Eating Overnight Oats with vanilla protein powder is my favorite summer pastime. It's creamy and packed with protein!
This is one of my FAVORITE healthy summer breakfasts as soon as berries are in season, along with its dark and handsome cousin, Brownie Batter Overnight Oats.
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So here's the thing. There are a lot of recipes for healthy overnight oats. I like crunchy bits for texture, homeade high protein greek yogurt for creaminess and a little protein powder for a boost.
The awesome thing about this vanilla protein overnight oats recipe is that you can prepare a lot of servings and customize the flavors for breakfast (or a healthy dessert) the whole week! I usually prepare 4-6 servings so my husband and kids can have them a few times during the week. It's a lovely to go breakfast, just pull it out of the fridge and put some fruit on top!
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses Vanilla Protein Powder for an added protein boost and flavor.
- It's healthy - packed with high protein ingredients like greek yogurt, milk, and the oats themselves. And of course protein powder!
- It's like dessert for breakfast! I have had this for dessert many times topped with fruit and whipped cream.
- Easy to make ahead- it only takes TEN minutes to whip up a big batch for the week, making it an awesome meal prep oatmeal recipe in jars or meal prep oatmeal containers.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Oats - Old-fashioned regular oats (rolled oats) are best. Instant oats can be used but are more processed and can become gummy in texture the longer they are refrigerated.
- Milk - adds needed liquid that soaks into the oats and helps to make them creamy. Water isn't the same and won't taste as good.
- Vanilla Protein Powder - add proteins but doesn't add too much of an aftertaste. I've used this vanilla protein powder in overnight oats so many times and it's not very noticeable, especially with toppings!
- Sweetener - I like to use honey or agave nectar because of their mild flavor, they don't overpower the vanilla and other toppings.
- Greek Yogurt - for creaminess and added protein. Unflavored plain is best because it will take on the flavor of whatever you add to the oats. You can always use vanilla yogurt in overnight oats too.
See recipe card below for complete list of measurements and directions.
✏️ Substitutions
You can easily make overnight oats dairy free, vegan and gluten free with these substitutions
- You could use any nut or oat milk, or even water but I don't recommend this as the milk tastes MUCH better.
- Vanilla Protein Powder - you can reduce or leave this out completely if you wish, I like the added protein boost. You could also use a different flavor of protein powder or a plant-based protein powder, your choice.
- Plain Greek Yogurt - I add this for creaminess and flavor, if you have dairy allergies I recommend just replacing it with the milk of your choice, and maybe reducing the amount so the oats aren't too runny.
- Sweetener - I prefer to use agave nectar or honey because of their mild flavors, but you could use pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, or a different sweetener.
🆒 Variations
- Use coconut, almond, or maple extract instead of vanilla for a different flavor profile.
- Use a different flavor of protein powder like banana, or coconut to switch things up!
- Almond extract and raspberries or coconut extract with bananas on top are some of my favorite combos, but there are endless possibilities!
- Add cinnamon (¼ teaspoon) for a vanilla cinnamon overnight oat combo. Adding cinnamon chips, or a few white chocolate chips on top would be lovely.
🧑🍳 Instructions
It's really easy to learn how to make overnight oats, just mixing the ingredients together since there's no cooking involved. Doing it in order helps the ingredients to mix together easier.
Step 1 - Mix together the dry ingredients first, the oats and the protein powder.
Step 2 - Mix the milk, greek yogurt, sweetener, and vanilla into the oats. I like to add a pinch of sea salt for flavor, but that is optional. Add desired toppings and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
That's it! Simple as that.
PRO TIP: The oats are best when they've been refrigerated overnight, 4-12 hours so that they're SOFT and CREAMY. They are SO EASY to customize too. Let's talk about toppings, my very favorite part!!
🍓 Overnight Oat Toppings:
- Fruit - fresh, dried (cherries, cranberries, raisins, etc) , frozen, or even freeze-dried. My favorites are raspberries, peaches, blueberries, or strawberries.
- Nuts/Seeds - almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts, and peanuts are a few common ones.
- Nut/Seed Butters like peanut butter, or almond butter just like in my vanilla almond butter protein balls are my favorite. And cookie butter!
- Chocolate - Sometimes I put some chocolate chips on top if I need a little happiness. Nutella is also one of my favorites. Can you tell I love sweet things?
- Coconut shavings/pieces, flax seeds, chia seeds, or hemp hearts are all good options to add fiber and protein.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches, and pineapple are all good fruit options for overnight oats.
Things like water or toppings that could get soggy like graham crackers. Best to save those to put on top for right before you eat them.
Yes! It's best to stir everything toether so the both the liquid AND flavor is distributed properly. Otherwise some bites may taste different.
No, they're meant to be eaten chilled like Swiss muesli. Think of it like eating a cold parfait. You can warm them up if desired, but it's perfectly safe to eat raw oats, as they have been steamed during processing, destroying any harmful bacteria.
📌 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 |
🥣 More Easy Overnight Oats Recipes
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📝 Printable Recipe
Vanilla Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- pinch of salt, optional
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon sweetener of choice (honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar)
Instructions
- In a sealable jar or container, mix together oats, protein powder, and pinch of salt.
- Add in milk, yogurt, vanilla, and sweetener of choice.
- Top with optional toppings, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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