Overnight Oats

Updated Nov. 13, 2023

Overnight Oats
David Malosh for The New York Times
Total Time
5 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Rating
4(9,014)
Notes
Read community notes

Overnight oats are, of course, a healthy breakfast and they’re easy to make, but they also feel like a special treat, sweet with dried fruit. Unlike oatmeal, uncooked but softened oats retain a fresh flavor and taste delicious cold. Top it with nuts just before eating for an irresistible crunch against the creamy oats.

Keys to This Recipe

How to Make Overnight Oats: Simply mix oats and milk in a 1 to 2 ratio and add sweeteners, salt or other add-ins, such as dried or fresh fruit, nuts or seeds, according to your tastes. For one breakfast serving of overnight oats, start with ¼ cup oats and ½ cup milk.

The Best Oats for Overnight Oats: Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, become tender and creamy when soaked. Quick-cooking oats, which are smaller, can end up pasty and steel-cut oats, which are sturdier, stay quite firm even after soaking.

Milk Options for Overnight Oats: Dairy and non-dairy milks work well for overnight oats. Coconut, soy and oat milk yield thicker mixtures, which you can thin with more milk before serving if you’d like. If you use sweetened non-dairy milk, taste the soaked oats before adding more sweetener.

Sweeteners for Overnight Oats: Soaking dried fruit — use your favorite — alongside the oats sweetens the mixture nicely, but you can stir in additional sugar, maple syrup or honey to taste just before eating.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups
  • ½cup old-fashioned oats
  • ¼cup dried fruit, cut into small pieces, if needed
  • 1tablespoon chia, flax, poppy or sesame seeds
  • 1cup milk or unsweetened dairy alternative, such as almond or oat milk
  • ¼teaspoon kosher salt
  • Maple syrup, honey or brown sugar (optional)
  • 2tablespoons chopped or sliced nuts, toasted, if desired
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

136 calories; 6 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 145 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix oats, dried fruit, seeds, milk and salt in a pint jar or 2-cup airtight resealable container. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 5 days.

  2. Step 2

    Uncover, stir well, and taste. If you prefer more sweetness, stir in some sweetener. Top with the nuts just before eating.

    Image of finished oats in a jar with a spoon for making overnight oats.
Tip
  • The soaked oat mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ratings

4 out of 5
9,014 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I guess this is a silly question, but- when the recipe says "old-fashioned oats," does this mean steel-cut oats or rolled oats? Clarity, please. Thank you.

I don't like ANYTHING super cold for breakfast so when I make oats like this I use almond milk and leave it on the counter overnight for room temperature pleasure in the morning!

HI, It means rolled oats instead of quick cook or instant. Steel cut don't work that well overnight.

This is essentially Bircher Muesli... we do something similar but instead of milk we “soak” the oats in plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt, which doesn’t have enough moisture in it). It’s lovely with raisins, pumpkin seeds, toasted chopped almonds... yum. Could eat any time of year or day!!

I am really not a fan of eating cold oatmeal so when I take the jar out of the refrigerator I pop it into the microwave(with the lid off)for a minute or two just to warm it up a bit. The results are fabulous no matter what the mix!!

My daily breakfast. I always the same inputs when initially assembled (1/2 Red Mill "Extra Thick" rolled oats; 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk; 1 tablespoon chia seeds; and a few twists of sea salt) but then vary the "add-ins" when I'm ready to eat them. Three basic categories: sweeteners (I'm partial to a tablespoon of light brown suger), nuts (2 tablespoons walnut bits, pecan bits, or slivered almonds), and a half cup fresh fruit (blueberries, bananas, or whatever). Just re-stir!

I love steel-cut oats so much that I went looking for overnight recipes for them. (I've done rolled oats, too, and they're good but still ...) Steel cut will have a texture more like muesli when you're done but that's a selling point to me. Here's one version I've used: https://www.wellplated.com/overnight-steel-cut-oats-recipe/ If you want easy, creamy steel-cut oatmeal, I'm a huge fan of baking: https://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/oven-oatmeal/

I haven’t tried this recipe—which looks great—but I used to be in the habit of making overnight oats all the time and I always used a 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup yoghurt, and half a half cup of oats, which is a nice way to get in some probiotics. I never found it to be soupy using this ratio, though of course that’s subjective.

1 cup milk is too much, IMO. I use 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup liquid, which leaves the oats with a little chewiness. I put in some dried fruit, too. Before I eat it I microwave for 1 minute to take the chill off, add a drizzle of maple syrup, a little cold almond milk, and nuts if I'm really ambitious.

So much tastier than cooked oats! I use fresh fruit and no added salt or sweetener. Usually throw in flax, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric. All the night before so no thinking required in morning. Yum!

The variability in fruit, milk, and nuts would make a calorie count pretty unreliable here.

The calorie count and other nutritional information should be prominently displayed at the top of every recipe. Can this dish be heated?

I am surprised at the nutritional info on this recipe. One-half cup of oats is listed, on the package, as ONE serving. Here, 1/2 C. of oats is FOUR?! I'm not sure what to make of this, especially since the other ingredients are also standard "one serving" sizes: 1/4 C. dried fruit is one serving; 1 T. seeds equals 1 serving; etc. Nutritionally, this might be four portions only if they are considered to be snack-sized (or child sized?) portions.

I have never tried this before and found it much more tasty than cooked oatmeal. I used quick oats, raisins, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and a few toasted almonds chopped in fairly large pieces (and milk). I added some fresh diced mango before eating it. Delicious!

Often make with 1/2 c oats, 1/2 c milk (dairy or not), and 1/2 c regular yogurt. Can use any flavor of regular yogurt -- my favorite combination is lemon yogurt, a little orange or lemon zest, and any fresh berry. Throw them all in a mug and walk out the door with it the next morning. Trader Joe's makes a mixed grain rolled oat like cereal - try it - it's even better than regular oats. Has a nutty flavor all its own.

Wow, I just read the article about Overnight Oats, and I absolutely loved it! The way the steps and details were explained was so simple and helpful. I tried making the recipe, and it turned out to be fantastic! Overnight oats are such a convenient and delicious breakfast option, especially for busy mornings. Plus, I used True Elements Rolled Oats for this recipe, and they worked perfectly. I'

Finally a way I can love oatmeal! I followed the recipe and made variations. I bump up the protein and probiotics by using half keifer and halt almond milk. Also a scoop of vanilla whey. I’ll add fresh fruit too when serving. So many possibilities… all great.

This is my go-to breakfast. If you forget to make it the night before, you just need to refrigerate for 2 hours in the morning so you can delay breakfast just a bit. Have another cup of coffee!

I like this recipe but my first attempt wasn’t very successful. I followed the recipe as written. Much of the milk was not absorbed, leaving it kind of soupy. One tablespoon of poppyseeds was definitely overkill. With less milk and options other than poppyseeds, it’s great.

I don't soak organic rolled oats overnight but let them sit for about 10 minutes to soften. A "dash" of blueberries or raspberries, etc. adds freshness. A bit of raw sugar, less than a half teaspoon of sugar is all that is necessary.

This has become my new breakfast favorite. After the soaking, I add some nuts, fresh fruit blueberries or strawberries or… for an interesting crunch I add 1 t of teff.

Way too salty as written

PB2 if you want a peanut butter taste w/out the fat. Great with banana. I always warm my oats in the am, as I don’t want them cold.

Too much milk. Use 3/4 cup.

This is my go to overnight oat recipe. It's perfect for dried fruits that have gone a little stiff. Been doing maple syrup as a sweetener and dried figs lately. Delish and filling, and all combinations are possible!

The notes on this are spot on. After combining rolled oats and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, I add almond powder, sugar free flavored pudding powder, chia seeds and shaved coconut, then fruit just before eating. Tastes so good!

1/4 cup of oats isn’t a bi enough serving. It should be. 1/2 cup.

Double this recipe and it works perfectly with a can of light coconut milk!

This didn't work for me. I made it as written with 1 cup almond milk, but it was still liquid in the morning. I have another recipe that calls for a scant 2/3 cup milk (or substitute) and 1/4 cup yogurt, which is what I will go back to.

Wow this is the best. Easy, healthy, customizable and delicious. It is now my go to workweek breakfast. I put the sweetener in with the oats, fruit and flax meal. Thanks for a recipe that makes eating healthy easy.

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