Almond Joy Overnight Oats are the best breakfast! Great for meal prepping, easy to make and delicious. Secretly healthy + high protein too!
Â
If you want a no cook, high protein breakfast that tastes just like dessert, you have to try these coconut overnight oats.
With the flavors of an almond joy candy bar and 20g of protein per serving, this overnight oatmeal will keep you full much longer than regular plain oats will!
These are not your average overnight oats! This overnight oatmeal has a mix of mini chocolate chips, coconut flakes + slivered almonds- all the things you need for a *dream* breakfast combo.
3 great reasons to make Almond Joy overnight oats
- Perfect for a grab and go breakfast. Because they are delicious either warm or cold, you can save time in the morning by taking them on the road with you.
- High in protein and low in sugar. Typical sweet breakfast desserts are foods like cinnamon rolls or French toast, which have a lot of sugar. This recipe is healthy, so you can indulge in dessert for breakfast!
- Easy, no-cook meal prep recipe. The coconut overnight oats will keep for a few days in the fridge, so you can make enough to last the entire week.
Ingredients
To make these almond joy overnight oats, you’ll need:
- old fashioned oats – Be sure to use whole rolled oats. Steel cut oats don’t work well, and quick cooking oats become super mushy.
- nonfat greek yogurt – you could also use full fat greek yogurt. Greek yogurt helps add protein and makes these oats really creamy!
- almond milk or regular milk – I like whole milk for the extra protein.
- mini chocolate chips – or chopped dark chocolate
- unsweetened coconut flakes – sweetened work too, but will add more sugar!
- sliced almonds
- almond extract – this is the key to the almond joy flavor. You can replace with vanilla extract but it won’t taste the same!
These overnight oat mugs are our favorite containers for overnight oats! These pretty mugs are really easy to eat out of because of the handle and I love the lids!
Substitutions for Almond Joy Overnight Oats:
This recipe is very adaptable, so feel free to get creative with the ingredients in your coconut overnight oats.
Greek Yogurt:You can use full fat Greek yogurt if you prefer it. Greek yogurt has more protein than traditional yogurt, and it makes the oatmeal very creamy, too!
Milk:Â Any milk will work in this, you can use regular dairy milk, or whatever non dairy milk you like (almond, oat, coconut milk, hemp, etc)
Chocolate: You can use any chocolate you like in this. I actually prefer 80% dark chocolate that’s chopped up. If you want to save on calories, cut the mini chocolate chips amount in half!
Almond Extract: The almond extract is necessary for this recipe and gives it that almond joy flavor. It’s also a nice thing to have in your baking cabinet.. and super cheap on amazon! You can substitute with other extracts – vanilla or coconut extract would work, but it won’t taste the same (would have more of a coconut flavor!)
Coconut Flakes: You can use sweetened coconut flakes. We just prefer unsweetened because typically the sweetened coconut flakes have high fructose corn syrup.
Almonds: I like sliced almonds best, but slivered almonds will also work and you can also use chopped almonds!
Dairy Free/Vegan:Â You can make these overnight oats dairy free/vegan with dairy free yogurt and dairy free/vegan chocolate chips. However, depending on the ingredients you use, they will be lower in protein and likely higher in sugar.Â
Gluten Free: Make sure to use certified gluten free old fashioned oats.
Sweetener: If you prefer sweeter oats – add a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. I don’t think it needs a sweetener because of the chocolate chips.
Other Mix Ins: I haven’t tried it, but I think these would be good with peanut butter or almond butter stirred in! You could also try adding 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds for healthy fats!
how to make overnight oats
It is SO easy to make Almond Joy overnight oats. All you need to do is:
- Add your ingredients to a mason jar or bowl. Mason jars have lids, so they’re the best option for taking your meal with you.
- Shake or stir to combine them. Store in the refrigerator for a few hours so they absorb the liquid and thicken up.
You can see how thick and creamy they get by comparing the photos below.
Liz’s Tip for Overnight Oats:
For the best overnight oats, you’ll need to use old fashioned rolled oats. These are the only oats that will work for making overnight oats!
You can’t use quick cook or steel cut oats to make overnight oats. With quick cook oats, they can get too mushy when soaking overnight. With steel cut oats, they can’t soak up the moisture overnight. They need to be cooked with heat to make them edible. You’ll wind up with a big mess unless you use old fashioned rolled oats!
Do you eat overnight oats cold or warm?
You can eat overnight oats cold or warm! It’s up to you and your preferences.
I prefer to pop my overnight oats in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before eating, but if you enjoy them cold you can eat them cold!
How long do the overnight oats need to soak?
Typically, overnight oats need at least 6 hours of soaking time. You can leave them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days though!
Storage
Storing: These almond overnight oats will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing overnight oats. The texture doesn’t hold up well.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, or eat them cold!
Overnight Oat FAQ
Yes! Overnight oats are healthy. You can load them up with fresh fruit, healthy carbs, and protein to make a super filling, easy breakfast. Oats are high in fiber and have a few grams of protein which make them the perfect canvas for a healthy breakfast.
No, overnight oats are not bad for weight loss. As long as they have protein, healthy carbs, and a small amount of fat- overnight oats can be a low calorie breakfast that helps you stay full which makes them great for weight loss!
Other healthy oatmeal recipes
We love oats for breakfast! If you do too, check out these other Healthy Oatmeal Recipes!
Almond Joy Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup milk regular or nondairy
- 1/2 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 tablespoon slivered almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- In a mason jar or overnight oat mugs (we love these!) add all ingredients and stir well until combined.
- Store in refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours.
- Eat warm or cold in the morning!
Christine Quinones says
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe but had a question in regards to the grams of protein. How did you get 20 g of protein from a half a cup of Greek yogurt? Is there any other protein source? Just curious before I try.
Liz Marino says
Oats, almonds and milk all have protein in it (small amounts!) Feel free to put it in a macro tracking app, but I just double checked it to be sure and it’s correct!
Mary says
Too many ingtedients
Liz Marino says
then don’t make it? IDK what you could be making for breakfast with less than 7 ingredients. Good luck!
Carly says
This is one of my new favorite recipes for breakfast or a protein-filled snack! Thank you for another great recipe!
Jordan says
So delicious! Instead of adding the Greek yogurt, I added extra almond milk and a scoop of vanilla protein.
Alison Greenberg says
These were delicious and will certainly become part of my breakfast meal prep rotation! I did add a little extra sweetener but that’s just a personal preference.
Michelle says
Was never a yogurt, milk, or oatmeal person…BUT this is the BOMB!! My favorite for breakfast and dessert!!
Dianne says
Amazinggggggggg, these have definitely been rotating breakfast for me
Keeley says
I made these overnight oats to keep on hand for busy mornings. They are so dang delicious. Just made another round of some and gave a few jars to my neighbor to enjoy this week too. Will keep these in rotation!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks, Keeley!
Liz kane says
Made this last night for morning breakfast! So easy and so good! I added a scoop of unflavored protein powder as well and it was delicious 🤤
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yum!! That sounds so good!!
Angelika says
I made this last night for breakfast today and let me tell you, I felt like a kid eating candy for breakfast! It wasn’t overly sweet but just enough. I think this would make a great bedtime snack too to help my cravings when I’m looking for something sweet! Feeling very full this AM! Love this recipe!
Paula says
These overnight oats are so delicious !
You feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast,
Easy quick to put together and ready to go .
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Paula! So glad you liked them!
Mary says
How would this be with a scoop of protein powder?
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure! I think a full scoop of protein powder would be too much and you might need to add some liquid to balance it out
Melanie says
I had this for breakfast this morning. I did heat it up. It was amazing!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Glad you liked it, Melanie! I love them warmed up 🙂
Abbi Smith says
I made this the night before and took it to work to heat up and eat warm. It didn’t disappoint and will be in the breakfast rotation for sure. It’s super yummy and filling and you need to make it. Now.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you enjoyed it, Abbi! They’re so yummy warmed up!
Madelyn says
Wow, this looks amazing. I can’t wait to give these overnight oats a try!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks Madelyn! We hope you give them a try 🙂