A jar of overnight oats is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts for busy mornings. This easy overnight oats recipe, made with simple ingredients, is my go-to for using any frozen fruit, from mangoes and pineapple to berries.
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If you love this recipe, you’ll also love high-protein overnight oats, tropical overnight oats with coconut milk, chocolate peanut butter overnight oats, overnight oats with yogurt, baked oatmeal cups, and baked oatmeal with blueberries.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
The Secret to Making Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
The secret is to reduce the liquid (water or milk).
As frozen fruits defrost, they naturally add more water to the oat mixture. To adjust for this extra water content, I reduce the amount of water/milk in my recipe.
In my basic overnight oats recipe, I use 1 cup liquid, but in this recipe I’ve reduced that amount to 2/3 cup. This keeps the oats from being too watery. Instead, you end up with creamy and thick oats-just how they should be.
Ingredients Needed
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned oats or quick oats (for best results do not use steel cut oats)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2-1 serving of your favorite protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk of choice + 1/3 cup water (or use 2/3 cup water or milk)
- 1/2 cup favorite fruit (frozen): strawberries, blueberries, peaches, mango, pineapple, tropical fruits mix, mixed berries, etc.
Optional Extras for Flavor (Choose one or multiple options):
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cardamom
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest (rind of a lemon or orange finely grated)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten Free: Oats are naturally gluten free. Use certified gluten-free oats, like Bob’s Red Mill brand or One Degree brand.
- Plant-Based Milk or Dairy Milk: Use your favorite milk: coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, whole milk, skim milk-whatever you love. I use 1/2 milk and 1/3 water, but you’re welcome to use all milk or all water instead.
- No Milk? Use Water Instead: If you don’t want to use milk, use 2/3 cup of water instead. If you don’t use any milk, I recommend adding a full serving of protein powder to make creamy oatmeal.
- Sweetener: Most protein powders contain some sweetener. If you want more sweetness, add maple syrup, honey, or stevia.
- Add Banana: Add 1/4-1/2 of a banana (mashed) with the liquid ingredients. This will increase the creaminess and natural sweetness.
- Add Nut Butter: Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite nut or seed butter: almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter. Or, if you can’t tolerate nuts, sunflower butter or tahini (like you use to make salad dressing and hummus) are a delicious nut-free option.
- Chocolate Oats: I make chocolate overnight oats with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (or cacao powder) and 1-2 servings chocolate protein powder. Mix in 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter–so good!!
- Add Ground Flax Seeds or Hemp Seeds: Mix in 1 tablespoon for extra fiber and healthy fats.
How to Make Overnight Oats With Frozen Fruit
Step 1: Combine Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to a meal-prep jar or small bowl: oats, chia seeds, protein powder, salt.
If you’re adding any extra dry ingredients (cinnamon, nutmeg, hemp seeds, flax seeds, cocoa powder, etc.), now is the time to add one or a few of these ingredients.
Step 2: Add Liquid Ingredients
Add the milk and water to the oat mixture.
If you’re adding any extra liquid ingredients (like maple syrup, mashed banana, or vanilla extract) now is the time to add one or a few of these ingredients.
Stir all the ingredients together with a fork until well combined.
Step 3: Add Frozen Fruit
Top the oatmeal with your frozen fruit of choice. Do not stir the frozen fruit into the oatmeal. Let the frozen fruit rest on top of the oatmeal.
Step 4: Refrigerate Overnight
Secure a lid on the jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight (8 hours), before consuming. As the oats rest in the fridge, the mixture will thicken.
Before eating, stir the fruit into the oatmeal. Top with your favorite toppings, or enjoy as-is.
Topping Ideas
If you want to add anything extra, before enjoying, here are a few ideas for what to add to the top of the oats.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: Add a scoop of your favorite yogurt for extra protein, creaminess, and probiotics. Stir in the yogurt as you enjoy the oats.
- Nut or Seed Butter: Add a scoop of peanut butter, sunflower butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Or tahini.
- Nuts and Seeds: Sprinkle with your favorite nuts or seeds, like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.
- Granola: Top with homemade granola, homemade grain-free granola, or a store-bought granola (like Purely Elizabeth brand).
Do you eat overnight oats cold or warm?
- Overnight oatmeal is best enjoyed cold, straight from the fridge. There’s no need to cook the oats before enjoying. Before eating, stir the frozen fruit into the oatmeal and add toppings, if desired, or enjoy as is.
- If you prefer warm oatmeal, remove the jar from the fridge and heat the oatmeal with the frozen fruit in the morning, on the stove-top for 2-5 minutes, until warm. If the oats become too thick, add more water/milk to the saucepan. Then add toppings, if desired.
How to Store
The oats may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
My Favorite Jars for Overnight Oats
- My favorite jars are Weck Jars: beautiful and functional.
- Mason jars are also fantastic. The wide-mouth 8 or 16 ounce mason jar is the best option for overnight oats.
How to Freeze Seasonal Fruit
Use store-bought frozen fruit in this recipe, or freeze fresh seasonal fruits. This is a great way to save money on fruit when it’s in-season and on sale. I regularly freeze fresh strawberries, blueberries, and peaches in peak season.
More Favorite Oat Recipes
If you love easy breakfasts made with oats, you’ll also want to make…
Find easy and healthy breakfast ideas, from the fluffy scrambled eggs to einkorn muffins and overnight oats, in my breakfast section of the blog.
Meal Prep Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2-1 serving protein powder chocolate or vanilla
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup milk of choice almond, oat, coconut, cashew, or dairy milk
- 1/3 cup water
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup frozen fruit such as: berries, peaches, mango, pineapple, tropical fruits mix, mixed berries, etc.
Optional Extras for Flavor
- 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or cardamom
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest (grate the rind of a lemon or orange)
Instructions
- Add all the dry ingredients to a meal-prep jar or small bowl: oats, chia seeds, protein powder, salt. If you're adding cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg, now is the time.
- Add the milk and water to the oat mixture. If you're adding any extra liquid ingredients (maple syrup, honey, lemon or orange zest, vanilla extract, etc.), now is the time to add one or a few of these ingredients.
- Stir all the ingredients together with a fork until well combined.
- Spoon your favorite frozen fruit on top (one fruit or a mix totaling 1/2 cup). Do not stir the fruit into the oats, just let the fruit rest on top.
- Secure a lid on the jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. As the oats rest in the fridge, the mixture will thicken and the fruits will defrost.
- The oats may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Before eating the oatmeal, stir in the frozen fruits and add any toppings (if desired). Enjoy!
- Eat the oats cold, straight from the fridge, or warm in the microwave or stove-top for warm oatmeal.
Video
Notes
- Water and Milk: You can use 100% water or 100% milk if desired (2/3 cup total).
- Meal Prep: Make this recipe up for 4 days in advance. Store in the fridge. Before serving, add your favorite toppings.
- Topping Ideas: Top the overnight oats with almond or peanut butter, tahini, honey or maple syrup, nuts, yogurt, granola, or coconut flakes.
- Warm Oats: The oats are meant to be enjoyed cold. You do not need to cook overnight oats. If you’d like hot oatmeal, warm the oatmeal mixture in the microwave or on the stove-top before enjoying. Add 1-2 tablespoons of extra water or milk for the stove-top.
- The nutritional value doesn’t include optional ingredients, like maple syrup or toppings. Whole milk is calculated as the milk of choice.
Nutrition
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I love using fresh berries to make my overnight oats each week, but when I don’t have fresh berries, frozen fruits are my go-to choice. I love frozen mango and pineapples and raspberries!