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!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Cookie Dough Overnight Oats Recipe
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.
Teneisha says
I can't remember if I saw this or not, but with placing them in the fridge overnight, is the jar of overnight oats covered or uncovered?
Faith says
Hi! I’ve done both and both ways work! I’m sure covered is a slightly better storage method, but I never run into issues leaving my overnight oats uncovered for just a night. If you leave it longer or make multiple batches for the week, then I’d suggest covering them. I hope that helps!
Chandler-Michelle says
Look forward to making this tonight! Is unsweetened or sweetened milk preferred? I have seen many recipes for overnight oats that suggest unsweetened but not sure why or if it is necessary to go out and buy unsweetened instead. Thank you! 🙂
Faith says
I really hope you like it! And either sweet or unsweetened milk is fine. You just may need to adjust the amount of maple syrup:) no need to buy unsweetened!! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Lara says
I used your recipe as a base recipe and added 1 tbsp powder flax seeds, 2 tsps vegan cocoa protein powder, 1 mashed banana, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.... It ended up being delicious! Just thought I would post it in case you wanted to try other combinations 🙂
Faith says
I love those additions Lara! Thanks so much for sharing. I’ll have to try that out next time!
Samantha says
I love this recipe. I used chocolate cashew milk instead of plain
Faith says
That's brilliant Samantha! I'm going to have to try that sometime! Thanks for sharing:)
Pascalle says
Could almond butter be used instead of cashew butter?
Faith says
Definitely! I just find that the cashew butter give it a more classic cookie flavor. Both would be delicious though!
Elsa says
I used peanut butter instead of cashew since I had that on hand. Also added vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. This ia more like two servings for me but is very delicious!
Faith says
Peanut butter would be great in this recipe and love that you made this even more cookie-dough-like with the vanilla and sea salt! Thanks for sharing Elsa!
Tabea says
Dear Faith
How is your eyesight? I only just read this today... in case you‘re interested... my mother uses some vitamins called „preserve mac forte“ for her eyes and has significantly bettered the sharpnes of her vision. You can email me if you wish to know more about the brand and where to get them.
Love
Tabea
Faith says
Hi Tabea! Thanks for asking! My eyesight is great! I just discovered from that experience that when they’re dry or I’m over tired, they can not focus as well. But eye drops and good sleep fixed that problem and so can see great still! Thanks for sharing about your mom’s vitamins though!
Megan says
Found this through Pinterest and I had all the ingredients, so I was able to try right away! It was GREAT! I recently adopted a vegan diet, so I’m always looking for great recipes like this.
Also, Faith, I noticed this post was written two years ago and you commented very recently. I hope that means everything is okay with your sight? Hope you see this and can provide an update!
Faith says
I'm so glad you found and enjoyed this recipe Megan! It's one of my favorites and so easy to make. And yes, I'm still active on this blog. Thanks for commenting!
Angelina says
What’s the calories in this recipe per serving and what would one serving be thanks! Need the calorie count for my meal prep.
Faith says
Hi Angelina! Thanks for your question, but unfortunately I don't estimate the calories for my recipes. I'm sure there is a recipe calculator that you could use. Sorry I'm not much help. Good luck!
Elsa says
Hey, I calculated the calories to one serving, which is half of the recipe. It has about 250 calories:)
Faith says
Thanks for sharing Elsa! I know quite a few people will find this helpful!
Lori Knerick says
Haha! Big Yellow Taxi is by Joni Mitchell.
Theirs was a redux
Faith says
Ah gotcha! Thanks for the correction:)
Edie says
I found your blog by someone having shared a picture of this recipe on Pinterest. Although I'm not vegan, and I'm not planning on becoming vegan, I AM looking to incorporate a lot more plant-based foods into our diet. The image alone attracted me...and so I've got 2 servings of this waiting in the fridge for us in the morning! I didn't have cashew butter, so I used almond butter...and I chopped up some 85% dark chocolate for hubby instead of the nibs...I'll try it with the nibs and see how I like them (on their own, they're quite bitter, with almost an 'alcohol' flavor to them...hoping the maple syrup and almost butter masks the bitterness some.)
Been scrolling through your recipes, and looking forward to trying a whole bunch of them!! 🙂 Keep 'em coming!
Faith says
Hi Edie! I'm so glad you found this recipe and that you said hi! I totally understand on the cacao nibs. I think they taste horrible on their own, but I don't mind them in sweet things. It'll be good to see the difference in the oatmeal between the batch with cacao nibs and the batch with dark chocolate. And almond butter makes for a great substitute. Hopefully you'll both enjoy the oats! I hope the rest of my recipes come in handy for you as you try to eat more plant based meals. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Sarah says
This was my first attempt at overnight oats and it was a success! I subbed peanut butter for almond, delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Faith says
Yay!! So glad you liked it Sarah! Overnight oats make mornings so easy...I need to make them more often!
Bonnie says
Any reason the chocolate chips can't be added right away with everything else?
Faith says
No actually!! Add away! Less work in the morning too:)
Elise says
What are the tan colored chunks in here?
Faith says
It's just the oats! I don't know why they showed up so tan. Hope that helps!
Amy says
Maybe I can get my teenager to eat breakfast!! Can't wait to try this. Thanks.
Faith says
That would make me so happy Amy! Keep me posted! Oh, and chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs would definitely help 🙂
Amanda @ All Day Active Life says
Delicious!!! My kids love this winning combination. I'm sharing this on my blog today. Thanks for a delicious recipe!!
Faith says
So glad you and your kids like this recipe! I was actually thinking of preparing it tonight for myself. Thanks for sharing as well!
Kayla says
Do you heat these in the microwave the next morning or eat cold?
Faith says
I just eat it cold!
Kristina Nicole says
Looks delicious! Can you add almond butter instead of cashew? Or natural PB? thanks!
Faith says
Hi Kristina! Glad you're thinking of giving this recipe a try. You can definitely use almond or peanut butter. The taste will just slightly change, but either way it will be delicious. Hope you like it!
Chelsea says
If one does not like the texture of chia seeds do you recommend omitting them all together or substituting for something?
Thanks.
Faith says
Hey Chelsea! Good question. The chia seeds aren't as pronounced in overnight oats, but if you don't want them a substitute suggestion would be ground flaxseed (the same ratio). The chia seeds help to thicken the oats, so if you omit them completely, you may need to add a little less liquid! I hope it works out for you. I love this recipe:)
Barb says
I am thankful for you, all of your great recipes and what you mean to our family! Prayers for the eye sight and can't wait to try the overnight oats . . .a little healthier than the cookie dough bagels that we used to devour 🙂
Faith says
Thanks mama!! I finally got some doctors appointments set up so I'm hoping to know what's going on soon. Oh man, now I want a cookie dough bagel!
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
That's so scary to hear about the blurriness! Please keep us updated and I'll keep you in my prayers <3
On a food note, I've been wanting to try overnight oats for the first time and these look like a great place to start!
Faith says
Thanks Liv!! I will! Oh man, I'm excited for you to try overnight oats for the first time! They're amazing and make for such an easy start to the day:)
Shirley - Shirl Hill says
l
ooks delishes, can not wait to try it. Thank you
Faith says
I hope you do Shirley!