Oats and Chia Pudding

I like making oats and chia pudding in batches, as they are easy to make and last well for 3-4 days in the fridge this way. With this chia oatmeal pudding recipe, you have your breakfast secured for a few days; they also make a good dessert or snack for home office days.

This recipe offers a compact yet indulgent twist on the classic breakfast fruit bowl. It focuses on making it more luxurious despite using less fruit.

Overnight oats stand out as a top-notch breakfast prep choice, offering a creamy, delicious, and convenient option that's ready to enjoy straight from the fridge.

With just ten minutes of prep time before bed, you can wake up to a nutritious breakfast waiting for you!

For a burst of blueberries in your morning, try our Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats, enriched with healthy chia seeds. And for a cozy fall flavor, don't miss our Pumpkin Overnight Oats – both are delicious and nourishing ways to start your day.

Jump to:

• 💚 Why you will love it
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💡 Expert tips
• 📖 Variations
• 🥇 Adding Oats and Chia to your morning
• 🫙 Storage
• 📚 More breakfast recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

🧾 Ingredients

• Old-fashioned Rolled Oats or steel-cut oats (gluten-free)
• Chia seeds
• Your favorite nut butter (Peanut butter or almond butter)
• Fresh red fruit (blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
• Almond milk (coconut milk or oat milk)
• Cocoa powder or dark chocolate
• Coconut flakes

Optional: chopped nuts, maple syrup, vanilla extract, sliced almonds, or chopped walnuts.

You can see that I am intentionally marking several items as optional. This way, you can always find a way to customize your overnight oats recipe, even if you miss two or three ingredients.

Substitutions

Original Ingredient	Suggested Substitution
Old-fashioned Rolled Oats	Quick oats or buckwheat (for a different texture and flavor)
Chia Seeds	Ground flaxseeds (for a similar texture and omega-3s)
Nut Butter	Seed butter (like sunflower or pumpkin seed butter)
Fresh Fruit	Dried fruit (rehydrated overnight for softness)
Almond Milk	Soy milk or rice milk (for different nutrient profiles)
Cocoa Powder	Carob powder (for a caffeine-free alternative)
Coconut Flakes	Shredded almonds or hemp seeds (for crunch and nutrition)
Maple Syrup (optional)	Agave nectar or date syrup (for sweetness)
Vanilla Extract (optional)	Almond extract (for a nutty flavor)
Chopped Nuts (optional)	Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds (for a nut-free crunch)

🔪 Instructions

To make these overnight chia oats, follow these quick and simple steps:

Measure

Get your measuring spoons, cups, and fresh fruit ready.

Assemble

In a glass, set (in this order) jam, followed by half of the rolled oats, then chia seeds, half of the water or vegetable milk, the nut butter (optional), the next half of the oats, and finish with water or almond milk.

Refrigerate overnight

Let the chia seed pudding soak overnight.

In the morning, enhance your oats with your choice of toppings, from dried fruits to seasonal favorites. We love adding fresh banana slices and berries, along with a drizzle of maple syrup, a sprinkle of cocoa or dark chocolate, and coconut flakes for a final touch.

Consider topping it with chunky applesauce for a twist. For a guide on making unsweetened applesauce, check our tips.

To reduce sweetness and calories, consider skipping the marmalade, nuts, peanut butter, and coconut flakes.

If fresh berries aren't available, dried berries are a great alternative; they'll rehydrate nicely overnight.

While we provide quantities for a single serving, making at least four servings at once is efficient, turning one effort into four breakfasts.

📖 Variations

Here are a few ideas to make your chia puddings different.

Oats: You can use any kind of oats, like quick-cooking oats, rolled oats, and steel-cut oats, just like you would on your usual brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal.

Dairy-free milk: Instead of using the usual dairy skim milk, go for a healthier option. I find the most flavorful options are almond milk (find a homemade recipe), oat milk, and coconut milk.

Cashew milk helps a lot to make your cold oats ultra-creamy, and soy milk helps to add extra protein.

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and even pecans can be used.

Nut butter: I am slightly biased toward peanut butter, almond butter, and hazelnut butter, but you can also use cashew butter. We love using pistachio cream as we do in our chocolate chia pudding recipe.

Chia seeds: they are great for making cold overnight oats because they absorb plant milk very well. If you decide to try other seeds, like flax seeds, I recommend using ground flax meals to maximize their nutritional value.

Hemp seeds are also a great option, as they are packed with protein and make these healthy overnight oats extra creamy.

Maple syrup: instead of maple syrup, replace it with your favorite natural sweeteners like stevia leaves, agave nectar, or even coconut nectar.

Flavor: Add vanilla extract to your grab-and-go healthy breakfast. I also love overnight oats with almond and orange extract.

For a citrusy touch, you can simply add the zest of a lemon or the one from your breakfast orange juice.

🥇 Adding Oats and Chia to your morning

Chia seeds are full of antioxidants, fiber, and protein, and they have varied and healthy calorie and carb counts.

Also, this is a powerful ingredient, and Science Says These Are 3 of the Healthiest Foods You Can Eat.

Oats are not behind; they provide an immense amount of nutrients and tons of benefits.

They can Lower Cholesterol Levels, Protect LDL Cholesterol From Damage, and Improve Blood Sugar Control.

So these two together are a blast!

Remember to shop for Gluten-Free Oats if you are on a Gluten-Free diet, as Oats naturally do not contain gluten. Still, they are usually processed in places where there is gluten, and usually, they don't guarantee they are gluten-free.

🫙 Storage

If you want to save time in the morning and have a quick breakfast, add your favorite topping and fresh fruit before bed. Use individual jars and close them with a lid on the overnight oats.

This way, the fresh fruit will not oxidate much in the fridge and can keep its color.

This is the perfect breakfast for busy mornings, so we recommend making a big batch on Sunday, and you will have your overnight oats ready for the week.

📚 More breakfast recipes

For more nutritious Vegan Breakfast recipes, check these out:

Making the classic rice pudding or a cardamom rice pudding is another great meal prep option if you want to try something a little different and equally easy!

• Frozen Mixed Berry Smoothie
• Breakfast Fruit Bowl
• The Morning Celery Juice
• Carrot Apple and Celery Juice
• Simple Green Juice
• 3-ingredient Oat Milk Chia Pudding

If you like your oats packed in a yummy banana smoothie, you should have a check at ours!

⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

📋 Recipe