Protein Overnight Oats
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Published May 14, 2021, Updated Feb 04, 2025
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With protein overnight oats you can have your oatmeal and get your protein in! This simple breakfast packs 30 grams of protein per serving.
Lately I’ve been focusing on my protein intake and looking for easy ways to increase the amount of protein I’m eating each day.
I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost daily and love it, but on it’s own it’s not super protein-rich. So recently I took my regular overnight oats recipe and added protein powder to create this protein overnight oats recipe.
Why Add Protein?
I am a huge proponent of making protein oatmeal (aka proats)!
If you have ever eaten oatmeal and been hungry an hour later, it’s likely because you didn’t add any protein to your oats!
Adding protein to overnight oats ensures that breakfast will keep me full for hours and the vanilla protein powder I use adds extra flavor (and sweetness) as well.
Protein Overnight Oats Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these protein-packed overnight oats:
- old fashioned oats – make sure you’re using old fashioned oats and not quick/instant oats.
- milk – you can use any type of milk, but I prefer almond milk because it’s low in sugar and calories.
- vanilla protein powder – you can use your favorite brand of protein powder. Just note that some protein powders soak up more liquid than others so you may need to adjust the amount of milk.
- chia seeds – for added fiber, protein and healthy fats. Chia seeds also absorb some liquid, making the end result a little thicker.
- vanilla extract – a staple ingredient for overnight oats!
- cinnamon – I love adding a hint of cinnamon to bring the flavors together.
- optional toppings – berries, sliced almonds and/or almond butter.
Other Protein Options
If you don’t have protein powder on hand or simply don’t want to use it, here are some other ways to add protein to your overnight oats!
Greek yogurt: Add 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt to the overnight oats mixture. This will add about 4 grams of protein, depending on what brand you use. Try my overnight oats with yogurt.
Cottage cheese: Add 1/4 cup cottage cheese to the overnight oats mixture. This will about around 7 grams of protein. Try my cottage cheese overnight oats.
Nuts and nut butter: Chopped nuts and/or nut butter are a great way to add a little bit of extra protein to your overnight oats. They also add healthy fats, which will make the oats even more filling! Try my peanut butter overnight oats.
Do You Have to Soak the Oats Overnight?
You actually don’t! I know the name is “overnight oats” but you actually just need to soak oats for a few hours.
When I am on top of my meal prep I prefer to soak the oats overnight. But if I forget to prep them, I just make the oats in the morning and let them soak for about 2-3 hours. The longer you soak the oats, the softer they will be. When I only soak for a few hours, the oats are a little chewier, but I don’t mind!
How to Eat Protein Overnight Oats
This is a great “base” recipe for protein overnight oats. It’s designed to eat cold, but if you would rather eat them warm you can heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds after the oats soak.
You can enjoy the overnight oats plain, but I recommend adding some toppings for extra flavor! I love adding fresh berries, sliced bananas, drizzled nut butter and/or sliced nuts.
How Long do Overnight Oats Last?
One of the best parts about overnight oats is that they can be prepped in advance! After prepping your oats, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can make a double or triple batch and enjoy for multiple days! The longer you store overnight oats, the more liquid they will absorb so you may need to add an extra splash of milk before serving.
Everything You Need to Make Protein Overnight Oats
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, 32-ounce (Pack of 4)
Buy Now →
Buy Now → 
Wide Mouth Pint 16-Ounce Glass Mason Jar with Lids
Buy Now →More Overnight Oats Recipes
- Blended Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
- Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats
- Low Calorie Overnight Oats
- Overnight Oats with Yogurt
- Kefir Overnight Oats
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- ½ Tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup fresh berries, for topping
- ½ Tablespoon almond butter, for topping
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the toppings in a small container.
- Cover container with a lid and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 1-2 hours).
- Bring out of the fridge in the morning and stir. You'll notice that the protein powder, oats and chia seeds soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more almond milk or water before serving.
- Top with toppings of your choice and enjoy. I used ½ cup blueberries and ½ Tablespoon almond butter for the nutrition facts on these.
Video
Notes
- Greek yogurt: Add ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt to the overnight oats mixture. This will add about 4 grams of protein, depending on what brand you use.
- Cottage cheese: Add ¼ cup cottage cheese to the overnight oats mixture. This will about around 7 grams of protein.
- Nuts and nut butter: Chopped nuts and/or nut butter are a great way to add a little bit of extra protein to your overnight oats. They also add healthy fats, which will make the oats even more filling!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
- Weck Jar (my favorite for storing overnight oats)
Best ratio recipe I have come across. I tend to add a bit more milk (spash). I tend to add dark chocolate chips + bannanas and mix up the topping throughout the week. I work out intensely at 5 am everyday and this is the perft quick post meal. Its great.
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, David. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
i thought this was good- not sweet at all which i liked. used ora unflavored protein powder and gluten free oats from trader joes. didn’t use anything with vanilla. i added 1/2 large banana and the almond butter and heated up. yum! and so filling. thank you! my kCal came up to 354, protein at 21 g
So glad this recipe was a hit, Tara! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
What kind of protein powder are you using that is giving you 30g of protein?
The protein powder itself has 20 grams and then the other 10 grams comes from the other other ingredients. The oats have 6 grams and the other 4 come from the combo of the almond butter, almond milk, chia seeds and blueberries. I have calculated the macros in MyFitnessPal. Feel free to add the specific ingredients you’re using to get the most accurate protein count. Hope this helps.
maybe the confusion of the protein comes from the fact that the nutrition says *without topping* but you are counting the topping according to the above comment.
Yes, totally. Sorry about that confusion. I just updated this!
Me & my husband absolutely love this recipe! We’re hooked!
WOO! I am so glad you are both loving this recipe, Brit. Thank you for taking the time to share this recipe & star rating, I appreciate it.