Maple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

These Maple Cinnamon Overnight Oats are as simple as it gets. With a whopping 18 grams of protein WITHOUT any protein powder, this breakfast is a filling yet healthy way to start your day. These oats are perfect for meal prep when you want a high-protein breakfast on your busy mornings. 

For more overnight breakfast options, try this Vegan Chia Seed Pudding.

Looking for more delicious vegan breakfast options? Try these recipes: Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal, super fluffy Vegan Banana Pancakes, or this easy Nut Free Pumpkin Flax Granola.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 5-minute meal prep – Just dump and mix! This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for the next day (or whole week).
• Hearty yet sweet – With just the right amount of sweetness, this healthy breakfast feels more like a dessert, but with no refined sugar added.
• Simple ingredients – You’ll find everything you need at your local grocery store, or it might just be in your pantry already. 
• So many ways to enjoy – enjoy this hot or cold, add nuts or fruit – you choose!

Ingredients

• Rolled Oats – This recipe also works with steel-cut oats, but I prefer the old-fashioned oats or quick oats.
• Plant-based milk – Any plant milk is fine for this recipe, but I choose oat milk because it’s a little higher in protein. Soy milk is another higher protein option.
• Maple syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives enough sweetness to this recipe. If you don’t have maple syrup, you can substitute it with agave or brown rice syrup if you prefer.
• Seeds – The chia seeds, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds add tons of protein to this meal! Feel free to mix it up and add chopped nuts, too!
• Cinnamon – feel free to increase if you want a stronger cinnamon flavor.
• Optional: A splash of vanilla extract

Helpful Equipment

​In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Airtight container for storage

How to Make

This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe, including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!

Find your Container

Start by finding the perfect container for your oats. You’ll want one with an airtight lid that is ideally microwave-safe (the lid doesn’t need to be microwave-safe, just the container). I like this one because I can eat the oats right out of it and don’t need to transfer them to a bowl when they’re done. You can also use a classic mason jar.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

Next, place all the dry ingredients into the container and stir to mix. You can choose to include the pumpkin seeds in this step or wait until the morning to top the finished oats. I choose to leave the pumpkin seeds until the morning so they’re a bit crunchier, but that is just my preference!

Add the Plant Milk

Next, add the plant milk and maple syrup and stir to combine. The milk should be mostly covering the oats as shown below.

Set and Forget (until the morning)

Now it’s time to place the oats in the fridge! Secure your container’s lid and place the oats in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to eat the oats, stir them and either keep them in your container or transfer them to a bowl.

You can enjoy these oats cold, but if you prefer warm oatmeal, you can heat them on the stove or in the microwave (30s -1min).

Top with the pumpkin seeds if you did not include them in the overnight soak. Add any other favorite toppings and enjoy!

Variations

Use this base recipe as a blank canvas for all of your overnight oat recipes:

• Add vegan protein powder for an extra protein boost.
• Stir in frozen or fresh fruit for a sweet twist.
• Add in chocolate chips, chocolate protein powder, or cocoa powder for a chocolate option.
• Sit in peanut butter, almond butter, or any other nut or seed butter.

How to Store Overnight Oats

• Fridge: You could double this recipe and keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Reheat: You can microwave these for 30s – 1m if you prefer warm oats vs cold.

More Tips

• Not Vegan? Use cow’s milk instead of plant-based milk, or add a scoop of Greek yogurt.
• Gluten-free? Make sure to select a certified gluten-free variety of oats.
• Don’t have maple syrup? Sub for agave or brown rice syrup, or leave it out entirely for a less sweet dish.

FAQ