Overnight Oats With Protein Powder

Why you'll love this recipe

• High protein overnight oats make an incredibly healthy breakfast to start the day. They are high in both protein and fiber and will keep you full until lunch.
• It's a great make-ahead breakfast that you can meal prep for busy mornings. Plus, you can prepare it within a few minutes.
• This protein overnight oats recipe is super versatile. It's a great base recipe that you can tweak with different add-ins and toppings.
• This plant-based breakfast is both vegan and gluten-free.

Key ingredients and substitutions

Vegan vanilla protein powder is key to making high-protein overnight oats. We use and recommend the vanilla-flavored Digestive Support Protein from Nuzest, which is made from pea protein. This vegan protein powder has incredibly clean ingredients (no fillers, gums and natural flavorings) and is easily digestible. You can use chocolate protein powder if you prefer or mix in a teaspoon of cocoa powder.

Rolled oats (also known as old-fashioned oats) are the best to make overnight oats that are moist but not soggy. They have about 5 grams of protein per ½ cup of oats. You can read more about the type of oats you should use and the best oat to milk ratio in this full guide on overnight oats. Use gluten-free oats (e.g., from Bob's red mill) if necessary.

Almond butter increases the protein content and adds extra flavor.

Plant-based yogurt makes the overnight oats a lot creamier. You can use vanilla-flavored yogurt if you'd like. If it's already sweetened, you can omit the maple syrup.

Note that this simple recipe is made without chia seeds, which are often used to thicken the mixture. Since vegan protein powder is a little absorbent as well, you can use a 1:1 oat to milk ratio.

Elo's tips

1. The key to making vanilla overnight oats you like is using a protein powder that you love. If you are unable to drink a shake made with that protein powder because of its taste and/or texture, you most likely won't like the overnight oats either. Try out different protein powders until you find one that you like and follow our tips below.
2. Improve the taste with different add-ins. If the taste of your protein powder is fine but not great, you can mask it to a certain extent with nut butter and spices. We like to use almond butter and peanut butter. Cinnamon, all-spice and pumpkin spice are great additions as well. Finally, don't forget to add a little bit of pure maple syrup to sweeten the oats according to your taste preferences. Omit if your protein powder is already heavily sweetened.
3. If time allows, slightly reheat your milk. If your milk comes out of the fridge, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds until it's lukewarm. That can help dissolve the protein.
4. Don't add more vegan protein powder. We tested this overnight oat recipe with 1 scoop of vegan protein powder (about 4 tablespoons) instead of 2 tablespoons and we didn't like the gritty texture.
5. Make several jars of overnight oats ahead for the week. This will save you a lot of time in the morning.

How to make overnight oats with protein powder (+ pictures)

Add all the ingredients to a bowl or Mason jar. Start by adding the rolled oats and protein powder to an 8 or 16 oz jar (to have enough space for yogurt and toppings). Pour in the milk and add a tablespoon of almond butter, maple syrup and some cinnamon. Give it a quick stir.

If your protein powder doesn't dissolve easily, mix it with lukewarm milk before adding it to the oats(see tips above).

Place the overnight oats in the fridge to set overnight. According to our experience, they are already ready to go after 4 hours. The mixture will be thick but moist.

The next morning, stir in the yogurt to make the oats creamier. Top with more almond butter and the toppings of your choice. Cocoa nibs, coconut shreds, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds and fresh fruits are great options.

Frequently Asked Questions