If you're looking for a breakfast that actually keeps you full, these High-Protein Overnight Oats are it! They're creamy, lightly sweet, made with real ingredients (no protein powder!), and easy to prep ahead for less chaotic mornings.
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I know I'm not alone in trying to eat more protein on a daily basis and especially at breakfast time. And though I don't mind protein powders and protein drinks, I do like to get protein in more natural ways when I can.
Enter protein overnight oats. These oats are the best of every world. You prep them the night before (and prep is SO easy!) and they're ready whenever you want them the next morning.
They're absolutely packed with protein and taste delicious, too. And they're super easy to customize in so many different ways.
The best part? They don't involve any protein powder!
❤️ Why this recipe works
Packed with protein: just one serving of these overnight oats contains roughly 40 grams of protein (amount will depend on what brands of products you use) for just over 400 calories (again, depends on the brands used).
They're genuinely satisfying and filling: Lots of "healthy" breakfasts either leave me craving something more or have me hungry an hour later. Because these taste great and are packed with protein and a decent amount of fiber, they'll keep you happy and full!
No protein powder: a lot of overnight oats recipes involve protein powder being added to them. This is fine if you want it, but I love that my recipe is packed with protein without any powders.
Easy to prep: you just have to mix a few ingredients together, pop them in the fridge, and the oats are ready for you to enjoy.
Fun to customize: I use maple syrup for a sweetener and top my oats with berries, but there are so many additions and changes you can make to this recipe to fit with your own preferences.
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make these high-protein overnight oats (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- 2% Greek yogurt: you can also use full-fat if you prefer. I use plain yogurt, but you can use a flavor if you like.
- Pasteurized liquid egg whites: the kind in a carton. These are safe to eat "raw" as the pasteurization process gently heats them to kill harmful bacteria while remaining liquid.
- Milk/non-dairy alternative of choice: I like to use high-protein milk, like Fairlife.
- Maple syrup, honey, or agave: just to add a little sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: you can skip this if you don't have it.
- Salt
- Old-fashioned oats
- Chia seeds: you can omit these if you want, but be sure to see the notes in the recipe card.
🥣 Recipe tips
- Be sure you're using old-fashioned oats and not quick-cook oats, which will soften too fast and get pasty.
- Use 2% Greek yogurt or full-fat. Non-fat can work, but the oats may be too thick when set and will be slightly tangier. If using non-fat yogurt, add an extra tablespoon of milk to loosen the mixture.
- The overnight oats are only slightly sweetened with maple syrup (but you can also use honey or agave). Feel free to add more sweetener if you like a sweeter breakfast!
- If you're not a fan of chia seeds (I get it; they get stuck in your teeth!), you can omit them. Chia seeds help thicken the oats and create a creamier texture, but the recipe will still work without them. If skipping them, I recommend reducing the milk to 1 Tbsp.
- I recommend using a blender to blend the liquid ingredients as you want them to be completely smooth.
- You have two options for combining the wet and dry ingredients: you can add oats/chia seeds to the jars (or vessels) you'll be eating them out of and divide the liquid mixture evenly between them and stir to combine. This helps you dirty fewer dishes!
- Or you can put the oats and chia seeds in a mixing bowl and pour the liquid mixture over them and stir to combine. Then you can pour this mixture into two jars or vessels.
- The mixture will be pretty thin and liquidy. But don't worry; they'll thicken up really well in the fridge overnight!
- I like to eat my oats out a mason jar, but you can use any bowl, cup, etc. you want.
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- Be sure to give the oats at least 6 hours to chill in the fridge before enjoying, so they have the creamiest texture possible.
- If mixture is too thick in the morning, you can loosen it by adding a little bit of milk.
- These overnight oats keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. So, you can even make a big batch and keep them in the fridge for almost a week's worth of breakfasts!
- Eat the high-protein overnight oats as is or top them with the toppings of your choice. I like using berries and for these ones, I also added some hemp heart seeds for even more protein!
- And enjoy the oats right from the jar you made them in!
⏲️ How to store
Keep the oats in your fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This recipe is also really easy to double or triple, so you can make a big batch and divide it into jars for the week.
🎉 Variations on recipe
This recipe is pretty basic and makes a great high-protein overnight oats base. Once you have the proportions down, you can add so many ingredients and flavors to make them even more fun!
Here are some ideas for add-ins to the mixture before chilling:
- Peanut butter
- Frozen berries
- Chopped apples and ground cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Instant espresso powder and mini chocolate chips
- Pomegranate arils
- Shredded coconut
- Quinoa flakes (to replace ¼ cup oats)
- Ground flaxseed (about 2 teaspoon per recipe)
And for toppings:
- Chocolate drizzle
- Caramel drizzle
- Hemp heart seeds
- Chocolate chips or shavings
- Apple butter
- Fruit jam
- Honey
- Nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds
If you want even more protein in these oats, you can certainly add in a scoop of protein powder, too! If you do, you'll also need to add more liquid to the oats; about 3-4 tablespoon per scoop of protein powder.
You can also use different flavors of Greek yogurt and different flavors of cottage cheese.
🍳 More high-protein breakfasts
If you're looking to get a little protein boost in your morning meal, check out some more of my favorite breakfast recipes that have a little more protein in them:
And sometimes you just want a simple bowl of strawberry banana oatmeal.
I get so excited waking up in the morning when I remember I already have a super high-protein breakfast ready to go and waiting for me in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy them, too!
📖 Recipe
High-Protein Overnight Oats
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
- ½ cup pasteurized liquid egg whites (the kind in the carton)
- 2 tablespoon milk/non-dairy alternative of choice
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup, honey, or agave
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (see notes if omiting)
Instructions
- Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, egg whites, milk, sweetener, vanilla, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Divide oats and chia seeds between two jars. Pour half the liquid mixture into one jar and half into the other. Stir to combine. Alternatively, you can stir together all dry and wet ingredients in medium bowl and then divide the mixture between two jars.
- Cover the jars and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- In the morning, top oats with berries or other desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use egg whites that are labeled "pasteurized." This means they have been gently heated to get rid of any harmful bacteria and can be eaten raw.
- If omitting chia seeds from oats, reduce the milk in the recipe to 1 Tbsp.
- Once packed into airtight containers, the oats should keep fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Feel free to double or triple the recipe if desired.
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