Overnight Oats

Tags: #mealprep #breakfast #makeahead Serving: 4 servings Total time: 8 hours

Creamy, no-cook oats that thicken overnight for a ready-to-eat, customizable breakfast.

Ingredients

• 200 g old-fashioned rolled oats
• 600 ml whole milk
• 240 g plain Greek yogurt
• 20 g chia seeds
• 60 ml pure maple syrup
• 4 ml vanilla extract
• 2 g fine sea salt
• 200 g fresh berries (optional topping)
• 40 g toasted nuts, chopped (optional topping)
• 40 g nut butter (optional topping)
• 4 g ground cinnamon (optional topping)

Steps

1. Place oats in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add chia seeds to the bowl.
3. Add salt to the bowl.
4. Add yogurt to the bowl.
5. Pour milk into the bowl.
6. Add maple syrup to the bowl.
7. Add vanilla extract to the bowl.
8. Whisk until evenly combined.
9. Rest the mixture for 5 minutes.
10. Whisk to break up any chia clumps.
11. Divide the mixture into 4 containers (about 300 ml each).
12. Cover the containers.
13. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
14. Stir the oats before serving.
15. Top each serving with berries, nuts, nut butter, or cinnamon.
16. Stir in 15–30 ml milk per serving to loosen, if needed.

Notes

• Use rolled oats for ideal texture; avoid instant oats, which turn pasty. For steel-cut oats, increase milk to 800 ml and soak 12–24 hours.
• Ratio blueprint per serving: 50 g oats + 150 ml milk + 60 g yogurt + 5 g chia + 15 ml syrup + pinch of salt + 1 ml vanilla.
• Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; add fresh fruit just before eating for best texture.
• Make it dairy-free by using unsweetened oat, almond, or soy milk and a plant-based yogurt.
• Boost protein by swapping Greek yogurt to skyr or stirring in 20–30 g protein powder per serving (add extra 30–60 ml milk to maintain texture).
• Related: Bircher muesli is a classic fruit-forward variation; fold in 80 g grated apple and 10 g raisins per serving before chilling.