Strawberry overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast – just six ingredients with a great balance of carbs, healthy fats and protein. Easy to prep ahead of time and place in the refrigerator overnight for the next morning. Vegan and gluten free friendly.
Everyone needs a good overnight oats recipe in their life!
Truth be told when overnight oats first became popular (feels like forever ago now!) I was not for it. I couldn’t understand why someone would want to eat cold mush?
Granted, I also wasn’t the biggest fan of warm oatmeal back then but now I love it.
The idea of this easy healthy breakfast grew on me though. Especially as I was working in an office at the time and needed a mid-morning breakfast to tide me over till lunch.
Anyways, I gave them a try, was pleasantly surprised and I’ve been hooked ever since!
Be sure to check out my Matcha and Golden Milk recipes if you’re looking to try something new!
What Makes Overnight Oats Healthy?
Overnight oats are a great balanced breakfast packed with whole grains, fiber, protein and healthy fats. And strawberries, in this case! So you get a serving of fruit in there too.
These healthy strawberry overnight oats keep me full for hours thanks to their balanced macronutrients.
Ingredients in Strawberry Overnight Oats
- oats – You can use rolled oats, quick oats or even steel cut oats. I actually really love the texture when using steel cut oats. They stay a little chewy, which I personally enjoy. Just know if you do end up using steel cut, you’ll need to make sure the mixture is refrigerated for at least 6 hours (compared to about 4 hours for rolled or quick oats).
- chia seeds – Adding a good dose of healthy fats but also helps thicken the oats mixture.
- Greek or skyr yogurt – My favorite way to make oats is with yogurt. It keeps the consistency creamy and adds a fair amount of protein. You can use a thick plant based yogurt (Siggi’s makes a good one) or Greek, or traditional Skyr.
- milk of choice – I typically go for an unsweetened non-dairy milk (i.e. almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, etc.) but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- maple syrup – Adding additional sugar here is definitely optional, but I found the oats tastes best with just a hint of sweetness. If you’re using a flavored yogurt, you probably don’t need it. Or, you could always taste test the oats the next morning and add in a hint of maple syrup or honey as needed.
- vanilla extract – adds more flavor!
- chopped strawberries – fresh strawberries are the way to go here.
Meal Prep for a Quick Breakfast
What’s great about these strawberry overnight oats is that everything can be mixed in one bowl, refrigerated overnight, and then you have yourself the perfect healthy breakfast all ready to go.
No thinking required!
This recipe is listed for two servings – so you can mix it all in the bowl and divide it up into jars (like a mason jar) before placing in the refrigerator, OR just portion out the morning of.
Or whenever you plan on enjoying. Sometimes I’ll even have overnight oats for lunch.
Ways to Enjoy Overnight Oats
warmed up
If you prefer, you can also warm up the oats! I assume most people enjoy overnights cold, but if you’re more of a traditional oatmeal eater, these can easily be warmed up too! Whether you use the microwave or the stovetop, you must might need to add a little extra milk.
with extra toppings
I’m all about the texture when it comes to oatmeal so I love adding some granola for extra crunch, or even some hemp hearts and peanut butter too. Or cashew or almond butter. Depends on what I’m in the mood for.
Sometimes I’ll throw on some banana slices because, why not?
So many ways to make these strawberry oats your own.
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Easy Strawberry Overnight Oats
Strawberry overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast – just six ingredients with a great balance of carbs, healthy fats and protein. Prep ahead of time and place in the refrigerator overnight for the next morning. Easy to make vegan and gluten free!
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats or quick oats
- 1.5 TBSP chia seeds
- 1/2 cup greek or skyr yogurt (dairy or plant-based)
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 TBSP maple syrup (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to large bowl; stir well to combine.
- Cover with lid and place in fridge, for at least 4 hours, or overnight. NOTE: You can also divide mixture into 2 jars before refrigerating.
- Enjoy the next morning with your favorite additional toppings. Personally I love adding cashew or almond butter!
Recipes Notes:
If you’d like to use steel cut oats, you only need 1/2 cup, and the rest of the measurements the same. You’ll also need to refrigerate for longer, at least 6 hours or overnight. Using steel cut will give the oats a chewier texture. Personally, I love them this way!
Feel free to double the recipe for 4 servings.
Overnight oats can be stored in sealed containers in fridge; best enjoyed within 3 days.
Kris says
This looks so good! Could I omit chia seeds?
Ashley says
You could but you’ll likely want to decrease milk by about 1/4 cup – since chia seeds act to thicken liquid.
Lucy says
If you want to hear it up the next morning, should you wait to add the yogurt until after it’s heated? How long would you heat it for in the microwave?
Ashley says
I reheat with yogurt and don’t have any issues 🙂 In the microwave, I’d start on about 60% power for 45 seconds.
Kristen Pogue says
Made this with steel cut oats and it was SO GOOD! Kept true to all of the other ingredients and used unsweetened coconut milk. Love the texture, that’s something I struggled with with other overnight oats recipes. This is going into my regular breakfast rotation!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Awesome, Kristen! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback!