When you’ve got a busy week ahead and and know you won’t have enough time in the mornings to make breakfast, how do you fuel up for your day? With overnight oats!

We’re not talking about your childhood bowl of semi-slimy oatmeal dumped out of a packet. We’re talking feed-your-body, feed-your-soul overnight oats you can customize to your liking.

Not familiar with overnight oats?

This no-cook method of making oatmeal allows you to prep for your busy day in less than 5 minutes the night before. You’re simply combining two required ingredients−oats and milk*−with your favorite fruits, nuts, and seeds. The oats “cook” in the milk overnight, so they’re ready to enjoy the following morning. *You can use an unsweetened milk substitute if you prefer.

The prep is exceptionally simple and you can use what you have on hand. In fact, there is no limit to the ways you can customize your overnight oats.

Do I need anything special to make overnight oats?

Not technically, but if you’re looking for a portable breakfast, you might want to buy some Mason jars with lids. These are the perfect size for a serving of overnight oats and having that lid allows you to take them with you wherever you go.

Ideally, you’ll want to use old fashioned rolled oats, but you can use quick-cook oats as well. The end product may be a bit mushier (technical term) with the quick-cook oats, but feel free to use them. I’m not a fan of steel cut oats for overnight oats as they take longer to absorb the liquid and can be a bit more difficult to digest.

Why should I try overnight oats?

You mean besides skipping breakfast or making a poor choice on your way out the door?

Allow me to list a few reasons:

• Overnight oats are Simple to Make.
• You can use what you have on hand.
• It’s a no-cook method of meal prep.
• They’re a great substitute for sugary cereals or breakfast bars.
• They can save you money because the ingredients are inexpensive and filling which can reduce your desire to snack.
• They’re a great portable breakfast option.
• The base recipe really is just a 1:1 mix of oats + milk (or an unsweetened milk substitute).
• You can customize each jar of overnight oats to your picky family’s preferences (click on the Simple to Customize tab for ideas).

So, rather than grab that protein bar on your way out of the house or skip breakfast entirely, why not grab a much healthier jar of overnight oats? Your body will thank you!

Simple to Make
Mixed Berry Banana Overnight Oats

Simple to Make
Raspberry Banana Lemon Poppy Seed
Overnight Oats

Simple to Customize
Add-in Options

Simple to Make—Mixed Berry Banana Overnight Oats

This overnight oats recipe is probably my most-frequently made because it combines my love of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and banana with oats, yogurt, and whatever add-ins I have on hand.

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 C. rolled or quick-cook oats
• 1/3 C. milk (or any unsweetened non-dairy milk substitute)
• 4 oz. vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 T. maple syrup or honey
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 T. chia seeds
• 1 T. coconut flakes (optional because apparently there are people who don’t like coconut??? Who knew…)
• Handful of raspberries, blackberries, and quartered strawberries

Instructions:

• Using the back of a fort, mash the banana in the bottom of your oats jar.

• Add the oats and milk to the jar, then add the Greek yogurt. Stir to mix.
• Drizzle in the maple syrup and add the vanilla extract.
• Top with chia seeds and coconut flakes.

• Add your berries on top.
• Cover or screw on the Mason jar lid and refrigerate overnight.

This recipe is a take on a lemon poppy seed muffin, but I upped the flavor profile by adding raspberry and banana. If you’re looking for a true lemon poppy seed option, just eliminate the raspberries and banana. Easy peasy.

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 C. rolled or quick-cook oats
• 1/3 C. milk (or any unsweetened non-dairy milk substitute)
• 4 oz. lemon Greek yogurt
• 1 T. honey
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 T. chia seeds
• 1 T. poppy seeds
• Lemon zest (use as much or as little as you like)
• Handful of raspberries

Instructions:

• Using the back of a fort, mash the banana in the bottom of your oats jar.
• Add the oats and milk to the jar, then add the lemon Greek yogurt. Stir to mix.
• Drizzle in the honey and add the vanilla extract.
• Top with chia and poppy seeds and add the lemon zest.

• Top with raspberries.
• Cover or screw on the Mason jar lid and refrigerate overnight.

One of the best things about making overnight oats is that you can customize them any way you like. Once you create the base overnight oats recipe of equal parts rolled or quick-cook oats with milk (or unsweetened milk substitute), you can add in whatever you have on hand or whatever your family likes.

The possibilities are endless!

So, what can you add???

• Add some sweet
• Add some fruit
• Add some dairy
• Add some nuts
• Add some nut butter
• Add some seeds
• Add some spice

Sweet Options

• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Agave syrup

Fruit Options

• Any fresh fruit (but maybe stay away from apples or any fruits that brown easily as they’ll be sitting in the fridge overnight, you know…browning)
• Dried fruit, including cranberries, cherries, dates, raisins, apricots, mangoes, etc. Chop any larger pieces.

Dairy Options

• Any plain or flavored Greek yogurt adds a silky texture to the oats and provides additional protein.
• Use any milk or unsweetened milk substitute (almond milk, soy milk, etc.).

Nut and Nut Butter Options

• Chopped peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, or almonds all work well with overnight oats. Pick you favorite(s)!

• You can also add 1 T. nut butter to your overnight oats. Try peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, walnut, or pistachio butter.

Seed Options

• Chia (these are a great option as they are packed with nutrients including fiber, protein calcium, manganese, magnesium and more AND are high in antioxidants)
• Flax
• Pumpkin
• Sunflower
• Sesame
• Hemp

Spice Options

• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Nutmeg
• Pumpkin Pie Spice