Like your favorite oatmeal, only easier.
Life can get a little hectic at times.
Instead of grabbing whatever you can find on those busy weekday mornings when “hangry” hits, why not prepare some of these Overnight Oats and have them ready to go for the morning rush?!
You can prepare them the night before, pull them out of the refrigerator in the morning, and off you go with a happy morning in sight.
No more grumbling tummies while you are trying to find any glimmer of a nutrition bar in your purse.
If you’re loving the convenience of prepping breakfast ahead, try these other Overnight Oats Recipe for busy mornings.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Pecans. Roasted pecans add the perfect crunch and texture to this breakfast dish.
- Oats. Old-fashioned oats are key. Quick oats will get soggy, while steel cut oats won’t soften. Be sure to grab gluten-free if needed.
- Milk. Just about any type of milk will work—either regular or plant-based, like almond milk, coconut milk, or even oat milk. The higher the fat content the richer the oatmeal will be.
- Sweetener. Dark brown sugar or light brown sugar along with pure maple syrup are used to add flavor to this oatmeal. You can easily sub for another type, like coconut sugar or honey.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Combine oats and milk.
Start by adding equal amounts of oats, milk, and vanilla extract in each jar. This should come out to about ½-cup oats, ½-cup milk, and ¼-teaspoon vanilla.
Give everything a stir to combine.
Pro Tip: The best thing to use when making overnight oats is an 8-ounce mason jar. These are the perfect size and conveniently have a top. But any airtight container will work.
Top with sweetener.
In a small or medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Pour equal amounts over the milk and oats in each jar. Seal with a lid.
Place the prepared jars in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but they’re best after chilling overnight.
Toast pecans and serve.
Just before you’re ready to enjoy the oatmeal, roast the pecans in a single layer at 325℉ for 5 to 7 minutes.
Sprinkle some pecans in each jar and serve with extra cinnamon and maple syrup if you’d like! Pair with fresh berries or banana slices for the perfect breakfast.
FAQs
Depending on the flavor you like, some excellent sweeteners include pure maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, or coconut sugar.
The most important things to avoid in overnight oats are steel-cut or instant oats. Additionally, nuts and granola will lose their crispiness overnight, and some types of fresh fruit don’t do well.
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Maple Brown Sugar Overnight Oats
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Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups milk regular or plant-based
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup roasted pecans coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Combine Oats and Milk. In four 8-oz. mason jars place equal amounts of the oats, milk and vanilla in each. (½ cup oats, ½ cup milk, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla in each.) Stir to mix well.2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups milk
- Top with Sweetener. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour a quarter of this mixture in each of the jars over the oats. Refrigerate the oats for at least 2 hours or overnight.3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- Toast Pecans and Serve. Just before serving, toast pecans at 325 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Divide pecans and sprinkle in each jar. Serve with additional cinnamon and maple syrup, if desired, and enjoy!¼ cup roasted pecans
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Video
Notes
- Serving size: This recipe can either be made in two larger mason jars, each holding two servings, or four smaller mason jars, each containing one single serving.
- Oats: Stick with old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick or steel-cut oats for the best results.
- Flavors: While maple syrup and brown sugar add to the classic flavor, you can easily change it up with different sweeteners.
- Pecans: Don’t add the toasted pecans until you’re about to dig into this brown sugar oatmeal recipe.
- Add ins: An easy way to feel full longer is to include some optional add-ins, like protein powder, flax seeds, or chia seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Overnight Oats Recipes
Once you’ve had hot or cold overnight oats, you’ll be scouring the internet for more varieties. Thankfully, I have a ton of other versions that will quickly become your favorite breakfast.
Blueberry Overnight Oats
2 hrs 5 mins
Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats
2 hrs 5 mins
Pumpkin Overnight Oats
4 hrs 5 mins
Peach Overnight Oats
2 hrs 20 mins
I am new to overnight oats and wasn’t too crazy about the first recipe I tried from another site but this one is the bomb! My wife, who had never even heard of overnight oats before, saw me eating this and tried it. The response was “oh my god that’s good” and proceeded to eat the other half of my 2 serving jar…
Yay!! So happy to hear you and the wifey enjoyed the oats! It can definitely be a little bit of an acquired taste. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!
Hi
I want to try this recipe but was curious if the calorie count includes the pecans in it or no? I’m allergic to pecans therefore I will omit them but wanted to know the actual calorie count without the pecans.
Yes, Erica! The nutrition information does calculate the nuts. The calorie count will be closer to 250/serving without the pecans 🙂
I’ve never eaten cold oatmeal before. What is the texture like? Has anyone microwaved it in the morning and reported the texture taste?
Thank you,
Cold oatmeal definitely has a slightly different texture than warm, but you can always heat it up in the microwave a bit. You may need to add a touch more liquid if you do that though!
Can you heat this up when ready to eat?
Yes, Michelle, you absolutely can! You may just need to add a touch more liquid to get the texture just right.
I may be a little confused about this recipe. It says “In four mason jars place equal amounts of the oats, vanilla and milk in each”. Does this mean I would put 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, and 1/4 tsp vanilla in each? or 2 cups oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 tsp vanilla in each? Thanks!
Yes, Lindsey! You can either mix the oats, milk, and vanilla together and then divide it into 4 mason jars, or put 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup oats, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla into each jar and mix them individually! Thanks for asking!
This is an amazing recipe. I use coconut milk instead. And it tastes amazing. Will try the rest of your recipes for overnight oats. Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea to use coconut milk, Jackie!! I bet it tasted incredible. And yes, I have a TON of other overnight oats recipes on here! (Everything from chocolate + PB to blueberry and strawberry!) Thanks for your comment 🙂
YUMM! I don’t know why I waited so long to try overnight oats! I feel so refreshed – thank you for inspiring me!
For the record I added the teeniest pinch of salt….I read somewhere that oats need that. I also topped it off with chunks of strawberries. Made one for my hubby to take to work with him; hope he feels as good as I do!
What a great combo to add strawberries!! And yes, overnight oats are pretty life-changing 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment and rating, Kathy!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long? Could it be a breakfast meal prep?
Hi Vanessa! Great question. They are a great breakfast meal prep for about 2-3 days. Much longer than that and they begin to get extremely mushy. Thanks for asking!
I just put everything together in my mason jars. I taste-tested them before I put them in the fridge, and it tasted amazing even now! I’m very excited to have this for breakfast tomorrow morning. The portion size is perfect too, as this will last me a few days in a row! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi Valerie! I am so happy you enjoyed them!! Thanks so much for your kind comment and rating 🙂
OMG!! I just tried this recipe and I am in love!! Tastes too good to be true! Thank you for this awesome recipe, I will definitely continue to make this!
Yay, Maggie!! So, so happy you enjoyed it. Doesn’t it taste like dessert for breakfast? Thanks so much for the comment and rating!!