Start your morning with a cozy jar of applesauce overnight oats! Creamy, perfectly spiced, and incredibly satisfying, this grab-and-go breakfast comes together in 5 minutes.
This recipe is perfect for meal prep to fuel busy weekdays, just like our steel-cut oats cookies and banana flapjacks.
Whenever I have leftover applesauce from making other recipes, like my applesauce oatmeal pancakes or applesauce baked oatmeal, I use it to make a few jars of this applesauce overnight oatmeal! It is a convenient weekday breakfast option that I can grab before heading out to campus.
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💚Why you will love applesauce overnight oats
- A delicious breakfast packed with fiber to keep you fueled
- Low effort, no cook recipe - all you need are a handful of simple ingredients and 5 minutes
- Customize it to your liking with endless combination of add-ins and topping variations
- Perfect on-the-go breakfast that is meal-prep friendly
🌾What you will need
- Oats - Use either rolled or quick oats. Quick oats yield a smoother, mushier texture, while rolled oats produce chewier overnight oats. Steel-cut oats WILL NOT work in this recipe (use it to make my protein steel cut oats instead!)
- Applesauce - Unsweetened applesauce is preferred, but if using sweetened ones, you can reduce the amount or omit the maple syrup. Both store-bought or homemade applesauce will work.
- Milk - Feel free to use any milk, be it regular milk or plant-based alternatives like almond milk or soy milk.
- Maple syrup - Can be substituted with other sweetener of choice.
- Pinch of salt - Just a little will enhance the flavor of these applesauce overnight oats.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✨Variations and add-ins
- Make it gluten-free - Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Protein overnight oats - Add a serving of your favorite protein powder. You will need to add more milk to thin out the mixture. Or, you can check out my vegan protein overnight oats or chocolate protein overnight oats instead.
- Apple pie overnight oats - Before enjoying overnight oats, top it with diced apples, a dust of cinnamon, and chopped walnuts/pecans.
- Other spices - Other than cinnamon, you can also add apple pie spice, cardamom, nutmeg, or any other spices that sound good.
- Dried fruits - For extra sweetness, you could stir in a small handful of raisins, dried cranberries, sultanas, or any other dried fruits of choice.
- Toppings - Go wild with your favorite toppings! Common ones include fruits, granola (like my protein granola), yogurt, chopped nuts, or nut butters.
🔪How to make applesauce overnight oats
Step 1: Mix milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a mason jar.
Step 2: Then, add the remaining ingredients, including oats, chia seeds, and cinnamon.
Step 3: Stir until everything is well mixed and refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight.
Step 4: When ready to enjoy, give applesauce overnight oats a quick stir, adding more milk if needed.
✅Helpful tips
- Make it in a jar - I highly recommend making overnight oats in a jar, like this 16-oz Mason jar, for convenience. You can prep, store, and enjoy oats using only one container!
- Soak oats for 4 hours minimum - This allows enough time for the oats to soften and flavors to develop.
- Adjust the consistency - Right before serving, stir the oats and add more milk if it is too thick for your liking.
- Serve it warm - Transfer overnight oats to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it at 30-second bursts until oats are hot.
- Avoid adding toppings too early - To ensure toppings stay fresh, only add them before serving. This is especially true for fruits and crunchy toppings such as granola and chopped nuts.
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❄️Meal prep and storing suggestions
Batch prep - Multiply ingredients and mix everything in a large bowl. Divide into jars and refrigerate for convenience.
Fridge - Applesauce overnight oats can be refrigerated for 4 days. Only add the toppings when ready to serve to ensure they stay fresh.
Freezer - Freeze in airtight jars for up to 3 months, leaving some space at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Before serving - Give oats a quick stir, adding more milk if the mixture is thick. Top with your favorite toppings before digging in!
?Commonly asked questions
Although overnight oats are commonly served warm, you can enjoy them hot. Transfer oats to a microwave-safe bowl and heat them in 30-second bursts until hot, adding a splash of milk to thin the mixture if needed.
Alternatively, you could heat them in a saucepan on the stove instead.
If your overnight oats are too thin, you can thicken them by adding 1-2 teaspoons of chia seeds. Then, stir the mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before enjoying. The chia seeds will absorb the liquid and thicken your oats.
Alternatively, add a few tablespoons of protein powder to runny oats. This will not only thicken the mixture but also provide a boost of protein, keeping you fuller for longer.
Yes, overnight oats can be made with water instead of milk. Your oats will turn out less creamy, but you can make up for that creaminess by adding a spoonful of yogurt or nut butter.
🍽️More oatmeal recipes
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Applesauce Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk of choice (use plant milk to make this recipe dairy-free)
- ¼ cup applesauce unsweetened
- 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ½ cup oats rolled or quick (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a mason jar.
- Then, add the remaining ingredients, including oats, chia seeds, and cinnamon.
- Stir until everything is well mixed, and refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to enjoy, give applesauce overnight oats a quick stir, adding more milk if needed.
Notes
- Make it in a jar - I highly recommend making overnight oats in a jar, like this 16-oz Mason jar, for convenience. You can prep, store, and enjoy oats using only one container!
- Serve it warm - Transfer overnight oats to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it at 30-second bursts until oats are hot.
- Avoid adding toppings too early - To ensure toppings stay fresh, only add them before serving. This is especially true for fruits and crunchy toppings such as granola and chopped nuts.
- To meal prep - Multiply the ingredients, and combine everything in a large bowl. Then, divide the oat mixture using glass jars for convenience. They can be refrigerated for 4 days.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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