Protein Overnight Oats – Eat With Clarity

These protein overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast to prep for the week. They’re naturally gluten free, vegan and have over 20 grams of protein per serving. These overnight oats take 5 minutes to prep and are totally customizable.

I am very clearly on a protein recipe kick. I’m obsessed with my protein muffins and strawberry shake and these protein overnight oats are the perfect meal prep breakfast recipe.

Regular overnight oats can already be pretty high in protein when they’re made with things like chia seeds and greek yogurt, but this recipe has the added benefit of protein powder.

I love having a high protein recipe for breakfast because I find it always keeps me full for longer and gives me a lot of energy to get my morning started.

Plus, this recipe takes only about 5-10 minutes to prep and will be ready for a grab and go breakfast in the morning. This recipe is packed with protein and fiber and can be customized with different flavors as well. Blueberry, peanut butter, chocolate or banana are some of my favorites!

You can add protein powder to any overnight oats recipe which naturally will contain protein from the oats themselves, but the powder makes them a lot more satiating! Try my everyday green smoothie next!

Before we get started…

• Most overnight oats recipes are very vegan friendly. You just need to ensure you use non-dairy milk and yogurt if the recipe calls for it and use a vegan protein powder as needed.
• You can make this recipe without protein powder. Because we’re using greek yogurt and some chia seeds, these oats will have a decent amount of protein without the protein powder.

How to make overnight oats

Step 1: Whisk together the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. Salt may seem odd here, but it really helps balance out the flavors!

Step 2: Add in the yogurt, milk and vanilla. If you want these oats a bit sweeter, you can add in some honey or maple syrup, but I used stevia sweetened protein powder so I don’t find it necessary.

Step 3: Whisk all ingredients together until well combined.

Step 4: Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 1 hour to thicken. Overnight oats really don’t need to sit all night, just an hour or two to thicken is plenty.

Step 5: Stir and serve with desired toppings. For this recipe I love banana, berries and a drizzle of honey, but anything goes!

Key ingredients

Oats. For overnight oats, I generally recommend using rolled oats because the texture holds up better, but you can definitely use quick oats. I do not recommend steel cut oats for overnight oats as they will not soften properly.

Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a great way to add extra protein without needing too much protein powder that can add a gritty texture. You can use regular greek yogurt or a dairy free greek yogurt.

Protein Powder. I used a vanilla pea protein to keep this recipe vegan friendly, but any kind of protein powder will work. I recommend using vanilla that is stevia sweetened since these protein overnight oats do not have any added sweetener.

Milk. Whatever milk you like is great! Oat milk, almond milk, regular cow milk or soy milk for extra added protein. I prefer a vanilla unsweetened almond milk, but whatever you have will work.

You can also use canned coconut milk to make these oats really creamy, but since we are already using greek yogurt, I do not find the canned coconut milk to be necessary.

Chia seeds. Just one tablespoon of chia seeds will add some omega 3 fatty acids and help thicken the oats up a bit. You can also use flax seeds, but I prefer the texture of chia seeds.

Variations and topping suggestions

Peanut butter. Add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter right into the mixing when you add in the wet ingredients. When going this route, I like to top them off with banana, more peanut butter and some chopped nuts for crunch.

Chocolate. Whisk in a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients or just make my chocolate peanut butter overnight oats instead!

Banana. I love to mash up a banana into the oats for some extra flavor and natural sweetness. When going this route, I like to top the oats off with almond butter and blueberries.

You can create a kind of banana bread oatmeal with the mashed banana, some maple syrup and extra cinnamon.

Berry. I love adding in a spoonful of a berry jam (or my homemade chia jam) and letting that soak with the oats. You can also mix in some frozen berries that will defrost into the oats as they soak.

Then, when the oats are ready to serve, top them with fresh berries and chopped nuts.

Are overnight oats healthy?

This recipe is made with such simple and good for you ingredients and definitely make for a healthy breakfast or snack. There is no added sugar, a generous serving of protein and fiber and can have lots of healthy fats with the addition of nut butter or chopped nuts.

Overnight oats are considered “special” because there is no cooking needed. Just 5 minutes of prep and you have a healthy breakfast for the whole week!

Try these healthy breakfast recipes next!

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