If you’re anything like me, most days you sleep until the last possible second, rush through your morning routine, and grab a banana for breakfast on the way out the door. Not only does this get old, but it leaves you starving come lunch time when you realize that skipping breakfast never does the trick. Fortunately, this vicious cycle of last-minute mornings came to an end when I discovered overnight oats.
With overnight oats, all the (minimal) prep-work happens the night before, leaving you with a delicious, hearty meal ready to go as soon as you wake up. Amazing, I know.
Once you get the basic format down, it’s extremely easy to play around with the ingredients and tailor them to your own tastes. I like to make my overnight oat recipes dairy-free by swapping out yogurt and milk for vanilla almond milk, and often add an extra tablespoon of chia seeds. To make these recipes your own, feel free to try out different fruits, seeds, and other add-ons to make the recipe work for you.
So, with that, here are five overnight oat recipes that will forever change how you do breakfast.
1. Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats
This is my ultimate go-to overnight oat recipe. Not only does the protein from the peanut butter keep you full for hours, but the blend of chocolate and bananas makes this meal feel more like dessert than breakfast. These oats can keep in the fridge for at least a few days, so feel free to split up this large portion size into two breakfasts.
2. Cinnamon Apple Overnight Oats
For anyone who swears by Quaker’s apple cinnamon instant oatmeal, this is the recipe for you. Feel free to break these oats out around Thanksgiving, but this recipe stays relevant past the fall months of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. If you want to add a little more pizzaz, throw in some small apple chunks and sliced almonds for some protein.
3. Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Overnight Oats
Who wouldn’t want the luxury of chocolate-covered strawberries for breakfast? Instead of adding cocoa powder, I like to kill two birds with one stone and use chocolate almond milk rather than plain or vanilla. You can stick to the basics if you want to keep things as healthy as possible, but if you’re feeling a little indulgent drizzle a tablespoon of melted Nutella on top and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
4. Tropical Overnight Oats
As someone who loves coconut in everything from candy to smoothies, this recipe is right up my alley. The blend of pineapple, kiwi, and coconut will bring you a refreshing taste of the tropics during a weekday slump. To customize this recipe, I like to swap out the yogurt for more almond milk, add another teaspoon of chia seeds, and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top.
5. Matcha Green Tea Overnight Oats
Right now, matcha green tea is in everything from ice cream to lattes to, yes, overnight oats. I dared to dip into this craze for the sake of combining two of my favorite things: green tea and overnight oats. As overhyped as matcha green tea is, I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this recipe. Not only is this sweet and filling, but it’s packed with immune-boosting antioxidants that will get you through cold season.
There’s a reason breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it’s time to stop neglecting it. Ditch the last-minute banana and treat yourself to a real meal as you are rushing out the door. Overnight oats are just what you need as you’re racing through the week, so give a few of these a try, or even create your own.