Buzzapp Master 
For sheer convenience, it’s hard to beat overnight oats recipes for breakfast, especially if you often feel pressed for time in the morning. Just combine oats with your preferred mix-ins, store the bowl in the fridge before you head to bed, add your desired toppings when you wake up, and you’ve got a hearty meal ready fast.
And speaking of mix-ins and toppings, the sky’s pretty much the limit: Thanks to oats’ typically neutral flavor, they’re basically a blank canvas, which opens up a ton of possibilities for spicing up your dish—sometimes literally. To showcase that versatility, we tapped Anthea Levi, MS, RD, CDN, a Brooklyn-based registered dietitian and the founder of ALIVE+WELL Nutrition, to create five totally original overnight oats recipes that are tasty and satisfying.
While oats are known for packing a hefty dose of energizing carbs (and, more specifically, fiber), they aren’t completely lacking in protein, either. A half cup of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, for instance, brings five grams of protein to the table. (And some products include even more, like Bob’s Red Mill Protein Oats, which comes in at 10 grams per one third cup serving, or Trader Joe’s Organic Rolled Oats With Ancient Grains & Seeds, which packs eight grams per half cup serving.) What’s more, the adaptability of your oats makes it easy to add in high-protein ingredients that’ll help take the overall amount from middling to major—a key point, since protein plays a critical role in keeping you satisfied after a meal. That’s why each of these five overnight oats recipes contains at least 15 grams of protein—no protein powder necessary!
Whether sweet, savory, or somewhere in between, these dishes all build on the fiber-rich oatmeal base to bump up the protein and include heart-healthy fats, too, according to Levi. Between those two additions, you’re going to get “more lasting fullness and steady energy throughout the day,” she says. Besides, like we said before, the prep process is about as easy as they come: “Most of these recipes can be thrown together in a couple of minutes,” Levi says. Make a big enough batch, and you’re set for the next few days.
Read on for the full list of high-protein overnight oats recipes—and don’t be afraid to experiment (or make tweaks according to your preferences). “[Feel free to] put a spin on one of them and go in a different direction,” Levi says. “It’s kind of hard to mess these up.”
Photo by Anthea Levi
Nutty Mocha Crunch Overnight Oats“I have a huge sweet tooth, so if there is a balanced way for me to eat chocolate for breakfast, I’m all for it,” Levi says. Thanks to half a cup of chocolate milk (not to mention other ingredients like maple syrup), this recipe delivers just that for a desserty spin on plain overnight oats. Decadent as it might sound, however, it’s actually highly nutritious: You’ll get some fiber and heart-healthy fats from the seeds in the oats; protein and fats from the chocolate milk; protein, calcium, and probiotics from the Greek yogurt; and fats and a little bit of protein from the almond butter and chopped hazelnuts, according to Levi. Last but not least, this recipe also packs a caffeine kick thanks to its coffee content—another reason to love it as a breakfast option. Get the recipe here.
Bonus tip: To play up the sweetness in this high-protein overnight oats recipe, consider throwing some berries or sliced bananas on top, according to Levi. Extra Greek yogurt on the side can pump up the protein even more too, she adds.
Photo by Anthea Levi
Vegan Coconut Curried Oatmeal With Blistered TomatoesPlant-based eaters, this one’s for you: It’s “totally free from any animal products, like dairy or eggs,” Levi says. Instead, it relies on chickpeas and hemp seeds to contribute protein, and coconut milk, coconut yogurt, sautéed tomatoes, and chili oil to take the flavor in a “cozy, warm direction.” That said, you can easily incorporate animal products if you want: Just swap the coconut yogurt for regular Greek yogurt, add a fried or soft-boiled egg on top, or serve some scrambled eggs on the side, for example. “Those would be delicious pairings if you don’t need or want to keep it dairy-free,” Levi says. Get the recipe here.
Bonus tip: This dish is best enjoyed warm, according to Levi, so you’ll want to heat up the oat mixture in the morning before adding the toppings.
Photo by Anthea Levi
Tropical Passion Overnight OatsPacked with seedless passion fruit cubes, shredded coconut, and coconut milk (a solid source of healthy fats), this dish has a light, sweet flavor profile that’ll lift your spirits in the cold months. “I love how tart and refreshing [the passion fruit] is,” Levi says. While the pureed passionfruit won’t contribute much fiber since its seeds have been removed, oats and hemp seeds help fill the gap. Meanwhile, the kefir base provides plenty of protein and calcium—and as an added bonus, it also happens to be “one of the best whole-food sources of probiotics,” Levi notes. (Translation: Lots of gut-healthy bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.) Get the recipe here.
Bonus tip: Buy preseeded and precubed passion fruit if you can so you don’t have to do all the work yourself: “It’s just going to make your life easier,” Levi says. And for additional healthy fats, consider adding in crushed walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or a similar topping.
Photo by Anthea Levi
Apple Pie Oat Chia PuddingIf you’ve ever wanted to have a slice of apple pie for breakfast, this recipe will get you pretty darn close. Sitting atop a mound of Greek yogurt, sauteed apples make the result “taste a lot like a pie filling without tons of added sugar,” Levi says. “I always tell people, ‘Don’t underestimate the power of cooked fruit,’” she adds. Besides, you can’t do much better in terms of fiber content: Between the oats, chia seeds, and the apples themselves, this dish supplies a metric ton of that bowel booster, according to Levi—more than 50% of the RDA for adult women, to be exact. Finally, milk and Greek yogurt provide some balance with a double whammy of protein. Get the recipe here.
Bonus tip: Use extra nuts, nut butter, or even a drizzle of tahini to bring some added creaminess to the overall texture, according to Levi.
Photo by Anthea Levi
Greek Salad Overnight OatsStacked with tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, olive oil, and Greek yogurt, this recipe puts a Mediterranean spin on a standard bowl of overnight oats. Despite its veggie-heavy nature, this dish doesn’t skimp on protein, either: Both the feta cheese and Greek yogurt contribute a fair bit, along with the milk and hemp seeds that help serve as the base. Of course, you’re not bound to this specific combination of veggie toppings—feel free to switch things up. Get the recipe here.
Bonus tip: Want a more Italian flavor profile? Swap in tomatoes, cottage cheese, pesto, and basil, according to Levi. “That would be savory as well, and just as balanced and high-protein,” she says.
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