Overnight Oats

By Genevieve Ko

Updated Oct. 26, 2025

Overnight Oats
David Malosh for The New York Times
Total Time
5 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Rating
4(11,182)
Comments
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Overnight oats are, of course, a healthy breakfast and they’re easy to make, but they also feel like a special treat, sweet with dried fruit. Unlike oatmeal, uncooked but softened oats retain a fresh flavor and taste delicious cold. Top it with nuts just before eating for an irresistible crunch against the creamy oats.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups
  • ½cup old-fashioned oats
  • ¼cup dried fruit, cut into small pieces, if needed (see Tip)
  • 1tablespoon chia, flax, poppy or sesame seeds
  • 1cup milk or unsweetened dairy alternative, such as almond or oat milk
  • ¼teaspoon kosher salt
  • Maple syrup, honey or brown sugar (optional)
  • 2tablespoons chopped or sliced nuts, toasted, if desired
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

128 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 207 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix oats, dried fruit, seeds, milk and salt in a pint jar or 2-cup airtight resealable container. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 5 days. (The soaked oat mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.)

  2. Step 2

    Uncover, stir well, and taste. If you prefer more sweetness, stir in some sweetener. Top with the nuts just before eating.

    Image of finished oats in a jar with a spoon for making overnight oats.
Tip
  • If you'd prefer to use fresh or frozen fruit, top the oats with it just before eating. Soaking fresh or frozen fruit in the oats mixture affects the texture and flavor in a not-good way.

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FAQS

  1. Old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats, become tender and creamy when soaked. Quick-cooking oats, which are smaller, can end up pasty and steel-cut oats, which are sturdier, stay quite firm even after soaking.

Ratings

4 out of 5
11,182 user ratings
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Comments

P.M.

I guess this is a silly question, but- when the recipe says "old-fashioned oats," does this mean steel-cut oats or rolled oats? Clarity, please. Thank you.

EJG

I don't like ANYTHING super cold for breakfast so when I make oats like this I use almond milk and leave it on the counter overnight for room temperature pleasure in the morning!

Patricia

HI, It means rolled oats instead of quick cook or instant. Steel cut don't work that well overnight.

Astrid

I use plain yogurt for my overnight oats as I don't typically have any kind of milk or non-milk on hand. Just dilute by 50% with water and it works just as well.

dinesh

I use steel cut for overnight oats. The trick is to pour hot milk (I microwave the 1/2 cup of steel cut oats to 1 cup of milk for 2 minutes) and let it sit covered overnight on the counter - not the fridge!

Christi

I recently discovered Big Deal Oats at a farmers market in Asheville NC - it already has the nuts seeds and dried fruit and coconut sugar. The last thing I do every night is mix a half cup of this and a half cup of oat milk and put it in the fridge. They also sell a “crunchy topping.” It’s soooo good. bigdealoats.com

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