~ This wonderfully easy Blueberry Overnight Oats recipe is a delightful make-ahead, power breakfast – loaded with keep-you-full fiber and protein, and yummy, antioxidant-packed berries! Incredibly nutritious, and sooooo delicious! Plus, we’ve also got alternate, quick oats instructions so you can whip up these cold oats in the morning, right before serving. ~

This Recipe Is:   •  Ready in 30 Minutes or Less  •  Make Ahead  •  Vegetarian  •  Gluten Free  •

I used to think oatmeal was just a cozy, steaming-hot, wintertime breakfast. Silly me.

That was before I met overnight oats – the creamy, cool, refreshing creation that is truly summer’s version of breakfast comfort food.

And once I tasted Gretchen’s Overnight Oats with Apples, Cranberries and Cinnamon … well, I was crave-crazy, head-over-heels in love with the idea.

I took her recipe and ran with it. I ran and ran (we’re practically talking an overnight oats marathon here, I ran so much with the idea) … making up my own variations based on whatever I had in the fridge.

This blueberry-almond version was, hands-down, one of my family’s favorites (Praline-Peach was another).

Trust me – once you try this, you’ll know exactly why!

Why You’ll Adore These Blueberry Overnight Oats

Overnight, cold oatmeal is deeply satisfying (just like its steaming hot, winter-y hot oatmeal cousin), but it’s also so very refreshingly cool and light.

It’s got the keep-you-filled-up-and-going-strong combination of fiber and protein, but it won’t weigh you down. You’ll be out the door in a flash – fueled up and ready for the day’s adventures!

•  This blueberry version features crunchy almonds, a bit of tropical coconut, and irresistibly plump berries. Mmmmm … plus a tiny hit of almond extract to play up the nutty sweetness. (Pssst … if you love this flavor combo as much as I do, be sure to check out my super easy No-Bake Blueberry Almond Oatmeal Bars, too!)

•  Creamy vanilla Greek yogurt is stirred into the milk to make these overnight oats feel much richer and more decadent than recipes made with milk alone. And of course, Greek yogurt boasts probiotics and a nice little bump of protein.

•  Just a hint of cinnamon and some warm, caramel-y brown sugar notes round it all out – so this isn’t just a healthy overnight oats recipe … it’s an undeniably scrumptious one, too! 

Light but filling. Quick but delicious. Easy but satisfying. Yup. Gotta love overnight oats!

But wait. Maybe you’re new to the whole concept of overnight oatmeal, just like I was. Maybe we need to jump back to the beginning, because you’re wondering …

What Are Overnight Oats?

I’m glad you asked!

Basically, overnight oats are made by soaking oats in a liquid (usually some sort of milk) to soften them and thicken the mixture until it’s about the consistency of traditional, hot oatmeal.

Various recipes add flavorings (like vanilla or almond extract), spices, fruits, or nuts. And some recipes (like this one) lean into the wonderfully creamy and nutritious addition of yogurt.

Overnight oats recipes are terrific for busy families and for meal prepping, since they’re made ahead of time (ahem … that’s the overnight part of the equation!). They wait patiently in the fridge, for whenever you’re ready to grab your power breakfast and kick your day into gear!

Overnight, cold oatmeal is very similar to overnight chia seed pudding, if you’ve ever tried that. And if you haven’t tried chia pudding, well then you’ve absolutely gotta give it a shot, too – maybe starting with our basic Overnight Chia Pudding recipe, our delightful “copycat” Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk, or maybe our decadent “Candy Bar” Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.

But I digress … for now, stick with the overnight oatmeal thing we’ve got going on here … you can foray into the joys of Chia Pudding next week! 😉

How to Make Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal … in Truly Just Minutes!

This is so ridiculously quick and easy that if you blink you might miss it. Ready? (Prop those peepers open with toothpicks if you have too …)

Step #1

Mix together all the “wet” ingredients in a medium bowl.

Step #2

Then, stir in your oats, almonds and coconut.

Step #3

Once it’s all thoroughly combined, gently stir in your blueberries, being very careful not to smash them.

That’s it! Done and done!

Cover that bowl (or portion it out into single-serve containers), stash it in the fridge, and forget about it until the next morning. (You know, the next morning: when you’re rushing around, wishing your breakfast was already made, and then you remember … oh wait! … it IS already made! Yep, you’re already winning and the day’s hardly even begun!)

How to Transform This Into an Instant “Quick Oats” Recipe

If you’re like me, overnight oatmeal is an ideal … that sometimes just doesn’t quite happen.

I’m honestly pretty terrible at remembering to make breakfast the night before (so it’s all nice and ready to go in the morning). I looooove the idea. But somehow, the day gets away from me, and I don’t always quiiiiite get it done.

My answer? I figured out a couple simple tweaks so I could actually make overnight oats quick oats in just minutes!

Two easy changes, and your Blueberry Overnight Oats become instant, “it’s-morning-and-mommy-didn’t-plan-ahead-and-we-need-a-quick-breakfast” oats.

Works perfectly, I promise!

All you have to do is mix up the recipe in exactly the same way (those three, easy, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them steps) … BUT … make two tiny adjustments:

Change #1

Use just 1/2 cup milk, instead of 2/3 cup.

Change #2

In addition, use quick oats instead of old-fashioned, rolled oats (in the same amount of 1 cup).

Let your quick oats mixture sit for a minute or two, if needed, so the oats soften and your mixture thickens a little.

Then … PRESTO! Breakfast is ready!

(And even though you didn’t plan ahead the night before, you look like a total kitchen wizard, and the whole family gets an awesome, nutritious breakfast with practically no effort at all. Aha … you’re winning the day again, without even pre-planning a thing!)

The Best Oats for Making Overnight Oatmeal

Which type of oats you use truly does make a difference.

Notice that, to make this Blueberry Overnight Oats recipe, I specifically call for old-fashioned oats (aka rolled oats). 

BUT … for making that “instant” cold oatmeal version (above),  I tell you to use quick oats.

There’s a reason for that!

After all our testing, I 100% recommend that you use old-fashioned, rolled oats if you’re making overnight oatmeal.

That’s because old-fashioned oats need that overnight soak to achieve a perfect (dare I say …) “oatmeal-y” texture by morning.

Quick oats, on the other hand, are rolled thinner during processing, so they soften much faster than old-fashioned oats do. They are literally ready to eat quickly (hence the name!), after just a couple of minutes of soaking in our creamy, milk and yogurt base. 

If you try to use quick oats to make an overnight oats recipe, I feel like they just get too broken-down and unappetizingly gummy by morning. Quick oats simply aren’t hearty enough to withstand overnight soaking and still be at their best.

Oh – and are ya worried about which type of oat is healthiest? Don’t be concerned!

As Quaker Oats explains (and they’re really kind of the original oatmeal experts, right??), there’s not a major difference in nutrition between old-fashioned and quick oats. The main differences are in how you use the oats, and how you want a specific recipe to turn out texturally.

So, all things considered here, old-fashioned, rolled oats are the slam dunk choice for making overnight oats … and quick oats are the perfect thing for making a last-minute, “instant” version.

Yep … You’ve Got Options

All you pre-planners out there can make this delicious concoction of cool and creamy Blueberry Oats as a make-ahead, overnight breakfast recipe. (Meal-prep masters, rejoice!)

And, all you last-minute-non-planners can just whip this up in about 5 minutes, in the morning.

Yay! You’ve got options! And no matter what you choose, it’ll be delicious … and your day will already be off to a beautiful start!

* Originally published on June 11, 2015, as Cool and Creamy, 5-Minute, No-Cook Blueberry-Almond Oatmeal (With Make-Ahead, Overnight Oats Option, Too!).