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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Published: Mar 28, 2023 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · Leave a Comment

    Vegan Overnight Oats

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN WATCH VIDEO
    5 from 1 vote
    Vegan Overnight Oats

    Vegan Overnight Oats are the ultimate make-ahead, budget-friendly breakfast. Minimal prep, easy to customize with any add-ins or toppings you like, and perfect for busy mornings!

    Vegan Overnight Oats

    I'll be sharing my basic and customizable master vegan overnight oat recipe, lots of tips and tricks, and all of my most popular vegan overnight oat recipes. You can even grab yourself a FREE vegan overnight oats printable with 12 new and exclusive recipes!

    In this post - Everything you need to make perfect vegan overnight oats. Click to jump to the area you are interested in:

    • FREE Overnight Oats Cheat Sheet Printable
    • Vegan Overnight Oats Ingredients
    • Overnight Oat Mix-Ins
    • How to Make Overnight Oats
    • My Favourite Jars For Overnight Oats
    • How To Serve Overnight Oats
    • Vegan Overnight Oat FAQs
    • Customizable Vegan Overnight Oats Recipe
    • My Most Popular Vegan Overnight Oat Recipes

    FREE Overnight Oats Cheat Sheet

    Pop your first name and email in the box below and the printable overnight oats cheat sheet with 12 vegan overnight oat recipes will wing its way straight to your inbox!

    Vegan Overnight Oats Ingredients

    With just a handful of pantry staples you can make my basic overnight oats recipe. Here is what you need:

    • Oats - Rolled oats or old fashioned oats are best but quick oats work too if you don't mind the smaller pieces and a much softer texture. I don't recommend using steel cut oats. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
    • Chia seeds - To thicken the oatmeal.
    • Sweetener - I like to use maple syrup or a chopped date but you can use agave or sugar if you prefer.
    • Plant Milk - Any unsweetened non-dairy milk will do such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk or cashew milk. If you only have sweetened milk omit the sweetener in the recipe.
    • Salt - Just a tiny pinch of salt enhances all of the flavours!

    Expert Tip - Prefer really creamy overnight oats? Instead of regular dairy-free milk use canned coconut milk, or switch some of the milk for a couple tablespoons of thick and creamy vegan yogurt. Both will make your overnight oats instantly thicker and richer!

    Overnight Oat Mix-Ins

    Customize the base recipe with whatever mix-ins you like. You can have such fun with flavour variations. Some of my favourites include:

    • vanilla extract or almond extract
    • spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, or ginger
    • fruit & vegetables like berries, banana, pumpkin puree, sweet potato, grated carrot and zucchini
    • jam/preserves or lemon curd
    • fruit compote
    • vegan yogurt
    • seed & nut butters like tahini, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or almond butter
    • cookie butter
    • shredded coconut
    • chopped nuts like pecans and walnuts
    • seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds
    • dairy-free chocolate chips
    • date caramel
    4 vegan overnight oats varieties

    How To Make Vegan Overnight Oats

    Recipes don't get much easier and the prep time is very minimal. Simply mix the ingredients up in a jar or put the lid on tightly and give it a shake. You can make one big batch in a large container, OR make individual portions in separate jars. Make the basic recipe as is and add toppings when serving, or add your choice of mix-ins.

    Refrigerate the overnight oats for at least 6 hours to give the mixture time to absorb the liquid and thicken.

    Meal Prep Tip - Make multiple servings of overnight oats on Sunday night so that you have breakfasts ready to go all week long. All of my overnight oat recipes can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. Hover over the servings number in the recipe card and a slider will appear that enables you to increase or decrease the size of the recipe. The ingredient amounts will automatically change to suit.

    My Favourite Jars For Overnight Oats

    I love to use 10oz/295ml wide mouth mason jars like the ones in the picture below for my overnight oats because they are so easy to eat out of and they make your meal prep very easy. It means you don't have to tip the oats out into a bowl, which saves on washing up and means you can easily eat your oatmeal on the go!

    overnight oats in a jar

    Bonne Maman jam jars are also just the right size as long as you don't go overboard with mix-ins. A great option if you're obsessed with their jam and have lots of used jars like me!

    How To Serve Overnight Oats

    Now that you're all ready to make up a batch of overnight oats you might be wondering how you serve them. Do you eat them cold or warm them up?

    The beauty and convenience of overnight oats is that unlike regular warm oatmeal, they are ready to eat straight from the fridge and no cooking is required.

    During their time in the fridge the oats soak up the milk, the chia seeds plump up, and everything gets thick, creamy, soft, and delicious.

    Overnight oats are best eaten just as they are, but that's not to say you can't warm them up a little if you want to. Just don't go overboard. They certainly don't need cooking so just give them a quick blast in the microwave to take the chill off rather than boiling them on the stovetop.

    I tend to eat my overnight oats straight from the jar most mornings. It's easy and saves making extra washing up. If I feel like a treat though I'll spoon them out into a bowl and add some toppings like a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced banana, mango, nut butter, chopped nuts and seeds.

    a jar of overnith oats with strawberries

    Vegan Overnight Oats FAQs

    How long do vegan overnight oats last?

    Most overnight oat flavours will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, but a few, such as those made with banana and softer fresh berries like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries, will only last for 2 or 3 days. Blueberries are a great choice because of their slightly tougher outside skin. They aren't as fragile and will keep for the full 5 days.

    Are overnight oats raw vegan?

    Yes, basic overnight oats are considered raw vegan, you just need to be mindful of your mix-ins, making sure they are also raw.

    Are overnight oats healthy?

    Overnight oats can be very healthy if you stick to healthier mix-ins and toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Oats are wholegrain and a really good source of protein, fibre, plant sterols, and antioxidants. They are filling, heart healthy, aid digestion, and can help lower blood pressure. In fact, overnight oats also contain more protein and fibre than cooked oatmeal. (Source: University Healthy News).

    What can I use instead of chia seeds in my overnight oats?

    Chia seeds work really well to thicken overnight oats, and they add healthy fats, omega 3's etc. if you don't have any though you can omit them. Your oats will just be a little more liquidy. You could use flax seeds instead but I'm personally not a fan of their flavour in my oats.

    Can I freeze overnight oats?

    No, I do not recommend freezing overnight oats. Baked oatmeal freezes well for up to 3 months though, as does regular cooked oatmeal. I give freezing directions that will work for any hot oatmeal recipe in this coconut milk oatmeal recipe.

    What if I don't have time to wait for overnight oats to soak?

    Make my Vegan Bircher Muesli recipe instead! There is no cooking involved and it's ready to eat in just 15 minutes! Fun fact - Bircher Muesli was developed in the 1900's and is actually where inspiration for todays overnight oats came from!

    Recipe Video

    See my master vegan overnight oat recipe in action in these Vegan Overnight Oats with strawberries!

    Recipe

    vegan overnight oats

    Vegan Overnight Oats Recipe

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 1 vote
    Vegan Overnight Oats are the ultimate make ahead breakfast. Minimal prep, easy to customize with any add-ins or toppings you like, and perfect for busy mornings. Here is my basic overnight oats recipes with lots of mix-in ideas!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes minutes
    COOK TIME: 0 minutes minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 serving

    Ingredients
      

    basic overnight oats

    • ½ cup (50 grams) rolled or old fashioned oats
    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or 1 finely chopped Medjool date
    • ¾ cup (180 ml) non-dairy milk
    • 1 small pinch salt

    customizable mix-ins

    • ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
    • spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, or ginger
    • ⅓ to ½ cup fresh fruit
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons jam/preserves
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegan lemon curd
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons fruit compote
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons date caramel
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon chopped nuts or seeds
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons dairy-free chocolate chips

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Wide Mouth Mason Jars
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add all of the basic overnight oat ingredients to a jar or other lidded container. Stir to combine.
    • Add mix-ins of choice and stir well. Or leave as they are and add as toppings when serving instead.
    • Put the lid on tightly and refrigerate for anything from 6 hours to 5 days.
    • Eat straight from the jar or spoon into a bowl and add toppings.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 14gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 114mgPotassium: 497mgFiber: 10gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 389IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 353mgIron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below!

    Popular Vegan Overnight Oat Recipes

    Prefer to have a complete vegan overnight oats recipe to follow rather than customizing your own? Then you can find my best vegan overnight recipes below. These are all tried and true reader favourites!

    Lemon Cheesecake Overnight Oats

    a bowl of lemon cheesecake overnight oats with lemon curd and cookie crumbles
    Chilled, creamy Lemon Cheesecake Overnight Oats are quick and easy to make with no cooking involved. Perfect to enjoy at home or on the go!
    make this recipe

    Biscoff Overnight Oats

    a bowl of Biscoff overnight oats
    Biscoff Overnight Oats! With cookie butter, cinnamon, and crumbles of Biscoff cookie for the best texture. It's sweet, creamy, filling, and a real treat to start your day!
    make this recipe

    Coffee Overnight Oats

    a bowl of coffee overnight oats
    Get your caffeine fix in overnight oatmeal form! These chilled, creamy Coffee Overnight Oats are super quick and easy to make and are a great way to use up leftover coffee in your pot!
    make this recipe

    Raspberry Overnight Oats

    raspberry overnight oats
    Raspberry Overnight Oats take just a few minutes to prepare and are a delicious, healthy, convenient, and easily transportable breakfast. They can be made with fresh or frozen raspberries so you can enjoy them all year round!
    make this recipe

    Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

    a bowl of carrot cake overnight oats
    Carrot Cake Overnight Oats have all the delicious flavours and textures of carrot cake in healthy breakfast form! They take minutes to prepare with no cooking involved, and are perfect to enjoy for breakfast either at home, or on the go.
    make this recipe

    Black Forest Overnight Oats

    a jar of Black Forest Overnight Oats
    Black Forest Overnight Oats! The ultimate, decadent but nutritious and satisfying breakfast that needs no cooking at all and can be made ahead. With the classic combination of chocolate and cherries, this my friends is seriously yum!
    make this recipe

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

    a bowl of chocolate peanut butter overnight oats
    Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats take 5 minutes to prepare and make a delicious breakfast for a busy morning. Simply mix them up in a jar the night before and wake up to breakfast ready and waiting for you!
    make this recipe

    Strawberry Overnight Oats

    strawberry overnight oats in a bowl
    Learn how to make Strawberry Overnight Oats! An easy, no-cook breakfast option that takes minutes to make and will provide you with grab-and-go breakfasts for days!
    make this recipe

    Chocolate Overnight Oats

    a bowl of chocolate overnight oats
    Make Chocolate Overnight Oats in minutes and have a healthy, high protein breakfast waiting for you in the morning. No cooking involved!
    make this recipe

    Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

    a bowl of chunky monkey overnight oats with hands around it
    Overnight Oats Chunky Monkey Style! We're talking banana, nuts, chocolate & creamy oatmeal, because everyone deserves to wake up to that combo! There is no cooking involved at all. Make up a batch in minutes, store them in the fridge & they are perfect for quick, healthy breakfasts on the go! 
    make this recipe

    Ginger Chocolate Overnight Oats

    Make your mornings a little less stressful with these Ginger Chocolate Overnight Oats. Wake up to a jar of chocolatey, oaty goodness with a touch of aromatic ginger warmth. And best of all, there is no cooking involved!
    make this recipe

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    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

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