Overnight Protein Oats

by Kayla Berman on December 15, 2022 1 comment

Overnight Protein Oats are my favorite high protein breakfast, with 27 grams! Made with old fashioned oats, vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, and almond milk … this easy recipe is healthy, creamy, sweet, and delicious. The perfect make-ahead morning meal!

Easy & Healthy High-Protein (27g) Breakfast

I have recently been on a journey to up my protein intake! I am personally a type of girl that if I don’t focus on and prioritize protein, I won’t eat enough.

I will default to carbs, carbs, and more carbs. Which is of course not bad, but not the best for my goals at the moment.

Overnight Protein Oats are my new favorite way to get in a good serving of protein right in the morning. It will give you 27 grams!

This recipe is healthy, high protein, and is the perfect well rounded meal. It will keep you full and satisfied all morning!

It is also sweet, creamy, customizable, and delicious. Especially when you add on some favorite toppings for taste and texture.

These oats are super easy to make too! All you need is 5 minutes of prep time and then you have a nutritious breakfast ready to go the next morning.

Ingredients

This make-ahead breakfast recipe is made with all healthy, simple ingredients! They come together to make a well rounded, satisfying, and balanced morning meal.

Ingredient Notes

Oats: I always use old-fashioned oats for all of my oatmeal recipes! You’ll need 1/3 cup here.
Protein Powder: The key ingredient in this high protein recipe is of course protein powder. You will need 30g of your favorite one. For me this is 1 scoop, but it may be a little different for you depending on the type of protein powder you use.
Milk: My favorite milk to use here is vanilla unsweetened almond milk. The amount of milk you use will depend on the consistency you like in overnight oats! Anywhere from 3/4 cup – 1 cup will work.
Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are a very important ingredient in this simple recipe. Not only are they a nutritious superfood, but they soak up tons of liquid here leading to the typical thick consistency of overnight oats. Add 1/2 tbsp.
Honey: Add a touch of honey here for sweetness. 1/2 tsp is all you need!
Cinnamon: Cinnamon gives this breakfast such great flavor. I mix in 1/2 tsp and sprinkle more on top! I can just never get enough of the warm spice.
Vanilla Extract: Lastly, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. This adds another oomph of flavor!

Substitutions & Additions

Protein Overnight Oats are actually quite customizable! There are a bunch of substitutions and additions you can make to meet your personal preferences, tastes, or needs.

Oats: I use old fashioned oats here, but rolled oats would also work. I don’t believe quick oats would produce the best results, but if that is all you have on hand go ahead and use them!

Milk: You can really use any milk you’d like here! I prefer non-dairy milk like oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. However, classic dairy milk would also do the trick.

Honey: Honey can be replaced with another liquid sweetener of your choice. My second favorite option is pure maple syrup!

Extra Protein: With 27 grams of protein to begin with these oats are a great source of protein already! But if you want to up that even more you could add some greek yogurt, egg whites, cottage cheese, or almonds.

Flavor Variations: This recipe serves as a simple base recipe! There are so many flavor variations you could come up with. Add peanut butter and jelly for a pb&j variation or coconut flakes and chocolate chips for an almond joy version. The options are truly endless!

Kitchen Tools

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How To Make This Recipe

This healthy breakfast is so incredibly easy to make! I am talking 10 minutes easy.

It is a great option to meal prep for busy mornings. You can just grab your jar and go!

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: First add the dry ingredients – oats, vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, and cinnamon to a small airtight container. Combine.

Step 2: Next add the almond milk, vanilla extract, and honey. Combine very thoroughly until there are no protein powder chunks. 3/4 cup almond milk will make the oats on the thicker side and 1 cup almond milk will make them thin, so do whichever consistency you prefer.

Step 3: Cover the container and place in the refrigerator to soak overnight or at least for a few hours.

Step 4: Remove the oats from the fridge the next morning. You can transfer to a bowl or keep in the jar.

Step 5: Add your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, nut butter, and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

Really give these oats a good stir before placing in the fridge! You want to make sure all the ingredients are evenly combined and that there are no clumps.

Prepare this recipe in a cute mason jar so you can really just grab and go in the morning. So easy!

Add your favorite toppings to spruce the recipe up a bit! I love adding mixed berries, peanut butter or almond butter, cinnamon, and an extra drizzle of honey.

Make sure you use a good, quality protein powder that mixes well and that you enjoy the taste of. Since the protein powder is what will give this recipe a lot of its flavor – if you do not like it, you will not like the oats!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which protein powder should I use?

This is a very important question! The type of protein powder that you use in this recipe will entirely make or break it.

The powder I use is Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla Protein Powder. It is a plant-based protein powder that I find to taste really good. I also don’t love to eat a lot of whey protein, so it is a great choice for me and my favorite brand at the moment.

I do recommend testing some protein powders out and doing some research if you don’t have one you like yet! It is important to note too that not all protein powders will mix well into oatmeal.

I have however enjoyed myself or seen other people enjoy Bloom Nutrition Protein and Clean Simple Eats Protein.

Do I need to add the chia seeds?

Yes, you do need to add the chia seeds! They thicken up the oats and the recipe will not have a good consistency without them. Trust me I have tried!

Do I have to soak this recipe overnight?

No, you do not have to soak this recipe fully overnight. A few hours should do the trick!

How do I eat overnight oats?

Overnight oats are typically enjoyed cold straight out of the fridge.

However, sometimes I like to heat them up if I am craving a warm meal. I just pop in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

How to best store this recipe?

Store this recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you do not enjoy them the day after preparing, they will last for about 3-5 days.

Love this recipe? Check out some similar ones below…

Overnight Oats Recipes

Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this overnight oatmeal recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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