With just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prepare, you can have a delicious and healthy breakfast option with 33 grams of protein! It's easy to prep the night before for busy mornings and the perfect way to get in a filling meal when you're low on time!
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What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are a make-ahead breakfast that doesn't require any cooking. Since rolled oats have been steamed and pressed through a roller to flatten them (hence the name) they can be consumed without cooking.
Instead of cooking, you can simply combine all of the ingredients in a sealable container and store it in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. Soaking the oats softens them enough without requiring any heat. However, you can totally heat them up if cold oats aren't your jam.
Best protein for overnight oats
When we think of adding protein to our oats, we usually think about protein powder. While there are a lot of awesome plant-based protein powder available, there's also a lot of whole food sources that are high protein. To get the best of both worlds, we utilize both in this protein overnight oats recipe.
Here are various extra protein sources that would be great to add:
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseed meal
- Nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter
- Seed butter like sunflower seed butter
- Vegan protein powder like pea protein (here's a homemade pea protein powder recipe) or vegan whey protein
Ingredient notes
This is a great base recipe that you can easily customize with your favorite toppings. For the base you just need 4 simple ingredients:
Rolled oats—Also known as old-fashioned oats, these are the best type of oats for overnight oatmeal! Don't used steel cut oats as they won't soften enough and quick oats will get too soggy. Rolled oats are the goldilocks of overnight oats.
Unsweetened almond milk—Or any unsweetened non-dairy milk you prefer. For a more creamy consistency you could use oat milk or coconut milk. For some extra protein, soy milk is your best bet since it's one of the highest protein plant milks available.
Protein powder—Vanilla protein powder, chocolate protein powder or your favorite flavor all work great in this! You can even use plain protein powder and add cocoa powder or cinnamon for flavor.
Chia seeds—These humble seeds play a huge role in overnight oats. They help to thicken the mixture to take it from soupy to creamy, and they provide additional protein, healthy fats like omega-3's, fiber and more!
Optional ingredients:
Vanilla extract and cinnamon—If you're not using a flavored protein powder then for extra flavor you can add a dash of cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
How to make these protein oats
In a sealable container, like a mason jar, add the all ingredients and whisk together to evenly combine.
Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours to thicken.
The next morning, or whenever you plan to enjoy your protein oats, remove from the refrigerator and add your favorite toppings. I love adding fresh fruit like bananas and berries, shredded coconut, and peanut butter.
Store in an airtight container such as a glass jar.
Frequently asked questions
The name is a bit misleading for being called an overnight oatmeal recipe but you actually don't have to soak overnight. You really just need 3-4 hours for the oats to soften.
You could technically eat this recipe right away since the oats are already cooked in
Once prepared, overnight oats can last up to 5 days in the fridge.
I know some people aren't a fan of cold oats. If that's you, you can still benefit from the advanced prepping that overnight oats provide, but heat them up when you're ready to eat.
The easiest option would be the microwave. Leave off toppings and heat in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively you can use the stove. Since the oats are already soft from soaking you don't need to boil them per se, you can just heat through. However, if there's more liquid than you desire, you can simmer off some of the excess until you reach your desired consistency.
More high-protein recipes for breakfast
Looking for more healthy recipes that are perfect for breakfast? Here's some of our favorites:
- Snickers Overnight Oats has 17 grams of protein
- Peanut Butter Overnight Oats has 16 grams of protein
- Chickpea Flour Scramble has 9 grams per serving of protein
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie has over 25 grams of protein
- Fluffy Eggless Pancakes have 9 grams per serving
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📖 Recipe
Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats *
- ¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a sealable container, whisk together all ingredients to combine.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to let the oats and chia seeds absorb the liquid and thicken.
- When ready to serve, add desired toppings and enjoy!
Just made these last night and was pleasantly surprised how filling they are! I wasn't hungry all morning when usually I snack. I topped mine with a little peanut butter and strawberries and it tasted like a better PB&J 🙂 Thanks for this easy recipe!