Overnight Chia Oats (Gluten-free, Dairy Free)
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These overnight oats are loaded with fiber and protein, and I find them irresistible. They take no time to assemble and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for make-ahead breakfasts for the week.
In May, en route home from the Pizza Night photoshoot in Northern California, I grabbed a cup of the overnight oats from the Dolores Park Cafe stand at SFO. I typically don’t love overnight oats from these places for a few reasons — they tend to be too sweet and the fruit included often is on its last legs — but I was short on time and craving something healthy-ish.
Once settled in my seat on the plane, I tucked in, and immediately wished I had bought two, because they were so tasty: not too sweet, loaded with fresh berries, and garnished with toasted coconut. These oats had a higher ratio of chia seeds than others I had tried, and I loved the creaminess they provided.
I vowed to re-create the recipe upon returning home, thinking it would be so nice to have a stash of overnight oats in the fridge to wake up to each morning. I saved the lid, which listed the ingredients on a sticker, for weeks — months — but finally tossed it when I never got around to making them.
I mostly forgot about the oats until a few weeks ago, when my friend Serena Wolf posted a reel of her favorite breakfast of late — overnight coconut chia oats! — noting her creation was “heavier on the chia seeds than normal overnight oats, but too oat-y to be a true chia pudding.”
Serena’s oats looked exactly like those DPC oats I so loved, and I made her recipe immediately, subbing in oat milk for the coconut milk. Friends! These oats are irresistible, perfectly sweet, vanilla- and cinnamon-spiced, and oh so satisfying.
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be tailored to your liking by using the milk, sweetener, and flavorings of your choice. It takes no time to stir together and yields enough for two servings, but can be doubled or tripled for make-ahead breakfasts for the week. And while I loved the toasted coconut garnish at DPC, I skip it at home, opting for fresh fruit instead.
How to Make Overnight Chia Oats, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: chia seeds, oatmeal, oat milk or milk of choice, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, flaky sea salt.
Measure your ingredients…
… then combine them all in a large bowl.
Stir to combine…
… then transfer them to a storage vessel. I love these Weck Jars.
Transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours but preferably for at least 8 to 12 hours. During their time in the fridge, the chia seeds swell and the oats hydrate and soften.
I find them irresistible.
Top with fruit of choice (if desired)…
… and store until you are ready…
… to enjoy. Such a treat.
PrintOvernight Chia Oats (Gluten-free, Dairy Free)
- Total Time: 4 to 12 hours
- Yield: 2 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Adapted from my friend Serena Wolf’s recipe, which can be found here. Her apple pie overnight oats are also a favorite but entail a teensy bit more work.
Notes
Oat Milk: I love the Minor Figures oat milk for my morning muesli, for my sleeping chocolate (Beam), and, now, for these oats. I do not like it in my coffee. As noted below, use whatever milk your heart desires.
Weck jars: I love these Weck jars for storing the muesli because one is large enough for the entire batch with room for fruit.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups oat milk or milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- a big pinch of flaky sea salt
- cinnamon, to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, using 1.25 cups milk if you like a thicker “oatmeal” consistency and 1.5 cups milk if you like a milkier mixture. Transfer the mixture to a storage jar and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours but ideally 12 or more. The oats can stay in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- Remove the jar from the fridge and transfer the contents to two bowls. Top with fruit if desired, then serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: Amerian
Keywords: chia seeds, oatmeal, oat milk, vanilla, maple syrup, sea salt, cinnamon
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
34 Comments on “Overnight Chia Oats (Gluten-free, Dairy Free)”
Can you heat this up to eat warm in the morning?
Hi! And I feel stupid saying this, but I’ve never thought to heat overnight oats… they’re typically served cold. Worth a shot, but I don’t want to lead you astray.
The overnight oats look great! I am writing with a different question based on a comment you made. If you don’t like oat milk in coffee, what kind of milk do you add to coffee? I am trying to find a tasty dairy substitute to add to coffee. Thanks!
Hi and thanks 🙂 I love this Elmhurst cashew milk. I get it delivered in fact. I heat it/froth it in my aeroccino and pour it over espresso (I have a Nespresso pixie, which I love. I make two of these cashew lattes a day… such a treat.)
My husband does not love the cashew milk for his lattes. He prefers the oat milk from Planet Oat or Oatly.
Hope that helps 🙂
Have you tried NutPods? It is a mixture of almond and coconut milk and is unsweetened but the flavors are French Vanilla, Coffee cake, Hazelnut, Caramel and Original. My favs are the vanilla and coffee cake. You can order them on amazon if you can’t find them in your local grocery store.
I have been meaning to! I have a friend who LOVES them. I will try soon 🙂
I use Nutpod too and it’s SO good and creamy. We also have a Nespresso machine, so coffee drinks are really yummy.
Ooohhh I can’t wait to try.
Excellent, just made this today for Sunday breakfast! I did use half kefir/half milk, since I’m trying to mind my gut bugs! It’s quite similar to Bircher Muesli that way, but with the pleasant texture of chia. As a chocolate fanatic, I can’t help but inquiring about «sleeping cocoa »!!!!
So nice to hear this, Marilou! Kefir sounds delicious 🙂
Regarding my “sleeping chocolate”: a few years ago I discovered Beam, and I have been hooked ever since. I heat up milk in my aeroccino milk frother, and as it whirls, I drop in a spoonful of the Beam Dream powder — I love the peppermint white chocolate flavor, which is seasonal, so not always available, but so so tasty. It really helps me fall asleep — it has CBD in it. Can’t recommend it enough!
Ali, Your recipes are always wonderful, so I had no trouble with the “stars.” If you did want dairy in your oats, could you use a mix of milk and yoghurt?
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Yes, absolutely! Use any milk you like, and a mix of milk and yogurt would be delicious: 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup yogurt … something like that would be great.
Sounds delicious… but oats are not technically gluten free and not suitable for coeliacs
Thank you so much for posting this! I love your apple pie overnight oats but like that this recipe allows you to add chopped fruit later! This has the perfect amounts of chia seeds and oats and sweetness. Made a double batch that we really enjoyed. I could eat this every week!
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So nice to read this, Hina 🙂 🙂 🙂
It’s in the fridge. Can’t wait to try it in the morning!!
Though mine isn’t dairy free as my milk of choice is Cow
Hope you love them, Jaime 🙂 🙂 🙂
Just made this – well – exactly 4 hours ago.. couldn’t wait to try and not disappointed!! Thank you – And thank you for your posts/blog. So well done and very good no fail recipes. Been a fan for years. BTW that Balzano cake is in an old italian cookbook I have and I have been making it for EVAH – its super easy and sooo good. Again – many thanks – Happy Fall!!
So nice to read all of this, Anne! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this. So fun to hear about the Bolzano Apple Cake recipe being in an old cookbook, too. Love it!
Hi, love this recipe! Can you post the macros for this please?
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Loved this – the extra chia seeds improve the texture so much.
I brought the dry mix on a work trip in a mason jar, using 1/2 Tbsp maple sugar instead of the syrup and skipping the vanilla extract. Grabbed some milk and a banana from the hotel breakfast, and had a delicious breakfast sorted for the rest of the week.
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This is brilliant Tiffany!! Love this so much. I really need to get myself some maple sugar — did you whisk this right into the dry ingredients?
Sure did! (and by “whisk”, I mean “shook it up in the jar” =P)
Awesome! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Used almond milk and it is delizioso! Grazie mille, Alexandra.
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Great to hear, Olga! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Ali, this is off topic, but I wanted to comment your weekly farmshare newsletter regarding popcorn! My teenage son loooooves my version of Ellie Krieger’s « caramel » popcorn. I’ve never succeeded in shaping nice popcorn balls like she does, but it’s still delicious (albeit messy): mix about the same quantity (1/4 cup) of honey and natural peanut butter in a big bowl, add popped corn (about 3 cups?), 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, a bit of salt. Put in the fridge about 5 minutes, then shape with oiled hands into balls (good luck!) or into clusters, it doesn’t really matter! It’s a great snack, but it does have to be eaten at home, close to a sink and hot water because hands get messy! 🙂 All the best, Marilou
Oh I love this! Sounds amazing. I wish I could pack it for my kids’ lunches but alas, no peanut butter. We will make and enjoy at home! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m in awe of your writing style. It’s so eloquent and engaging.
Super easy and sooo good! My husband loved it, that means I’m keeping it.
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Yay! Great to hear, April 🙂
I cannot believe how fantastic this was. I knew it would be good coming from Ali, but did not anticipate this. It’s the perfect balance of flavors. This is definitely going to become a ‘go-to’ breakfast item.
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Great to hear, Anne! Thanks so much for writing 🙂