Vanilla overnight oats are the perfect basic overnight oatmeal recipe. Top with your favorite fruits, nut butter, granola, or nuts.
This is a nutritious breakfast idea for people who enjoy meal prep. You can make several jars of overnight oats on Sunday night and have an easy, healthy breakfast ready all week long.
Old fashioned oats are a gluten-free whole grain and are a good source of dietary fiber. Plus, chia seeds are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
This vanilla overnight oatmeal is a great basic recipe that you can customize. Once you perfect these oats, you can customize the recipe with your favorite toppings.
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For more overnight oats recipes, try Nutella overnight oats, protein powder overnight oats, or peanut butter overnight oats.
Recipe highlights
- Easy breakfast: Just stir up the ingredients and refrigerate overnight, perfect for busy mornings.
- High fiber: A half cup of old fashioned oats has 4 grams of dietary fiber.
- Healthy fat: Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
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Ingredients
This basic overnight oats recipe is made with simple ingredients.
- Old fashioned rolled oats - These are something labeled old fashioned or rolled oats, or both. This is different from "quick oats" or "instant oats."
- Vanilla almond milk, unsweetened - This is a great option because it enhances the vanilla flavor and has fewer carbohydrates than cow's milk. Plus, it's sugar-free. In contrast, whole milk typically has about 12 grams of sugar per serving.
- Vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt - This adds both sweetness and flavor. Vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt has less fat, fewer carbohydrates, and more protein than traditional lowfat vanilla yogurt.
- Pure maple syrup - To sweeten.
- Chia seeds - For fiber and a thicker consistency. Chia seeds absorb some of the liquid.
- Pure vanilla extract - For taste.
- Salt - For taste.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in a 12 to 16-ounce bowl or jar. A 12 ounce Mason jar is pictured below.
Mix until well combined. The mixture will be liquidy, but don't worry, the oats and chia seeds will absorb most of the liquid when it chills.
Cover and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of four hours.
The next morning, remove the oats from the fridge, stir the oatmeal, and serve cold. You can warm them if you prefer.
Topping ideas: fresh fruit, fresh berries (fresh blueberries are pictured), banana, almond slices (pictured), cinnamon, craisins, toasted peanuts, peanut butter, almond butter, and honey.
Substitutions
Customize these vanilla overnight oats to make them your own. Use it as a base recipe for your own creation.
- Milk - Any milk will be great with this recipe: cow's milk, sweetened almond milk, unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, cashew, you name it. This recipe was made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, so note that the nutrition will change with any adjustments.
- Yogurt - This recipe was developed with vanilla Greek yogurt but would also be delicious with any other plain yogurt (plain Greek, non-fat, cashew milk, almond, you name it). Note that the nutrition will change.
- Maple syrup - Honey or brown sugar are great substitutes.
- Chia seeds - This oatmeal recipe can be made without chia seeds but will have a much thinner consistency. The chia seeds swell and absorb the liquid, making it thick. You can add less milk or yogurt for thicker oatmeal if you choose to remove the chia seeds.
For a vegan version, try this vegan vanilla oatmeal recipe.
Equipment
You don't need any special equipment or kitchen tools to make this recipe. All you need is a 12 to 16-ounce jar or container such as a mason jar, old jam jars, or any other airtight container.
This is a 12-ounce wide-mouth mason jar. A bowl covered in plastic wrap or a Tupperware container with a lid will also do the trick.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The old-fashioned oats will become softer over time.
Related
Ready for more delicious recipes? Try these oats.
📖 Recipe
Vanilla Overnight Oats
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup vanilla almond milk unsweetened
- ¼ cup vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a 12 to 16-ounce bowl or jar, mixing until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of four hours.
- Remove from the fridge, stir the oatmeal, and serve. See Notes for topping ideas.
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