Breakfast has got to be my favourite meal on the day, and it is really important fuel for your body. Recently I’ve been learning about the importance of protein and how vital it is for your body and your muscles, and I’ve been trying to prioritise eating more of it. These overnight oats recipes are quick, easy, packed with protein, good carbohydrates healthy fats for lasting energy, stable blood sugar and fullness, and they are so delicious!!

The great thing is that once you have a base recipe, you can add whatever you want. I will include my favourite base recipe, and also all my favourite flavours! This is a great breakfast for meal prep or to take with you on busy mornings, but make sure that you invest in some good jars that are the right size and won’t leak easily. You can find some great ones on Amazon by clicking on this link.

Base recipe per person: (33-40g protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats (whole grain keeps you full for much longer!)

• 1/2 a large apple, grated

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional but recommended)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt (use a protein fortified one for extra protein!)

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk if you prefer it)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and when you get it out in the morning it will be thick, creamy and delicious!

Peanut butter and chocolate overnight oats: (35-40g protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats

• 1/2 a large apple, grated

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional but recommended)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• One Tbsp cocoa powder, or a little more if you like it dark

• One Tbsp peanut butter

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and in the morning, top with a dusting of cocoa powder and a little more peanut butter if you like.

Tiramisu overnight oats (40g protein)

• 1/3 a cup of whole grain oats

• Two Weetbix, crushed

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• One Tbsp cocoa powder, or a little more if you like it dark

• One tsp coffee

Cut the oats with a sharp knife until they resemble breadcrumbs. Mix everything except for the yoghurt and cocoa powder in a bowl until combined. Layer into a jar some oat mixture, then some yoghurt, then a dusting of cocoa powder until you run out over everything, trying to finish with the cocoa powder. Place in the fridge over night, and in the morning dust with extra cocoa powder and enjoy!

Carrot cake overnight oats (40g protein)

• 1/3 a cup of whole grain oats

• Two Weetbix, crushed

• 1/2 a grated apple

• One small carrot, peeled and finely grated

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• One tsp cinnamon

• Extra yoghurt and a few chopped walnuts to top

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and when you get it out in the morning, top with more greek yoghurt and walnuts.

Chocolate smoothie oats (33-40g protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats

• 1/2 a grated apple

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla or chocolate protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• One Tbsp cocoa powder (or more if you like it dark)

• 1/2 a banana, peeled

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Place the banana in the freezer, then combine all the other ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and in the morning blend it in a Nutribullet or similar blender with the frozen banana until it is all smooth. enjoy!

Apple pie overnight oats (33-40g protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats

• 1 apple

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

• Extra yoghurt to top

Peel the apple and cut it into slices. Place in a saucepan with water not quite covering them, cover with a lid, and cook for a few minutes until soft. Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. mash half the apples and combine them with the rest of the ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt. Top with extra yoghurt and the rest of the cooked apple slices. Place in the fridge over night, and when you get it out in the morning you will have apple pie oats!

Everything oats (40g Protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats

• 1/2 a large apple, grated

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

Optional:

• One Tbsp peanut butter

• Fresh fruit such as berries, pear, stone fruit or banana

• One Weetbix

• One Tbsp hemp seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews etc

• Coconut flakes

• Rasins

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Combine all ingredients except fresh fruit in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and in the morning, top with fresh fruit and extra toppings.

PB&J oats (35-40g protein)

• 1/2 a cup of whole grain oats

• 1/2 a large apple, grated

• One scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder

• One Tbsp chia seeds (optional but recommended)

• 1/2 a cup of thick greek yoghurt

• 1/2 a cup of skim milk (or whole milk)

• A teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)

• One Tbsp your favourite jam (I like strawberry) plus extra for topping

• One Tbsp peanut butter plus extra for topping

Chop the oats up with a sharp knife until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Combine all the ingredients in a jar or bowl, and mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk or water, and if it is too thin add a little more yoghurt or grated apple. Place in the fridge over night, and when you get it out in the morning add on your extra peanut butter and jam. Yum!

Q & A:

Q: Can I make this dairy free?

A: Yes! Just use your favourite dairy free milk and yoghurt. Chocolate overnight oats are great with coconut milk for a chocolate coconut flavour, but I also love almond milk, and any plant based milk will work.

Q: Why are my overnight oats always too runny or thick?

A: The consistency of your overnight oats will depend on a lot of things, and depending on the brand of your oats or yoghurt, it can vary. If the mixture is too runny, add more grated apple, thick yoghurt or a crushed Weetbix. if it is too thick, add some more milk or water. The right consistency depends on the person, I like it to be like slightly runny porridge when i put it into the fridge in the evening, so that when the oats swell it becomes like thick, creamy porridge.

Q: Are these recipes gluten free?

A: That’s a tricky one. They are wheat free as long as your oats have not been packaged in the same place as wheat, as many oats have. They are also technically gluten free too- but if you are Coeliac or have high gluten sensitivity you may react to the Avenin oats, which is a protein very similar to gluten.

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