Cinnamon Overnight Oats (Quick & Easy)
With no chia seeds, no protein powder, and no special mix-ins, this simple cinnamon overnight oat recipe has just 3 ingredients and makes the perfect base for you to eat on the go or to customize with your favorite flavors! This post may contain affiliate links.
Why Should I Eat Overnight Oatmeal?
Overnight oats breakdown a lot of barriers that people have to eating breakfast in general including: not enough time, too much added sugar, or not hungry enough to eat in the morning. A few reasons why I recommend overnight oats is
1) Overnight oats are filled with satiating fiber so they will actually keep you full!
2) They are convenient and remove the barrier of time and effort in the morning. All you need to do is prep them on a Sunday or even the night before and your breakfast is ready to go throughout the week.
3) They make a perfect base to pile on your favorite fruit or stir in a favorite protein.
4) They donāt need to be eaten right away. If you are someone who likes to have your hunger build over the course of the morning, these overnight oats will be waiting for you in the fridge or are the perfect grab and go breakfast for you to cart with you to the office. Who wants to be hungry with nothing to reach for?
Why Youāll Love This Recipe
This cinnamon overnight oatmeal has been a go to of mine for years and hereās why:
It has just three ingredients: cinnamon, oatmeal, and milk. These overnight oats have no chia seeds, no flax seeds, no protein powder, and no special add ins. It is plain and simple and uses ingredients that most people already have on hand!
These overnight oats have no added sugar but are loaded with whole grains and satiating fiber. If you want to add a touch of sweetness, add one tablespoon of brown sugar or stir in a bit of honey to sweeten things up.
This recipe is fully customizable. I will prep this ābaseā recipe on Sunday and then vary up my toppings throughout the week so that I do not get bored of my breakfast. Using this recipe, my breakfasts might look something like this:
Monday: Cinnamon overnight oats with a hardboiled egg
Tuesday: Cinnamon overnight oats with banana and peanut butter
Wednesday: Cinnamon overnight oats with sautƩed apples and slivered almonds
Thursday: Cinnamon overnight oats with vanilla protein powder and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping
Friday: Cinnamon overnight oats with sliced strawberries and chopped nuts
You can always customize this recipe to fit your flavor preferences and dietary needs!
Recipe Modifications:
This recipe is very simple and makes the perfect base to whatever toppings or mix ins you want to add to personalize it! Here are a few modification suggestions:
To add protein: stir in greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, hemp seeds, powdered peanut butter, walnuts, or pair these oats with some eggs in the morning.
To add fiber: The overnight oat recipe has no chia seeds in it but you can certainly add them if you want to increase the fiber, protein, and healthy fat content! I would take this recipe and add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, one tablespoon of ground flax seed, or both!
To add color: This cinnamon oatmeal will go great with any fresh fruit including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries sautƩed apple slices, and even bananas and peanut butter.
To add a touch of sweetness: this recipe has no added sugar and is naturally flavored. Are cinnamon roll overnight oats more your style? I would take this recipe and add one tablespoon of brown sugar to sweeten things up a bit! You can also sprinkle on your favorite granola to add a crunchy and sweet element.
Ingredients:
Old fashioned oats: When making overnight oats, you definitely want to use old fashioned or rolled oats. They will become softer than a steel cut oat but will hold their shape better than quick oats as they absorb the liquid overnight.
Milk: Do you want to add protein to your oatmeal without protein powder and without greek yogurt? You need to look at the liquid you are using. Choose a higher protein milk like dairy milk, soy milk, or pea milk to add 8 grams of protein to your breakfast.
Cinnamon: Just enough to add some spicy flavor to your oatmeal.
Recipe FAQs:
Can these overnight oats be warmed up?
Yes. If you want to warm this recipe up, simply place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring often. You can put this oatmeal in a pan and warm it on low on the stovetop.
How long can overnight oats stay in the fridge?
Overnight oats will be ready to eat in 4-8 hours and can last in your fridge for 4-5 days. If you are planning on keeping oats in your fridge for 5 days, I would recommend keeping any fresh berries or fruit that you want to add separate until the night before or morning of! This will ensure the fruit does not get too soggy and still adds a nice crunch to the oats.
Can I make this recipe a little bit thicker?
I personally am scarred from the clumpy oatmeal I was fed during my childhood so almost all of my recipes use PLENTY of milk to thin things out. If you want your overnight oats to be slightly thicker, use 3/4 cup of milk instead of the full cup.
Cinnamon Overnight Oats (Quick & Easy)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Get one small glass container for your overnight oats.
- Add your oats, milk, and cinnamon and gently shake or stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Enjoy cold or warm in the morning!
Hey! Iām Lauren
Iām a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!