No matter how busy your are, you can enjoy healthy, delicious breakfast all week long with these vegan overnight oats. Make a few servings ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week!
Where are my breakfast lovers at?!
You probably know by now that I am a breakfast fiend and am constantly coming up with new, easy vegan breakfast ideas to share with you all.
Breakfast is not a meal I like to skip and I don’t see that changing anytime soon!
I used to spend a lot of time making amazing vegan breakfasts for myself and Brett before I became a mom. Now I’m all about meal prepping!
There are so many different vegan breakfast recipes that are perfect for meal prep.
Some vegan breakfast recipes that I love to meal prep are:
- Healthy Chocolate Breakfast Muffins;
- A tray of Whole Wheat Banana Sheet Pan Pancakes…
- …or a batch of vegan overnight oats!
Today I want to share with you my simple method for meal prepping 5 different vegan overnight oats flavors at the beginning of the week to make your mornings run much more smoothly.
If you have a large family, you could easily double or triple this method so that everyone has a healthy breakfast waiting for them in the morning!
What are Overnight Oats?
If you still don’t know what overnight oats are, you’re in for a real treat!
Overnight oats are basically un-cooked oats that are soaked overnight in liquid with a few other ingredients. This results in cold, creamy oats that are ready for you when you wake up, can be taken on the go and can be topped with whatever you want!
When you prepare the oats the night before you can also determine what flavor you want them to be. You can do this by adding in different spices, flavored milks, fruit purees, and mix-ins such as fresh and dried fruits, nut butters, nuts, seeds, cacao nibs or even chocolate chips!
The combinations are endless and I’ll be sharing some of my favorites below!
How do You Make Overnight Oats?
There are a few different ways to make overnight oats.
Technically, you could just soak some oats in water overnight or until soft. Most people, however, like to include chia seeds and then soak the oats in milk or a combination of milk and yogurt.
My Basic Vegan Overnight Oats Recipe
My go-to basic vegan overnight oats recipe is written out below:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1 cup of non-dairy milk
In a jar, stir together the rolled oats and chia seeds. Pour in the non-dairy milk and stir everything to combine. To this basic recipe I add different spices, fruits and mix-ins to make whatever I’m craving!
In order to meal-prep multiple jars of overnights oats you can use one of two methods. You can make a large batch of basic overnight oats and then divide that batch among multiple jars before stirring in your mix-ins.
Alternatively, you can make each flavor individually from the start.
Place the rolled oats, chia seeds, liquid and mix-ins into each individual jar, stirring well until everything is combined.
FAQ about Vegan Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are basically un-cooked oats that are soaked overnight in liquid with a few other ingredients. This results in cold, creamy oats that are ready for you when you wake up, can be taken on the go and can be topped with whatever you want!
Yes! They can easily be made completely vegan. All you have to do is soak the oatmeal in either non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt or a combination of both. It’s as easy as that to make vegan overnight oats.
Technically, you could just soak some oats in water overnight or until soft. Most people, however, like to include chia seeds and then soak the oats in milk (or a combination of milk and yogurt) overnight until soft and creamy.
I almost always eat my overnight oats cold, but you can also reheat them either in the microwave or on the stove top to enjoy them warm. Just be aware that since the oats have already soaked for hours in the fridge overnight, the texture may be softer than if they were prepared in the morning.
Yes, you can use quick oats to make overnight oats. Although I prefer to use old-fashioned rolled oats as they hold their shape better.
I have yet to try it personally, but I have seen recipes using steel cut oats to make overnight oats. If you do use steel cut oats you will probably need more liquid and to allow the oats to soak for a longer period of time.
I usually keep my overnight oats for up to 4 days. If you make a batch with fruit such as mashed banana, however, you’ll want to eat them within 24 hours as the banana will oxidize and turn brown.
To ensure that your oats are gluten-free, be sure to buy certified gluten-free oats. While oats are technically gluten free, they are sometimes processed on equipment that has also processed gluten and can therefore become contaminated.
5 Special Flavor Combinations to Try
Below I’ll be sharing 5 different vegan overnight oats flavors that you can make in advance for your busy weekday mornings.
Be sure to leave a comment down below letting me know if you give this method of overnight oats meal prep a try. Share which flavor was your favorite (we LOVE the lemon blueberry) and give me more ideas for flavors to try!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
This classic flavor combination is one that I never get sick of: peanut butter and jelly!
To make Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats simple stir some of your favorite jelly into a basic batch of overnight oats.
The next morning, add a drizzle of peanut butter to the top right before serving.
Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats
Inspired by one of my favorite muffin flavors, I know you’ll love these Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats!
To make them, add a handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen is fine!), some lemon zest and a touch of maple syrup to a basic batch of overnight oats.
Allow them to soak throughout the night.
Double Chocolate Overnight Oats
Enjoy chocolate for breakfast with these Double Chocolate Overnight Oats!
I make them, add some cocoa or cacao powder, a touch of maple syrup and some cacao nibs (or chocolate chips) to a plain batch of overnight oats.
The next morning you’ll have a decadent, yet healthy, breakfast waiting for you!
Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats
Another classic flavor combination, these Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats are incredibly easy to make.
Simply add some shredded apple and cinnamon to a basic batch of overnight oats and allow the flavors to meld together overnight in the fridge.
The next day, top the oats with more apple, some chopped walnuts and more cinnamon!
Mango Coconut Overnight Oats
For a tropical flavor, you’ll love these Mango Coconut Overnight Oats!
To make them, stir some desiccated coconut or coconut cream into a batch of plain overnight oats.
Additionally, add in half of a fresh mango (chopped) and some ground cinnamon and ginger!
How to Meal Prep 5 Amazing Overnight Oat Jars
No matter how busy your are, you can enjoy healthy, delicious breakfast all week long with these 5 Make Ahead Overnight Oats Jars!
Ingredients
BASE RECIPE:
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 5 tablespoons chia seeds
- 4 cups non-dairy milk*
MANGO COCONUT:
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut (or coconut cream)
- 1/2 mango, cut into small pieces (or puréed)
- A dash of cinnamon
- A dash of ground ginger
LEMON BLUEBERRY:
- Zest of half a lemon
- 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
- Handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
PB&J:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Day of topping: 1 tablespoon peanut butter
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE:
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2-3 teaspoons liquid sweetener
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips
CINNAMON APPLE:
- 1/2 apple, grated
- A dash of cinnamon
- Day of topping: chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the rolled oats and chia seeds. Add in the non-dairy milk and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes in order to thicken up. Stir the oatmeal mixture one more time before dividing it evenly among 5 jars.
- ALTERNATIVELY, stir together 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 3/4-1 cup of non-dairy milk in 5 separate jars.
- Next, to each jar stir in the ingredients needed for each flavor, excluding the "day of toppings" which you'll add the morning you eat that flavor.
- Seal the jars and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days!
Notes
*For a cheaper version, you can do half milk and half water. The amount of liquid you use depends on how thick or runny you like your overnight oats. I like to use 1 cup per serving. Or in this case all 5 cups for 5 make-ahead portions!
**For even more overnight oat recipes be sure to check out this post on 10 Vegan Overnight Oats Recipes!
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 263Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 16mgSodium 95mgCarbohydrates 38gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 5gSugar 10gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 12g
Nutrition information is for the base recipe. It is a rough estimate provided by Nutrionix and should be used for informational purposes only.
Faith says
Ah thanks Diana! I hope you like the oats! Are you wanting more protein at breakfast? You could try tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, tofu/tempeh or bean breakfast burritos, chia pudding, smoothies with hemp seeds/protein powder/nut butter! Those are some thoughts that came to mind. Also, a jar of overnight oats with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 cup of soy milk and 1 tablespoon nut butter comes to 21 grams of protein which is pretty good in my opinion! And weird about the star rating. I’ll look into it! Thanks for commenting. Its fun to know who’s reading my blog!
Astrid says
Hi!!! Great idea! For summer! Love it!
Thank you for sharing! Love love ❤️
Faith says
Yes! We’re all about overnight oats here in Malaysia cause it’s summer all year round! Thanks Astrid!
Giselle says
I love breakfast but don’t always feel like starting my morning with cooking and cleaning! I will definitely give this a go! I could make this while I’m prepping a dinner. By the way, do you add the fruit with the overnight oats or just before eating? Thanks again for sharing!
Faith VanderMolen says
Hi Giselle! I’m right there with you…I love breakfast, but sometimes wish it was already ready for me every morning! The apple and blueberries should be fine to add with the oatmeal. Bananas are a fruit that you would want to add just before eating as they tend to oxidize and brown really easily. I hope you enjoy these overnight oat recipes!