Coffee overnight oats are delicious, nutritious and the perfect way to start your morning. They're great for meal prep and make an excellent grab-and-go breakfast when you're on the move.
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Oatmeal is so scrumptious and versatile.
Enjoy it cold in overnight oats or these peanut butter oat balls. Or, heat it up and make baked oatmeal or oatmeal blender pancakes!
You can't go wrong, no matter how you choose to enjoy your healthy, whole grain oats.
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Why This Recipe Rocks
Meal prep: Overnight oats are completely perfect for meal prep and busy mornings. Make a bunch of individual servings so that you can easily grab your mason jar in the morning and be on your way.
Nutritious: Lots of nutrients from oats and a caffeine boost, too! Coffee lovers, rejoice! This is the perfect healthy breakfast.
Quick and easy: Make your overnight oats in 10 minutes or less with no-fuss and minimal cleanup.
Simple: Making coffee flavor overnight oats is straightforward and uncomplicated.
Allergy friendly: This recipe is gluten-free friendly and doesn't use any eggs. Hemp hearts are technically a type of nut, but they can be left out if necessary! Also, you can easily make these oats dairy free by using plant-based milk.
Your Grocery List
- Oats: I recommend whole grain rolled oats for best flavor and texture. However, quick oats will work if that's what you've got on hand!
- Chia seeds: Or ground flax seeds.
- Hemp hearts: For a bit of crunchy texture and nutty flavor. I absolutely love hemp hearts, though you can leave them out of your oats if preferred.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice. You can also substitute honey, brown sugar or agave nectar.
- Espresso powder: I use Medaglia D Oro Instant Espresso. Get it on Amazon or at many large grocery chains like Target or Walmart. If you've got access to fresh brewed espresso, that's even better! I recommend reducing milk a bit when using fresh espresso to keep and wet and dry ingredient ratios correct. You can also use half cold brew coffee and half milk or half brewed coffee and half milk. For best results, I really recommend instant espresso powder or a shot of fresh brewed espresso.
- Sea salt: Just a pinch for flavor! Regular table salt will do the trick if you don't have sea salt.
- Pure vanilla extract: Almond extract would also be delicious.
- Milk: Milk of choice, add a dash of half and half for creamier oats, if desired. Both dairy and non-dairy options will work great. I love using full-fat coconut milk from a can (not boxed) for dairy free oats.
- Optional toppings & mix-ins: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cacao nibs, chopped nuts, peanut butter, almond butter, fresh fruit, whipped cream, granola and more!
How To Make Coffee Overnight Oats
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Dry ingredients:
- Add old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, hemp hearts, espresso powder and a pinch of sea salt to a small bowl or jar.
- Use a miniature whisk or spoon and mix well.
Wet ingredients:
- Add milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup to your jar. Whisk again!
- Place a lid on your jar and refrigerate at least two hours.
Add toppings:
- Give your oats a good stir and then top with whipped cream, extra expresso power or cinnamon, more hemp hearts, granola or anything else your heart desires. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Soak/chill time: These are called overnight oats, but they can actually be enjoyed after about two hours of soaking in the refrigerator!
- Large batch: If preferred, you can make one large batch of overnight oats in a big mixing bowl and then scoop into to-go containers as needed.
- Milk: The amount of milk in this recipe can be flexed. Use extra milk for thinner oats and less for thicker.
Fun Recipe Variations
Protein-packed: Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. You can also stir in some Greek yogurt for extra protein.
Cinnamon: Make cinnamon overnight oats by substituting ground cinnamon for espresso powder.
Chocolate: Add some cocoa powder to create mocha overnight oats! Or leave the espresso powder out and use cocoa only for chocolatey overnight oats.
Matcha tea: Prefer tea over coffee? Ditch the espresso powder and use green tea powder for matcha overnight oats.
Serving Suggestions
I generally eat overnight oats solo, but they're really delicious alongside something savory like sausage, scrambled eggs or crispy bacon!
And even though these oats contain espresso powder, they pair really nicely with a big cup of hot coffee.
Special Equipment
You don't really need any super special to make overnight oats. I really love these 7oz glass jars. They're the perfect size and come with lids for easy transportation.
I also like using my mini whisk to make overnight oats, but a spoon will do just fine!
Storing Your Oats
You can store overnight oats in a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though I personally feel the flavor is better within the first 3 days!
Make and store your oats in individual containers, or whip up one large batch and scoop servings as needed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Simply warm them in a microwave safe container in 20-30 second increments until heated through. You may want to add a splash of milk as the warming process can cause the oat grains to absorb moisture leaving things a bit dry.
Overnight oats are made by soaking whole grain oatmeal in liquid until softened! Though they are called "overnight" oats, you can generally eat them after about 2 hours.
Usually they are! But it depends on the recipe. If you're looking for a healthy overnight oats recipe, avoid those with lots of added sugar.
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Coffee Overnight Oats
Equipment
- 7 oz jars *I love using these jars but you can use any container you like!
- Mini whisk *Optional, a spoon also works.
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole grain rolled oats *see note below
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds *or ground flax seed
- 2 teaspoons hemp hearts *optional but SO delicious
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder *see note below
- Pinch of sea salt *or regular table salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract *or imitation
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup *or sweetener of choice
- ½ cup unsweetened oat milk *or milk of choice
Optional toppings:
- Whipped cream, more espresso powder, cinnamon, extra hemp hearts, granola, fruit, nuts, etc.
Recipe notes:
Oats: Quick oats will also work though I prefer the taste of whole grain. Espresso powder: I use Medaglia D Oro Instant Espresso. Get it on Amazon or at large grocery chains like Target and Walmart. There are many other tasty brands of instant espresso powder on the market. Espresso powder substitutes: Sub fresh brewed espresso! I recommend reducing milk a bit when using fresh espresso to keep wet and dry ingredient ratios correct. You can also use half cold brew and half milk or half brewed coffee and half milk. For best taste, I recommend espresso powder or a shot of fresh brewed espresso.Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a jar or bowl and whisk well.½ cup whole grain rolled oats, 2 teaspoons chia seeds, 2 teaspoons hemp hearts, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, Pinch of sea salt
- Add wet ingredients and mix again until well combined.1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup, ½ cup unsweetened oat milk, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Cover and chill/soak in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Add desired toppings and enjoy!
Storage:
- You can store overnight oats in a mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, though I personally feel the flavor is better within the first 3 days!
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