There are so many delicious overnight oats ingredients to choose from. While the basic recipe is just oats and liquid, there are no end of flavourings, toppings, and supplement add-ins you can incorporate.
One of our favourite things about overnight oats is how versatile they are. They’re a blank canvas that you can add pretty much anything to. Here you’ll find a comprehensive list of ingredients you can use in overnight oats…
Basic Overnight Oats Ingredients
Here is the basic overnight oats ingredient list, which is the foundation of all the recipe variations we share in our book and on the blog…
- ½ cup or 40g oats
- ½ cup or 120ml liquid
- Flavourings (like spices, sweeteners, or preserves)
- Toppings (like fruit, nuts, or seeds)
Following this recipe framework will ensure you get the perfect texture – not too stodgy but not mushy either. You can add to and experiment with different oats, liquids, flavourings and toppings. Let’s look at each of these ingredient elements in a bit more detail…
Oats
- Rolled oats
- Steel cut oats
- Instant oats
We recommend using rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats), as they result in a lovely smooth texture when soaked overnight.
They’re created by steaming oat groats and then rolling them into flakes. This process stabilises the healthy oils they contain, which means they stay fresher for longer. It also helps the oats soften faster, since they have a larger surface area.
Steel cut oats are just as nutritious, but are a little crunchier. If you prefer a bit more bite or texture then go for these.
You can also use instant oatmeal too, but you don’t need to soak them overnight. They’ll turn pretty mushy if you do.
You’ll also need to keep an eye on the ingredients list with this instant oats too. They’re often pre-flavoured, with mouth-watering names like apple and cinnamon or golden syrup. But in reality this means they have a lot more sugar and unnatural ingredients than plain options, so might not be as healthy as you’d hoped.
Liquids for Overnight Oats
- Plain dairy milk
- Strawberry, banana, or chocolate milk
- Plant-based milk – almond, oat, soy, hazelnut, cashew, rice, or coconut milk
- Orange juice
- Apple juice
- Coffee
- Tea – breakfast, green, lavender, or fruit tea
- Hot chocolate
- Chai tea latte
- Water
Milk is the liquid of choice for most overnight oats fans. If you like dairy, then cows milk is a cheap and plentiful option. Obviously skimmed and semi-skimmed contain less fat than, well, full fat milk, but the trade-off is less calcium and protein.
Flavoured milks like chocolate, strawberry, and banana, tend to contain more sugar and unnatural additives so watch out for those. Interestingly though, chocolate milk is good after workouts, as it has an ideal carb to protein ratio (3:1) for muscle recovery.
Non-dairy options are all growing in popularity, and more widely available than ever before. Local supermarkets now offer a huge range of alternative milk products, by brands like Silk, Alpro, Lactaid and So Delicious. In terms of flavours, almond, cashew, rice, soy, and coconut milk (proper milk, not the tinned stuff used in Asian curries) are available pretty much everywhere.
It’s worth noting that most non-dairy options are designed to last longer than nature intended, which means additional processing or preservatives. So if you’re looking for a natural milk substitute, then check the labels carefully. Make your own healthy choice based on:
- The number of ingredients – fewer is better.
- Whether you can pronounce the ingredients easily – if you can’t, then they’re probably not natural.
Fresh juice makes a flavoursome and less creamy alternative to milk. Orange and apple are both naturally sweet, and packed with vitamins. Just make sure you’re using pure, fresh juice (and not the concentrated stuff) to keep your breakfast as healthy as possible.
Hot drinks like tea and coffee can also be used in overnight oats. Since they often have quite strong, savoury flavours, they tend to work well with complimentary fruits like banana.
You can also experiment with flavoured blends like lavender or fruit teas, or super-charge your antioxidant intake by using green tea. Sweet hot liquids like hot chocolate and chai tea can be tasty too.
Lastly, there’s good old fashioned water. This is what I had in the beginning, since cow’s milk doesn’t agree with me, but non-dairy options weren’t a thing. Colleagues at work would laugh when they saw me eating my ‘Oliver Twist gruel’ as they called it – but it just meant I had to compensate by getting creative.
This is how my experiments with toppings and flavours began. The great thing about overnight oats is that they’re endlessly customisable!
Overnight Oats Flavourings
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Cocoa powder
- Protein powder
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Ground flaxseed
- Chia seeds
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Stevia
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Hazelnut butter
- Jam
- Nutella
- Lemon curd
- Marmalade
Flavourings are what elevate plain old oatmeal into a delicious breakfast. A pinch of salt is normally used as flavouring in traditional porridge oatmeal. However most of us already get an abundance of salt in our modern diets, so our recipes feature healthier alternatives.
Ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, give overnight oats a depth of flavour, without adding sugar or empty calories. Cocoa powder gives the oats a chocolaty taste with similar benefits.
And then there’s protein powder which comes in an endless variety of delicious flavours! I love vanilla (it tastes good with everything), chocolate, and salted caramel personally. The powder will dissolve into your overnight oats and provide an extra boost of nutrients – perfect for a post-workout breakfast.
Vanilla and almond extract are also great ways to enhance the basic flavour, and combine well with most fruit toppings. Lavender and elderflower are also delicious, but harder to come by in normal supermarkets, so you may want to visit a health food store or order online.
Ground flaxseed (also known as linseed) adds a nice nutty flavour to your oats. It also includes key nutrients, including Omega-3 essential fatty acids (good fats), calcium and iron. I usually buy Prewett’s Organic Milled Flaxseed from Amazon, as it’s finely ground and super-cheap.
Chia seeds also provide similar nutritional benefits, without the nutty flavour. They not only thicken the texture, but keep you feeling even fuller thanks to their Tryptophan. I like Linwoods Milled Chia Seeds as opposed to whole seeds, because they’re fine enough to use in my smoothies too.
If you prefer your oats sweeter, then raw honey or stevia powder are healthier alternatives to processed sugar. Maple syrup, molasses and brown sugar will also do the job, but usually contain more additives so use sparingly.
Peanut butter is a delicious flavour enhancer, and will add a solid dose of protein to your breakfast. Just be sure to buy the pure stuff, which is made from 100% peanuts without added sugar, salt or palm oil. I like Meridian Peanut Butter, as their products are completely pure, reasonably priced, and available online or in supermarkets. They also offer some tasty alternative nut butter flavours like Almond butter and Hazelnut Nut Butter. Yum!
Of course there are some classic breakfast preserves that work wonderfully in overnight oats – jam, Nutella, lemon curd, and marmalade to name a few. Of course they aren’t as nutritious as the other options listed above, but a healthy lifestyle is about balance, so go with what works for you.
Overnight Oats Toppings
- Fresh fruit – apple, apricot, banana, clementine, cherries, grape, kiwi, lemon, lime, mandarin, nectarine, mango, passion fruit, peach, pear, pomegranate, plum, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and orange.
- Frozen fruit – banana, mixed berries, cherries, mango, or pineapple.
- Dried fruit – sultanas, raisins, figs, prunes, apricots, mango, cranberries, and dates.
- Nuts – chopped almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and shredded coconut.
Toppings are where we can get most creative, adding extra nutrients, flavours, and textures. Fresh fruit is probably the most popular, with berries and bananas being the usual additions. But any fruit will work, so vary your intake by taking advantage of seasonal produce that’s on special offer.
If you aren’t sure what’s best right now, then check out Eat The Seasons. Buying seasonally also ensures the fruit is at its juicy sweetest, which means you can skip additional sweetener.
Frozen or dried fruit also works well, and can sometimes be more convenient since it doesn’t usually need peeling or chopping. You can buy ready-frozen berries, cherries, mango and pineapple chunks, plus they’re often cheaper than fresh.
Frozen fruit will thaw when mixed in with the oats and left in the fridge overnight. However if you’re using it for a topping, you’ll need to defrost it first.
Dried fruit like sultanas, raisins, figs and dates can aid digestion thanks to their high fibre content. One study also found that the antioxidants in dried cranberries, grapes, and plums were twice as potent as those found in the fresh equivalents. Look for packaging that says ‘no sulfites’, to avoid unnecessary colour preservatives.
Chopped or sliced nuts are great for adding texture, along with a healthy dose of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Almonds contain the fewest calories, most calcium, and a good amount of antioxidant vitamin E. Pecans and walnuts are packed with plant sterols and antioxidants, which help lower cholesterol levels and help prevent hardening of the arteries respectively. Go for raw or dry roasted as they have the highest nutrient content.
And although not technically a nut, shredded coconut makes a tasty topping combined with fresh fruit.
So, there you have our complete list of delicious and nutritious overnight oats ingredients that you can add to your breakfast bowl. Tag us in your creations on Instagram and let us know if we’ve missed any ingredient ideas!