We don't get every food trend, and that's a fact. When it came to kale, we were not totally 100% into it — the stuff is bitter, right? We're not making it up. And any vegetable that's so needy that it has to be literally massaged before the texture is remotely enjoyable is a little too high maintenance for us. But when it came to the overnight oat craze that happened a few years ago, we were totally on board. And we're super into the fact that it's back with a vengeance right now, too — just in time for summer.
Here's the deal with overnight oats: They're basically just oatmeal (shh, don't tell the kids that) but they're just made the night before. They're not even really made — unlike regular oatmeal, there's no heating involved, so kids who are allowed to use some kitchen tools can make these themselves.
Basically, just stir together all the ingredients, and in the morning, there are little jars filled with creamy, rich, indulgent-tasting overnight oats in the fridge. We have 20 different flavor combinations below — including some we swear we've never, ever heard of or thought of before — but really, once we got the hang of making it, overnight oats has become one of those recipes we end up experimenting with and spinning off for years.
Entice kids to eat well this summer with healthy cookies for breakfast, to feed them literal cookies without the guilt. Or, make mornings easier with healthy breakfast smoothies, which are great for anyone who has to run out the door. And, because saving money is always a bonus, try some make-ahead breakfasts on a budget.
Of course, oats are generally budget-friendly, so it makes sense to use them as the base and add some more expensive ingredients as toppings and flavorings.
Cherry Vanilla Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats
Dessert for breakfast? Don't mind if we do! This recipe for cherry vanilla dark chocolate overnight oats makes a super tasty, deliciously sweet breakfast, and it's not even really that indulgent (cherries have vitamin C and potassium)!
Banana Nut Overnight Oats
For anyone trying to live that "slow carb" life but who craves their favorite banana bread, we can only recommend trying this delicious banana nut overnight oats. It tastes a whole lot like banana bread and it's extremely healthy to boot.
Vanilla Maple Almond Butter Overnight Oats
This recipe for vanilla maple almond butter overnight oats is everything we love about fall flavors, but it's so cold and creamy and delicious, it's perfect for summer (and isn't every season maple season)?
Berry Chia Overnight Oats
This recipe for berry chia overnight oats is so tasty for summer — we love anything that uses seasonal produce, and berries are the best! — and chia packs in tons of extra antioxidants and protein, too!
Blackberry Cobbler Overnight Oats
We love eating healthily because our bodies respond so well to it, but that doesn't mean we don't actually want to be eating dessert for every meal of the day. Fortunately, we can do both with this incredible blackberry cobbler overnight oats recipe.
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
We love carrot cake, and while no, these carrot cake overnight oats don't taste exactly as indulgent, the weird fact is, they taste a lot more like our favorite dessert than like anything else (the presence of a little cream cheese really helps).
Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
These chocolate peanut butter overnight oats are vegan and totally healthy, but they taste … well, a whole lot like a regular chocolate peanut butter cup. We love the fact that we can have such a healthy treat for breakfast (or as a snack) and that it totally tastes like dessert.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats in a Jar
Even when it's not fall, it's time for pumpkin cheesecake overnight oats in a jar. Pumpkin is packed full of so many vitamins, including A, C, and K, and this recipe is just a great excuse to open a can of the stuff (the rest is so good in a quick and easy soup)!
Tropical Overnight Oats
It's summertime, and honestly, in our opinion, all the flavors around us should be tropical ones. These tropical overnight oats are so good on their own, but sprinkle some toasted coconut on top right before serving for some added crunch.
Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats With Almond Milk
These banana peanut butter overnight oats with almond milk involve basically the same ingredients as our favorite childhood sandwich — peanut butter, honey, and banana! But this one is made with oats that will give us energy all day.
Cappuccino Overnight Oats
For days when making coffee and breakfast is literally not even an option before we have to run out the door, this recipe for cappuccino overnight oats is an absolute lifesaver — it's an incredibly tasty coffee-and-breakfast combined in one!
Cheddar & Herb Savory Overnight Oats
OK, this might sound a little strange to some, but hear us out: this recipe for cheddar and herb savory overnight oats is for people who aren't into sweet things in the morning. Oats, like rice, can go either sweet or savory (think rice pudding vs. rice in jambalaya). Oats can do the same!
Almond Joy Overnight Oats
Almond Joy overnight oats is such a handy recipe for too-jam-packed mornings, such an easy sell to kiddos home from school for the summer, such a great, healthy choice we don't feel bad about feeding said kiddos who are home from school for the summer.
5-Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Some foods never go out of style, and apple pie has to be top of the list, right? Well, consider having apple pie for breakfast any morning with this incredibly tasty recipe for 5-ingredient apple cinnamon overnight oats.
Salted Caramel Overnight Oats
What's tastier than salted caramel? We just can't get over the way salty and sweet bring out the best in each other. That leads us to absolutely loving this indulgent-tasting but generally healthy recipe for salted caramel overnight oats.
Overnight Oats With Raspberries & Tahini
This delicious vegan recipe for overnight oats with raspberries and tahini is packed with protein and vitamins, and also tastes absolutely amazing — perfect for berry season. We love the idea of a new use for tahini, too!
Peach Pie Overnight Oats
This recipe for peach pie overnight oats tastes like exactly everything we really love about summer — while being incredibly easy to make and supremely tasty, to boot. Use peaches when they're in season and they aren't even expensive!
Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats
This recipe for strawberry shortcake overnight oats may not taste exactly like a dupe for the real thing — it's oats, after all — but it tastes a whole lot better than regular oatmeal and is just as healthy, so as long as we go in with our expectations adjusted (it's not cake!), we're happy.
Spiced Plum Overnight Oats
We have visions of sugar plums dancing through our heads when we make these spiced plum overnight oats, which are honestly a really delicious, easy treat. The recipe calls for nondairy yogurt, but definitely use the dairy stuff if that's what the family is into!
Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Rarely do we get a chance to offer our kids something as insanely indulgent-sounding as cookie dough overnight oats for breakfast — and yet, here we are, feeling totally good about doing that, because, well, they're basically just eating oatmeal.
