Breakfast & Brunch

Vanilla Overnight Oats

A no-cook breakfast that thickens in the fridge overnight, with a base ratio you can build on all week.

International breakfast · Updated 31 July 2026
A jar of creamy overnight oats with a wooden spoon
Prep8 min
CookNone
Total8 min
Serves4
DifficultyEasy
Calories372 kcal

Overnight oats are less a recipe than a ratio, and once you know it you never measure again. Equal parts oats and liquid, a spoon of chia to thicken, and something acidic or sweet to stop it tasting like wet cereal.

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How to make Vanilla Overnight Oats

Ingredients

4

Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.

Base

Toppings, added in the morning

Equipment

  • 4 jars or lidded containers
  • Spoon

Method

  1. 1

    Combine the base

    Stir the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla and salt together in a bowl until completely mixed and no dry oats remain at the bottom.

  2. 2

    Do not skip the salt

    Taste the mixture. Unsalted overnight oats taste flat no matter how much sweetener you add, and half a teaspoon changes the whole thing.

  3. 3

    Divide

    Spoon into four jars, leaving a couple of centimetres of headroom. It thickens considerably and will climb.

  4. 4

    Rest overnight

    Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The oats soften and the chia forms a gel that sets the whole thing.

  5. 5

    Loosen in the morning

    It will be thicker than you expect. Stir in a splash of milk until it drops easily off a spoon.

  6. 6

    Top and eat

    Add fruit, nut butter and something crunchy at the moment of eating, never the night before, or the topping goes soft.

Cook’s tips

  • Use rolled oats, not instant and not steel-cut. Instant turns to paste and steel-cut never softens properly without heat.
  • Add crunchy toppings in the morning only. Granola left overnight in oats is just more oats.
  • The base ratio is 1 part oats to 1 part liquid plus yogurt. Memorise it and you can improvise indefinitely.

Variations

  • Stir in cocoa powder and a spoon of peanut butter for a chocolate version.
  • Grate an apple in with a good pinch of cinnamon for something close to apple pie.
  • Use coconut milk and top with mango and lime zest.

Storage and make-ahead

Keeps 4 days refrigerated, which is why it suits a Sunday batch. Do not freeze it; the texture separates badly on thawing.

Nutrition per serving

Calories372 kcal
Protein20 g
Carbohydrates46 g
Fat12 g
Fibre9 g
Sugar14 g
Sodium120 mg

Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.

Vanilla Overnight Oats: your questions answered

Do I have to use chia seeds?

No, but they are what gives the pudding-like set. Without them, use a quarter less liquid or the result will be loose.

Can I eat them warm?

Yes. Microwave a jar for 60-90 seconds, stirring halfway. It becomes a very good quick porridge, though the texture is softer than cooked oats.

How do I get more protein in?

The Greek yogurt already puts this at 20 g per serving. A scoop of protein powder stirred into the milk before mixing adds another 20 g or so, but add extra liquid because it absorbs a lot.

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