An easy base recipe and 3 delicious options for overnight oats. Breakfast is served!
Overnight oatmeal jars are the way to go. They take no time to put together and then they are just there, waiting for you for breakfast. It’s a beautiful sight in the morning.
{Update} Here’s my little video showing you how easy they are:
I make at least 6 of these jars every single week. Without fail. I think my kids would riot if they went without their beloved oatmeal jars. I put a batch together on Sunday and they each have a jar for three breakfasts all set to go for the week. And when I have an extra couple of jars on hand, I treat my husband and I to one as well. 😊
(It’s nice that they’re so portable – he can take it in to work or just grab a spoon and eat it in the car. I’ve also been known to pack these for the kids when we go on trips.)
We have three favorite flavor combinations, but you can certainly mix this up and make them your own.
(And I’ve recently made two new favorites with my strawberry overnight oats. Check ’em out! Or if chocolate is your thing, check out my chocolate overnight oats – 3 different flavor options! ❤️)
Note: I use 8 oz. (half-pint) canning jars that I got as a set from Amazon. They are great for these oatmeal jars and I also use them all the time for homemade dressings. I also like these plastic lids because they’re easier to clean.
Here’s our 3 go-to ways to make overnight oatmeal jars:
- Cinnamon-applesauce
- Peanut butter-pumpkin
- Mango-blueberry
Some other good combinations:
- Peanut butter and banana
- Strawberry and banana
- Blueberry and pineapple
- Shredded carrots and raisins (use maple syrup instead of honey – it’s like carrot cake!)
- Peanut butter and chocolate (with a teaspoon or so of cocoa powder)
Word to the wise when using banana — add your banana slices in the morning so they don’t get brown.
It’s the same basic process for all of these jars, and yes, the oats really do go in raw. It seems strange, but all the milk and yogurt helps to soften them as they sit in the fridge overnight, so by morning, they are ready to eat. And also, we do eat these cold straight from the fridge. It’s not at all like eating cold oatmeal. It’s more like a yogurt-oat-fruit parfait of sorts – creamy and wholesome and scrape-the-jar good!
I hope you’ll try out different varieties and find your favorites. You can also recruit your family to come up with flavors so everyone gets what they want. Then the whole family can start the day off happy!
Enjoy!
Overnight oatmeal jars
An easy base recipe and 3 delicious options for overnight oats. Breakfast is served!
Ingredients
For each jar
- 1/4 cup oats (old-fashioned)
- 1/3 cup milk* (see notes)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon honey* (see notes)
For cinnamon-applesauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup applesauce
For pumpkin-peanut butter
- 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
For mango-blueberry
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons small diced mango
- 2-3 tablespoons blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- Pour the main ingredients into the bottom of each jar. I line mine up and knock out 6 at a time.
- Add the topping ingredients on the top, filling to the top of your jar.
- Carefully mix everything together very well.
- Put the lid on and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
*You can use any milk. We use soy (because we have it and my daughter has a milk allergy) but almond milk and any type of regular milk (whole, 2% or skim) would be fine here.
*For the milk allergic, I use goat milk yogurt for her (instead of Greek yogurt). Everything else is the same.
*I started feeding these to J when he was a baby. I just left out the honey - and still do for him. He's only 20 months and loves it without.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 474kcal Calories from fat 170 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat 6g | 30% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 18mg | 6% |
| Sodium 77mg | 3% |
| Carbohydrate 61g | 20% |
| Dietary Fiber 10g | 40% |
| Sugars 26g | |
| Protein 20g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Don’t miss my two types of overnight oatmeal jars with strawberries!
Or my three types of CHOCOLATE overnight oats!
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Look fabulous! Just wondering if they get soggier as the week progresses?
Hi Elisa! The oats will definitely continue to soften the longer the jars sit. Not necessarily a bad thing… We usually save the peanut butter/pumpkin jars until the end of the week because those mix-ins keep them pretty hardy. I eat the blueberry-mango ones within a day or two (mainly so the mango doesn’t lose it’s freshness). For the kids though, they still chow down on theirs even after 5-6 days (once even after 8 days, when I made them ahead while we were going to be away). Hope that helps!
Hi there, stopping by from Melt in your Mouth Monday Recipe Blog Hop #216. These look delicious, they may actually be the overnight oats that finally get me to try overnight oats! I am literally drooling over your pictures! I am going to make at least one of these tonight for breakfast tomorrow. Do they work with a non-Greek yogurt, soy for example?
Hi Angela, Yes, they do! My daughter had a milk allergy for years, and we subbed in goat’s milk yogurt for her jars. It has a consistency more like regular yogurt, so I’m sure your soy yogurt would be perfectly fine to substitute, too. These are on permanent rotation here at our house. Hope you try them and love them!
do these need to be cooked in the morning, or are they just eaten straight from the fridge
Kristy, no cooking required! They are eaten cold, straight from the fridge. The adults and sometimes M eat it straight out of the jar; we put it in a bowl for J, since he’s just 2. It’s an amazingly easy breakfast to have on hand… We seriously eat these every week and LOVE them! Hope you try it!
Can they be microwaved for a bit to warm them on those chilly mornings?
Hi Lisa! They are meant to be eaten cold – nice and creamy and delicious – but if you make them in a microwave-safe container, you could certainly try warming them up. You may also want to try baked oatmeal, which I make ahead and warm up in batches for breakfast: familyfoodonthetable.com/banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/
Hi, can we replace chia seeds witb flax seeds? Is there any alternative for it? Thanks
Hi! The chia seeds help thicken the oatmeal jars as they sit overnight and I’m not sure flax seeds would work in the same way. You could try or you could just leave the chia seeds out of the recipe – your mixture won’t be as thick, maybe, but should still be delicious! Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by!
Hello! These look absolutely wonderful and easy to make. What size jars do you use? Thank you.
Great question Lori! I use 8 oz. (half-pint) canning jars. Have a set I bought from Amazon. Gonna update the post now to include the info and a link. I seriously make these oatmeal jars for our kids – and us! – every.single.week. So easy and so healthy!
I love overnight oats! My favorite is mashed banana with the Greek yogurt (I use a Trader. Joes nonfat Greek Coconut). About a cup of oats, shredded coconut (could even be toasted), then add chia seeds and almond milk, or. Coconut/almond milk to cover well. Stir it all up together and there’s 4 breakfasts. I also have added macadamia or hazelnuts too! Hawaii in a bowl
Oooh, love this idea Angela! A way to travel to the tropics in the morning 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
These sound so good. I am not an oatmeal fan though. I have tried so many different ways to eat it, and have yet to find one I like (it’s all about consistency for me). Could these be heated in the morning and and made more like a oatmeal bake??
I didn’t like oatmeal for the longest time – I was using the store-bought kind and it just didn’t taste good! Once I started making it myself, and I could control the consistency and flavoring, I was a total convert. Overnight oats are a soft, cold type of oatmeal. If that doesn’t appeal to you, check out my breakfast oatmeal squares (http://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/breakfast-oatmeal-squares/) that can be made ahead, heated up and topped with your favorites. Or check out my 3-minute morning oatmeal that’s an easy day-of oatmeal can be doctored up however you like (http://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/3-minute-oatmeal/) and a personal fave, chocolate oatmeal (http://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/chocolate-breakfast-oatmeal/) – can’t go wrong with chocolate at breakfast! Hope you’ll give oatmeal another chance – I bet you’ll be addicted once you find your favorite style!
Are you using a specific oat ‘overnight oats’ that don’t require cooking or can you literally just put raw oats (old-fashioned type) as stated in the recipe in a jar and they will just soften with the other ingredients? I got confused after reading your response to a comment.
Thanks!
Hi there! I use regular old-fashioned oats for ours. The oats go in the jars completely raw – they soften overnight in the mixture so they don’t taste raw when you eat them. You could probably use instant oats if that’s what you have on hand. Hope that helps!
I love this. I make myself one at night to take to work. I an not a lunch person but have this and fills me up. I like the apple and cinnamon as have cooking apple trees which I am busy cooking for the freezer. I found the difference in Greek yogurt and have my preference. Taking the recipe for someone at work who has the most unappertising looking porridge every day.
So glad you love the overnight oats too! This does make a lovely, filling breakfast. The apple-cinnamon combo is a favorite here too, but aren’t lucky enough to have apple trees in the backyard! How great! Thanks so much for stopping by!
This is probably a dumb question but do you cook the oatmeal first? How do you heat it up before eating = I’m thinking microwave but for how long?
Hi Sheila! Not dumb at all… the oats go in completely raw. No need to cook because they soften overnight in the milk and yogurt mixture so that by morning, they are soft and delicious. We eat these cold, straight from the refrigerator, which is why we like all these yummy fruity combinations. It tastes like a oat-yogurt-fruit parfait almost! Hope you’ll give them a try!
Looks delish! I am eager to try these tonight for breakfast tomorrow! I do have one question, how long do these need to sit in the fridge for? My husbands an early riser at 2am so I’m wondering if I should get the jars done around 4pm the day before as opposed to 9pm
Good question! The minimum we’ve ever done is about 8 hours overnight and they were just fine by morning. You may be OK after 6-7 hours, but I wouldn’t do any less than that. (Also, whew, what an early morning!) Let me know how you like them!
I see that you eat these cold, think the whole jar could me heated in the microwave? I imply cannot do cold oatmeal! 😉
Hi Amanda! This doesn’t come out like regular morning oatmeal, which I definitely want to eat hot. It’s more like a creamy yogurt parfait with the softened oats and flavorings all mixed in. So it tastes really good cold! I’d recommend trying a bite that way and if you don’t like it, you could certainly heat it up in the microwave (make sure your jar/container is microwave-safe) and see if you prefer it warmed. Would love to hear what you think!
have you tried it with craisins or raisins? and or brown sugar; both of which I love in my oatmeal, I need to go shopping and will definitely try this.
I have not, but I think those are all fabulous ideas Elma! The dried fruit would probably plump up just a bit from sitting in the liquid but still have a nice chewy consistency. And you could definitely substitute brown sugar for the honey as a sweetener. Hope you give it a try and let me know what you think!
So you mix the milk, yogurt and oats together so they wet the oats? You don’t layer each item in the jar individually? Please advise…
Hi Toni! Yes, everything goes in the jars and I use a spoon to mix it all together. Mix, mix, mix. Everything gets mixed together and then it all sits and soaks together in the jar overnight. And come morning, voila! The oats are softened and everything has melded together and is delicious. Hope that helps!
I was just wondering if you or anyone else has tried this with steel cut oats?
I have not used steel cut oats for overnight oats, but I have heard that they can be substituted. The texture will be more chewy but I bet it’s delicious. Would love to hear if you try it!
Hi! I tried the steel cut oats but they didn’t seem to process like the stove top oats do. And I must thank you for these recipes; I am at war with cholesterol and aware of the Quaker Oats challenge to a village to eat oatmeal once a day. The village’s cholesterol numbers dropped dramatically, so oatmeal is my friend, but the steel cut oats were still little bullets three days later.
That’s good to know that the steel cut oats don’t work as well. Thanks Jade! Hope you win that war!
Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try them all. Question: do you make your own pumpkin purée? If not, can you buy store bought?
I hope you do try them Lisa! I’m just about to make our weekly batch. 😀 I buy store-bought pumpkin puree (just pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling). Hope that helps!
I’ve been looking for a way to cut down on the time it takes to prep breakfast, and this looks great for my oatmeal-loving 3-year old!
I also have an 8-month old who is just starting to experiment with textures…do you think this would work with oats that have been run through the food processor? Also, could I sub out water for milk since he’s still so little? (He does eat yogurt so no problem there.) Thanks for any tips!
Hi Anne! My kids are now 5 and 3 and have been eating these on a weekly basis for YEARS – they love them! I gave this to both of them before age 1 (I used the cinnamon applesauce version and left out the honey). If he’s started with textures, he may be OK with this as is, since it softens up so much. If he’s still on purees, then yes, I think you could pulse the oats in the food processor to break them down and it would be fine. And yes you can sub water for the milk for him. You could also try using breastmilk or formula in place of the milk if you’d prefer. Hope you give them a try and hope your little ones love them!
I know I’m getting to this post a little after everyone else, but I have a question. I am not a big yogurt fan comma there something else I could be substituted for the yogurt maybe some more oats or something else?
Hi Matthew! I think you could try substituting a little more milk in place of the yogurt. And maybe a little more of the chia seeds. It may not get quite as thick or creamy, but should still work. Would love to hear if you try it!
Hi Kathryn! I am a newbie to overnight oats. May I know why must we store them in a jar? What if they are put in a plastic container?
Hi Elaine! You don’t have to use glass. You could certainly store these in plastic containers as well if you prefer. Hope you give them a try!
Ok, thanks for your reply! Will definitely give it a try 🙂
Hi ! I was wondering if you hear up the milk ? Or do you just put in cold milk ?
Hi Kat! The milk goes in cold. The oats are softened by sitting in the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Hope that helps and hope you give them a try!