12 Creative Overnight Oatmeal Recipes

EC: This Oatmeal Trick Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning

Photo by Connie Spinardi via Getty Images

Get your whole grain game on with one of these creative overnight oatmeal ideas.

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Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford, Claire Spollen

Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal Recipe

Steel-cut oats offer a nutty alternative to hot cereal made with rolled oats. If you prefer, substitute firm pears for apples or dried cranberries for the raisins.

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Blackberry-Citrus Granola Bowl

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Food Styling: Ann Hampton; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Blackberry-Citrus Granola Bowl Recipe

The best way to cook steel-cut oats during the week? Don’t cook them at all. Instead of a slow simmer, soak the oats overnight in your milk of choice, and serve the next morning. The oats soften and plump in the liquid yet retain a wonderfully chewy texture. If you prefer them warm, heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Cocoa nibs add a little extra crunch and a wake-up jolt similar to coffee. We love the contrast of creamy oats with the crunchy granola (recipe below). Use seasonal blackberries and citrus or any fruit you like.

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Overnight Oats with Kefir, Berries, and Toasted Coconut

Photo: Alison Miksch Styling: Lindsey Lower

Overnight Oats with Kefir, Berries, and Toasted Coconut Recipe

This oatmeal bowl is a great on-the-go breakfast and is also made probiotic-rich with the addition of kefir. This bowl is best enjoyed cold becuase the active cultures in kefir are sensitive to heat. Resist the urge to microwave the oats, keeping it chilled for maximum benefits.

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Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit

Photo: Travis Rathbone; Styling: Megan Hedgpeth

Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit Recipe

A buttermilk, syrup, vanilla and cinnamon mixture makes a super rich and creamy oatmeal. Refrigerate overnight and top with fruit and nuts just before serving.

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Berry-Banana Overnight Oats

Greg DuPree

Berry-Banana Overnight Oats Recipe

Speed up your morning routine with a low-maintenance breakfast made the night before. Studies show frozen blueberries have considerably greater polyphenol concentrations than fresh, while most other nutrient levels are comparable between the two. Walnuts deliver a one-two punch of crunch and nutrition: They are a top nut for brain health thanks to the powerful combination of omega-3 fats, vitamin E, and antioxidants.

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Overnight Oats

Image: Rebecca Longshore; Styling: Rebecca Longshore

Overnight Oats Recipe

These little jars filled with fiber, whole grains, and protein are a necessary solution to your busy weekday mornings. The best part is, they're extremely customizable. Feel free to experiment with any of these additions: A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or natural peanut butter, a handful of nuts (we prefer walnuts), some raisins or other dried fruit, or a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax meal. Not a fan of cold oats? Simply place the glass jar in the microwave (without the metal lid!) and nuke for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

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Make an Overnight Bulgur Bowl and Sleep In

All Photos by Alex Tepper

Make an Overnight Bulgur Bowl and Sleep In Recipe
Press the snooze button a million times and still eat a healthy breakfast

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Overnight Oats with Blueberries

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Prop Styling: Joni Noe

Overnight Oats with Blueberries Recipe

Steel-cut oats have a wonderful chewy texture but can take a long time to cook. By soaking them overnight, all you have to do is heat them in the morning. Chia seeds help make the cereal creamy and filling. The recipe comes from the outdoor cooking experts behind the blog Dirty Gourmet, dirtygourmet.com.

GEAR 2-qt. backpacking saucepan, spork, backpacking stove and fuel, Nalgene bottle (for measuring), backpacking ladle

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Overnight Oats With Raspberry & Seeds

Overnight Oats With Raspberry & Seeds Recipe

Lose weight the 5:2 way. This quick and easy healthy breakfast recipe is featured in the breakfast section of the new 5:2 Starter's Guide to The 2-Day Diet. The book provides a selection of over 100 tasty recipes that meet the daily 500 calorie allotment for the 2 days of intermittent fasting, as required by the 5:2 Diet.

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Overnight Honey-Almond Multigrain Cereal

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Overnight Honey-Almond Multigrain Cereal Recipe
Steel-cut oats and barley soak up water overnight so they're ready to go in the morning. Use a big bowl because the grains will expand.

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This Oatmeal Trick Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning

Photo by Connie Spinardi via Getty Images

This Oatmeal Trick Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning Recipe
All you need is a muffin tin and a freezer

Replay gallery

Overnight Oatmeal Recipes to Jumpstart Your Morning

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Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal

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Blackberry-Citrus Granola Bowl

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Overnight Oats with Kefir, Berries, and Toasted Coconut

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Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit

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Berry-Banana Overnight Oats

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Overnight Oats

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Make an Overnight Bulgur Bowl and Sleep In

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Overnight Oats with Blueberries

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Overnight Oats With Raspberry & Seeds

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Overnight Honey-Almond Multigrain Cereal

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This Oatmeal Trick Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning

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Overnight Oatmeal Recipes to Jumpstart Your Morning

1 of 11

Overnight Maple-Raisin Oatmeal

1 of 11

2 of 11

Blackberry-Citrus Granola Bowl

2 of 11

3 of 11

Overnight Oats with Kefir, Berries, and Toasted Coconut

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Overnight Oats with Stone Fruit

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Berry-Banana Overnight Oats

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Overnight Oats

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Make an Overnight Bulgur Bowl and Sleep In

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Overnight Oats with Blueberries

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Overnight Oats With Raspberry & Seeds

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Overnight Honey-Almond Multigrain Cereal

10 of 11

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This Oatmeal Trick Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning

11 of 11

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