Looking for a high protein breakfast you can easily make ahead? Protein overnight oats are an easy breakfast recipe you can make for a healthy & hearty breakfast! Made with Greek yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds and old-fashioned oatmeal, this overnight oatmeal recipe is easy to make in just 5 minutes!
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If you like oatmeal for breakfast, you will love protein overnight oats! This is the best breakfast because it is protein packed, full of fiber and has healthy fats! Overnight oats with protein powder is one of my favorite easy breakfasts when I don't have time to make egg bites or haven't made prepped oat flour pancakes or baked protein oatmeal.
Easy meal preps are where it's at! These oats are in regular rotation along with coconut milk chia pudding and cereal yogurt bowls.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- This is a high protein breakfast that will keep you full for hours! If you make the recipe with protein powder it has 33 grams of protein. Without protein, the recipe is made with yogurt and still has 16 grams!
- Protein overnight oats are a great alternative to a protein shake if you like a more hearty breakfast - just like our cookie butter overnight oats!
- There are tons of flavor variations you can make! From strawberry to chocolate to pumpkin pie, the flavor combos are endless - see below for some flavor suggestions!
- 5 minute meal prep makes overnight oats in a jar a no brainer for weekly meal prep. They stay fresh in an airtight container for 3-5 days making them a perfect recipe for make-ahead breakfast.
- If you live an active lifestyle, these protein oats are great to help keep you fueled! Runner's World has a great resource about why you should eat protein at breakfast.
Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe:
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements.
- Protein powder: If you choose to use a supplement, be sure you are aware of how sweet it is, as that could impact the taste/flavor of the recipe. I used Orgain Plant Based Vanilla Protein to make this recipe vegan, but you can also use whey if that is your preference.
- Greek yogurt: I used dairy free Greek yogurt for this recipe. You can use plain Greek yogurt or Vanilla Greek yogurt but note that may impact the sweetness.
- Milk or Almond Milk: This recipe calls for a 1:2 ratio of liquid to oats to create a thick texture. If you like thin oats try increasing the ratio of liquid to oats to 1:1.
- Rolled Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not steel cut oats or instant oats. If opting for Gluten Free, Bob's Red Mill is my favorite.
How to Make This Recipe:
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact times and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
Add oats, almond milk and protein powder to a wide-mouth Mason jar and stir.
Add in Greek yogurt, chia seeds and other toppings. Then, stir and cover. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Expert Tips
- Make these overnight oats vegan by using plant based yogurt and nut or oat milk.
- Not a fan of chewy oats? Try quinoa parfaits for a different texture spin on this recipe.
- To sweeten these oats with no sugar try adding a drizzle of maple syrup or raw honey. The supplement I used is already sweetened with stevia and erythritol so I did not need to add additional sweetener. Also, vanilla Greek yogurt tends to be much sweeter than plain so that may impact the sweetness if you decided to swap plain for vanilla.
- Out of milk? Making oats with water is an easy swap for making them with milk or almond milk. You may find it to be more runny so start with half the water and adjust as necessary.
- Not a fan of protein powder? Make this recipe without protein powder or half the amount in the recipe. You will still have a high protein breakfast.
- Make oats thicker by adding less liquid. If you like your oatmeal more runny, add in additional liquid in the morning prior to eating.
Flavor Variety Tips
There are countless ways to top your oats! Here are a few of my favorite flavor combinations:
- Strawberry, blueberry or berries of your choice.
- Chocolate: add in chocolate protein powder rather than vanilla or add in a tablespoon of cacao powder.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: add in 1 tablespoon of cacao powder and 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
- Carrot Cake: add in grated carrots, walnuts and maple syrup.
- S'mores: use chocolate almond milk and sprinkle graham crackers on top.
- Banana: Add sliced bananas in the morning.
- PB&J: Add peanut butter and some chia jam or grapes.
- Nuts: Add toppings like almonds, walnuts or whatever nut you prefer. Peanut butter or almond are delicious to drizzle as well!
- Spices: Adding cinnamon or pumpkin spice on top of your oats is delicious!
FAQs
Yes - you can make these with no protein powder. Making this recipe with chia seeds and Greek yogurt give it ample amounts of the macronutrients you want.
This is definitely a personal preference. You can heat them up in the microwave in the morning or eat them cold right from the fridge.
Overnight oats are ready in 2-3 hours or you can soak them overnight to eat in the morning.
Greek yogurt and chia seeds are natural sources of protein. You can also put supplements in oatmeal to increase protein.
Related Recipes
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Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt swap for dairy free yogurt if desired
- toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Add ½ cup of oats to mason jars. Pour in ¼ cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds and ¼ cup yogurt to each jar and mix thoroughly.
- Add desired toppings, cover with lid and allow to refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Notes
- Make these overnight oats vegan by using plant based yogurt and nut or oat milk.
- Not a fan of chewy oats? Try quinoa parfaits for a different texture spin on this recipe.
- To sweeten these oats with no sugar try adding a drizzle of maple syrup or raw honey. The protein powder I used is already sweetened with stevia and erythritol so I did not need to add additional sweetener. Also, vanilla Greek yogurt tends to be much sweeter than plain so that may impact the sweetness if you decided to swap plain for vanilla.
- Out of milk? Water is an easy swap for milk or almond milk. You may find it to be more runny so start with half the water and adjust as necessary.
- Not a fan of protein powder? Make this recipe without protein powder or half the amount in the recipe. You will still have a high protein breakfast.
- Make oats thicker by adding less liquid. If you like your oatmeal more runny, add in additional liquid in the morning prior to eating.
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Amanda Kilby says
If you do not use protein powder, is the nutrition the same for amount per serving that is listed above?
Lyndsey says
it would likely change but I am not sure by how much since it's just an estimate and based on one type of protein powder. Sorry!
Christine Taschuk says
Hi. How much protein powder should be used in this recipe?
Lyndsey says
I generally use one scoop.