Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Vegan Overnight Oats
Yield
1 bowl
Soak time
overnight or 2 hours
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Vegan Overnight Oats are the time-crunched person’s breakfast secret weapon, since they take just a couple minutes to make at night before bed. When you mix together rolled oats, chia seeds, and almond milk, the chia seeds absorb the milk and the oats soften, creating an effortless chilled porridge. Place it in the fridge at night and forget about it until morning, when you’ll wake up to a cool, creamy bowl of oats that’s just perfect in the spring or summer. This is my go-to overnight oats recipe, but feel free to change up the fruit and other mix-ins as you like.
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe/spotty banana, mashed
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) pure vanilla extract (optional)
Suggested Toppings:
- Granola
- Fresh fruit
- Coconut flakes
- Pure maple syrup
- Cinnamon
- Nuts and seeds
- Banana soft serve
Directions
- In a small bowl, mash the banana until almost smooth. Now stir in the chia seeds and cinnamon until combined.
- Stir in the oats, almond milk, and vanilla (if using). Cover and refrigerate overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.
- In the morning, stir the oat mixture to combine. If your Vegan Overnight Oats have a runny consistency even after they soak, simply stir in an additional 1 tablespoon chia seeds and place the mixture back in the fridge until it has thickened up. If the oat mixture is too thick, simply add a splash of milk and stir to combine.
Tip:
- Not a banana fan? Try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4-1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt and liquid sweetener, if desired.
Is there anything I can sub for the banana? I love them but among many other of my favorite foods, some of which I consider staples among the vegan lifestyle, I found out I have food sensitivities too :-( (big crying face). I need to avoid bananas and apples if possible, I won’t die from them but during sinus season in particular I need to pay attention to my food sensitivities they aggravate them. :’-(
Hi Brenda, I’m so sorry to hear you’re sensitive to a food you love! That’s the worst, isn’t it? For the Vegan Overnight Oats, you can try swapping the mashed banana for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favourite yogurt, adding a bit of liquid sweetener, if desired.
Thanks Angela! I will try that. :-) I wanted to say I love your recipes, site, and app. :-D I just downloaded the app and have some books in my kindle as well as some others in my wishlist for later when I get some extra money :-) <3
Aw, you’re too sweet! Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope you absolutely love the app! Happy cooking! :)
Tried the cookbook version of this recipe last night/this morning for breakfast. Very yummy – I’ve had overnight oats recipes before, but none that added banana. I think it really made a difference.
PS – great add-in idea: maple-glazed walnuts. :D (They’re super easy to make – 2 cups chopped walnuts anc 1/3 cup pure maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Add all to a saucepan over medium – med-high heat – cook stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes then remove to a plate and allow to cool.)
Hi Kelly, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the oats recipe. I really love the addition of banana, too! :) And thanks for sharing your maple-glazed walnuts trick–they sound delish!
I made this recipe with my son and it was soooo quick and easy to make!!! Due to allergies, I substituted the banana for plain non-fat Greek yogurt and used water as my liquid. After letting it refrigerate overnight I topped mine with blueberries and my son topped his with granola. Both were absolutely delicious! Because I’m up at 4:30am everyday to workout this will surely be my ‘go to’ breakfast in the mornings! What a great way to have a pre-made nutritious breakfast on the go!!!
I’m glad you and your son both enjoyed it, Dana! And thanks so much for sharing those great substitutions with us. :)
Hi Angela,
Thanks so much for the recipe. I started a gluten-free / vegan diet a couple months ago and these overnight oat recipes have been a great substitute for all the yogurt I was eating. I’ve been making big batches to get me through the week, but I keep having to open up the container which makes them go bad quicker. I want to make a batch of smaller jars, but won’t the oats get too mushy? Any suggestions on? Thanks so much!
I have tried other recipes for overnight oats before and always ended up throwing them out because I didn’t like the flavour and/or texture. This recipe could not be any different! It is SO good and SUPER filling!! I like to top mine with granola (your recipe!), hemp seeds and mixed berries :)
I’m so, so happy you like this recipe, Amanda!
Made this last night for breakfast today and LOVED it!!! Topped it with berries, hemp, cashews, coconut & vegan chocolate chips. Feels so ggod to be HEALTHY! ?
This recipe is delicious and very easy to make! I used a glass jar and made it at 11pm, took it out of the fridge at 6:30am and I ate it about an hour later. It’s an awesome ‘grab n go’ breakfast and all I can say is IM HOOKED! Thank you!!
2 years ago I set out to better my health for my life and my son’s. Your first cookbook opened up a whole new world of healthy eating and nourishing foods to me. 130 lbs later, your book is full of bunny ears and note and this is still my favorite breakfast. So versatile! Thank you!
Congrats Melissa! I’m so touched by your kind words and that you enjoy the book so much. Thank you and congrats again on all your success.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe. I’m allergic to bananas and I don’t eat yogurt. Is there anything else I could use that’s vegan. Is that type of consistency necessary?
Hey there! You could try swapping the mashed banana for peeled mashed pear, or even shredded apple. Alternatively, you could try reducing the almond milk a bit and simply adding some sweetener to taste in place of the banana, though I’m not positive on the proportions (it may take a bit of trial and error). The VOO won’t be as creamy, but should still thicken up okay. If you try either option, please let us know how it goes. Hope this helps!
Made this recipe for the first time last night and am currently enjoying it at work. I have to say I am impressed by how much I like it! I did not add any toppings, and was apprehensive whether the sweetness from one not overly ripe banana would do it for me. I ate half the jar without any additions, and drizzled a tiny bit of honey on top toward the end. Can’t wait to experiment with toppings, but take comfort in knowing that even when I am too lazy to add any, I can thoroughly enjoy this simple breakfast.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the oats, Ella! I hope you have fun playing with toppings. Do you know what you want to try first?
I have been putting a bit of a frozen fruit medley (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) on the bottom and top. I have cut the almond milk slightly to makeup for the moisture released by the thawing fruit.
This, along with your clusters, is the first thing I have made from your book. I am hooked!!!
Milk products have been bothering me lately so I am attempting to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Your website and books are perfect for helping me. (I may also love the fact that you are Canadian! Producing recipes that are in season.)
Quick question: How long will this stay in my fridge for? It takes me 3 days to eat the batch. I’m assuming that is fine.
Hi Kelly, I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes and finding them helpful! You’re right: vegan overnight oats will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. Happy eating! ;)
Is it possible to switch the almond milk for rice milk? xx
Hey Emma, I can’t see why not! You can really make this with whatever liquid you prefer. :)
So delicious ! Did it with coconut milk, walnuts and medjool dates , couldn’t be better .
If this is great for the warmer times, how would you tweak it for winter? Yummy!
I like using steel cut oats….how would you incorporate those instead of rolled oats?
I would probably cook a big batch of steel cut oats, and then create several days worth of “overnight oats”…portioned into small jars for the week. You can soak steel cut oats, but it doesn’t get creamy without cooking, and so I find the texture is dramatically different when using them instead of rolled oats. But try it if you’re curious! :)
This is absolutely delicious – sustaining – I love it.
Here’s the nutrition info for the recipe without any toppings: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
You said sugar free but there is maple syrup which is not sugar free
Hi there, The maple syrup is totally optional and not part of the actual recipe, but as a possible topping.
Really yummy! Had to add more milk in the morning as it had completely thickened, but wow what a filling breakfast! I definitely could have made that for two people. I’m sure it will keep me full way into the day. Thanks for sharing :)
Hey Cheyenne, That’s awesome you loved it so much…thanks for letting me know!
OMG this was so yummy and filling!!! I was able to split the recipe into three separate portions to give me 3 days worth of breakfast :)
Hi Veronique, Oh that’s so great! Thanks for trying it out.