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Overnight oats are the perfect breakfast recipe to meal prep! In just 5 minutes, you can have a healthy breakfast ready to go in the morning to grab and go. This vegan overnight oats recipe only calls for 6 basic ingredients.
Maple Pecan Overnight Oats
I am always so grateful to my past-self when I have meals ready to go in the fridge. But prepping recipes ahead of time can seem daunting – especially when batch cooking. While it saves so much time during the week, meal prepping a whole bunch of food at once can take hours.
Aside from granola, I almost exclusively prep overnight oats for breakfast. They take just minutes to make, and you can customize the recipe to fit your flavor preferences or cravings. Then, just refrigerate overnight and you’ll have oats all ready to enjoy in the morning.
How to Make Overnight Oats
First, you’ll need some type of vessel to add the ingredients to. I love using a glass jar, but any type of container will work as long as it’s big enough. If you want to heat them up in the morning instead of eating the oats cold, make sure to use a microwave-safe container.
I recommend using rolled oats (or “old fashioned” oats) to make overnight oats. You can also use steel cut oats, though they won’t be quite as soft. Do NOT use quick or instant oats – you will just have a soggy gooey mess.
Along with the oats, you’ll need some type of cold milk. My go-to is usually almond milk but any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work. No milk on hand? Use water. No need to heat up the milk before adding it to the oats.
Now it’s time for the add-ins! For this recipe, we are using pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. You could also add flax seeds or chia seeds for a thicker texture or more nutritional value.
When all the ingredients are added to the jar, you can either mix with a spoon or pop the lid on and give it a good shake.
Set in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning! I love cold overnight oats, but you can also heat in the microwave or pour in a pot and heat on the stove.
Note – Pecans will get a bit soft if soaked overnight. If you want your pecans to stay crunchy, mix everything else together and add the pecans on top.
More Easy Recipes to Meal Prep
- Breakfast Tacos
- Vegan Teriyaki Meal Prep Bowls
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Easy Hummus
- Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
- Jackfruit Enchilada Bowls
Maple Pecan Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a jar or container. Cover and let sit in the fridge overnight.
- Enjoy in the morning, cold or warm!
Barbara Smith says
Why non-dairy milk rather than whole milk?
Karissa says
This is a vegan recipe site, so all recipes are dairy-free.
Matthew Morris McCormick says
You make no mention of cooking the oats. Do they not need to be cooked beforehand, or is the “cooking” the overnight storage in the jar?
Karissa says
Correct. They do not need to be cooked. The soaking softens them.