Breakfast Oat Bowls

These easy oat bowls are a delicious, healthy make-ahead breakfast. Customize them with toppings like nuts, seeds, nut butter, or fresh fruit!

Breakfast oat bowls

These easy oat bowls are the perfect breakfast if you love eating oatmeal in the morning but don’t have time to cook before you head out the door. The base consists of whole rolled oats soaked in almond milk overnight with a dash of maple syrup. In the morning, the oats are soft, sweet, and lightly creamy, and they have a porridge-like consistency that’s satisfying to eat.

Try one of the four variations as written below, or dress up the base recipe with whatever toppings you like! You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butter, homemade granola, or toasted coconut flakes.

Oat bowl with tart cherries, blueberries, yogurt, and chia seeds

How to Make Breakfast Oat Bowls

These breakfast oat bowls are so simple to make! Here’s what you need to do:

  • On the night before you plan to enjoy your oats, mix together equal parts whole rolled oats and milk. I typically use coconut or almond milk, but oat milk, soy milk, or regular milk would also work here. Then, add a little maple syrup and a dash of salt. Stir to combine!
  • Refrigerate the mixture overnight in an airtight container.
  • In the morning, the oats are ready to eat! Transfer them to a bowl before topping and devouring them, or top and take them on the go.

These are the toppings I started with to create these 4 breakfast bowl variations – how pretty are all of these healthy ingredients?!

Seeds and fruit in bowls

Oat Bowl Recipe Tips

  • Know your oats. Whole rolled oats are the way to go here. DON’T use quick oats or steel-cut oats. Quick oats will be too mushy, while steel-cut oats will be too tough.
  • Leave your oats plain while they refrigerate overnight, and add toppings in the morning! That way, dried fruit will stay chewy, and any nuts and seeds will be crunchy, not gummy.
  • Prep a big batch ahead for the whole week! Scale this recipe up to get ahead on breakfast all week long! Store individual servings in Mason jars and use different toppings each day.

Breakfast oat bowl topped with yogurt, cherries, and berries

Breakfast Oat Bowl Variations

Top the oat base with whatever nuts, seeds, nut butters, etc. you like, or try one of these yummy variations:

Cherry Berry Oats with Chia & Yogurt

A classic antioxidant-filled combo. This bowl is piled with tart cherries, blueberries, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup. For a fun twist, sub blueberry compote for the cherries and berries!

Breakfast oat bowl topped with mango and coconut flakes

Coconut Turmeric Oats

An unexpected breakfast bowl filled with anti-inflammatory spices! Make the base recipe with coconut milk, and stir in a heaping 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. In the morning, dress it up with mango, dried currants, hemp seeds, and coconut flakes.

Breakfast oat bowl topped with tahini, dried apricots, and pomegranates

Sweet Sesame Tahini Oats

I love tahini so much that now I’m eating it for breakfast! This pretty bowl is topped with a big scoop of tahini, pomegranate arils, chopped dried apricots, sesame seeds, and crushed pistachios. To make it sweeter, add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Breakfast oat bowl with almond butter and chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip Cookie Oats

If you’re trying to get your kids (or husband) to eat oats, this one is for you :). Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to the base recipe the night before, and in the morning, top it with almond butter or peanut butter, chocolate chips, and chopped almonds for crunch.

Oat bowl with cherries, berries, and yogurt

More Healthy Breakfast Ideas

If you love these breakfast bowl ideas, try one of these healthy breakfasts next:

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Breakfast Oat Bowls

rate this recipe:
5 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
These overnight breakfast oat bowls are endlessly customizable. Try one of the variations in the post above, or experiment with different spices, nut butters, nuts, seeds, or fruit.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup almond milk or light coconut milk, more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Desired toppings from above

Instructions

  • In a small jar, combine the oats, almond or coconut milk, maple syrup, and salt. Stir and chill overnight.
  • In the morning, scoop the oats into a bowl, stir in more almond or coconut milk, if desired, for consistency. Top with desired toppings.
  • Alternatively, for a grab-and-go breakfast, you can assemble the oats in jars with the toppings the night before.

Note: If you’re gluten free, be sure to use Certified Gluten Free Oats.

1 comment

5 from 14 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Rachel Cantin
    03.23.2023

    5 stars
    it’s good!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.