Overnight oatmeal jars are an easy, healthy make-ahead breakfast. Check out how to make them with this easy base recipe and get some ideas for delicious flavor combinations!
Overnight oatmeal jars are a weekly staple in our house!
My kiddos adore them and I love having an easy, make-ahead breakfast that's just ready and waiting in the morning. (I'm already up and working when the kids get up during the week, so we have no time for fancy breakfasts.)
Today I'm sharing with you my base recipe for oatmeal in a jar and 3 of our go-to flavor combinations.
You can also check out my strawberry overnight oats (2 flavors of those) as well as my chocolate overnight oats, cause you can't go wrong with a little chocolate at breakfast time! And in the summer, we love peach overnight oats and cherry chocolate chip oatmeal jars.
I put a batch of at least 6 oatmeal jars together on Sunday and each of my kids have a jar for three breakfasts all set to go for the week.
And every few weeks, I treat my husband and I to a couple of jars 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.)
Now, I've got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make overnight oats. Just tryin' to be helpful.
(You can also see my Google web story for this overnight oats recipe.)
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
- Oats: Yes, the oats do go in raw for refrigerator oatmeal. It seems strange, but all the milk and yogurt helps to soften the oats as they sit in the fridge overnight, so that by morning, they are no longer raw and are ready to eat.
- Cold: Also, yes, we do eat these cold straight from the fridge, not warmed up. It's not at all like eating cold oatmeal (which would not be very tasty). It's more like a yogurt-oat-fruit parfait of sorts - creamy and wholesome and scrape-the-jar good!
- Milk: You can use skim milk, 2% or an alternative milk like soy milk or almond milk. We prefer soy milk; it adds some extra sweetness, but whatever you have on hand is fine.
- Greek yogurt: The Greek yogurt helps thicken up the oats so it's more scoop-able. However, if you don't have any, you could try substituting that with some extra milk instead.
- Size: My 8 oz. jars for this recipe are a fairly small serving size. It's plenty for my kids, but I often pair it with some other fresh fruit or small morning snack for me. You could also double the recipe and use a larger mason jar to make a bigger serving if you'd like.
Speaking of, 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 than those metal ones that come with the jars. (Especially cause I just throw them in the top rack of the dishwasher.)
Now let's get to the fun part - the flavor mix-ins!
The sky is the limit in terms of what fruits and other ingredients you want to add to these jars.
Here's a few ideas.
Fun flavor combinations:
- Cinnamon and applesauce
- Peanut butter and pumpkin
- Mango and blueberry
- 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)
I also like adding some toppings at the top of the jar after I've stirred everything together.
My kids especially love an extra dollop of peanut butter in the PB-pumpkin jars. I just have to be careful that they look exactly the same so we don't have a fight in the morning over who has a bigger peanut butter dollop.
You could also add some chopped fresh apple or other fresh fruit, a sprinkle of coconut or a few mini chocolate chips in as a topping for your oatmeal jar.
Oh but word to the wise when using banana -- add your banana slices to the mason jar oatmeal in the morning so they don't get brown and yucky.
It's the same basic process for all of these jars and it's as easy as just layering them up and then mixing everything together. That's why I tend to make a big batch all at once.
Also, these are naturally gluten-free, so long as you use certified gluten-free oats.
Want to make dairy-free or vegan overnight oats? Totally do-able!
Let's tackle that and some other questions.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use soy milk or almond milk as the milk in this recipe. And substitute goat milk yogurt for the Greek yogurt. (I find it at Trader Joe's.) You could also use a coconut or soy yogurt but those may impact the flavor a bit more.
Yes! Use soy milk or almond milk as the milk in this recipe. Use a coconut milk or soy yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt. Try to go for as neutral a flavor as possible. And use agave or maple syrup as the sweetener in place of the honey.
Overnight oats will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. However, some softer fruits or mix-ins may start to get mushy after 4-5 days. The jars are ready to serve, cold, immediately from the fridge.
I hope you'll try out a few different flavors and find your favorites. You can also recruit your family to come up with topping ideas so everyone gets what they want.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Overnight Oatmeal Jars
Ingredients
For each jar:
- ¼ cup oats, old-fashioned
- ⅓ cup milk*, see notes
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon honey*, see notes
For cinnamon-applesauce:
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup applesauce
For pumpkin-peanut butter:
- 2-3 tablespoons pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
For mango-blueberry:
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons small diced mango
- 2-3 tablespoons blueberries, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Measure out the main base ingredients into the bottom of each jar. I start with the dry ingredients (oats, chia seeds) then add the milk, yogurt and honey. You can line up a series of jars and knock out 6 or more at a time.
- Add the topping ingredients (such as cinnamon and applesauce or pumpkin and peanut butter) to the top of each jar. They will be very full.
- Carefully mix everything together very well.
- Put the lid on and store the oatmeal jars in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
- 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)
Elisa Koranda says
Look fabulous! Just wondering if they get soggier as the week progresses?
Kathryn says
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!
Angela Gilmore says
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?
Kathryn says
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!
Kristy says
do these need to be cooked in the morning, or are they just eaten straight from the fridge
Kathryn says
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!
Lisa says
Can they be microwaved for a bit to warm them on those chilly mornings?
Kathryn says
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/
Smi says
Hi, can we replace chia seeds witb flax seeds? Is there any alternative for it? Thanks
Kathryn says
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!
Lori says
Hello! These look absolutely wonderful and easy to make. What size jars do you use? Thank you.
Kathryn says
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!
Angela says
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
Kathryn says
Oooh, love this idea Angela! A way to travel to the tropics in the morning 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Hara says
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??
Kathryn says
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 (https://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 (https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/3-minute-oatmeal/) and a personal fave, chocolate oatmeal (https://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!
Niamh Stover says
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!
Kathryn says
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!
Sandra Hughes says
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.
Kathryn says
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!
Sheila says
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?
Kathryn says
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!
MClark says
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
Kathryn says
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!
Misty says
I thought these where supposed to be a healthy way to diet. I could hardly believe when I saw the calories and especially the calories from fat.
Kathryn says
Hi Misty - what you were looking at was the nutrition info for all 3 types of jars combined! I've updated the recipe card to show that it makes 3 servings (one of each type of jar) so that the information in the nutrition label is more accurate. It will, of course, vary depending on which flavor you choose, but at least it's closer now. Hope that helps!
Amanda says
I see that you eat these cold, think the whole jar could me heated in the microwave? I imply cannot do cold oatmeal! 😉
Kathryn says
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!
Elma says
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.
Kathryn says
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!
Toni Ann says
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...
Kathryn says
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!
Liisa says
I was just wondering if you or anyone else has tried this with steel cut oats?
Kathryn says
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!
Jade says
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.
Kathryn says
That's good to know that the steel cut oats don't work as well. Thanks Jade! Hope you win that war!
Lisa says
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?
Kathryn says
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!
Chelsea Basore says
This is my question as well. I've only seen Pie filling (Libbys for example), never pumpkin puree.could you post a picture of the container? or tag a link. Thanks!
Kathryn says
Pumpkin puree is the 100% pure pumpkin can by Libby's, available in the baking aisle or canned veggie/fruit aisle at the grocery store. It's just pureed pumpkin, whereas pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and other ingredients. Here it is on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2U3amQV Hope that helps!
Anne says
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!
Kathryn says
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!
Matthew Barr says
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?
Kathryn says
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!
Elaine says
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?
Kathryn says
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!
Elaine says
Ok, thanks for your reply! Will definitely give it a try 🙂
Kat says
Hi ! I was wondering if you hear up the milk ? Or do you just put in cold milk ?
Kathryn says
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!
Sunil Gudipati says
Hi ,
Not sure if someone asked these question's , sorry if it’s a repeat !! I am planning for a strict diet 2018 and this is going to be my breakfast .
1. The calories mentioned in your list, is it accurate? Assuming the jar size and ingredients you’ve listed being followed !
2. The lids are metal caps , do they get rusty while in use.? Are they dishwasher safe.? (Pls ignore this question if you don’t want to answer)
3. Can we use Granola instead for a overnight refrigeration? I am planning to do Muesli too.. pls comment !
Kathryn says
Hi Sunil, I'm so happy you'll be giving these a try! Here are some answers for you:
1. The calories are an average for a single jar, but since the ingredients for each jar are different (and my calculator can only do one calculation), each jar will be a little different.
2. I use plastic lids, as you can see in the photos. You can find them on Amazon through this link: http://amzn.to/2D3EEuM. They are dishwasher safe and much easier to hand-clean too!
3. I've never used granola or muesli in these jars, so I'm not sure how those would work. Also, since granola is already cooked (versus the raw oats), I'm not sure I would substitute those - I'd prefer to just serve it on top of yogurt or a yogurt parfait.
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy them!
Melina says
How best can I incorporate some protein powder? Do I need to reduce another’s incredient? Or add More milk so it doesn’t become too dry?
Kathryn says
Hi Melina! I don't use protein powder so I'm not sure how to adjust for it. It seems like maybe more milk would be a good idea though. Would love to hear if you try it in case others are interested as well!
BeverlyKitchener says
Hello. How much chia should I use if it is ground seed? Thank you.
Kathryn says
Hi, I've never used ground chia seeds for this recipe, but I think you'd probably use the same amount - 1 teaspoon per jar. I hope that helps!
Chelsea Basore says
Hi, where do you purchase your pumpkin puree??