Easy Overnight Oats with Yogurt
Posted Mar 24, 2019, Updated Sep 13, 2024
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These easy yogurt overnight oats are a delicious, high-protein breakfast made with 6 ingredients in 5 minutes! Plus it’s no-cook, gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free!
Make-ahead breakfasts are life-savers on busy mornings! Starting the week knowing that my refrigerator, freezer and pantry are well-stocked with easy and healthy breakfast options makes me one happy momma.
This Overnight Oats with Yogurt recipe is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s loaded with protein, calcium and fiber and will keep you full all morning long. You can also enjoy it with this Greek yogurt smoothie!
This is a great meal-prep recipe made with six ingredients in 5 minutes (no cooking required). Plus, it’s highly customizable and can even be made dairy-free. Check out this overnight oats recipe with 6 different flavor varieties too!
How Do You Make Overnight Oats?
As always, let’s walk through the steps of making this recipe. It’s super simple and comes together in no time.
Gather the Ingredients
Begin by gathering the ingredients. Here is what you will need to make these overnight oats: yogurt, milk, oats, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt and toppings of your choice
Overnight Oats: Ingredients and Substitutions
It’s important to take a minute and chat about the ingredients in this overnight oats recipe, as well as possible substitutions (because I know you all too well and I am certain you will ask).
- Greek Yogurt. Use your favorite yogurt variety – it doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt (even fruit-flavored yogurts if you would like to create fruity overnight oats). If you use plain Greek or regular yogurt, just be aware that your final product will not be as sweet, and you might want to add more honey to taste.
- Honey. Adjust the amount of honey (increase or decrease) according to your personal tastes. Any liquid sweetener works well in this overnight oats recipe, however the two that I recommend most highly are honey and pure maple syrup.
- Whole Milk. Any milk variety works well in these easy overnight oats – almond, coconut, 2%, etc. A higher fat content results in richer, creamier overnight oats.
- Old-fashioned. You can use any variety of oats you wish including old-fashioned, rolled, quick-cooking and steel cut.
- Cinnamon. I love the flavor the cinnamon imparts in this recipe. I think it’s a crucial addition and makes this overnight oats recipe special. However if you don’t love cinnamon you can omit it.
Make the Yogurt Overnight Oats
This simple overnight oats recipe is SO easy to make that the next step is just to mix all the ingredients together.
Combine wet ingredients. Start by combining the wet ingredients and stirring until the mixture is smooth.
Add dry ingredients. The salt is optional in this recipe, but I find that a pinch really helps amp up the flavor.
Stir until the ingredients are well-combined.
Chill
The next step is to pour the mixture into container and store in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 3 hours).
Store/Freeze
Store yogurt overnight oats in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw slowly overnight in the refrigerator – do not microwave.
Serve
After these yogurt overnight oats have been chilled, it’s time serve & enjoy. Here are some topping suggestions.
- Fresh Berries (careful not to use frozen berries unless you thaw and drain them first. They release water as they thaw and will cause your oats to become a little “soupy”)
- Fresh fruits (bananas, apples, citrus fruits, etc.)
- Swirl in some homemade pumpkin butter or apple butter for a fall twist.
- Nut Butters (like this vanilla almond butter or this homemade peanut butter)
- Chia Seeds
- Candied almonds
- Cinnamon Sugar pecans
- Honey or Maple Syrup
- Strawberry Sauce
- Chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc.)
- Dried Fruits (cranberries, apricots, rasins, etc.)
The sky’s the limit with what you can serve in/on this overnight oats recipe!
Yogurt Overnight Oats Recipe FAQs
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about making overnight oats.
No! Of course not! You can choose any container you’d like to store the overnight oats. I do recommend using an airtight glass container with a lid.
You really can eat them at whatever temperature you choose. I suggest eating them cold. However many people just have to eat their oatmeal warm, which is totally acceptable too.
Yes! If you want to enjoy these Greek yogurt overnight oats warm, you may heat them up in the microwave. I recommend starting by only warming them for 30 seconds, then stirring and tasting. Warm them in 30 second increments until you reach your desired temperature.
You can use all different types of oats to make this easy overnight oats recipe. Here are some suggestions:
old-fashioned oats (my personal preference)!
quick-cooking oats
rolled oats
steel cut oats
No, they should not be runny. They should be nice and thick as pictured above.
Yes. Substitute your favorite dairy-free yogurt for the Greek yogurt
Replace the milk with your favorite non-dairy milk. I recommend coconut milk or almond milk.
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Easy Overnight Oats with Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla Greek Yogurt
- 2-4 Tablespoons honey (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- berries for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, honey and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Add milk and stir until combined.
- Add oatmeal, sea salt, and cinnamon and stir until mixture is uniform throughout.
- Pour into four 4 oz mason jars, or two 8 oz mason jars and secure the lids.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill overnight (or for at least 6 hours).
- Serve with fresh berries, a drizzle of nut butter or extra honey.
Video
Notes
- Greek Yogurt. Use your favorite yogurt variety – it doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt (even fruit-flavored yogurts if you would like to create fruity overnight oats). If you use plain Greek or regular yogurt, just be aware that your final product will not be as sweet, and you might want to add more honey to taste.
- Honey. Depending on the sweetness of your yogurt and your personal taste preferences, the amount of honey could either be omitted or increased. Any liquid sweetener works well in this overnight oats recipe, however the two that I recommend most highly are honey and pure maple syrup.
- Whole Milk. Any milk variety works well in these easy overnight oats – almond, coconut, 2%, etc. A higher fat content results in richer, creamier overnight oats.
- Oats. As stated above you can use any variety of oats you wish including old-fashioned, rolled, quick-cooking and steel cut. My personal favorite is old-fashioned oats.
- Cinnamon. I love the flavor the cinnamon imparts in this recipe. I think it’s a crucial addition and makes this overnight oats recipe special. However if you don’t love cinnamon you can omit it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you use a plastic container for the over night jar
Yes you can, I just prefer glass!
How do I make a shake with the overnight oats?
To clarify, are you asking how you can turn this recipe into a smoothie or shake?
My first time trying overnight oats. I loved them! I actually got three 8-oz jars filled. I’m thinking of splitting the recipe to 4 jars so I have room to add fruit in the morning. Tasted great without the fruit anyhow!