How to Make Overnight Oats
To make overnight oats, pour 150ml milk into a jar, add 50g rolled oats and 1 tbsp chia seeds, then stir, seal, and chill overnight. In our jar, that is milk to the line, then one slightly heaped lid of oats. 5 minutes tonight, breakfast sorted tomorrow.
- Makes1 jar
- Prep5 min
- ChillOvernight
- Estimate380 kcal
Ingredients
Makes 1 jarIn the jar tonight
- Milk to the line on your jar150ml, any milk
- 1 slightly heaped lid of rolled oatsabout 50g
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrupto taste
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
On top in the morning
- A handful of fresh fruitberries, diced mango, or sliced banana
- A sprinkle of chopped nuts or flaked almondsadded fresh, so they stay crunchy
Method
- Pour milk into the empty jar, up to the line on the back (150ml).
Kitchen tip
No jar with a milk line? Measure 150ml of milk in a jug and weigh 50g of rolled oats on kitchen scales. Our overnight oats jar has both measures built in.
- Add one slightly heaped lid of rolled oats (about 50g): fill the upside-down steel lid and tip it in.
- Add 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, ½ tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir right to the bottom until no dry oats are left.
- Seal the jar and put it straight in the fridge overnight.
Kitchen tip
Left out on the side overnight? Bin it. As a general food-safety rule, milky food can sit at room temperature for no more than about 2 hours.
- In the morning, give it a stir, add your toppings, and eat it straight from the jar. Too thick? Stir in a splash of milk.
Keeps up to 5 days, sealed, in the fridge at 5°C or below. With fresh fruit stirred through, eat it within 3 days. How long overnight oats last
Built on The Oat Perfect Method, printed on the insert that comes with our jar.
Make it your way
No chia seeds
Leave them out and stop a little under the line, at about 130ml. It still sets, a little less thick.A thicker jar
Stir in 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt with the chia. It sets noticeably thicker.Fruit stirred through
Stir berries or diced mango through the jar tonight, and eat it within 3 days. Keep sliced banana for the morning, as it browns fast.What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are rolled oats soaked in milk in the fridge overnight, so they soften without any cooking. They also go by soaked oats or overnight porridge: same thing, no pan to wash.
By morning the jar has set thick and creamy: an easy breakfast, ready to eat at the table or take with you.
Do you put the milk or the oats in first?
The milk goes in first, always. The line on our jar marks 150ml of milk when the jar is empty, so pour to the line, then add one slightly heaped lid of oats.
Put the oats in first and the milk reaches the line sooner, so the jar gets less than 150ml and sets too thick. Milk first, and every jar comes out the same.
Your questions
What makes the best overnight oats?
The right ratio, a full night in the fridge, and crunchy toppings added in the morning, so they stay crisp. This recipe uses 50g rolled oats to 150ml milk with 1 tbsp chia seeds.
What do chia seeds do in overnight oats?
They soak up milk and thicken the jar as it sets. The 1 tbsp in this recipe takes about 20ml, so the milk goes right up to the 150ml line.
What milk do you use for overnight oats?
Any milk works, dairy or plant, poured to the same 150ml line. Our overnight oats ratio guide covers water, other kinds of oats, and batches.
Can you eat overnight oats warm?
Yes. Tip them into a microwave-safe bowl or a small pan, warm them gently, and loosen with a splash of milk. Never put the OATOLOGY jar in the microwave.
How many calories are in this overnight oats recipe?
Our estimate is about 380 kcal a jar, made as written with semi-skimmed milk and honey, before toppings. Your choice of milk, sweetener, and toppings moves it up or down.
More overnight oats
Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Cream cheese, strawberries, and a biscuit crunch
Blueberry and Lemon Overnight Oats
Lemon zest and blueberries, bright and fresh
Blended Berry Overnight Oats
Blended smooth, with no oaty bits to chew