With around 35 grams of protein, these creamy overnight oats are perfect for meal prepping and are an easy way to start your day. Made with oats, protein powder, chia seeds, milk, and greek yogurt, these are packed with delicious ingredients. Overnight oats need to chilled for 4-5 hours in the fridge before eating, making it the perfect make-ahead breakfast. You can make a single batch of these oats, or make a larger one to scoop and serve throughout the week.

3 clear glass jars of overnight oats filled with different fruits and flavor mix-ins, all sitting on a wooden board.

Protein overnight oats are one the easiest ways to start your day, especially if you don’t have time to cook up a big breakfast before heading out the door. There is a whopping 35 grams of protein packed into these oats! They are perfect for meal-prepping- and as a breakfast recipe developer, I am always looking for delicious and easy breakfast recipes to make throughout the week!

These overnight oats use both protein powder and greek yogurt to give you a boost. When testing this recipe, I wanted to make sure you got a filling meal but also great flavor. I tried a few different variations and this turned out to be my favorite! Adding in different flavors and add-ins is my favorite part, this recipe is so easy to change up.

If you love overnight oats, be sure to try out my Raspberry Overnight Oats, Biscoff Overnight Oats, Tiramisu Overnight Oats, or my Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit recipes! All are amazing variations of this recipe!

Why You’ll Love Overnight Oats

  • They are a filling way to start your day- they keep you full all morning long which I love on busy weekdays at work.
  • They are easy to make, prep takes about 5 minutes and then they sit in the fridge for a bit, so really no work time at all.
  • They make good meal prep- my husband makes a batch of these every week for himself and grabs one on the go for breakfast every morning!
  • There are endless flavor and topping combos. See my full list below, but really you can add anything you like to these to make them that much more delicious!

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed to make high protein overnight oats laid out on a tan backdrop
  • old-fashioned oats- Old-fashioned oats (rolled oats) are the star of the show here. By mixing them with milk and yogurt, they soak up all the liquid overnight but still keep their oat form so that they don’t turn into mush like you sometimes get when cooking oatmeal. Use gluten-free rolled oats to make this recipe gluten-free.
  • greek yogurt- I used non-fat greek yogurt and typically go for plain or vanilla flavored. You could swap this for cottage cheese for extra protein as well!
  • protein powder- Make sure you use a protein powder that you love & enjoy, there are some protein powders out there that straight up do not taste good, and won’t taste good in the oats! If protein powder isn’t your thing, you can omit it from the recipe.
  • chia seeds- These make the oats extra creamy after soaking up the liquid overnight!

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

What Makes This Recipe High Protein?

  • To start, a half cup of old-fashioned oats is about 5 grams of protein on its own. I love Bob’s Red Mill protein oats.
  • Protein powders will give you anywhere between 20-40 grams of protein per scoop. The one I love and use is about 30 grams of protein per scoop! I use protein powder all the time for both oats and smoothies so it never goes to waste in my house.
  • Greek yogurt is great- I usually find a low-fat option, we really like Two Good greek yogurt!
  • Chia seeds are another great source of protein – there is about 5 grams of protein per 2 tbsp of chia seeds.
  • Nut butters like peanut or almond butter are a fantastic source of protein. 2 tbsps of peanut butter is about 7 grams of protein!

I haven’t been able to find a great plant protein that I love and would recommend, but I really love Driven Nutrition’s protein powder! Another great option is this brand of whey protein powder that you can typically find pretty easily.

Protein powder varies so depending on how big the scoop is, it will change the amount of protein powder in your oats. The protein I love has a scoop size of about 30 grams. I like to weigh my protein powder with a kitchen scale if possible for accuracy.

How to Make

oats mixed with chia seeds and protein powder, before adding the liquid.

Combine the oats, protein powder, and chia seeds in a container such as a mason jar or Tupperware container.

protein overnight oats in a jar with the liquid mixed in, before it is absorbed.

Pour in the milk, yogurt, and honey. Mix until well combined, making sure to stir up any chunks of protein powder that may be stuck on the bottom. Cover with a lid and place into the fridge overnight or for at least 5 hours.

Kelly’s Top Tip

Make sure to mix your oats really well to avoid clumping! When I make these, I pop a lid on it and give it a good shake. I put it in the fridge for 10 minutes and then shake again to make sure everything is well mixed.

Flavor Ideas

  • Strawberries & Cream– use vanilla protein powder when making the overnight oats. Add in 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Dice up a few fresh strawberries and top with whipped cream or cool whip!
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana– use chocolate protein powder, add 1/2-1 tbsp of peanut butter and some banana slices to your overnight oats. I like to sprinkle this kind with mini chocolate chips!
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly– use vanilla protein powder, add in 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp jam (I like raspberry), and sprinkle the top with roasted peanuts for extra crunch! You can use fresh berries if you prefer them over jam as well.
  • Tropical- Use vanilla protein powder & add mango, pineapple, kiwi, and shredded coconut on top.
  • Chocolate Hazelnut- use chocolate protein powder and add in 1/2-1 tbsp of nutella spread. Top with chopped hazelnuts.
  • Cinnamon Apple- use vanilla protein powder, add in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the oats and top with chopped apples- I like honeycrisp or fuji apples.
  • Almond Joy- use chocolate protein powder + add shredded coconut and sliced almonds on top.

Substitutions & Additions

  • Nut butters- peanut, almond, cashew butter all make great additions to overnight oats. You could also add biscoff or nutella spread! My Nutella Overnight Oats are great to try too!
  • Fruit- I love adding fresh and frozen fruit like banana slices, berries, apples, peaches, pineapple, mango, kiwi, or pomegranate seeds. You could also add dried fruits/berries.
  • Sweeteners- I use honey in this recipe, but you can swap for maple syrup, agave, or coconut sugar. Adding mashed banana is a great sweetener option as well.
  • Seeds- chia seeds are in this original recipe, but you can add hemp or flaxseed as well. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also great additions.
  • Nuts- almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts make great crunchy toppings.
  • Spices/extracts: I love adding cinnamon to my overnight oats, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice all add perfect flavor. Vanilla or almond extract as well!
  • Granola, chocolate chips/cocoa nibs, dried coconut flakes, and bee pollen are some extra ideas!
overnight oats with jelly and peanuts in a clear glass jar on a wooden board

Jars I Used

I like making these in mason jars or glass jar containers for individual portions. You could also make one big batch in a tupperware container and leave it in your fridge to scoop out individual portions daily.

How To Store Overnight Oats

Overnight oats will stay good in your fridge for up to 5 days. They only get creamier over time. If your oats seem to be dry (from sitting and soaking up all the liquid) just add a splash of milk before eating. I would suggest refraining from putting any fresh fruit into them until they are ready to be eaten.

You can also freeze overnight oats in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, just place them in the fridge the night before you want to eat them.

chocolate peanut butter overnight oats in a clear glass jar with bananas on top.
3 jars of different flavored overnight oats on a wooden board with toppings on each.
4.98 from 78 reviews

Quick & Creamy High Protein Overnight Oats

Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Resting time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
Author: Kelly Nash
With 35+ grams of protein, these high-protein overnight oats are perfect for meal prepping & are a great way to start your morning. Made with oats, protein powder, chia seeds, milk, and greek yogurt, these are packed with delicious ingredients.
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Ingredients
 

Plain Overnight Oats

  • ½ cup (40.5 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 scoop (1 scoop) protein powder, mine is a 30g scoop
  • ½ tbsp (0.5 tbsp) chia seeds
  • ½ cup (122 g) milk
  • ¼ cup (50 g) non-fat greek yogurt
  • 1-2 tsp (1 tsp) maple syrup or honey, optional for more sweetener

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Combine the oats, protein powder, and chia seeds in a container like a mason jar or Tupperware.
    ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 scoop protein powder, ½ tbsp chia seeds
  • Pour in the milk, yogurt, and maple syrup. Mix until well combined, making sure to stir up any chunks of protein powder that may be stuck on the bottom.
    ½ cup milk, ¼ cup non-fat greek yogurt, 1-2 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • Cover with a lid and place into the fridge overnight or for at least 5 hours.
  • Before eating, add extra add-ins for more flavor!

Notes

*Nutritional information is for base recipe without add ins
 
Flavors to try:
  • Strawberries & Cream– use vanilla protein powder when making the overnight oats. Also, swap out the honey in the recipe for 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Dice up a few strawberries and top with whipped cream or cool whip!
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana– use chocolate protein powder when making the overnight oats. Add 1/2-1 tbsp of peanut butter and some banana slices to your overnight oats. I like to sprinkle this kind with mini chocolate chips!
  • Peanut Butter & Jelly– use vanilla protein powder when making the overnight oats. Add in 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp jam (I like raspberry), and sprinkle the top with roasted peanuts for extra crunch! You can use fresh berries if you prefer them over jam as well.
***SEE MORE FLAVORS IN POST ABOVE!
Other tips & tricks:
  • Use mason jars or other glass jars for easy storage.
  • Make a large batch of these, store in a large Tupperware container and then serve yourself some in the mornings if you don’t want individual jars.
  • Use a protein powder you love. There are a lot of gross-tasting protein powders out there, which won’t make your oats taste good. I find that whey proteins typically taste better than plant protein. You can also omit the protein powder.
  • Use any toppings you enjoy- nut butter, dried fruit, seeds, granola, fresh fruits, and spices (like cinnamon). These are super customizable which is why I love them so much!
Calories: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 229mg, Potassium: 335mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 85IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 362mg, Iron: 4mg
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