These Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats are an easy breakfast and take plain overnight oats to a whole new level! Fiber-rich rolled oats are soaked in a delicious strawberry "milk" and adding Greek yogurt and chia seeds makes them SO creamy (+ adds protein & healthy fats 😊).
As a dietitian, I love simple breakfasts that will give me the energy to get through my morning. And while I have been a long-time fan of a savory breakfast with eggs, I love overnight oatmeal for busy mornings recently. Take 5 minutes to prep it the night before and it's ready for you when you wake up!
It's strawberry season here in Austin and I recently went strawberry picking with my sister, nieces, and nephew at a local farm. Once we were done, I had more juicy strawberries than I knew what to do with! So I decided to make these strawberry overnight oats and it quickly became one of my favorite overnight oats recipes. I couldn't wait to share it with you!
If you aren't familiar with overnight oats, you soak them overnight in the fridge. So instead of eating warm oatmeal, you eat it cold sort of like a chia pudding.
If you like this recipe, you may enjoy my Blueberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats or Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats. I hope you love it as much as I do! 😊
Jump to:
- Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Overnight Oats
- Dietitian Tip
- Video of How to Make Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats
- Variations
- Ideas for Toppings for Overnight Oats
- Equipment
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- FAQ
- Related
- Perfect for Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats recipe is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card for ingredient measurements.
- Rolled Oats - I recommend to use rolled oats (also known as "old fashioned oats") for overnight oats because they absorb the milk and become super creamy. I don't personally recommend using quick oats because they get mushy. And steel cut oats won't become as soft. To make it gluten-free, use certified GF oats. l'm a big fan of Bob's Red Mill brand.
- Strawberries - either fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries will work!
- Milk - I use almond milk milk for my overnight oats because I like the creamy consistency. Cow's milk or other plant-based milks like soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or cashew milk works great too.
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt - I use vanilla yogurt and do either Greek yogurt or Skyr (Icelandic yogurt) because both have more protein than regular yogurt. You can use regular yogurt or your favorite vegan yogurt if you prefer. I use vanilla yogurt for this recipe, but you can use plain if you want to avoid the added sugars.
- Chia Seeds - chia seeds expand in liquid and add to the texture of overnight oats. They are high in healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Plus, they are good for your skin! In fact, I love chia seeds so much I wrote a whole post about their health benefits. Learn more about the health benefits of chia seeds.
- Sweetener - I use pure maple syrup to sweeten these strawberries and cream overnight oats. You could also use honey, agave, date syrup, or any sweetener you like.
- Vanilla Extract - to add a creamier vanilla flavor.
How to Make Strawberry Overnight Oats
Below are the instructions for how to make this easy recipe with some photos that I hope are helpful! The full recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: In a mason jar, small bowl, or other container with a lid, mix together the rolled oatmeal and chia seeds.
Step 2: Dice your strawberries. Combine half the strawberries and the wet ingredients including milk, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor.
Step 3: Blend until smooth. This is your strawberry "milk".
Step 4: Pour the strawberry milk over the oats and give it a good stir. Add the remaining strawberries. Cover and store in the fridge overnight or at least for 4 hours for best results. When ready to serve, add your favorite toppings.
Hint: It's common for some ingredients to settle at the bottom, especially the chia seeds. Be sure to give it a really good stir. Stir again about 30 minutes after they've been soaking.
Dietitian Tip
These strawberry overnight oats hit several nutritional high points. Oats provide some plant-protein and Greek yogurt + chia seeds add more protein. Oats are also rich in fiber and help support gut health and hormone health. Strawberries provide vitamin C, magnesium, and folate!
Video of How to Make Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats
Here is a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
The beauty of overnight oats is the freedom to adjust to your taste. There are so many ways to customize these Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats so get creative with your toppings and add-ins.
- Sweeter - if you like things on the sweeter side use vanilla milk instead of plain or a fruit flavored yogurt instead of vanilla.
- Vegan - use vegan yogurt and plant-based milk to make this recipe vegan-friendly. Some yogurt options are coconut yogurt, cashew yogurt, or almond milk yogurt.
- High Protein - add more protein with a scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder. You will need to adjust the consistency by adding more milk.
- Heartier - in addition to chia seeds, add flax seeds or hemp hearts (hemp seeds) for even more thickness and hearty texture, healthy fats, and protein.
Ideas for Toppings for Overnight Oats
- Fruit - extra fruit makes a great topping. Blueberries, bananas, peaches, or mangos pair nicely with delicious strawberries!
- Dark Chocolate Chips - top with dark chocolate chips or chunks of your favorite dark chocolate bar.
- Nuts - sliced almonds, toasted walnuts, or chopped cashews on top add crunch and even more nutrition.
- Nut butter - add a drizzle of your favorite nut or seed butter to the top! Peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter work great. For an allergy-friendly nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter.
- Strawberry Shortcake - turn it into a strawberry shortcake version of overnight oats by adding crumbled graham cracker or shortbread cookies and whipped cream or extra dollop of yogurt on top.
Equipment
You'll need a blender to make this recipe. I use a Beast Blender or my Ninja Blender.
Storage
- Refrigerator - store overnight oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Here are some options for containers to use for overnight oats: Wide Mouth Mason Jars, 16 oz works perfect, Overnight Oats Containers with Lids and Spoon
Expert Tips
- Use Rolled Oats (also called Old-Fashioned Oats) for best texture when soaked.
- For thicker oatmeal, add a bit less milk to the oat mixture.
- I like to use a wide-mouth mason jar or even an empty peanut butter or almond butter jar for overnight oats.
- If you like your overnight oats a bit thinner, add an extra splash of milk.
FAQ
While healthy eating means something different to everyone, overnight oats are a nutrient-rich option that can help you meet your daily dietary needs! Oatmeal contains soluble fiber that helps support gut health and keeps you full longer. Greek yogurt provides some protein. Chia seeds add heart-healthy fatty acids, protein, and more fiber. And strawberries add antioxidants and vitamin C.
The best oats for overnight oats are rolled oats, also called old-fashioned oats. Quick oats are smaller pieces and they tend to get too mushy for overnight oats. Steel-cut oats are will not soften and don't work so great for overnight oats. I am a big fan of Bob's Red Mill brand.
As it is with all things that have to do with nutrition, the answer is not so simple. But I would say that oatmeal can certainly help with weight loss. The soluble fiber found in oats can help you stay full for longer making it less likely that you will overeat at your next meal or snack. A recent study in the Physiological Research Journal showed that fiber, starch, and other phytochemicals in oatmeal can have an anti-obesity effect and can also help to promote healthy gut bacteria.
Absolutely! I love getting strawberries from the grocery store or farmer's market when they are in season and freezing them so I always have strawberries on hand. Or you can use a bag of frozen strawberries from the freezer section of the grocery store.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats:
Looking for Nutrition Education?
Here are some of my educational posts you may enjoy:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats with Yogurt
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced strawberries, divided (about 6-8 large strawberries)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk)
- ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mason jar, small bowl, or other container with a lid, mix together the rolled oatmeal and chia seeds.
- Dice your strawberries. Combine half the strawberries and the wet ingredients including milk, yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth. This is your strawberry "milk".
- Pour the strawberry milk over the oats and give it a good stir. Add the remaining strawberries. Cover and store in the fridge overnight or at least for 4 hours for best results. When ready to serve, add your favorite toppings.
- Hint: It's common for some ingredients to settle at the bottom, especially the chia seeds. Be sure to give it a really good stir. Stir again about 30 minutes after they've been soaking.
Video
Notes
- Use Rolled Oats (also called Old-Fashioned Oats) for best texture when soaked.For thicker oatmeal, add a bit less milk to the oat mixture.
- I like to use a wide-mouth mason jar or even an empty peanut butter or almond butter jar for overnight oats.
- If you like your overnight oats a bit thinner, add an extra splash of milk.
- Refrigerator - store overnight oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Here are some options for containers to use for overnight oats: Wide Mouth Mason Jars, 16 oz works perfect, Overnight Oats Containers with Lids and Spoon
Sarah
These are the best overnight oats I've ever had!!! I love the idea of blending together some of the ingredients to make a strawberry milk and my daughter loved the pink color!
Mallory
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! It makes me so happy that you love this recipe and that your daughter loved it too! 🙂 Please let me know if there are any recipes/recipe ideas you want me to share, I love getting ideas from my readers! <3