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Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal (Plus Mix-In Ideas)

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Are you a faithful breakfast eater?  Do you eat mostly the same thing for breakfast each morning, or do you like variety?  I most definitely have to eat breakfast every morning, or I’m a shaky lightheaded mess by 9am.  I usually have either an egg and cheese sandwich on an english muffin, or a bowl of cereal –  a LARGE bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and whole milk, just in case you were wondering.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with berries and toasted coconut in a glass jar, with two other glass jars of Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal and mix-ins in the background with two spoons.

I was inspired to try something new when Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum, one of my favorite food bloggers, shared her recipe for Flax and Blueberry Vanilla Overnight Oats.  This is one of those recipes that super versatile, and there are about 101 possibilities when it comes to mix-ins and toppings.  These are a few of my favorites…

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with berries and toasted coconut in a glass jar.

The toasted coconut (directions below) was soooo over the top delicious.  I pretty much just kept taking a bite, adding more toasted coconut, then taking a bite, and then a little more…

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins in a glass jar.

Adding the raisins to the yogurt and oatmeal before it sits overnight makes them get nice and soft and plump.  Simple but good.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with almonds in a glass jar with honey being drizzled on top, and two other jars of Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal in the background.

If you like your oatmeal on the sweeter side, a drizzle of honey is the perfect thing.  A generous sprinkle of chopped almonds adds a nice crunch too.  Maybe some sliced bananas?

I’ve actually been eating this for lunch more than breakfast, simply because I can’t seem to remember to make it the night before!  So I make it early in the morning, divide it into mason jars, and put them in the fridge for later.  Then when I’m heading out to run errands, or take the boys to the park, I just put one in my purse to eat on the go.   Just don’t forget a spoon like I did!  I love that these cute little jars keep me from being tempted to hit the drive-thru when I’m out and about and that lunch time hunger strikes.  I like using steel cut oats because it retains a nice chewy texture, but if you prefer a softer texture you can definitely substitute old fashioned rolled oats as well.

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101 possibilities when it comes to mix-ins. These are a few of my favorites...

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal (Plus Mix-In Ideas)

  • Author: Julie
  • Yield: 3 1x
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Ingredients

Overnight Oatmeal

  • 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup steel cut oats
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Toppings

  • Berries
  • Toasted Coconut
  • Chopped Almonds
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon
  • Raisins

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, milk, oats and brown sugar. Add berries or cinnamon and raisins at this point if desired.
  2. Divide into three jars or containers, and refrigerated at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
  3. Add additional toppings such as toasted coconut, almonds, or honey.

Toasted Coconut

  1. To toast your coconut, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spread sweetened coconut flakes on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake the coconut for about five minutes, watching for most of the flakes to turn golden brown.
  4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Notes

***Since I’ve made this a few more times, I’ve noticed that the oats soften quite a bit more when the jar is allowed to set at room temperature, for example, when I take it out of the fridge before leaving the house in the morning and then eat it later for lunch. So if you feel like the oats are too crunchy, allow it to sit at room temperature for a while. If this does not work well with your schedule, you may want to substitute old fashioned rolled oats instead of steel cut oats, or a mixture of the two.

***I’ve also tried microwaving the mixed oats, yogurt, brown sugar and milk for a minute or so before pouring into the jars to refrigerate. This really made the oats soften up by the next morning, even without sitting out at room temp. So you can kind of play with the recipe to get it to the texture you prefer.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Serving (toppings not included)
  • Calories: 194
  • Sugar: 9.9g
  • Sodium: 52mg
  • Fat: 2.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 30g
  • Fiber: 2.7g
  • Protein: 13g
  • Cholesterol: 7mg
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Comments

  1. I cook my steel cut oats in a rice cooker as I’ve never had much luck with the overnight recipes (they don’t seem to soften enough, and I like them chewy) so perhaps I had the proportions wrong. I am eager to try this recipe, so could you tell me when you say ‘oatmeal’ do you mean ‘oats’ as oatmeal causes me to think you’ve cooked it into an oatmeal consistency before adding to mason. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi Tracy! This oatmeal recipe is actually not cooked at all. The oats will soften up overnight when they absorb some of the liquid from the milk and yogurt. It is served cold. Hope this helps make the recipe more clear.

      Reply

      • Oh yes I know they soak up the liquid to ‘cook’ or soften I just wanted to be sure that I should start with oats not oatmeal. Thanks so much! Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow 🙂

        Reply

        • Okay now I see what you are saying… I updated the recipe and post to be more clear about adding “oats” not “oatmeal”. Thanks for your question – I can see how that was confusing.

          Reply

    • If you like softer chewy oatmeal, I read somewhere you can try the instant oatmeal. I don’t know how true it is because I don’t like really soft oatmeal but you can definitely try.

      Reply

  3. This is such a gorgeous post! I just discovered your blog and love it… thanks so much – I needed to liven up my boring morning yogurt routine 🙂

    Reply

  4. These all look delicious! I’m on the same page as you with breakfast – egg sandwiches are my go-to and honey bunches of oats with almonds is my favorite cereal!

    Reply

  5. This looks delicious…was looking for something to do with steel cut oats…this looks like it will improve the flavor…just have to get the yogurt. Thanks so much.

    Reply

        • You’re welcome. Let me know what you think… Also, just wanted to make sure you saw my note about the oats being softer when the jars sit at room temperature for a bit before serving. I’ve also tried microwaving the mixed oats, yogurt, brown sugar and milk for a minute or so before pouring into the jars to refrigerate. This really made the oats soften up by the next morning, even without sitting out at room temp. So you can kind of play with the recipe to get it to the texture you prefer.

          Reply

    • Not sure if you are wanting to substitute for a specific dietary restriction, but I’m sure almond milk would be just fine. Hope this helps!

      Reply

    • I make overnight oats with almond milk and it’s delicious. I get the fresh, unsweetened vanilla flavor in the refrigerated section of the grocery store or Trader Joe’s. I haven’t tried the steel cut oats yet though, but it works great with the rolled oats. 🙂

      Reply

    • I use Califia brand of Almond Milk/Coconut blend. I use Cabot Greek brand yogurt. These 2 items give my oatmeal a stiffer consistency. I also don’t add my fruit to the mix. I place my fruit in the bottom of my ramekins and pour mixture over the fruit. In the morning I top with sliced almonds and about a 1/8 tsp of honey. Then I mix all together and eat. I also make 4 ramekins at a time for 4 days worth. It keeps fine until ready to eat. I also prefer blackberries, but blueberries work fine, too. Raspberries seem to make the oatmeal too sweet for me.

      Reply

  9. It seemed like a really small amount to divide into 2 different jars – so I threw it all into one. Do the oats expand a lot or does it stay about the size it is when you put it into the jars? My mason jars are 16 oz.

    Reply

  10. I’m not sure I will like cold oatmeal… can I zap these in the microwave for a minute or so to take the chill off?
    Please say Yes!

    Reply

    • I am one of the most finicky eaters on the planet so I was really skeptical about cold oatmeal, but this is the best I have ever had. I have been eating this for over a year now and if I run out before I get to the store I panic. I am not a good cereal eater and I have high cholesterol so eggs are a bit scary to eat. You might just be surprised by how good this really is. I have also tried it with Old Fashioned Oats when my Steel cut oats ran out. That also works but not as good as the steel cut oats. and don’t use “quick” steel cut oats.

      Reply

  11. Is there a substitute for the yogurt that you would suggest? I try to avoid dairy and plan on using either almond milk or coconut milk but am unsure about what to substitute the yogurt with? Thanks!

    Reply

  12. Hi Julie, My son loves these! I wasn’t sure what to do about the oats with all the discussion about still being a bit chewy, so I tried something a little different and it worked out really well. I cooked about a cup of steel cut oats in the micro til about half done. Then when I made the yogurt ( a big batch using the large costco sized yogurt…9 jars) I used 1/2 c old fashioned oats per cup of yogurt and added about 1 T of the cooked steel cut oats. I froze the leftover cooked steel cut oats to use in future yogurt batches. That way I figure I’ve got the best of all worlds and they turned out great. To my big batch I added some ground flaxseed and some chia seeds as well. He doesn’t know, he thinks it’s just great strawberry yogurt 🙂

    Reply

  13. I’m a competitive weightlifter so nutrition is very important for me. After discovering your blog, I started implementing this into my daily food intake. I modified the recipe slightly to reflect my needs. I use whole fat greek yogurt, whole milk, tablespoon of powdered peanut butter, one banana, and scoop of whey protein. I’ve been eating this in the morning and after every workout session.

    Reply

    • I just bought the three minute steel cut oatmeal from trader joes and used it for this recipe. Also, I didn’t have regular yogurt so I used vanilla Greek yogurt. I’m excited to try it tomorrow morning. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply

  15. Hi Julie!

    What would the serving sizes be if it was to just be put in one mason jar? Would it be the same or would it be less?

    Reply

  20. This is a great recipe! I make a double batch on Sundays and it’s my breakfast all week! The only change I made was to omit the brown sugar and use vanilla greek yogurt instead. I like mine topped with chia seeds, a few mini chocolate chips and raspberries. Yum! 🙂

    Reply

  23. Hi everyone,
    I tried an overnight oatmeal with greek yogurt in it the other day. I have to say it just wasn’t my thing. I was thinking maybe I would like it better warm, however I wasn’t sure how the yogurt would do being warmed in the microwave. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

    Reply

  25. I absolutely love your website, so many amazing, simple and delicious receipts to choose from. I am excited to get cooking 🙂

    Kait

    Reply

  27. I absolutely love this overnight oatmeal recipe. I have taken your recipe and added and subtracted my own flavors. I mostly make it with Greek yogurt, Almond Milk, Steel Cut Oats and Blackberries. when I am ready to eat it I sometimes add some Almonds slivers and a touch of honey.

    For anyone wondering about the oats softening up overnight, I generally make this 24 to 36 hours ahead. I put the mixture in Ramekins and cover. I make 2 at a time. Then put in fridge. Best breakfast ever.

    Reply

  28. You can substitute unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, silk soy yogurt or so delicious coconut yogurt for the greek yogurt if you are vegan or just eliminating dairy. Also, soy/almond/cashew milks work great as a substitute for the dairy milk. Love overnight oats, so easy and convenient.

    Reply

  29. We stumbled over here from a different web
    address and thought I might as well check things out. I like what I
    see so now i am following you. Look forward to going over your web page for a second time.

    Reply

  30. I often add protein powder to overnight oats instead of youghurt. . I love the chocolates or berry flavour it gives, and the protein adds great nutrition. And heating the oats before eating gives it true comfort food status in cold weather.

    Reply

  32. Hello Julie, Thanks for this terrific recipe for overnight oatmeal. I have tried the original recipe and then have altered for my finicky taste. I like to use ramekins, so I use 4 ramekins for 4 days worth of flavor. I also place my fruit in the bottom of the cup instead of blending into the liquid mixture. I usually use blackberries as they are not as sweet as blueberries or raspberries. I have also tried sliced strawberries. On occasion I have used old fashioned oats instead of steel cut oats which also works fine in a pinch. I mix Almond milk, light brown sugar, chia seeds, stir in Greek Yogurt and oatmeal. Mix with a wire whisk and pour over berries in the cup. Next morning when ready to eat I add some sliced almonds and about an 1/8 tsp of honey to the top. Mix and eat. I have been eating this for over a year now and I am so glad you posted this recipe. I am a very finicky eater and struggle with food. So Thanks for this.

    Reply

  33. Hi Julie,

    I didn’t have quick oats only steel cut oats and wasn’t sure if I could do overnight oatmeal with these. I found your website and did as you suggested and cooked the oatmeal and milk for just under one minute as it started to rise to the top of my jar. I then added Greek vanilla yogurt, hemp and chia seeds and topped with frozen blueberries. I will see how this turns out as I usually eat this around 9:00 am when I’m at work. Thank you for the tip on cooking it as I was worried they still might be hard in the morning. 🙂

    Reply

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