Starting your morning with these protein overnight oats is a sure fire way to keep you full and fueled all the way to lunch. The addition of quinoa to this recipe lightens up the texture and adds even more protein. Breakfast on the go never tasted so good!
When life gets crazy and you're tempted to skip breakfast on your way out the door for a busy work day, think again! These meal-prep friendly protein overnight oats will save the day time and time again.
In just five minutes, you can whip up a batch of the base oat mix before you go to bed. When morning rolls around all you have to do is layer them with your favorite flavors, like PB&J!
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Why You Will Love These Protein Overnight Oats
Here are a few of the reasons why we're absolutely in love with this recipe:
- It takes just 5 minutes to make a batch.
- They're vegan and gluten free so long as you use GF oats!
- Oats are high in fiber and help to lower blood sugar levels.
- Oats help you feel full so you’re less likely to snack.
- Quinoa adds extra protein and keeps the mixture nice and light!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need and how you can switch things up:
- Oats-Obviously! Oats are naturally gluten free but sometimes get trace amounts of gluten during processing so if you’re sensitive to that, make sure you look for GF oats. You’ll want standard rolled oats and not instant or steel cut.
- Quinoa-We know it sounds unorthodox but the quinoa helps keep the overall mixture light and fluffy! You can of course use solely oats, but the texture will be a little heavier.
- Protein Powder-Any unsweetened or vanilla flavored protein powder will work great in this recipe. You can use the same protein powder that you use in your morning smoothies.
- Chia Seeds-These are also optional but we suggest you give them a try because they are full of fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. If you don’t have them, feel free to just leave them out all together.
- Maple Syrup-We love the flavor that maple adds to the mix but honey, agave, or even brown sugar would also work just fine.
- Oat Milk-Oat milk just enhances the overall oaty flavor in this recipe. Almond, hemp, soy and dairy milk would also swap out beautifully.
- Almond Butter-I like to use unsalted, unsweetened almond butter to keep the sugar low but you can use any nut butter you prefer and it will still be delicious!
- Raspberry Jam-Making your own chia jam lets you reap the extra health benefits of the chia seeds while also keeping the sugar levels much lower than keeping store-bought jam. But if all you have is store-bought, then go for it!
Step by Step Instructions for Protein Overnight Oats
Combine dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together.
Add remaining wet ingredients to the mixture and stir together until well combined.
While protein overnight oats chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, gather ingredients to make raspberry chia jam.
Mix together ingredients for raspberry chia jam.
FAQ
Why do you add quinoa to your overnight oats?
Adding quinoa to the mix helps add a lightness to the texture of the oats. For those people who find that overnight oats made purely with oats is too much fiber or too heavy in their stomach, adding quinoa solves that problem! Plus it adds extra protein!
You can use my 1 minute quinoa recipe for making a big batch of quinoa ahead of time!
What milks work well in overnight oats?
Aside from cow milk, alternative milks that work great are: soy, hemp, almond, coconut, rice and oat milk! Oat milk is our fave in this particular recipe.
What nut butters work well in overnight oats?
My favorites are peanut and almond butter but you can also use sunflower butter or cashew butter with great success. Whatever works best with your dietary restrictions and taste preferences.
How long will these peanut butter and jelly quinoa overnight oats last in the fridge?
Technically these meal prepped mason jars with the overnight oats will last up to five days easily in the fridge. However, we think they are best when eaten within the first three days of making them.
Can you freeze overnight oats?
Yes! You just need to make sure your mason jars, or whatever container you’re using, are freezer safe. They will last up to three months in the freezer. To eat, move from the freezer to the fridge the night before serving and they should be thawed by morning.
Do you eat these warm or cold?
Most people eat them cold or at room temperature. You can warm them up but that will make your nut butter and jam have a runny texture. If you prefer them warm, I would prep the jars without your layered nut butter and jam and instead add those to the top after the oats have been warmed up.
Can You Leave Out the Quinoa?
Yes! If you don't have any quinoa on hand, you can use more oats in their place. So, you would use 3.5 cups of oats all together. Remember to use old fashioned oats and not instant or steel cut! Bob's Red Mill oats are my absolute fave!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes to Try
Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 3 cups oat milk
- 1 cup almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 cups frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups cooked quinoa, 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats, 2 tablespoon chia seeds, 3 cups oat milk and ⅓ cup of maple syrup. Stir well to combine.
- Cover mixture with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferrably overnight.
- In a small bowl, defrost the raspberries in the microwave until soft. Add the chia seeds and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes and it will thicken.
- To assemble layer oat mixture with almond butter and chia seed jam. Top with hemp hearts or crushed nuts.
Notes
- Make sure and use old fashioned oats and not instant oats in this recipe.
- You can substitute regular milk, or any other milk alternatives that you have on hand.
- These will keep assembled in the fridge for 4 days.
- This recipe will fill four mason jars approximately 12-16oz..
Love having pbj for breakfast! Thanks so much for this recipe!!
So glad you like it! It’s a family favorite of ours as well. 🙂