Try making these high-protein overnight oats for a healthy, hearty, and delicious breakfast that will keep you full of energy all morning. Rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder, maple syrup, and peanut butter blend together for the ultimate meal.
Table of Contents
- ❤️ Why this recipe works
- 🥣 What are overnight oats?
- 🌱 Are overnight oats vegan?
- 🤔 Why add protein?
- 💪 What is the best protein to use?
- 🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- 📝 Instructions
- 🍓 What to serve with overnight oats
- 🌡️ Storage & reheating
- ♻️ Variations
- 🧑🍳 Top tips
- 💬 FAQ
- 🍴 More recipes like this one
- 📋 Recipe
❤️ Why this recipe works
- High protein: With over 20 grams of protein per serving, overnight oats are the perfect way to start the day and keep you feeling full.
- Prep ahead: It's easy to prep ahead, so all you need to do is grab and go on busy mornings.
- Diet-friendly: This high-protein overnight oats recipe is suitable for vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free diets.
- Customizable: There are so many variations and ways to make it your own. You'll never get bored!
🥣 What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are made by combining rolled oats, chia seeds, and other add-ins, then leaving them to soak in the fridge overnight. Since there is no cooking involved, this recipe is categorized as "raw food."
The benefit of consuming raw foods is an increased absorption of vitamins and nutrients that are otherwise disrupted during the heating process.
We personally enjoy overnight oats in warmer months when we don't feel like sitting down to a piping hot bowl of oatmeal.
🌱 Are overnight oats vegan?
Protein overnight oats are quite popular in the vegan community, but they are not inherently vegan. However, just a few swaps are needed to make a plant-based recipe:
- Milk: Instead of cow's milk, we prefer using soy or pea milk for a little extra protein boost.
- Yogurt: We recommend purchasing dairy-free yogurt or making your own in place of dairy-based yogurt. It's equally tasty!
- Protein: You don't need whey protein powder when you can make overnight oats with protein powder that is vegan-friendly!
🤔 Why add protein?
Even though protein powder is not necessary for a classic overnight oats recipe, it provides many benefits, including building muscle.
Protein plays an essential role in making enzymes and hormones in our bodies. Enzymes are necessary for growth and development, blood coagulation, healing, diseases, breathing, digestion, and reproduction. Pretty important stuff.
In addition, protein is the most effective macronutrient in creating a feeling of satiety. In other words, adding protein to meals helps you feel full for longer!
💪 What is the best protein to use?
When you're on the hunt for a protein powder, you first need to think about your health and fitness goals. If you're looking to add more greens to your diet, you might consider a protein and superfoods blend like these:
- Vega Protein and Greens
- Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein and Greens
- Four Sigmatic Protein With Superfoods
If your goal is to gain weight and muscle, you can try options like these:
Ultimately, your decision should be based on personal preferences and needs. You'll likely need to test out a few brands to figure out which texture, taste, and nutrient profile works best for you.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
Rolled oats — Make sure you use old-fashioned rolled oats and not instant oats or steel-cut oats for this recipe.
Soy milk — We prefer the taste, consistency, and protein content of soy milk. Another high-protein option is pea milk, but you can also use cashew, almond, or coconut milk.
Dairy-free yogurt — Use store-bought or homemade vegan yogurt. It's best to use a fairly thick yogurt for the creamiest overnight oats consistency. If you don't have any yogurt, replace it with full-fat coconut milk or more plant milk.
Vegan protein — Any protein powder brand that you prefer will work. We use a local brand called Birdman Falcon for our protein overnight oats.
Chia seeds — These tiny little seeds are a rich source of omega 3's, fiber, and plant-based protein. Along with rolled oats, they soak up liquids and help create a thickened texture.
Maple syrup — We love the flavor of pure maple syrup in our overnight oats. However, you can also use agave, coconut nectar, stevia, or cane sugar.
Vanilla — It's always best to opt for pure vanilla extract whenever possible. It makes such a difference!
Sea salt — Adding a pinch or two helps to enhance the other flavors and add minerals. Don't skip it!
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 Instructions
Step 1 — In a mason jar, combine the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, and salt.
Step 2 — Add in plant milk, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir everything until well combined.
Step 3 — Cover the jar with a lid and transfer it to your fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
Step 4 — The next morning, top with coconut yogurt, peanut butter, pecans, blueberries, raspberries, etc.
Step 5 — If it is too thick, add more plant milk as needed. Happy eating!
If you have questions about making overnight oats with protein powder, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🍓 What to serve with overnight oats
The best part about overnight oats is how many customizations there are. Try different combinations of these options to shake things up:
Fruit — Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apples, bananas, peaches, kiwis, or mangoes.
Nuts — Almonds, cashews, pecans, peanuts, or walnuts.
Seeds — Hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or sesame seeds all add an additional level of protein.
Nut butter — We love serving our protein overnight oats with peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, or tahini.
Extras — Cacao nibs, jam, coconut flakes, dried fruits, or granola all make delicious garnishes.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
Follow these storage tips to keep your protein overnight oats delicious all week long:
Fridge — Store the overnight oats in the fridge for up to a week. To ensure the best flavor, use sealable glass containers like mason jars.
Freezer — Overnight oats with protein powder can be frozen for up to a month. Just make sure to add fresh fruit and other toppings at the time of serving.
Reheating — If you prefer a warm bowl of oatmeal, you can heat up your overnight oats in a pot on low. But, most people (including us) enjoy them cold.
♻️ Variations
Chocolate — For a rich and decadent chocolate flavor, add a mixture of cacao powder and chocolate chips.
Pumpkin spice — Replace the yogurt with pumpkin puree, and add a spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Chocolate peanut butter — Feeling like a Reese's twist on your oatmeal? Add chocolate chips and peanut butter for a mouthwatering flavor.
Peanut butter and jam — One of our personal favorites is the mixture of peanut butter and strawberry jam for a healthier spin this classic sandwich combo.
🧑🍳 Top tips
Choose sealable jars — We always prefer storing overnight oats in mason jars because they're portable, seal well, and lock in the best flavors.
Use your favorite toppings — Make sure to regularly change the flavors up, and only use the toppings you enjoy or you won't make it consistently!
Change the consistency — If your overnight oats seem too thick when you open them in the morning, thin them out with 1-2 tablespoons of plant milk.
Add fresh fruit last — Add fruit just before serving the overnight oats, especially if you plan to store them in the fridge for longer than one night.
Use quality protein powder — Higher quality protein powder almost always tastes better in overnight oats. It's worth splurging a little!
💬 FAQ
Technically, you do not have to include chia seeds in overnight oats. However, the texture will not thicken up properly, leaving you with runny oats. If you don't have chia seeds, try equal parts ground flaxseed instead.
No, instant oats will not work as well as old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. If you only have instant oats, you will need to add a few more tablespoons to emulate a similar texture.
While most people enjoy overnight oats cold, they can also be served warm. Either heat them in a pot over low-medium or in the microwave in 15-second intervals until warm.
🍴 More recipes like this one
If you enjoyed this high-protein overnight oats recipe, you will love these other fresh and healthy breakfasts:
- Mexican oatmeal: A healthy breakfast sweetened with piloncillo sugar.
- Blueberry pie oatmeal: Blueberry pie wrapped up in a healthy and nutritious breakfast.
- Baked berry oatmeal: A baked version of oatmeal filled with fresh berries.
- Bionicos: Mexican fruit salad bowls filled with cashew cream.
📋 Recipe
Creamy High-Protein Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Mason jar
- Measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats ($0.10)
- ½ cup soy or pea milk ($0.21)
- ¼ cup non-dairy yogurt ($0.26)
- ½ scoop vegan protein powder ($1.07)
- ½ tablespoon chia seeds ($0.03)
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup or agave ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ($0.21)
- A pinch of sea salt ($0.01)
Garnishes optional
- Non-dairy yogurt
- Cinnamon
- Nut or seed butter
- Coconut shreds
- Whole nuts or seeds
- More fresh berries
Instructions
- In a mason jar, combine the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, and salt. Add in plant milk, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Cover the jar with a lid and transfer it to your fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
- The next morning, top with coconut yogurt, peanut butter, pecans, blueberries, raspberries, etc. If it is too thick, add more plant milk as needed. Happy eating!
Notes
- Choose sealable jars — We always prefer storing overnight oats in mason jars because they're portable, seal well, and lock in the best flavors.
- Use your favorite toppings — Make sure to regularly change the flavors up, and only use the toppings you enjoy or you won't make it consistently!
- Change the consistency — If your overnight oats seem too thick when you open them in the morning, thin them out with 1-2 tablespoons of plant milk.
- Add fresh fruit last — Add fruit just before serving the overnight oats, especially if you plan to store them in the fridge for longer than one night.
- Use quality protein powder — Higher quality protein powder almost always tastes better in overnight oats. It's worth splurging a little!
- We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe to recipe. All prices are in USD.
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