Basic Overnight Oats are your life saver on those busy mornings! Just whip up a batch the night before and breakfast will be ready in the fridge for your family.
It’s no secret that I love the convenience of overnight oats:
Healthy ingredients, filling, make-ahead and super easy to prep.
I have plenty of recipes for different varieties on the blog already (AND a detailed guide on How to Make Overnight Oats!), but lately I’ve been doing something new:
Instead of making smaller batches of individually flavored oatmeal, I just whip up one large container of these basic ones – and then everyone can add the toppings they like.
Recipe Video Tutorial:
What are Overnight Oats?
So, what is this magic breakfast sorcery? They’re basically birchermuesli. You know, that weird 80ies trend your mom used to follow? ?
Long story short, they’re simply oats soaked in some form of liquid in the fridge overnight.
So… Do you eat overnight oats cold??
Yes, you sure do.
Don’t worry, most commercial oats are steam-rolled (so you’re not eating raw grain) to keep them from turning bitter over time.
Can you heat overnight oats if you want to? Well, yes. But I recommend leaving out the yogurt if you intend to warm them up in the morning – otherwise it tastes… Off.
Are overnight oats healthy?
Well… “Healthy” is a pretty difficult definition to make.
But in my books, yes. I consider them a healthy breakfast.
How to Make Basic Overnight Oats:
To make basic overnight oats, you don’t have to worry about any mix-ins or anything – you just stir together the base ingredients and shove the thing in the fridge.
You have two options here:
- assemble in individual containers (great if some of your family members take more than their fair share, ahem, or if some of your family needs an on-the-go option)
- make one large container of oats from where everyone can serve themselves in the morning (great for large families, or families with vastly different breakfast appetites)
I usually pick the second option now, because it’s SO much faster to prep!
And that’s seriously it – just stir together a handful of ingredients and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
Then, you can serve with things like fresh fruit, fruit preserves, peanut butter etc in the morning!
How long do Overnight Oats last?
You might be wondering how long the oats last in the fridge – especially if you’re planning on making one big container of oats for the entire family.
I prefer eating overnight oatmeal within 3 days of prepping it – any longer than that and it tends to get an unpleasant texture.
Here are some flavor ideas for your oats:
Vanilla Strawberry Overnight Oats
Chocolate Chip Banana Overnight Oats
Coconut Raspberry Overnight Oats
Almond Blueberry Overnight Oats
Printable recipe
Basic Overnight Oats
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a large container. Either keep in the large container OR spoon into individual jars to refrigerate (covered) overnight. Serve cold with fruit, fruit preserves and/or nut butter.
Stephy says
I cannot wait to try this!! But I have to ask, what type of smaller containers do you use or like?
Nora says
Stephy, I usually do mason jars, Weck canning jars or honestly just empty jam jars! Empty Bonne Maman jam jars are my favorite, even though it’s not my favorite jam, haha 😀 Hope this helps!
Lindsay says
I’ve tried a lot of overnight oat recipes, but this one is my favorite by far! I usually prep a batch into four individual containers at a time, stash in the fridge, and then also prep a fruit topping of some kind. Lately I love frozen mixed berries microwaved with a drizzle of maple syrup for the fruit.
These creamy oats + fruit topping + a spoon of almond or peanut butter is dreamy and filling. This registered dietitian approves. Thanks for the recipe!
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear this, Lindsay! And how delicious with the microwaved frozen berries.