Chewy oats, protein rich chia seeds, and creamy cashew butter make these Healthy Cookie Dough Overnight Oats a breakfast worth waking up for!
Overnight oats were all the rage when I first started blogging. I remember going through a phase when I would try to come up with a new flavor of overnight oats every single morning (hello there key lime pie overnight oats and Golden Milk Overnight Oats!) Even after 9 years of creating recipes, I'm still obsessed with overnight oats and I often meal prep 5 different flavors of overnight oats at one time to keep my breakfasts fun and exciting throughout the week. Today I'm going to show you how to make my favorite flavor of overnight oats: Cookie Dough Overnight Oats!
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Ingredients
- Oats: You really can't make overnight oats without oats! In the FAQs below I share my personal favorite oats to use when making overnight oats, but any variety will work.
- Non-dairy milk: I personally like to use unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk when making any kind of oatmeal, as it allows me to better control the flavor and the amount of added sugar. However, you can use whatever non-dairy milk you have on hand!
- Chia seeds: To make my overnight oats thick and creamy, I love to add chia seeds. They are rich in protein and fats to keep you fuller for longer.
- Cashew butter: Cashew butter is my favorite nut butter to use when making these cookie dough overnight oats as I find it's the most flavor neutral and gives me the most accurate cookie dough flavor.
- Maple syrup: We all know that cookie dough is sweet, so we need to sweeten our cookie dough overnight oats as well! I like to use maple syrup as it's a less refined sweetener.
- Cacao nibs (or mini, dairy-free chocolate chips): For the "chocolate chips" in this cookie dough overnight oats recipe, I love to use cacao nibs. They are unsweetened, crushed cacao beans that add a nice, chocolatey flavor. If you've never tried cacao nibs before, just remember that they are unsweetened and very bitter and may take some time to get used to. However, I find that when paired with the sweetened oats, they work perfectly.
Substitutions
- Milk - While I obviously like to use non-dairy milk, normal cow's milk works great as well when making overnight oats.
- Nut Butter - You can really use whatever nut butter you have on hand! Obviously, just keep in mind that a different kind of nut butter will affect the final flavor of these oats. If you don't have cashew butter, my next choices would be almond butter or peanut butter.
- Sweetener - While I love to use maple syrup in this recipe, agave, honey (if you're not vegan) coconut sugar, brown sugar or white sugar would all work as well.
- Chocolate Chips - I usually use cacao nibs or chips in this recipe, but if you want a sweeter option, just use mini chocolate chips instead!
Variations
- Peanut Butter Raisin Cookie Dough - Swap the cashew butter for peanut butter and stir in some raisins instead of chocolate chips!
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Overnight Oats- Add in some cinnamon and omit the chocolate chips!
- Gingerbread Cookie Dough Overnight Oats - Use molasses as the sweetener, almond butter for the nut butter and add in some ground ginger.
- Double Chocolate Cookie Dough Overnight Oats - Add in some cocoa powder to make these cookie dough overnight oats double chocolate.
How to Make Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Step 1: In a bowl or mason jar, stir together the oats, chia seeds and cacao chips.
Step 2: Add in the non-dairy milk, cashew butter and maple syrup.
Step 3: Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until the cashew butter is well incorporated.
Step 4: Transfer the mixture to sealable container or jar, place the lid on top and let the oats sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
Expert Tips
- I highly recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats when making overnight oats. If you use quick oats or instant oats, you'll end up with a goopy texture. Rolled oats maintain their shape well, even after soaking overnight in milk or water.
- If you like to eat your overnight oats with fresh toppings, I would add them right before enjoying your overnight oats. Fresh fruit can oxidize or become soggy if it soaks overnight. Nuts, seeds and granola will lose their crunch as well.
Recipe FAQs
Overnight oats are oats that have been mixed with liquid and then soak in the fridge overnight. They can be as simple as oats soaked in milk, but usually people add in a few more ingredients such as yogurt, chia seeds, powders, spices, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. These tasty additions help to add texture, flavor and creaminess to the overnight oats.
Rolled oats are the best oats for overnight oats as they are hearty enough to keep their shape after soaking, yet result in perfectly soft and creamy oatmeal the next day. Quick and instant oats can also work, but they may become more mushy/gummy after soaking. While I've never done it personally, it is also possible to make overnight oats using steal cut oats.
I find that basic, plain overnight oats which have been made with old fashioned rolled oats will keep well in the fridge for about 3-4 days. However, if you add mashed or sliced banana to your overnight oats then they may only last about 1 day as banana oxidizes quickly.
The recommended time for soaking overnight oats is 8 hours or overnight. However, if you're short on time, the oats can become soft enough after soaking for only 2-4 hours.
More Overnight Oats Flavors!
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Cookie Dough Overnight Oats Recipe
Equipment
- Healthworks Raw Chia Seeds
- Plant Biased Cookbook
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk
- 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a mason jar or bowl, mix together the oats, chia seeds, cashew butter, milk and maple syrup until well combined. If you want your cacao nibs to have a softer texture, you can stir them in at this time and allow them to soak overnight.
- Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- If you omitted the cacao nibs , stir them in before eating.
Notes
- If possible, use rolled oats. They make the best texture!
- You can substitute the cacao nibs for dairy-free chocolate chips, craisins, raisins, chopped dates, chopped nuts etc.
Michele says
Where did you buy the perfect little jars?
Faith VanderMolen says
I think I got them online here in Malaysia from a company called Lazada. I'm guessing you could search "small glass jars" on amazon and find something similar though!
Sven says
I just tried this - yum, and so easy! I used almond butter. Can’t wait to try some variations.
Faith VanderMolen says
Almond butter would be perfect in this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing and have fun coming up with new variations!
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Can I use another natural sweetener or does the maple syrup contribute to cookie dough flavor?
Faith says
Yes, definitely Suzanne! I love blackstrap and normal molasses or honey/agave would be great too. For dry sweeteners, I'd guess you'd use about the same amount as well. Enjoy experimenting and eating "cookie dough" for breakfast!