?
Thanks :)

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150 KathEats May 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm

It should work!

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151 Carly May 12, 2012 at 10:06 am

I think it did! I can’t compare it to non-quick cooking oats (the ones I used usually take 3-5 minutes to boil), but the taste was great. Although it didn’t seem to thicken too much overnight, within 30 minutes all the liquid seemed to be absorbed. Perhaps a solution for those who don’t want to wait overnight?..

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152 Marc May 16, 2012 at 11:38 am

In your opinion does Nutella qualify as a healthy nut butter to add?

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153 KathEats May 16, 2012 at 11:40 am

I wouldn’t call it a health food (kind of the same category as Biscoff) but I don’t think it’s bad to have every now and then. I wouldn’t make it my daily staple or eat it by the half cup on a regular basis though.

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154 Mary May 18, 2012 at 8:37 pm

Hi! I love reading your blog! I love the idea of overnight oats! Just one question though, are the chia seeds neccessary?

Thank you!

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155 KathEats May 18, 2012 at 8:43 pm

Nope! Totally optional – but they do add a fun texture.

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