How to Make Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are easy to make, healthy and filling. You can customize these basic overnight oats recipes with your favorite milk, fruit, nuts and spices. Try the refrigerator overnight oats recipe for a quick, fresh breakfast. Opt for the slow cooker recipe if you prefer hot, rich flavors in the morning.

Ingredients

Refrigerator Oatmeal

1/2 to 2 cups (78 to 312g) rolled oats
1/2 to 2 cups (118 to 473ml) dairy milk, non-dairy milk or yogurt, plus extra for serving
1 tsp. (2.2g) chia seeds or flax seeds
1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. (4 to 12g) sweetener
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. (0.7 to 1.3g) spice, such as cinnamon
1/2 cup (90g) frozen, fresh or canned fruit
1/4 cup (27g) chopped nuts or dried fruit

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

1 cup (156g) of steel cut oats
1 to 2 cups (175 to 350g) fruit
1.5 cups (355ml) dairy or non-dairy milk, plus additional for serving
1.5 cups (355ml) water
2 tbsp. (24g) brown sugar or other sweetener, plus extra for garnish
1/2 tsp. (1.3g) spice, such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp. (6.6g) ground flax seed
1/4 tsp. (1.5g) salt
1/4 cup (27g) chopped nuts and/or dried fruit

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Refrigerator Oatmeal

1
Choose a container. You can use almost anything that has a lid. Canning jars are commonly used because they work great for storing and serving.
2
Add as many serving of rolled oats as you prefer. A serving is usually 1/2 cup of oats, but you may desire a more generous portion or a family size batch.

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3
Add an equal amount of milk. If you use 1/2 cup of rolled oats, add 1/2 cup of milk. You can use cow’s milk, almond milk or another other type of milk to achieve the same result.
- If you plan to add a lot of watery fruit, you can reduce the liquid by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Fresh and frozen fruit releases plenty of liquid. This is especially important if you want a thick consistency.
4
Stir in 1 tsp. of chia seeds or flax seeds. This improves the nutritional content of the meal, and it can also make you feel fuller longer.
- You can actually replace the oats with four tbsp. of chia seeds. The texture of these overnight oats is like tapioca pudding.^{[1]
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5
Add a tsp. of sweetener, like honey, brown sugar or maple syrup. You can add in 1 tbsp. of cocoa powder or peanut butter for a similar sweet effect.
- For sweeter oatmeal, add 1 tbsp. of sweetener.
6
Measure 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of spices, like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice.
7
Add 1/2 cup of frozen, fresh or canned fruit. Stir the ingredients together thoroughly with a spoon. Ensure that the oats are mostly covered with liquid.
- If you are using bananas, mash up 1/2 to one banana and then add it to the jar.
8
Seal the lid. Place it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 5 hours. The oats will soak up the liquid so that they don’t need to be cooked.
9
Remove the oats from the refrigerator in the morning. Consider adding a handful of chopped nuts for a crunchy texture. Add tbsp. to 1/2 cup of additional milk, depending upon your preferred consistency.
10
Stir again and eat directly from the container.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Slow Cooker Oatmeal

1
Coat the inside of a large slow cooker with cooking spray in the evening before you go to bed.
2
Slice 2 to 3 cups of fruit. Peeled, sliced apples work very well in this recipe. You can also use frozen fruit.
3
Add the steel-cut or rolled oats, brown sugar, ground flax seed and spices.
4
Mix in 1.5 cups of dairy or non-dairy milk and 1.5 cups of water. Stir the ingredients well.
5
Cook on low for seven hours. Spoon into bowls for serving.
6
Mix in garnishes, such as chopped nuts, maple syrup, milk or dried fruit. Serve immediate. The extra can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated.^{[3]
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7
Finished.