10 High-Protein Overnight Oats Recipes
These easy high-protein overnight oats are packed with at least 40 grams of protein per serving. It makes a high-protein breakfast for work – the perfect easy breakfast for busy mornings. Meal prep in just 5 minutes the night before or make up a batch for the week. This protein overnight oats recipe is creamy and full of healthy goodness, and you’ll love the 10 delicious flavors.
High-protein overnight oats combine oatmeal with protein powder to make proats (protein + oats). With the right toppings, it’s a low-calorie, high-protein breakfast or protein snack you can eat at any time of the day.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe:
- High Protein: At least 40g of protein per serving.
- Heart Healthy: Oats help lower cholesterol and manage blood sugar levels. They’re high in anti-oxidants which reduce inflammation and improve blood flow.
- They Keep You Full: High in fiber and protein, proats keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer. That’s helpful for weight management.
- Good for Your Muscles: Eat after a workout, and the high protein levels will help build and tone your muscles. Maintains your muscle mass and prevents muscle wasting.
- Adaptable: You can adjust the recipe to suit available ingredients.
- Single Serve: Make up just one serving or meal prep a batch for the week.
- Flavors: 10 exciting flavors to choose from and endless ideas for fun and tasty toppings.
- Quick & Easy: Takes just 5 minutes to prep.
What Do You Need For High-Protein Overnight Oats?
The basic protein overnight oats recipe contains just 4 ingredients: oats, milk, protein powder, and yogurt. You could make your protein overnight oats without yogurt, but it does make the oats oh-so-creamy and delicious.
The full base recipe includes some optional extra ingredients that help to thicken the mixture and add flavor.
- rolled oats – you can use any type of oatmeal but old-fashioned rolled oats work best.
- Milk – this can be dairy or plant-based, such as soy, oat, or almond milk. Soy is good for protein. Be wary of using coconut milk – it’s very high in calories.
- Protein powder – again, this can be dairy or plant-based. I use unflavored or vanilla whey. It’s important to taste test your protein powder.
- Yogurt – for an extra creamy breakfast dish, add yogurt to your overnight oats. Greek yogurt is wonderfully indulgent and high in protein. Soy, coconut, or almond yogurt are good vegan options.
- Chia seeds or flax seeds – these superfoods are packed with healthy fats, omega-3, antioxidants, protein, and fiber. They’re a great way to thicken your oats. Just half a tablespoon does the trick.
- Sweetener – This is down to personal preference. If you want to sweeten your oats, try a little maple syrup or a natural, sugar-free sweetener like stevia. You could also add some mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce.
- Vanilla extract – adds a lovely flavor to your oats without adding any calories!
- Toppings – the fun part! Be creative and add whatever toppings you like. Fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds all work well.
Protein Powder: This will make or break the taste of your protein overnight oats. There are so many to choose from. Some are delicious, and some are quite frankly horrible. Plant-based ones can have very earthy flavors that not everyone will appreciate, and the flavoring of whey-based ones can be overly sweet if you normally avoid added sugar.
Best Overnight Oats Recipe With Protein Powder
I like my protein overnight oats to be rich and indulgent. For each spoonful to be satisfying – not too runny and not so thick that it’s difficult to digest. This is the best recipe to get your proats just right:
1/2 CUP OF OATS + 1/2 CUP OF MILK + 1 SCOOP PROTEIN POWDER + 2 TBSP YOGURT
Oats too thick or too thin?
- Too thick: add more milk and mix through.
- Too thin: add more oats and leave to soak for an extra 30 minutes to 1 hour.
How To Make High-Protein Overnight Oats (2 Simple Steps)
I love that this healthy recipe is so easy to make:
- Add your oats, protein powder, and yogurt to a mason jar or bowl, mix in your optional ingredients (flax or chia seeds, vanilla extract, sweetener), and pour on your milk. Stir well and add an extra splash of milk if you’re struggling to cover your oats.
- Cover your overnight oatmeal mixture and leave it in the fridge to soak overnight (or for at least 2 hours). It will be ready the next morning.
That’s all you need to do! It takes me less than 5 minutes. It really is the easiest make-ahead breakfast and perfect for meal prep!
Do I need to leave the oats soaking overnight? For the best results, yes – the longer you leave your overnight oatmeal mixture, the thicker it will be. 2 hours is the absolute minimum – it’s best to refrigerate overnight.
10 Flavors For Protein Overnight Oats
To make these 10 different overnight oats flavor variations, simply add these extra ingredients to the base recipe.
1. Banana & Peanut Butter
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- a small handful of cacao nibs, optional
2. Mango Tropics
- 1 cup freshly sliced mango
- 1/2 sliced banana, optional
- 2 tablespoons coconut yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- optional sprinkles, extra chia seeds
3. Chocolate Indulgence
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- a few drops of vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1/2 cup berries, optional for topping
- optional sprinkles, dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts
4. Strawberries & Cream
- 1 cup strawberries
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- a few drops of vanilla extract optional
5. Raspberry Coconut
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/2 sliced banana
- a few drops of vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
6. Peanut Butter & Jelly (PB&J)
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 1 cup of berries
7. Matcha Protein
- 2 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
- Handful of blueberries
- A small handful of granola
8. Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (extra or instead of yogurt in base recipe)
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
9. Acai Superpower
- 1 small packet of Acai frozen puree
- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (instead of using yogurt in base recipe)
- 1 small handful of blueberries (optional)
10. Chocolate Cherry
- 1/2 cup of cherries (fresh or frozen)
- sprinkles of dark chocolate chips
- sprinkles of chopped nuts (optional)
Can you heat up protein overnight oats?
Protein overnight oats are traditionally eaten cold, but if you want to eat them hot, just microwave for 30-60 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl.
Storage
It’s best to store overnight oats in glass containers in the refrigerator. You can store them in one large meal prep container or in individual portions for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.
How long do overnight oats last? If you’re using fresh fruit, store overnight oats in the fridge for 2 to 3 days at most. Mixtures without fresh fruit should last up to 5 days when chilled.
Can you freeze overnight oats? Yes, fresh individual portions of the base recipe and defrost overnight in the fridge before adding your toppings.
Protein Overnight Oats In A Jar
It’s best to use slightly larger jars for protein overnight oats. These are the jars I use:
16 oz Wide Mouth Ball Mason Jars. Ideal for hungry mornings or recipes with extra toppings! You can even buy jars with lids and spoons. Just right to grab and go!
More Overnight Oats Recipes To Love
- Raspberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Healthy Overnight Oats (1 Base Recipe – 10 Flavors!)
Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
BASIC RECIPE
- 1/2 cup 40 grams rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk of your choice, soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, skimmed milk, semi-skinned milk
- 1 scoop protein powder, whey or plant-based, plain or flavored, my choice is vanilla whey
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- 1/2 tablespoon flax or chia seeds
- maple syrup, or sweetener of your choice – to taste
- a few drops of vanilla extract – to taste
BANANA & PEANUT BUTTER
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- a small handful of cacao nibs, optional
MANGO TROPICS
- 1 cup freshly sliced mango
- 1/2 sliced banana, optional
- 2 tablespoons coconut yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- optional sprinkles, extra chia seeds
CHOCOLATE INDULGENCE
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- a few drops of vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1/2 cup berries, optional for topping
- optional sprinkles, dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts
STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
- 1 cup strawberries
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- a few drops of vanilla extract optional
RASPBERRY COCONUT
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/2 sliced banana
- a few drops of vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY
- 1/2 sliced banana
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 1 cup berries
MATCHA PROTEIN
- 1 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
- 1 handful blueberries
- 1 small handful granola optional
CINNAMON ROLL
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
ACAI SUPERPOWER
- 1 small packet acai frozen puree
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, replaces yogurt in base recipe
- 1 small handful blueberries, optional
CHOCOLATE CHERRY
- 1/2 cup cherries, fresh or frozen
- sprinkles of dark chocolate chips
- sprinkles of chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
BASIC RECIPE
- Add your rolled oats to a large 8oz glass jar or container. If you're using flax or chia seeds stir them into the oats.
- Add your choice of protein powder.
- Add the optional maple syrup (or your sweetener of choice), pour in the milk, and mix well. Stir in the yogurt, and add an extra splash of milk if you're struggling to cover all the oats.
- Cover with a lid or wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
- When ready, eat with your favorite toppings (see recipes and suggestions below).
BANANA & PEANUT BUTTER
- When the oats are ready in the morning, top with the peanut butter.
- Arrange the slices of banana on top.
- Sprinkle with a few cacao nibs.
MANGO TROPICS
- Make the basic recipe with coconut milk and coconut yogurt.
- In the morning, when the oats are ready, stir the banana slices and half the mango into the overnight oats mixture.
- Arrange the remaining mango slices on top of the mixture and sprinkle with optional chia seeds.
CHOCOLATE INDULENCE
- Mix the unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract into the protein oat mixture, then leave it overnight.
- In the morning, stir in the sliced banana and top with optional berries, sprinkles of chopped nuts, and dark chocolate chips.
STRAWBERRIES & CREAM
- Make the base mixture with Greek yogurt and optional vanilla extract.
- In the morning, when the oats are ready, stir 1/2 cup of strawberries into the overnight oat mixture.
- Top with the remaining berries.
RASPBERRY COCONUT
- Add the optional vanilla extract to the oats mixture before leaving overnight.
- In the morning, when the oats are ready, stir in the banana and half of the raspberries.
- Top with the remaining berries and the shredded coconut.
PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY
- When the oats are ready in the morning, mix in the sliced banana and half of the berries.
- Top with the peanut butter and pile on the remaining berries.
MATCHA PROTEIN
- Add the matcha powder to the base ingredients with the protein powder (Stage 2).
- Finish with a handful of berries and a sprinkling of granola (optional).
CINNAMON ROLL
- Leave out the yogurt from the base recipe.
- Add the cinnamon to the base recipe (Stage 1).
- In the morning, mix the Greek yogurt with the brown sugar and use it to top the set overnight oats.
- Dust with cinnamon.
ACAI SUPERPOWER
- Leave out the yogurt from the base recipe.
- In the morning, mix the Greek yogurt with the Acai frozen puree and use it to top the set overnight oats.
- Sprinkle with blueberries (optional)
CHOCOLATE CHERRY
- In the morning, top the set overnight oats mixture with cherries, dark chocolate chips, and chopped nuts (optional).
