Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are rolled oats soaked overnight in milk and yogurt, so they soften into a creamy, ready-to-eat breakfast by morning, with no cooking at all. This basic recipe adds chia seeds for thickness and fiber, and fresh berries and mint on top, layered in a jar like the one in our photo. It takes 5 minutes to make the night before, serves 2, and gives each person about 15.5 g of protein and 7.5 g of fiber. Once you have the basic ratio, you can change the flavors every day.

• Serves: 2
• Prep time: 5 minutes, plus at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge
• Cook time: none
• Total time: 5 minutes active

Ingredients

• 80 g (¾ cup) rolled oats
• 240 ml (1 cup) milk or unsweetened soy milk
• 100 g (⅓ cup) plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons (10 g) chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• 150 g (1 cup) mixed berries, such as strawberries and blueberries, fresh or frozen
• A few mint leaves, to serve

Method

1. Put the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds and vanilla or cinnamon in a bowl and stir well, making sure the chia seeds don’t clump.
2. Divide between two jars or containers with lids.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
4. In the morning, stir. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk.
5. Top with berries and mint. If you’re layering in a jar, alternate spoonfuls of oats and berries.
6. Eat cold, or warm in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway, until hot all the way through.

The basic ratio

For one serving, use roughly:

• 40 g (½ cup) rolled oats
• 120 ml (½ cup) milk
• 50 g (2 to 3 tablespoons) yogurt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Add more milk for a looser texture, or more yogurt and chia for a thicker, pudding-like result.

Flavor ideas

• Apple pie: grated apple, cinnamon and chopped walnuts.
• Peanut butter and banana: a spoonful of peanut butter stirred in, topped with sliced banana.
• Tropical: diced mango and kiwi with a little coconut. Our guide on how to cut a mango makes prep easy.
• Chocolate: 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder, topped with raspberries.
• Carrot cake: grated carrot, cinnamon, a few raisins and walnuts.
• Berry: stir frozen berries in the night before, so their juice colors the oats.

Tips

• Use rolled oats, not instant oats, which go mushy, or steel-cut oats, which stay too firm unless soaked longer.
• Sweeten with fruit, such as mashed banana, grated apple or berries, rather than syrup.
• Add protein with Greek yogurt, soy milk or a spoonful of nut butter, so breakfast lasts until lunch.
• Make 3 or 4 at once. Overnight oats keep for up to 3 days in the fridge; add fresh fruit on the day.
• Use jars with lids for a grab-and-go breakfast. Our guide to healthy breakfasts on the go has more ideas.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

One serving is half the recipe. These figures were calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for rolled oats, 2% milk, low-fat Greek yogurt, chia seeds, strawberries, blueberries and spearmint.

Oats provide beta glucan, a soluble fiber that can help lower cholesterol, as our article on whether oats are healthy explains. The sugars here come from the fruit and milk, not added sugar, which the NHS doesn’t count as free sugar. Adding a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup would add about 5 g of free sugar per serving.

Contains: milk (milk, yogurt). Oats may contain gluten unless labeled gluten-free.

Food safety and storage

Keep overnight oats in the fridge and eat them within 3 days. If you take them to work or school, pack them with an ice pack, as the USDA advises not leaving perishable food out for more than 2 hours. Soaked oats are safe to eat without cooking, as commercial rolled oats are heat-treated during processing.

Common questions

Can I make overnight oats without yogurt?

Yes. Use 160 ml of milk per 40 g of oats instead. The result is a little thinner and lower in protein.

Are overnight oats healthier than cooked porridge?

They’re nutritionally very similar. Some of the starch in cooled oats becomes resistant starch, but the difference is small. Choose whichever you prefer.

Are overnight oats gluten-free?

Only if you use oats labeled gluten-free. Our article on whether oats are gluten-free explains why.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow a diet for a medical reason, check the recipe with your doctor or dietitian.