I was intrigued by the idea of overnight oats for a long time, and then one day we finally tried them and have never looked back! You see, for years I’ve been sending warm oatmeal in thermos containers for my daughters’ snacks at school. Snack time usually occurs early in the morning and that’s after scarfing down what little breakfast they can manage before running out the door for school at 7am (the day starts early around here). So oatmeal on the go was the perfect solution, and my kids loved it. But then my 1st grader’s snack time got changed to the afternoon, so we were really pushing the 5 hour thermos warm food limit by continuing to send her oatmeal.
Enter Overnight Oats, our new perfect solution! But, I guess if I am being technical here we don’t actually make these oats overnight. We mix it up in the morning (still in an insulated thermos container) while the kids are eating their breakfast and then by snack time later that day (approximately 5 1/2 hours later), it’s ready to go. And since thermoses can keep cold food cold for longer (7 hours to be exact), it really is the new perfect solution for us. That’s why I am excited to share our favorite “Overnight” Oats combination with you today—the one my 1st grader has been eating (and loving) almost every single day so far this school year! Also, be sure to check out our other “Overnight Oats” blog post for more recipe ideas in addition to the one below.
Sponsor Shoutout: Cinnamon Hill
Before we get into the recipe though, I have to share a little something with you about one of the main ingredients in this recipe—cinnamon. Do you know how different freshly grated real cinnamon is from the standard store bought stuff? I honestly had no idea until our newest sponsor, Cinnamon Hill, sent me some samples to try. I must admit I was mighty skeptical about this whole concept, but I was quickly put in my place after doing a side-by-side comparison.
The freshly grated stuff was so incredibly cinnamony and fresh tasting! Like a burst of flavor that reminded me of hard core cinnamon gum. Then I tried the bottled stuff I normally buy, and, I hate to say it, it hardly even tasted like cinnamon at all to me. In fact, it tasted kind of bitter (and my husband agreed) after having just tried the fresh stuff. I simply couldn’t believe the difference!
Cinnamon Hill sells these high quality, hand crafted sets (that are light years above the standard “Made in China” stuff we are all seeing too much of lately) along with their freshly harvested cinnamon sticks, which include a date stamp showing when they were harvested. The packaging itself was even quite stylish, so I think this would really make a fabulous (and unique!) little gift for someone in your life who loves to cook and already seems to have it all. Maybe for Mother’s Day, perhaps? Cinnamon Hill’s vision is for their fresh cinnamon to be used as a condiment at the breakfast table, and I think you’ll agree it surely tastes good enough to provoke some fun experimentation!
Our Favorite Overnight Oats
An easy way to make oatmeal for school lunches.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon raisins, (or more if you like more raisins)
- 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 pinches cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours before eating. Alternatively, mix in an insulated thermos container (left unrefrigerated) and wait no more than 7 hours before eating.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Hmmm this did not work. We used rolled oats as directed (bobs red mill organic) and followed the recipe exactly. I made it and placed in the fridge at 830p. 11 hours later I opened it and stirred and it was totally soupy and the oats were just floating in the milk. I’ve made other overnight oats recipes and they come out nice and thick. Not sure why they didn’t soak up the milk.
Hi Rachel, sorry to hear these didn’t come out as you planned. Lisa mentions in the post that these aren’t technically overnight oats as she makes them in the morning and suggests that you don’t let them sit more than 7 hours. – Nicole
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for this overnight oatmeal recipe. I definitely want to try it out for 2 reasons. The first is that oatmeal for breakfast has been a mainstay of mine for many years. And oatmeal was my first stop for my own experiment with real food which helped me lose 75 pounds in 6 months just about 6 years ago. And I was the worst cookie monster, and so far, so good, been getting fitter and stronger as time goes on. Number 2, I am not too fond of spending a lot of time in the kitchen, but I prefer real food any day, so this is a perfect blend of my fav breakfast food and quick and easy preparation. Will have to give you my review after trying it out!
Richard
Does this have the same texture as cooked oatmeal which I hate.
I know how good oatmeal is for you so I am hoping you say no.
Are these suppose to be eaten cold?
Yes but you can heat them if you prefer.
Hi! We are making overnight oats several times a week and I need to stock up on mason jars. The three we have aren’t ebough! What size works best? Which are good for freezing other recepies (like tomatoe bisque)? Thanks!
Hi, These are the jars Lisa uses: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/shopping-guide/product/freezer-safe-glass-jars/.
how many can you make at once and how long can it stay in the fridge,,,
You can make as many as you want but each recipe is for one jar they keep in the fridge for 3 days.
What would i do if i have steel cut oats? I am trying to use whats in my cupboard.
I only use steel cut. Love them. You make them the same way but for a minimum of 8 hours and they come out chewy and nutty. I prefer the texture.
can you leave the yogurt out? milk allergy in the house.
You can.
Does this work with almond milk? With due respect to the kids, this sounds great for me!
It can. :)
There is no cooking or heating involved? Don’t the oats get soggy?
Yes they get soggy the milk soaks into the oatmeal but you can heat it up in the microwave if you like.
Hi, I bet somebody already asked this, but can I use quick oats? What’s the difference (it says ingredients: organic rolled oats). Sorry for a probably repetitive question :-)
Thanks!
Claudia
Does this mean you are eating COLD oats? That doesn’t sound very appetizing to me.
Yes your eating it cold but you can warm it up in the microwave if you prefer.
Old fashioned oats….not instant, not steel cut…are the best. Instant break down too much overnight and steel cut, too chewy. I just use Quaker old fashioned. Superb!
Hi. You can and do not need to adjust ingredients.
What is the difference veteeeb all the oats? Are rolled oats better than steel cut oats or quick oat?
Steel cut oat have a far more crunchy texture and I let them soak longer.
Veteeeb= between
Can you use coconut/almond milk for this?
I always make mine with almond milk! Delicious!
Hello.plz do u soak oats b4 using them or what?? I’ve read alot about the importance of soaking n nvr used them raw ever since
the overnight process does the soaking for you I believe doesn’t it? pretty sure that’s the case. I make these a lot btw, my girlfriend turned me onto them, they are great for quick meals that will last a few days in the fridge.
It is my understanding that you have to soak at room temperature in order to neutralize the phytic acid, and milk is not a good soaking liquid for that anyway. I am thinking to try soaking normally beforehand and then prepare according to the recipe.
It does, essentially. ;)
Hi there. We do not typically soak our oats prior to preparing these.
Do you heat the oatmeal the next morning or just eat it cold?
Hi. We usually eat it cold.
I love this recipe but I really dislike yogurt. I have tried all kinds and have tried to acquire a taste for it but I just cannot. Would this recipe be okay without the yogurt? Would you substitute anything in place of it?
We use Fairlife whole milk instead of regular milk with yogurt. We get the extra protein without the stronger yogurt flavor. Fairlife milk has less carbs and more protein than regular milk and it tastes wonderful!
I sometimes use applesauce in place of the yogurt.
Hi there. You can just leave it out.
Just wondering if this would work with steel cut oats?
Hi Jen. I use steel cut and love them. They are rich and nutty.
They are normally what I eat, and just sounded like they would be perfect for this kind of recipe. :)
Thanks for your response!
When I make overnight oatmeal, I use 2 cups each of the following to make daily breakfast to take to work (or just take the whole container to work.:
2 cups of:
Minute Oatmeal
Greek Yogurt (I use vanilla flavoured)
1 Tbsp of Cocoa
2 tsp of Cinnamon
3/4 c up raisins
You can use any nuts/almonds or mixed nuts that you like.
If you want to throw in some blueberries or any other fruit that you like there are no rules you can change the recipe according to your taste.
This is such an easy way to ensure that you have a healthy ready-to-eat breakfast!
ENJOY ❤️
Can you double (or more) this recipe? Say, if I wanted to make it for my family of 4.
Sure!
Saved aas a favorite, I really like your website!
Could you add fresh fruit and nuts or would you want to add them in the morning? Also, is it thick or running in the morning?
Yes, we add about 10 frozen blueberries and 1/2 a banana cut in very small pieces, it is delicious!!!