Easy Overnight Oats with Yogurt
Posted Mar 24, 2019, Updated Sep 13, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
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.
Your overnight oats with yogurt recipe looks delicious and convenient! It reminds me of when I first started preparing make-ahead breakfasts to streamline my mornings. Your oats with yogurt will definitely be a hit in my breakfast rotation. Thanks for sharing!
We add frozen berries before setting it in the fridge overnight.
The recipe is great
Something new for me to try and it was so creamy and tasty!
Great simple recipe and so customizable! Love it!
I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal but I tried your recipe and it’s FANTASTIC!!! The only change I made was I added 3 scoops of unflavored protein powder obviously to up the protein and added 3 tbsp chia seeds so in turn I increased the milk to 2 cups. It’s phenomenal!!
This is a great recipe! The ratios of yogurt and milk and oats is perfect for my family, and the result is deliciously creamy. I add 2 Tbs of chia seeds for some extra fiber and minerals. Even my 7-year-old likes it!
This is a really good basic recipe. Because of certain health concerns, I’m on a mission to reduce sugar and add protein and fiber, so I use plain non-fat yogurt and add a scoop of vanilla vegan protein powder, which eliminates the need for any sweetener. The cinnamon is a great touch. I use quick steel cut oats for texture, which I’ve found requires extra liquid (I’ve had to experiment with this several times but I’m at about 1-3/4C if you don’t want it really sticky), and about an hour of standing time to thicken so the oats don’t go straight to the bottom of the mixing bowl and end up in the jars in different amounts. At that point, I put them in mason jars (I can get 5 6oz jars out of this recipe) and the fruit will sit nicely on the top until I’m ready to mix it. A few crushed pecans or walnuts is a great add-in too! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing. I make it just as described but with a bit of maple syrup and raisins instead of honey. I warm it up before eating in the morning and it has a cinnamon roll flavor. It makes the morning so much easier.
Making overnight oats has totally transformed my mornings. The consistency of this recipe is perfect — not too runny or too thick. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Can I add the yogurt the next day after I warm up the oatmeal a bit ? I don’t like it cold.