Basic Overnight Oats Recipe with 4 Easy Flavors

Basic Overnight Oats Ingredients

For one 8-ounce jar, you will need:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk

I use old-fashioned oats and quick-cooking oats interchangeably. I’ve made these plenty of times with both and haven’t noticed enough of a difference to worry about which one I have on hand. The Greek yogurt adds a little creaminess without turning this into an overly yogurt-heavy oatmeal.

How to Make Overnight Oats

Add 1/2 cup oats, 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup milk to a mason jar.

Add whichever flavor ingredients you’re using and stir everything together well.

Put the lid on the jar and give it a good shake. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove the lid, give the oats another stir, and eat them cold right from the jar. Add extra fruit, honey, chocolate chips, or other toppings if you want them.

Four Overnight Oats Flavors

The basic recipe stays the same for all four versions. Just add the ingredients below to each individual jar.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Add:

• 2 apple slices, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon honey

I do use honey in my apple cinnamon oats. The combination of apple, cinnamon, and honey gives this one plenty of flavor without needing a long list of ingredients.

Banana Chocolate Overnight Oats

Add:

• 1/4 to 1/2 banana, sliced and quartered
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

How much banana you use really depends on its size and how much you like in each bite. Cutting the slices into quarters distributes the banana throughout the oatmeal instead of leaving you with big pieces. If you like the combination of oats, banana, and chocolate chips, my air fryer breakfast cookie uses many of the same ingredients for a warm breakfast instead.

Berry Overnight Oats

Add:

• 1-2 fresh strawberries, tops removed and diced
• 6-10 fresh blueberries

Strawberry and blueberry is one of the combinations I don’t sweeten. The berries are sweet enough for me, particularly when the strawberries are good.

If they’re a little tart or you prefer sweeter oatmeal, add a drizzle of honey.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Add:

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

Stir the peanut butter in really well so you get some throughout the oats rather than one big spoonful in the middle.

This is the richest of the four flavors and a good choice when plain fruit and oatmeal doesn’t sound particularly exciting.

Old-Fashioned or Quick-Cooking Oats?

I use old-fashioned and quick-cooking oats interchangeably for this recipe. I’ve made these plenty of times with both and haven’t noticed enough of a difference to worry about which one I have on hand. I wouldn’t use flavored instant oatmeal packets, which can contain added sugar and other ingredients.

How Sweet Should Overnight Oats Be?

I don’t automatically add honey to the basic recipe. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and even the mini chocolate chips bring their own sweetness.

I do add 1 tablespoon of honey to the apple cinnamon version. For the others, taste the oats first. You can always drizzle honey on top, but you can’t take it back out.

What Size Jar Is Best for Overnight Oats?

I use half-pint (8-ounce) Ball mason jars with the smaller regular-mouth lid. The jars in my photos aren’t the quilted version; that’s just a decorative difference, so either style is fine.

An 8-ounce jar holds one portion nicely and looks full once everything is added.

You can also use a 16-ounce mason jar. I’ve done that too, and the extra room actually makes the oatmeal very easy to stir and eat. It just won’t fill the entire jar.

And there’s no reason to use the traditional two-piece canning lid unless that’s what you already own. I like the one-piece plastic lids for these because I’m storing oatmeal, not canning anything.

How I Meal Prep Overnight Oats

I usually make four jars at a time. I’ve learned that if I make too many, I get tired of eating oatmeal before I finish them. Four gives me the convenience of having breakfast ready without overdoing it, and I generally make all four jars the same flavor rather than preparing one of every variety to keep it simple weekly (personal choice). I also use oats in my baked oats and oatmeal crepes when I want something different from a cold oatmeal breakfast.