This super high protein overnight oats has a lot more protein than other recipes while still being creamy, delicious and very healthy.
Ever since I first kicked off my seven day high fiber challenge on youtube, I’ve been obsessed with this High Protein Overnight Oats recipe.
But let’s first address the elephant in the room… I’m pretty notorious for being an oatmeal hater. I’ve done a lot of blogs, youtube videos and shorts about how oatmeal is not a good breakfast if weight loss is your goal.
Some background: Oatmeal has been found in research to not be as satiating (filling) as other breakfast food items like eggs. This means you’re more likely to get hungry faster when you eat oatmeal for breakfast, making weight loss more difficult. Oatmeal also tends to be very blood sugar spiking. This is a problem because with every big blood sugar spike comes a huge crash. Cue sugar cravings, hanger and spiraling until you get your hands on some sugar.
All that being said, this recipe is the exception to the rule. And that’s because I’ve made this overnight oats recipe with insanely high levels of protein and fiber. This combo raises the satiety hormones peptide YY and CCK, which shuts off hunger. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent a crash.
Plus, if you’re a super busy person (like me — being a mom of two little ones and running Autumn Elle Nutrition full time), then this recipe is a lifesaver for hectic mornings. With just 10 minutes of prep you can have a full weeks worth of healthy, satisfying breakfasts.
Recipe Highlights
- High protein: A whopping 47 grams per serving.
- High fiber: 14 grams per serving. That’s more than most people get in a day.
- Perfect for meal prep: One week done in 10 minutes or less.
- Healthier than regular oatmeal: Thanks to the added protein, fiber and soaking process.
Key Ingredients
Rolled Oats
You can use regular rolled oats or steel cut. When I was digging into the research, I found that steel cut oats weren’t significantly better than rolled oats for blood sugar levels. Because of this, I stuck with the easier to find and work with rolled oats option. If you’re strictly gluten-free, make sure to look for oats that are certified gluten-free.
Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
This is one of three main proteins used in this recipe. Greek yogurt has about 4x the protein as other yogurts. I always make sure to use whole milk (and not low fat) because studies have found it to be more filling and help to prevent hunger later in the day more than low fat options. Plus, whole fat greek yogurt is significantly higher in vitamin K2, which is needed to get calcium out of the arteries and into the bones. It’s also essential for dental health and preventing cavities.
Zero Added Sugar Vanilla Protein Powder
To keep this as blood sugar stabilizing as possible, I use our zero added sugar Vanilla Protein Powder. This adds a hint of sweetness (thanks to the natural zero sugar sweetener monk fruit extract) without using sugar.
I specifically developed our protein powder to mix well into recipes (no clumps here!) and taste incredible. There’s a reason our protein powder has sold out 5 times since it’s been released — our community can’t get enough of it! Make sure to grab a bag so you can whip up this recipe with the tastiest protein.
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Whole Milk
I prefer whole milk to make the oats extra creamy. You also get the added perks of some additional protein and satiety, thanks to the healthy fat and protein in milk. If you’re plant-based, you can sub in unsweetened almond milk, hemp seed milk, or coconut milk (from a carton, not a can).
Equipment Needed
- 24 ounce glass jars or 24-30 ounce glass meal prep containers
How To Make This Recipe
Start by adding all dry ingredients into a jar or glass container. Whisk with a fork, then add the yogurt and milk before whisking again. Seal and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
After at least 4 hours, the overnight oats are ready to be eaten! Feel free to add toppings.
Ingredient Swaps
- Chia seeds: Double the fiber by using edible basil seeds instead (1:1 ratio with chia seeds).
- Oats: Reduce the carbs by bringing oats down to 1/4 cup and adding one more tablespoon of chia seeds.
- Cacao nibs: Remove them if you don’t have them. But if you do, try it out! I love how it tastes when it’s softened from the soaking process! This is the brand of cacao nibs I’ve been using lately.
- Greek yogurt: Use whole milk skyr (for even more protein) or greek style almond milk yogurt (for a plant-based swap)
- Whole milk: Use unsweetened almond, hemp seed, cashew or coconut milk (from a carton, not a can). Note: this won’t have the same protein and vitamin K2 benefits as whole milk.
- Protein powder: You can sub out the protein powder, but this will drastically reduce the protein by more than half. It also won’t have a vanilla and slightly sweet flavor. If you remove the protein powder, at least make sure to up the greek yogurt to 1/2 cup.
Storing and Meal Prep
Overnight oats last about 5 days in the fridge when fully prepped. Wait until you’re ready to eat it before adding the toppings.
Bulk Meal Prep Tip
You can make weeks and weeks worth of overnight oats that are shelf stable, making it perfect for meal prep or travel. Just add all of the dry ingredients (everything except for the milk and yogurt) into individual plastic bags. Seal them up and store in your pantry or travel bag. This will typically keep for multiple months in the pantry.
The night before you’re ready to eat it, dump the plastic bag’s contents into a glass container, stir in the yogurt and milk and pop in the fridge. I did this on a recent trip to Disneyland and used the hotel’s mini fridge and disposable coffee cups as containers. An easy healthy breakfast for the parks — plus I saved about $15 a person at breakfast!
Topping Ideas
- 1 pear, sliced
- 1 plum, sliced
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Tip From The Nutritionist
Autumn Bates, CCN, MS, BS, CPT
- When oats have been soaked instead of cooked, it helps to keep resistant starches in tact. This makes it less likely to spike blood sugar levels compared to cooked oatmeal. Plus, soaking oats in an acid (like yogurt) overnight helps to significantly reduce anti-nutrients found in oats, like phytic acid.
- Want to bump the fiber up even more? Swap out chia seeds for edible basil seeds! This will add 7 more grams of fiber.
- If you’re carb sensitive, choose the lower sugar topping options like blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. You might also want to decrease the oats to 1/4 cup and bump up the chia seeds by 1 tablespoon to lower the starch.
Jars I Use
In this photo, I used Le Parfait glass jars. They’re super cute, but a poor investment. Since taking this photo I’ve had three crack simply from opening the jar! Instead, a more “life friendly” option are these 30 ounce glass meal prep containers. Not as cute, but so much more practical (and safe).
FAQ’s
You can, but the taste and nutrient breakdown will be quite different. To make it vegan, use a greek-style almond milk yogurt, unsweetened almond milk and a plant-based protein powders. But fair warning: many plant-based protein powders get clumpy when stirred into mixtures.
It depends on how carb sensitive you are. If you aren’t very carb sensitive and you’re also active, then this should be a good breakfast for you. However, if you are carb sensitive or insulin resistant, you may be better off with one of my chia pudding recipes instead.
Related Reading: Carb Sensitivity Quiz
Other Recipes You May Love
- Tropical Lemon Chia Pudding; High protein, low carb, and easy to meal prep.
- High Protein Yogurt Bowl; 53 grams protein per serving!
- Warm Blueberry Low Carb Oatmeal; Perfect if you’re trying to reduce your carbs.
Did you love this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
High Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
- 2 scoops Autumn's Vanilla Protein Powder
- 2 tablespoons unflavored collagen powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a glass meal prep container, add the oats, chia seeds, cacao nibs, protein powder and collagen powder. Stir with a fork.
- Add the milk and greek yogurt and stir with a fork until well combined.
- Cap the lid and pop in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 5 days.
- When ready to eat, remove from the fridge. Optional to add toppings. See topping recommendations in the blog post.
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
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