Prep these Cranberry Overnight Oats before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning a deliciously satisfying and festive breakfast will be waiting for you!
Cranberry season is rapidly coming to an end and that makes me all kinds of sad. However, I always have at least a few bags in my freezer, so I can indulge all year and I encourage everyone to do the same!
But these cranberry overnight oats are especially delicious during the holiday season and a really good reason to get out of bed in the morning (yes, even when it's cold/there's a blizzard/you still have a million more gifts to buy/you haven't even started planning your holiday dinner menu).
They're especially perfect for when you have leftover cranberry sauce (hello, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner). But I also highly recommend making cranberry sauce JUST to have this delicious breakfast option.
If I'm making cranberry sauce solely to utilize in these overnight oats, I generally try to make a lower-sugar cranberry sauce simply to cut down a bit on the amount of sugar I'm eating first thing in the morning.
But it's the holiday season, so you should do whatever you need to do to get by!
How to Make Lower-Sugar Cranberry Sauce
There are lots of ways you can make a lower-sugar cranberry sauce, but I like to use just a little granulated sugar, some honey, and some orange juice or apple cider.
You can also feel free to use any sugar substitute you like for the granulated sugar.
Don't get me wrong; there's still sugar in this cranberry sauce, but less than in the typical recipe. There are no added sweeteners in the oats, so you'll want a little sweetness in the mix... Especially since cranberries are so tart!
For this cranberry sauce, I combine cranberries, sugar, honey, juice, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high.
And cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and liquid is reducing, about 10 minutes.
Then turn the heat to low and simmer until cranberry sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool completely before using. It will thicken more as it cools.
How to Make Cranberry Overnight Oats
If you've never made them before, you should know that overnight oats are incredibly easy to make!
For these cranberry overnight oats, all you have to do is combine old fashioned oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, milk, and cinnamon in a bowl.
And stir together.
The mixture will be liquidy, but remember, it's going to thicken up quite a bit in the fridge overnight!
Layer the oats in two small mason jars with cranberry sauce. I use the 8 oz. jars.
You can layer the ingredients any way you like, but I like to do 3 Tbsp of oats, followed by 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce, 3 Tbsp oats, and 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce. Then I top each jar with any remaining oat mixture.
Then pop in the fridge and let chill overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
In the morning, I topped my cranberry overnight oats with some extra cinnamon and a few sugared cranberries. The cranberries were really just for looks 🙂
And then I dug into a breakfast that put me right into the holiday spirit.
Who wouldn't want to start their day with homemade cranberry sauce? And a delicious cinnamon oat mixture?
But in all honesty, these cranberry overnight oats have just turned me into a "let's eat cranberries all year round" believer.
More Overnight Oats Recipes
If you could happily eat a different variety of overnight oats every morning (I can relate!), try some of these other recipes:
- Eggnog Overnight Oats
- Mocha Overnight Oats
- Cake Batter Overnight Oats (from Erin Lives Whole)
- Peaches and Cream Overnight Oats (from Whole Plate Mama)
- Earl Grey Overnight Oats (from Morning Delicious)
There are about a trillion different ways you can make overnight oats, which should keep you busy and satisfied for quite a while!
But right now, I'm really stuck on these cranberry overnight oats and will likely be making them quite a few more times before cranberry season is over.
And even then, I'll still have my freezer stash.
What's your favorite variety of overnight oats?
Cranberry Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 ½ tsp chia seeds
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup milk (or dairy/dairy substitute of your choice)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup cranberry sauce (leftover or recipe below)
Cranberry Sauce
- 6 oz. fresh cranberries (½ bag)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp orange juice or apple cider
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Combine old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, milk, and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Layer oat mixture in two 8 oz. mason jars, alternating with cranberry sauce. I recommend 3 Tbsp oats, 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce, 3 Tbsp oats, 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce, and then topping each jar with remaining oats mixture.
- Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Cranberry Sauce
- Combine cranberries, sugar, honey, juice, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst and liquid is reducing, about 10 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and simmer until cranberry sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool completely before using.
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