This delicious 5 ingredient overnight vanilla oats recipe is the perfect healthy breakfast – made with only 5 simple ingredients and no cooking required.
To make the overnight oats, all you do is put rolled oats, flax, and yogurt in a mason jar or container and refrigerate it overnight, then the next morning add a tablespoon of brown sugar and walnuts to give it some crunch, mix, and enjoy!
What are overnight oats?
- Overnight oats are a way to make/prepare rolled oats. You simple combine oats in liquid, let them sit overnight, hence the name overnight oats.
- Because the oats absorb the liquid, there’s no cooking involved – yay for no cook breakfasts!
How to make healthy overnight oats & substitutions
- At the bottom of a jar or Tupperware container (or even in a big coffee mug) add rolled oats and flaxseed meal.
- Add in water and yogurt (I like to use vanilla yogurt, but you could use plain yogurt and add in a dash of vanilla extract).
- Leave covered, in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours)
- Next morning top with brown sugar and walnuts (you could maple syrup instead of brown sugar as a sweetener and pecans or almonds instead of walnuts)
These are a great grab-and-go breakfast. I’ve been known to take a container of these on my way out the door in the morning and then am that girl that has an empty mason jar with spoon clanking around.
Also, these 5 ingredient overnight vanilla oats are such a great healthy breakfast for kids. When they wake up in the morning wanting breakfast 5 minutes ago, these are perfect to grab out of the fridge. You can also customize them depending on what each kid likes.
Next time you’re looking for a quick breakfast, make these super easy 5 ingredient overnight vanilla oats!
5 Ingredient Overnight Vanilla Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 Tbs flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt or plain yogurt with a dash of vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs walnut pieces
Instructions
- In the bottom of a mason jar or a container add oats and flax, then pour water over the oats, and cover with vanilla yogurt. No need to stir. Refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
- In the morning top with brown sugar and walnut pieces and enjoy!
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from the lovely Pinch of Yum blog recipe for Flax and Blueberry Vanilla Oats
This recipe was originally posted in 2014 and updated in 2020
Becky Dillon says
sorry… It’s 840 calories, not 810… I need help understanding this. Thank you
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, that is definitely NOT correct, I will work on fixing that! I switched the program that shows the recipe card and it automatically must have calculated the nutrition information (very incorrectly!)! Thanks for pointing that out
Becky Dillon says
This recipe looks very good, but I cannot understand why it has 810 calories… that seems like a whole lot of calories for breakfast with oats and yogurt. I looked at the list of ingredients and can’t see how I can possibly be that much. Could you explain? Thank you
Maria says
This sounds delicious! I’m trying it tonight. Do you think it would still taste good if it’s warm? What do you suggest?
Sweetphi says
It definitely still tastes good if it’s warmed. I’d recommend 1-2 minutes in the microwave 🙂
Maria says
Thank you! 😊
Maria says
Ohhh, this was very good and satisfying! I didn’t even warm it up. I brought it to work with me and literally just eating it(late late breakfast lol) Perfect consistency, great flavor, just simply delicious! Thank you! Will be my go to breakfast!
Mia says
would almond milk instead of water taste ok as well?
Sweetphi says
Yes, that would work just fine
Patty says
I was wondering if its supposed to be greek yogurt?
Sweetphi says
I used regular yogurt, but you could definitely use Greek yogurt if you like the taste of it!
Michael says
Are the oats cooked or raw when put in the mason jar? Does it matter what type of oats you use, i.e. steel cut, quick oats or regular?
Sweetphi says
Hi there, the oats are raw when you put them in the mason jar. I’ve tried quick oats and regular oats and they turn out great. I’ve tried quick cooking steel cut oats but I did not like the way they turned out, so I would not suggest them.
Lynn Dobi says
I just made the over night vanilla oats. Delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe. I will be making these many more times!
Sweetphi says
YAY – I am so happy to hear you liked the recipe! Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your experience. Your comment inspired me to make them again and I just had them for breakfast – yum!
Lynn Dobi says
I have to say this has become my favorite over night oat recipe. It is just delicious!
Sweetphi says
I am so happy to hear this, thank you for letting me know!
Charles says
Since you obviously love dogs and can get emotional while reading, read “A Dog’s Purpose” and “A Dog’s Journey” by W. Bruce Cameron. They are wonderful and at different times will make you laugh and definitely cry. I had to stop and give my dog lots of hugs while I was reading them.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for your suggestions, I’m totally going to check those out!!
Victoria says
This is an awesome idea!
xoxo,
Victoria
Sweetphi says
Thank you! These overnight oats are so good, definitely worth trying 🙂
cheri says
What a great post Phi, very nice one of your best yet. Love vanilla oats.
Sweetphi says
Awe, thank you Cheri, that means so much coming from you!!
Ashley says
I still have yet to make overnight oats – which is weird because I love oatmeal anything! I always forget to mix it up the night before! haha I need to write myself a note : ) These sound awesome – vanilla is my favorite!
Sweetphi says
If you like oats I have a feeling you’re going to loooove this! Girl, these overnight oats are soooo good!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
I’ve been playing around with overnight oats for a little while and can’t seem to get the right consistency. I’ve mastered overnight chia oats but not plain oats just yet. Trying this Sunday night for Monday morning. Sounds delicious Phi. 🙂 Have a great weekend
Sweetphi says
Let me know how they turn out! The texture is great in these, I think the trick is to layer the ingredients and not stir them, then in the morning stir and add the brown sugar and walnuts, gives the perfect crunch when they’re stirred up….sooo yummy!
seasonssuppers says
This is a fabulous idea! My daughter is an oatmeal lover and she needs this. Thanks!
Sweetphi says
Thank you! I think your daughter will love them, if she likes oatmeal, she definitely will…to be honest, I never loved oatmeal that much until I had these overnight oats, now I totally want them for breakfast every morning, they’re so healthy AND delicious 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Ahh I read the book and STILL need to see the movie! I know AJ won’t want to see it, so I need to just suck it up and go myself, but I cried through the book! AJ would come into the bedroom when I was reading and be like ‘Um why are you crying?!’ haha. Also, I LOVE overnight oats, my favorite! : )
Sweetphi says
Girl, we can totally go together, I’d definitely see it again!! And Overnight oats are my new favorite, I’ve had them every morning and am loving the simplicity, taste, and cool temperature!
Karis says
I read both of those books this year and really liked them both. Are you on Goodreads? I’ve had great luck with recommendations from there. I also get suckered into the recommended books that pop up when I finish a book on my Kindle. I thought I had downloaded too many books but then we cut our cable this month and suddenly I’m tearing through them…funny how that happens 🙂 Anyway, the book I would highly recommend is The Tao of Martha.
Sweetphi says
Thank you for the suggestion about Goodreads and The Tao of Martha, just added it to my download list! Thank you thank you-your suggestions are always spot on Karis 🙂
Samina | The Cupcake Confession says
OHMYGOD!!!!!! I cried like a babyyyyy when I read the book! The last 100 pages especially were so painful!!!!! I just couldn’t take it!!!!! the movie is releasing here on 4th July and I’m going to advance book my tickets next week!!!! I can’t wait for it to be out! I know this is going to be a cry fest! 🙁 🙁 These overnight oats are just brilliant! I tried it for breakfast once and my mum is surprised that I have actually started eating oatmeal! I have, however, tried only basic flavors but this one sounds so delicious! Vanilla yogurt, walnuts and brown sugar! Need to make this stat!
Sweetphi says
You’ll LOVE the movie Samina! Thank you for the sweet comment about the oats…they’re soooo good and a wonderful summertime breakfast because you can eat them cold! Enjoy!