Savor the cozy flavors of apple and cinnamon anytime of year by making up a batch of these vegan apple cinnamon overnight oats. Finely chopped apples are stirred together with rolled oats, soy milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, and vegan yogurt for this healthy, no-cook breakfast.
Although I try not to play favorites, this apple cinnamon overnight oats might be mine! The humble apple is a good source of soluble fiber in the form of pectin. Pectin helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol; it is also a prebiotic so it supports gut health by feeding beneficial gut bacteria. Oats also offer many health benefits like lower cholesterol and gut health.
If you love the combination of apples and cinnamon and want to try out a new grain, be sure to also check out my apple cinnamon amaranth porridge.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- No-Cook: unlike your traditional bowl of oatmeal, overnight oats need no cooking! As the oats sit in the milk, they soak it up and soften so you can eat it without ever heating it up. Great for a healthy dorm friendly breakfast or even a mid-afternoon snack.
- Scalable: this plant-based apple cinnamon overnight oats recipe is written for one serving, but it can easily be scaled to meal prep several servings of overnight oats at the same time. Perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast for busy parents and teens.
- Diet & Allergen Friendly: this apple chia overnight oats recipe is vegan, dairy free, egg free, and gluten free (when using gluten free certified oats).
Want more vegan overnight oats recipes developed by a plant-based dietitian? Check out my basic vegan overnight oats recipe post that includes recipes and tons of helpful tips for the perfect batch of vegan overnight oats!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Old Fashioned Oats: Choose regular old fashioned rolled oats for overnight oatmeal. Since your oats are going to be sitting in liquid for several hours, you want to achieve the perfect balance between too mushy and too chewy. Quick cooking oats are too mush-y for my taste and steel cut oats are too chewy.
- Milk: To make these vegan, I use plant-based milk for my overnight oats. I typically use soy milk because it is higher in protein than other non-dairy milks, but you can use any plant-based milk you prefer like almond, hemp, oat, rice, or cashew.
- Yogurt: To make your overnight oats extra creamy, add some yogurt. Any type of yogurt will do, but I like to use a plant-based yogurt, especially one that has at least 7 grams of protein per serving.
- Chia seeds: Using chia seeds takes your overnight oats to another level by making them more pudding-like. They are technically optional, but I feel like this base overnight oats recipe is so much better with them.
- Maple Syrup: Add a touch of sweetness to your overnight oats with some maple syrup. You can easily skip the maple syrup if you want to make the recipe sugar free. If you don’t like maple syrup, you can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or agave.
- Salt: It may seem counterintuitive to add a pinch of salt to your overnight oats, but I promise you that a dash of salt takes your overnights oats from meh to Y-U-M!
- Apples: add any variety of apple to these oats. I like to finely chop them for this recipe. You can also sauté the apples for a few minutes in a skillet to soften them before adding to your oats if you prefer.
How to Make Apple and Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Step One: Add all of your overnight oat ingredients to a bowl or wide mouthed jar and stir well to combine.
Step Two: Place your apple cinnamon overnight oats in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight to thicken. To serve, add more chopped apple (if desired) and chopped nuts.
Expert Tips
- Batch Prep: Rather than make one serving of this overnight oats at a time, you can batch prep at least 5 servings at once at the beginning of the week. They store well in the fridge for up to a week so just adjust the portions of the recipe below to batch prep as many servings as you need.
- Use Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: quick cooking oats will work for this recipe, but they become mushy when chilled. However, if you like a softer, more pudding-like texture that might work for you! You just want to avoid steel cut oats as they will not soften enough overnight to be edible by morning.
- Oats too thick?: If you meal prepped your oats, you may find them to be thicker after 2-3 days so just stir in a splash of milk to thin them out again.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Apple and cinnamon oatmeal is a great option for a healthy breakfast. It is loaded with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and antioxidants. You can’t go wrong with apple and cinnamon oatmeal.
Sure! There’s no reason that you shouldn’t eat overnight oats regularly for breakfast if you enjoy it. Just try to switch up the flavors and toppings because it is important to get variety in your diet.
They can be – you just have to use a plant-based milk and vegan flavorings and toppings! In this vegan recipe, we’re adding soy milk and vegan yogurt so it is extra creamy.
Topping Suggestions
- Fresh or Frozen Fruit: add more chopped apple just before serving OR try some chopped pear instead.
- Dried Fruit: raisins or dried cranberries are both great toppings for this plant-based mango overnight oats recipe.
- Seeds: hemp hearts or ground flax seeds will provide some additional fiber and health fats. You could also try adding pumpkin seeds.
- Nuts: add some crunch as well as health fat by topping these oats with some walnuts, almonds, or pecans.
- Granola: add crunch to these oats by sprinkling some granola on top. This homemade vegan granola recipe is my favorite!
Storage
- Refrigerator: store overnight oats in an airtight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze this overnight oats recipe in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Vegan Overnight Oats Recipes
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Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats*
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk of choice (I like soy milk)
- 1/3 cup plain vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/2 apple, chopped
Instructions
- In a large mouth 1/2 liter jar, add the oats, milk, yogurt, vanilla, maple syrup, chia, cinnamon and salt. Stir well with a spoon. Cover jar and refrigerate overnight.
- Add more chopped apple and cinnamon just before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Gluten Free: To make this gluten free, just make sure to use gluten free certified oats.
- Chia seeds: if you don’t have chia seeds, you can use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed instead. If you don’t have flax or chia, just reduce the milk from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
- Storage: overnight oats can be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Nutrition
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