Cinnamon Roll Oats are cold oatmeal made overnight, no cooking required! Cinnamon, vanilla, naturally sweetened, and tastes like dessert.
We love quick and easy oatmeal overnight recipes more than stovetop oats in the summer so we don't heat up the house, and it's MUCH faster to make than cinnamon rolls. These have less sugar and more whole grains than cinnamon rolls, and while they don't taste the same, still taste delicious for a healthy breakfast or dessert.
Cinnamon roll oatmeal is convenient, easy to make ahead, and tastes amazing. My husband's favorite is chocolate peanut butter overnight oats and mine is simple protein vanilla overnight oats with any fruit added in and nuts on top.
Macros for overnight oats are incredible. This recipe has 29g protein, 5g fat, and 41g carbohydrates. It's a nutrient dense meal that helps you feel full longer!
In this post I'll cover the recipe, variations, troubleshooting, nutrition, storage, and FAQs.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar or maple are the top flavors here. Creamy and delicious!
- Ease: Beginner recipe, no cooking needed!
- Time: It takes 5 minutes to measure and mix the oats and then you'll need to let the oats sit refrigerated for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Old Fashioned Oats - (rolled oats) work best for this recipe. Quick oats or instant oatmeal has a different texture and gets to gummy for my taste, but can be used in a pinch.
- Yogurt - this is what makes is creamy. I use homemade greek yogurt (with no sugar) for the protein boost! Store bought plain greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt works great.
- Milk - can be dairy or plant based, I prefer dairy for the protein and healthy fats.
- Sweetener - I usually use maple syrup or brown sugar for this recipe, but agave nectar or honey work well too. Powdered sugar is to make a glaze (totally optional) for the top.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Pro Tip: Add pinch of salt to make the oats even better. It's always better with just a little salt!
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Optional add ins - nut butters (almond or cashew are my favorite), a pinch of other spices like nutmeg or allspice, or chia seeds are all good options.
- Vegan/dairy free - use non dairy plant based milk/vegan yogurt.
- Texture changes - add a Tablespoon or two of ground flax, oat bran, chopped nuts, or a teaspoon of chia seeds.
- Toppings - I love to swirl sweetened greek yogurt on top for a cinnamon roll effect, but nuts, raisins, chopped apples, or granola on top is delicious.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. Mix dry ingredients together first, then add the greek yogurt and milk to help mix the cinnamon in. I always add vanilla. The recipe says ½ teaspoon but I measure with my heart, which usually ends up anywhere from ½ to a whole teaspoon. Both are delicious!
- Step 2. Add in preferred sweetener last, so you can add less or more as needed.
- Step 3. Mix together sweetener and greek yogurt to swirl over the top, and sprinkle a little more cinnamon. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight and serve cold. Add chopped pecans or walnuts right before serving, it's delicious!
Pro Tip: Wait until serving (morning) to add toppings to prevent them from getting soggy in the fridge.
📌 Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too thick or dry | Not enough liquid or oats absorbed too much | Add 1–2 tablespoon milk in the morning and stir |
| Too runny | Too much liquid or not enough soaking time | Use less milk next time or add chia seeds to absorb extra moisture |
| Oats are too chewy or raw | Not soaked long enough or wrong oat type | Soak at least 4 hours; use rolled oats or blend for smoother texture |
| Lacks cinnamon roll flavor | Not enough cinnamon or sweetener | Add ½ teaspoon extra cinnamon + dash of vanilla + maple syrup or brown sugar |
| Bland flavor overall | Missing salt or flavor layering | Add pinch of salt and a swirl of yogurt, cinnamon sugar, or nut butter |
| Toppings get soggy | Toppings added too early | Store toppings separately, add just before serving |
| Tastes “gluey” or pasty | Too much yogurt or overmixed | Use less yogurt or add more milk, stir gently; try layering instead of mixing fully |
❓Frequently Asked Questions
The texture will be much more chewy and it takes longer for steel cut oats to soften, which make regular rolled oats the better choice.
Yes, you can freeze them, preferably without toppings. Just make sure to thaw in the refrigerator for a day or two and give them a good stir before serving with fresh toppings.
Yes, as long as the dairy products are fresh it's safe. I go by the expiration date of the milk and yogurt, whichever is sooner. Usually I'm able to prepare 5-7 days worth and use them that week.
❄️ Storage
Refrigerate: 5-7 days or until dairy expiration
Freeze: up to 3 months. Thaw 1-2 days refrigerated, add a splash of milk and stir before serving with fresh toppings.
🥣 Healthy Overnight oats Variations
📝 Printable Recipe
Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup regular old fashioned oats
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, more for topping
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- Optional: 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar to mix with greek yogurt for a glaze on top.
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients together first (oats, protein powder, cinnamon) then add the greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Add in preferred sweetener last so you can add more as needed.
- Optional: Mix together 1 Tablespoon greek yogurt and a little sweetener (or cinnamon) to swirl over the top, and sprinkle a little more cinnamon. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight and serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
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