Make healthy overnight oats with chia seeds and Greek yogurt for an easy high protein meal prep breakfast. We also give you 3 different mix-ins to change up the flavors. They're a Whole Lotta Yum!
Why you'll love our overnight oats with yogurt!
- They're to customize! Plus we give you 3 options to start with
- You can make them vegan with plant-based alternatives
- High protein with healthy fats
- PERFECT for meal prep to make your morning easier!
- These are great for losing weight, making it easier to feel full longer
We're sharing our basic creamy and delicious chia oats, plus giving you three creative ways to change the flavors with mixed berry, peanut butter banana, and apple cinnamon.
On a personal note, eating overnight oats for weight loss has honestly been a game-changer for me and has been helping me lose weight. No more feeling hungry an hour after eating breakfast. The high protein and healthy fats combo have helped to keep me full plus it's reduced my cravings for other treats.
And we literally eat these almost daily with our Starbucks copycat egg white bites for a 30 grams of protein breakfast.
Ingredient Notes
Our overnight oats recipe starts with a base that's really just a basic overnight oats recipe on its own. Then you can either add them to mason jars and chill them OR you can mix in one of our variations to change up the flavor. Either way, eating them simple or with a flavor, they're super good.
- rolled oats - plain old rolled oats here, we prefer the gluten-free oats but any will work. We don't recommend steel-cut oats or instant oats.
- milk - dairy milk, almond milk, oat milk, soy, or coconut milk all work great.
- Greek yogurt - you can use non fat Greek yogurt, full fat, or a different type of yogurt of your choosing. We prefer Greek yogurt since it's thick and it doesn't water down the oats.
- vanilla
- honey - maple syrup or agave work well too
- chia seeds - these can be left out but we love the extra boost of fiber and protein they give!
- sea salt
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Can overnight oats be made with water?
We used almond milk in the recipe, but you can of course use water instead. However, using plant based milk or cow's milk does give a creaminess and extra flavor that water can't provide but it's a great option if you're out of milk.
Variations
Mixed Berry
- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (we used fresh strawberries and blueberries)
- lemon zest (optional)
- garnish ideas: granola, peanut butter or almond butter, blueberries, strawberries
Peanut Butter Banana
- banana
- peanut butter
- chocolate chips
- coconut flakes
- garnish ideas: sliced banana, peanut butter, coconut, mini chocolate chips
Apple Cinnamon Raisin
- raisins
- cinnamon
- chopped apples
- garnish ideas: raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup, apples
Equipment
Mason jars- We use 8 oz mason jars, they make the perfect one cup portion for breakfast or a snack.
How to make overnight oats with chia seeds and yogurt
Making overnight oats is super simple. Just combine the base layer ingredients in a bowl, add in your flavors of choice (optional), chill overnight, and then garnish with your favorite toppings.
Make basic overnight oats
Mix the rolled oats, yogurt, milk, vanilla, honey, chia seeds, and salt in a medium size mixing bowl.
Add a mix-in (optional)
We often eat the basic overnight oats when we're short on time, but our 3 variations are great for changing the flavor and adding fruits.
- Mixed berry - ¼ each of fresh blueberries and strawberries. Defrosted frozen berries can also be used too but they will turn your oats purple. You can add 1 teaspoon of shredded lemon peel but this is optiona.
- Peanut butter banana oats - add ½ of a mashed banana, 2 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter), 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon coconut flakes, and mix well.
- Apple cinnamon raisin - add ¼ cup raisins to the basic overnight oats recipe. The cinnamon and apple get added right before serving for the best consistency.
Refrigerate
The oats mixture can be left in the bowl or you can divide them equally into 6 mason jars.
Cover the oats and place in the fridge overnight to chill. Just before serving, add the extra toppings of your choice. Get creative or try our suggestions below!
Topping ideas
- Mixed berry - chopped strawberries, blueberries, granola
- Peanut butter banana - add sliced bananas, a drizzle of peanut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes, and chocolate chips (optional).
- Apple cinnamon raisin - chopped apples, a sprinkle of cinnamon, raisins, a drizzle of maple syrup
Recipe tips
- Do not use steel cut oats or quick oats in this recipe. Steel cut oats don't soften with this method and the quick-style oats will get too soggy.
- These will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, perfect for weekly breakfast meal prep!
Questions
Are they eaten warm or cold?
Homemade overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, straight from the fridge. The oats absorb the liquid overnight and turn out like a breakfast pudding or muesli. You could eat them warm if preferred, however, they are typically served cold.
Are overnight oats good for weight loss?
Overnight oats are great for weight loss since these are high in protein, filled with healthy fats, and they're high in fiber. Eating more protein in the morning and throughout the day helps to keep you full, which means you'll be less likely to eat extra unplanned snacks.
More weight loss meal prep recipes
- Blueberry chia seed pudding
- Frozen granola bark
- Vegan gluten-free granola
- Bacon egg cups
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Overnight Chia Oats
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Our overnight oats with chia seeds and Greek yogurt start with a base layer and we show you 3 different mix-ins to change up the flavors including peanut butter banana, apple cinnamon, and mixed berry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (180 g)
- 1 cup non-fat milk or almond milk (240 ml)
- 2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt (454 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (12 ml)
- ¼+ cup honey (84 g)
- 2 ½ Tablespoons chia seeds (30 g)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make Base Layer
Mix the base ingredients together in a medium size bowl, which includes rolled oats, yogurt, milk, vanilla, honey, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
Customize the Oats
- Mixed berry - to each mason jar add ¼ cup each of fresh blueberries and strawberries. Defrosted frozen berries can be used too but they'll turn your oats purple. We like to add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest too, but this is optional.
- Peanut butter banana oats - to each mason jar add ½ of a mashed banana mashed, 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or almond butter), 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, and 1 tablespoon coconut flakes, and mix well. The chocolate chips and coconut are entirely optional but they add a fun kick.
- Apple cinnamon raisin - to each mason jar add ¼ cup of raisins to the overnight oats base. The cinnamon and apple get added right before serving for the best consistency.
Chill
- Cover the overnight oats with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight to chill.
- Just before serving, add the extra toppings of your choice. Get creative or try our suggestions below!
- Mixed berry - chopped strawberries, blueberries, granola
- Peanut butter banana - add sliced bananas, a drizzle of peanut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes, and chocolate chips (optional).
- Apple cinnamon raisin - chopped apples, a sprinkle of cinnamon, raisins, a drizzle of maple syrup
Notes
All flavors are easy to customize, we often just eat the base layer without all of the toppings when we're in a hurry!
Serve with: egg white bites, and egg white scramble, or chicken breast sausage to increase the protein.
These will keep up to 5 days in the fridge, our recipe makes 6 portions of oats for the week.
Each serving is 167 g, and the total grams per batch is 1001.4 g if you need the weight for making this by the bowl and not mason jars.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 241Total Fat 4gCarbohydrates 39gNet Carbohydrates 34gFiber 5gProtein 15g
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