Overnight Oats in a Mason Jar: 4 Healthy Dessert-Inspired Recipes
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Whether you’re rushing off to work or beating the clock to get your kids out the door, mornings can be busy and hectic. What helps make them more enjoyable (besides a good cup of coffee, of course) is planning ahead—and that includes breakfast! Overnight oats have been quite the craze lately, and we totally understand why—they’re a quick, make-ahead solution that you can grab from the fridge and go. Wondering how to make overnight oats in a mason jar? We are here to help! We gave the “typical” overnight oats a facelift with dessert-inspired recipes that you don’t have to feel too guilty about. Check out our 4 healthy dessert-inspired quick overnight oat recipes today!
What Are Overnight Oats?
As the name suggests, overnight oats transform into a yummy breakfast in your fridge overnight—you just have to prep your jars the day or night before! Your choice of milk soaks into the oats (along with mix-ins) to create a thick oatmeal for you to enjoy in the morning. These oats require no heating and are typically eaten cold (unless you prefer to heat them up). This is a true set-it-and-forget-it breakfast that requires minimal effort!
How to Make Overnight Oats
To make overnight oats in a mason jar, you need a few things to get started!
Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats (quick-cooking oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats will work, but the texture will be different)
Milk of Choice (any dairy milk, oat milk, nut milk, or coconut milk will work)
Mix-Ins (this is where it gets fun—you can literally add any mix-ins that you’d like, but for some healthy dessert-inspired quick overnight oat recipes, check out the options below)
Sweetener (we recommend a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup)
Bananas Foster Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
½ Ripe Banana, Sliced
1 Tsp. Maple Syrup
⅛ Tsp. Vanilla
⅓ Cup Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats
⅓ Cup Milk of Choice
Instructions:
First, you’re going to make your bananas foster base—right in your mason jar. Add the sliced bananas and maple syrup to your mason jar, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 30 seconds. Take the jar out of the microwave (we recommend using hot pads) and stir the mixture—the bananas should be slightly broken down to create a caramel-y mixture with your maple syrup.
Next, stir in the vanilla.
Add your oats and milk of choice and stir the mixture until the oats are covered in milk. You can leave swirls of the bananas foster mixture throughout (swoon).
Cover your overnight oats in a mason jar with the lid and refrigerate it overnight (for at least 8 hours).
Blueberry Cobbler Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Blueberries
⅛ Tsp. Lemon Zest
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tsp. Honey
1 Tsp. Brown Sugar
Dash of Cinnamon
⅛ Tsp. Vanilla
⅓ Cup Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats
⅓ Cup Milk of Choice
Instructions:
To make blueberry cobbler overnight oats in a mason jar, first, you’re going to make your blueberry cobbler jam—right in your mason jar. Add the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon to your mason jar, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 30 seconds. Take the jar out of the microwave (we recommend using hot pads) and stir the mixture—it should be a jammy consistency and smell like warm blueberry cobbler (ahh)!
Next, stir in the vanilla.
Add your oats and milk of choice and stir the mixture until the oats are covered in milk. You can leave swirls of the blueberry jam mixture throughout (dreamy).
Cover your mason jar with the lid and refrigerate it overnight (for at least 8 hours).
French Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
¼ Cup Chopped Apple (we recommend Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
2 Tsp. Raisins
1 Tsp. Butter
Dash of Cinnamon
½ Tsp. Brown Sugar
½ Tsp. Maple Syrup
⅛ Tsp. Vanilla
⅓ Cup Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats
⅓ Cup Milk of Choice
Instructions:
To make French apple pie overnight oats in a mason jar, first, you’re going to make your French apple pie filling—right in your mason jar. Add the chopped apples, raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup to your mason jar, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 30 seconds. Take the jar out of the microwave (we recommend using hot pads) and stir the mixture—the apples should be soft and slightly broken down to create a sticky pie filling (so good - you’re welcome).
Next, stir in the vanilla (this is the part where you smell the mason jar and get weak in the knees).
Add your oats and milk of choice and stir the mixture until the oats are covered in milk. We recommend leaving a few swirls of the pie filling throughout.
Cover your overnight oats in a mason jar with the lid and refrigerate it overnight (for at least 8 hours).
Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
1 Tsp. Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Tsp. Maple Syrup
⅛ Tsp. Vanilla
⅓ Cup Rolled or Old Fashioned Oats
⅓ Cup Milk of Choice
Instructions:
To make dark chocolate coconut macaroon overnight oats in a mason jar, add your coconut, mini chocolate chips, maple syrup, and honey to your mason jar. Stir the mixture until combined and sticky.
Next, add your oats and milk of choice and stir the mixture until the oats are covered in milk.
Cover your mason jar with the lid and refrigerate it overnight (for at least 8 hours).
Make Ahead & Store
Overnight oats can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for several days—that’s the beauty of this quick breakfast! For these specific quick overnight oat recipes, we recommend storing them in your fridge for no longer than 3 days (since they have fruit in them).
More Recipes
Love our overnight oats in a mason jar and looking for more recipes for breakfast? Check out our blog for more! Are you a coffee lover? Check out our Farmhouse Barista Series!