I have a constant love/hate relationship with breakfast. It’s such a busy time of day. Sometimes I just get so in to my work or what I’m doing with the kids that I skip it (which then leads me to eating a terrible snack later on). Other times I shovel whatever is convenient right in my face and immediately feel terrible about it. I’ve really been trying to come up with easy breakfast ideas, that are healthy and full of protein, to start my day off right. I’ve been making a point to have everything I need to make these overnight oats on hand so I have no excuse. The cool thing about this recipe is that you make it the night before! Which means, in the morning, you just grab one and go! It’s perfect for busy moms! 
Regular oatmeal never seems to fill me up, but these overnight oats are fantastic! My favorite part of this breakfast idea is that you can make several at once so your breakfast is done for the next few days. Now that my kids are home for the summer, I need to start the day with a good breakfast since I never know where the day will take us! 
As with most of my recipes, this one can be modified to suit your own tastes. This is the recipe that I love, but if you want to make some changes, feel free! As long as you aren’t piling in tons of extra calories or sugar, you’ll still have a great, healthy breakfast idea. Most of these ingredients are pantry items or quite long-lasting which means you pretty much have no excuse not to have these made and ready to go. 
This recipe is for one jar of overnight oats, but you can easily scale the recipe for more than one (I find it easiest to line up several Mason jars and add each ingredient to each jar as you go down the recipe like an assembly line). This recipes is as easy as adding the ingredients to a jar. No special equipment is required and you eat it right out of the same dish you make it in. I wish all meal’s for moms could be this easy and efficient! There is nothing worse than having to clean up a ton of breakfast dishes before dashing off to do something. Or even worse, having to clean them up when you get home! 
I’m a pretty new fan of almond butter. It’s a great way to add some nutty flavor, a little protein and this really changes the flavor of the oats, in my opinion. You could just as easily substitute cashew or peanut butter if you’d prefer. 
For years I resisted protein powders for some pretty silly reasons. If you’ve ever watched the movie, Mean Girls, you know that the protein bar prank caused weight gain instead of a loss. Couple that with the fact that my husband was using powders to try to bulk up when he exercised. Since I’m not looking for a weight gain or to get bulky I, irrationally, steered clear. I finally realized that I was acting crazy. Protein powders are such a great way to ensure that what you are eating is good for you and will help keep you full, in a healthy way. It blends right in to these overnight oats.
Bob’s Red Mill is the brand I turn to for alternative flours and other products. And now they make Nutritional Boosters, which have plant-based protein (20g per serving) and are full of fiber.
I use almond milk for my recipe but, again, you can sub cashew, soy, whatever kind of milk you want. I also added honey and chia seeds to this batch (although Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters have a little chia in them already and are sweetened with Monk fruit so you don’t need much! In fact, I would skip the honey altogether next time). 
I am not a banana fan. Like, at all. But for some reason, I LOVE them in these overnight oats. I think it changes the consistency a little plus provides another layer of flavor that makes it so yummy.
Once I have all my ingredients in the jar, I just pop the lid on and give it a shake. Next time, though, I would put this together a little bit different to ensure that it mixes up really well. I’d add the almond milk and protein powder first, stir those up really well, then add the rest of the ingredients. The almond butter tends to stay pretty clumpy but it’s easy to work around it in the jar and get a little bit with each bite. 
Then I put the finished jars in the refrigerator so they are ready to grab for breakfast the next day. I have made 4 at one time. Yes, the banana starts to look a little extra funky by the last day but the flavor is still great! If you are going to take the time to make one jar of overnight oats, it just makes to make several. 
It’s one of my favorite fast breakfast ideas that I feel great about eating. To keep things interesting, I add in other flavors depending on what I have on hand. Sometimes I’ll add some shredded coconut, sometimes fresh berries. 
Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters come in several flavors (like Chai and Chocolate) so it’s easy to change-up the recipe and not get stuck in a flavor rut. I love that they have probiotics and pre-biotic fiber too! 
Our summer is super busy, but when I make these overnight oats ahead of time, I always know that I’ll get a good breakfast in before heading out for our summer fun!
Learn more about Bob’s Red Mill Nutritional Boosters. Or view my Overnight Oats recipe on the Bob’s Red Mill site.
All images by Jessica Pirro
Easy Overnight Oats for a Fast Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 TBSP almond butter
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 scoops Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster
- 1/2 banana sliced
Instructions
- In a Mason jar, add almond milk and protein powder and mix well with a fork or spoon.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the jar.
- Top with lid and close tightly.
- Shake well.
- Put in refrigerator over night.
- Eat for breakfast!
- Recipe is for one jar of overnight oats. To make more, simply set out additional Mason jars and build them all at the same time!
Nutrition
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Lisa says
I have a constant love/hate relationship with breakfast. It’s such a busy time of day. Sometimes I just get so in to my work or what I’m doing with the kids that I skip
Sharon Garofalow says
I totally get that! That’s why I love things that I can make the night before and just grab! I usually try to make it while I’m making dinner so I’m only in the kitchen once!
Aileen Adalid says
This looks so easy and like a great way to have a healthy breakfast. Thank you for sharing!
JenellBStewart says
As a mom who’s always on the go, this would be perfect and convenient for me! Plus, you used Almond milk instead of cow’s milk which works great for my vegan family. Great recipe, thank you!
Tiffany Haywood says
I’ve heard so much about overnight oats in a jar but I think this is the first time someone has broken down the entire process. This looks so easy and like a great way to have a fast healthy breakfast. Thanks so much for sharing it in this way!
Ali Rost says
I’m always looking for quick and easy breakfast ideas. My husband is notorious about leaving the house with an empty tummy, but if there is something quick and easy in the fridge he’s more likely to grab it. Can’t wait to give these a try. Oats are healthy and will stick with you for most of the morning. x
Stacy says
I’ve heard about overnight oats before but this is the first time I’ve found a recipe that really appeals to me. My hubby has to be at work at 5am so this would definitely help us both make mornings go smoother. Thank you!
roch says
I haven’t tried overnight oats since we usually eat them right after cooking for breakfast. We love almond butter that’s creamy and buttery. Honey and chia seeds are great all-natural products. Do you have a video of this recipe? :)
Sharon Garofalow says
No I don’t! I haven’t started making videos yet, but this one would be easy to so maybe I’ll give that a shot! :)
Donna B says
I have that same problem with breakfast. I know I need to eat it but then I get started on chores or work or an errand and before I know it, it’s lunch time, my stomach is growling and I’m desperate to eat something, anything, usually something not good because I don’t have time. With the amount of workouts I do anymore, this overnight oats would be smart to try and I think my son would like them, too.
Sharon Garofalow says
Right?! It’s so hard to stop and make something healthy when you just want to get started on your day!! This way you have several days worth of breakfast done ahead of time!!
Jen says
I have never made overnight oats but I have been wanting to so much lately. I LOVE the idea of putting protein powders into them or some other kind of nutritional boost. That’s such a great idea. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day so I’ll definitely be trying this!
Sharon Garofalow says
I’ve made them a few different ways but this is my favorite! The protein powder is key! That, plus the oats, really keep you feeling satisfied and full!