The weather is starting to warm up outside, so that means it’s officially overnight oats season in my house! When the weather gets hot, I switch from big bowls of warm oatmeal to chilled jars of overnight oats in the morning. Overnight oats are fast and easy to make and the flavor possibilities are endless. This week I made these Apple Pie Overnight Oats that have no added sugar, yet somehow, magically taste just like an apple pie. Yes, please!
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What are Overnight Oats?
If you’re looking for a super simple breakfast meal prep to make mornings fast and easy, overnight oats are it. They’re basically just oats that have been softened by soaking in a liquid for hours, rather than being briefly boiled in the liquid. And when you add all sorts of fun extra ingredients, they will absorb all those flavors as they soak, too! Great, right? Well, it’s even better when they’re apple pie flavored and don’t need any extra sugar to be scrumptious. #winning
Do You Eat Overnight Oats Hot or Cold?
You can eat overnight oats hot or cold. In the summer I love overnight oats cold, but if you prefer a hot breakfast, simply microwave the oats for 60-90 seconds until heated through. They’re great either way!
What Kind of Oats Should I Use?
Old-fashioned rolled oats are my favorite for overnight oats because they soften overnight, but maintain a good deal of texture. Quick or instant oats will soften quickly as well, but they have a lot less texture and will give a more mushy result. While you can do a variation of overnight oats with steel-cut oats, they require a more liquid and a longer soaking time, so they can not simply be swapped into the recipe below.
What Kind of Containers Should I Use?
You can use any type of resealable container for overnight oats. the blue-top Ziploc containers are great if you’re on a tight budget, but mason jars or glass meal prep containers also work great. For the recipe below you’ll want a container that holds 1-1.5 cups. I used 8oz. jars.
What Kind of Dried Fruit to Add
You have a few options here, which will allow you to use the ingredient that is most affordable or accessible to you. I used dried cranberries today because that’s what I had on hand, but you can also use raisins, dried currants, or chopped dried dates.
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.24)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ($0.60)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries ($0.44)
- 1 1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce ($0.62)
- 1 1/3 cups milk ($0.27)
Instructions
- Add ⅓ cup oats each to four resealable containers. Also add ⅛ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of ginger, and a pinch of cloves to each container.
- Add 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts and 1 Tbsp dried cranberries to each container.
- Finally, add ⅓ cup applesauce and ⅓ cup milk to each container.
- Close the containers and refrigerate overnight or up to four days. Stir the contents of the container before eating.
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Equipment
- Small Jars
Nutrition
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How to Make Apple Pie Overnight Oats – Step by Step Photos
Add ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats to each container. Also, add ⅛ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger and ground cloves to each jar.
Next, add 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts and 1 Tbsp dried cranberries to each jar.
Finally, add ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce and ⅓ cup milk to each jar.
You can either stir each jar before soaking, or just add the lid and soak as-is, then stir just before eating. Either way, let your oats soak overnight (8 hours) or up to four days. Give them a good stir just before eating, and enjoy.
You can add more toppings to your overnight oats, like fresh apples, after soaking, if desired.
I love this recipe. I’m keen to add more protein but wondering the right ratio of greek yogurt to add, any advice?
I love this recipe, I would make it on repeat back in 2020/21. I still make it with raisins and I only add one rounded tablespoon of walnuts. It’s perfectly sweet without being too sweet, and it fills me up so well for the day!
Wow! This was delicious. I put it together in less than 5 minutes and best part, no cooking involved. Thanks for sharing so many great recipes. I’m never disappointed in the ones I’ve tried.
I am so overly impressed by this recipe! Tried overnight oats years ago and it was not good at all. But this.. this is peak perfection. I used unsweetened almond milk and threw in some chia seeds, as well as pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon applesauce instead of unsweetened.I am obsessed!
I was just coming to the comments to see if anyone tried non-dairy milk! It seems oat-verkill to use oat milk but I’m going to try it anyway! Thanks for sharing!
Just had them, so good! I added golden raisins and sliced almonds. Will make again!
My next Budget Bytes recipe to try. I’m going to make my own applesauce in the slow cooker. My additions: sliced almonds and golden raisins because that’s what I have on hand. I’ll report back! I’m using quick oats which apparently is a no no but I’m going to try it!
Perfect texture – just like stovetop, but without the pot to wash afterwards. (Seriously, the only thing that’s been keeping me away from oatmeal is that any bits left over dry like cement unless washed off immediately.) And the flavor really is just like apple pie! I sometimes add a tablespoon or so of ground flaxseed to mine, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with dried apples. (I usually skip the walnuts and dried cranberries.)
I’m in HS and recently I been too busy to make breakfast so I made this for me and my 妹妹. It took 5 minutes to prepare. The next day we topped it with fresh cinnamon honey coated apple pieces(we mixed some in too lol) and it tasted pretty close to apple pie. I’m going to make this again for sure! Do you have any other recipes that you would recommend for me and my younger sister? Thank you!
Most of the moisture got sucked up overnight (maybe it’s the applesauce?), and if I’m eating it cold I can just add a little more milk – but I prefer it warm. When I add milk, when I try to warm it up the moisture is absorbed back up and it gets clumpy and dry and almost turns to paste if I’m not careful. And if I add too much milk it dilutes all the flavor of everything else that went in it. I’m not sure what is going wrong?
It sounds like you are using instant or quick oats. Is that the case? If so, they don’t work for this recipe, as they are too processed to hold up to the overnight soak. You need to use rolled oats. XOXO -Monti
No, I was using rolled oats
That is so bizarre. I wonder if the brand you are using is processed more than other rolled oats? I truly don’t know where to point you. I hate pasty oats too, so I can totally understand not liking the results. Beth doesn’t recommend steel cut, but I love making my overnight oats with steel cut. It’s a different process, though, as you bring the water to a boil (a 3 to 1 water-to-oats ratio) and then add the oats, cover the pot, and leave it out overnight. Refrigerate, and add whatever milk, etc., you want before microwaving them to warm them up. Maybe that will be more of the texture you prefer. XOXO -Monti
I liked the recipe and will cook again, but next time need to try with less of the applesauce. It was a bit too soggy.
Hi Beth,
I made the Apple Pie Overnight Oats last night and I’m eating them right now…they are delicious!
They are creamy and perfect!! Tastes exactly like an apple pie! Love having some yummy options for my overnight oats….I’m going to make the Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats next!
Thank you so much for all the great recipes….I love them.
Best Regards,
Rick
Thanks so much for checking them out!!
I brought this to work last week and my colleagues asked what I was eating. They said it smelled just like an apple pie. I said it tastes even better! Spot on. A keeper!
I can imagine a family eating this in their pajamas before bed instead of ice cream. I was never blessed with a family, and I think eating this yummy-looking dessert by myself would be like polishing off an ice cream container alone at 2 AM – just kind of pathetic.
Do you have a link to these cute little jars?
Oh, yep! Thanks for asking, I had forgotten to add it. They are linked in the bottom of the recipe card now. :)
This recipe was so good. Made it as written..Will be on the bkfst. rotation.
Absolutely delicious! I microwaved mine for a a couple minutes and served with a whole apple, walnut halves and cinnamon and topped with almond milk. Yum!
Can this be made nut-free? Tree nut and peanut and soy allergies here (severe).
Yep. It’s super flexible. :)
I made it this morning and it’s a winner! My toddler son agreed. I love the applesauce walnut combo. I needed this to help me out of my peanut butter overnight oats rut. I might try adding a teaspoon or two of chia seeds and vanilla next time because tweaking recipes is life, but honestly this is perfect as is.
This sounds DELICIOUS!
I’m a little jealous of your warmer weather; it’s still below freezing here in the High Plains (it was 7ºF yesterday morning when I went to work — and -4 with wind chill). It’s warmer today — a whole 23F. But our summers are amazing… only about a week of 90-degree days.
Yummy! Great idea to use applesauce! Dried cranberries do have loads of added sugar though.
I saw this on the front page and thought, “wasn’t this just posted? Why is Beth updating it so soon?” Then I saw the original date was June 2016…almost six years. Can’t believe how fast time flies, and how long I’ve been checking budget bytes on a daily basis.
Haha! 2016 DOES feel like it was just yesterday! Thank you for sticking around for so long! :)
I’ve been making this fairly regularly for the past 3 years and just made a batch for this week. It’s a great fast breakfast when the morning gets away for me and I have to run out the door. I like adding dried cherries to this. I’ve not tried it warm, I’ll have to give it a go tomorrow.
This is very nice eaten warm. (I put mine in the microwave for about a minute.) I added a very tiny pinch of salt when assembling. Next time, I’ll add dehydrated apples as one commenter suggested.
Agreed! A pinch of salt is necessary for me in my oatmeal, even if it’s a sweet oatmeal.
What a great make ahead breakfast! I used golden raisins. This will go into our regular rotation.
This is a delightful breakfast! Refreshingly cool and sweet. I actually had to double check my applesauce to confirm it was unsweetened!
Really like this with one tiny tweak, which is adding a pinch of salt just to wake up the flavors. Without the salt, I found it quite bland, but with its scrumptious.
Could you use the quick oats instead of steel cut? Cheers!
I didn’t use steel cut, I used old-fashioned rolled oats, which are just a little thicker than quick oats. You can definitely use quick oats in their place. :)
this looks great!! I just made a bunch. can uneaten portions be frozen if there’s enough head space in the jar?
I haven’t tried that but yes if you leave space you could certainly try it out!
These overnight oats are my favorite. I had plain yogurt that I wanted to use up so I used half milk and half yogurt and it turned out great!
Could you use yogurt instead of milk for the liquid?
Yes, although you may need to add a bit more just to make sure there’s enough moisture to soften the oats.
Thank you for such a delicious gluten free breakfast! I used some fresh cherries I had in the fridge and the whole dish tasted like an apple-cherry cobbler! I’m going to try it again tomorrow with some almond milk to keep it clean :)
Works well with dried cherries
This is a really nice, tasty way to start the morning. However, you might want to double check your instructions on the app. The way it’s phrased there it looks like you’re meant to add all the ingredients into one mason jar, instead of dividing them between the four. (^_-)
Thanks for catching that!
This recipe is simply the best thing to start your morning with, and it’s such a good time saver! I have to say, for anyone who can’t find, or don’t want to buy ground ginger and cloves, 1/2 a teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice from Trader Joe’s is good substitute, and if you can’t get currants, dried cranberries seem like a great substitute!
Love this recipe! Easy to put together and delicious.
Would this work with Oat Bran as well?
Hmmm, I suspect it would, but I’m not sure if bran will absorb as much of the liquid as full oats. It’s definitely worth a try!
Absolutely delicious!!!!
I did not expect it to *actually* taste like apple pie . . . but it does. This could be a dessert.
I added in dehydrated apples the night before, and they were fabulous in it. Highly suggested!
I also warmed it up to give it more of a “pie” feel.
I also used almond milk, raisins, and chia seeds. I like my oatmeal thicker, so I added in some extra oats.
Will definitely be making again.
LOL, I was seriously surprised by the flavor, too. I love the idea with the dried apples!!
Just made my first batch of overnight oats, with this recipe as inspiration! Trying it with unsweetened almond milk and added some vanilla extract. I’ve always loved your recipes, so I expect this one to be another winner!
Can I warm this in the microwave?
You sure can! :)
Now that it’s apple picking season, I made some homemade applesauce with cinnamon and used that instead! Yum! I also decided to use a mix of golden and regular raisins with toasted pecans; I am adding them in the morning because I like the combination of the chewy and crunchy textures with the oats. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sorry! Should have read comments first. Never mind about steel cut oats. Going to buy old fashioned ones. 😁
Anne F.
This looks divine! Hate to ask, but I have steel cut oats. Can they be used or would not soften enough and be chewy??? Thanks. Love your site.
Anne F.
Could have used a pinch of salt, otherwise this was really yummy, and a great way to prep breakfasts for the next few days. Have you thought about/tried subbing the applesauce with pumpkin puree for a pumpkin pie variant? That seems like a great fall breakfast, with a cup of chai cider on the side…
Ooh, that would be fun! You might need a little extra liquid, though, as pumpkin purée is not as wet as apple sauce.
Love all the ideas for overnight oats. I too have never tried them but love cereals with greek yoghurt and fruit so going to give this a try too. A bit of an aside but recently I started trying to use mason jars as my breakfast/lunch/dinner take out containers. Found this amazing website, don’t want to post recipes here but wanted to share the concept. A fridge full of jars of yummy meals for the week looks like a gorgeous goal! Less plastic and easy to find in thrift stores.
And isn’t it amazing how much more appetizing food is when it’s packaged and presented in a pretty way? :D
How would I do this with Steel cut oats?
I don’t think they’ll get as soft as the rolled oats do, but I may be wrong. They usually take a lot more moisture and cooking time than rolled oats, so I would guess it would need adjusting here too.
Hey Beth! Could you use almond milk or yogurt as a replacement for milk?
Yes, absolutely. I’ve done it with both. :) Just be aware that plain yogurt is quite a bit more tart and unsweetened almond milk doesn’t have the natural sugars (lactose) that dairy milk does, so it may taste differently.
Overnight oats is such a great convenient breakfast, and I love the flavor combinations you’ve come up with here. I usually put some chia seeds in mine to absorb excess liquid, since I don’t like mine very watery.
Thanks for sharing!
This seems like such a great and easy recipe. Your pictures are lovely! Thank you for sharing!
To make the spices easier to measure, measure the full amount of each in a small container, mix them, and then put 1/4 tsp in each container.
I love, love, love overnight oats! I’ve had them 3 mornings this week! My go-to recipe includes 1/2 a banana, natural peanut butter, and just a few mini chocolate chips. Plus, I always add chia seeds to my overnight oats, helps bring it all together! This week I also added a few blueberries, which was a tasty combo with the banana and peanut butter.
This recipe looks delicious, but I think I’ll skip the currants and walnuts and sub in chia seeds and apples pieces.
Hi, is it the same as the syrup process? Looks very nutritious, but it takes a long time?
Thanks!
Thanks for this! I’ve been making large batches of steel cut oatmeal in the slow cooker for the past month or so, and am ready to try something new. Pinning!
Is this about the same as Bircher Muesli ?
Yes, it’s like muesli, although I don’t know what “Bircher” muesli is. Perhaps that’s a brand name?
Bircher Muesli (Swiss Oatmeal) developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Brenner for his patients. Only difference I see overall (since of course there are plenty of variations) is it has yogurt and honey in it. I am leaning toward your variation, though I may try the yogurt one in the future.
Is this the 5-minute oats or oats like steel cut?
5 minute. :)
I used steel cut oats and it came out great after an overnight chill.
Could hou dothem in one larger jar i really dont want a lot of small jars inthe frig
I suppose so.
Looks awesome! I will definitely give them a try. Quick question though: the ingredients say 1/4 tsp each of ginger and ground cloves, but the instructions say 1/16 tsp of each. That could be a big difference!
Oh god, never mind. I missed the dividing step in the instructions. It’s been a long day :/
Can anyone attest to whether this will make it past the TSA? It looks like such a yummy snack for the plane. I thought perhaps with the liquid having been absorbed into the oats it would pass the test. Anyway, it sounds yummy and will definitely try. I know it’s going to be delicious so I’m giving it 5 stars ahead of time! Thanks for the lovely recipes Beth.
Mine still had a decent amount of liquid milk, so I’m going to guess not. :(
I made this all last summer sans walnuts and currents. I need to try it this way.
(Also – I like unsweetened almond milk)
Oh my god. I want this right now! Yum! I’m all about the easy and delicious breakfasts, this one sounds perfect.
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
This was super yummy (and, as a medical student w/limited time, easy and fast to assemble). I prefer my overnight oats to be a little less liquidy, so next time I will probably cut the milk by ~25%. I left out the currants (didn’t have any on hand) and subbed pecans for the walnuts (as that’s what was in my pantry). This will definitely be added to my breakfast rotation.
Gonna make this soon with plain greek yogurt instead of milk!
Hello Beth.
Would it work with quick cooking oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats?
Do they have a different ratio liquid/oats?
Thanks!
Honestly, I think the old-fashioned rolled oats do work better on recipes like this! But I guess try everything once works too =) I love recipes like this, filling and no-sugar that drops me like a brick by lunch time!!!!
I definitely like the texture of old-fashioned oats better because the pieces are bigger so it gives you something to chew on. You can do this with quick oats, but they might not soak up as much of the milk as the old-fashioned rolled oats do. I kind of like some liquid milk left in the jar, but if you don’t want it so liquidy, you can try reducing the milk.
Thanks for your replies Beth and Laura.
Could I pop them in the microwave to warm up? I’m in Australia where it’s winter.
That’s what I do with mine. Works great.
Yep!
I actually make something really similar! I use almond milk, and add a bit of chia seeds to the mix. It’s perfect fuel for the day thanks to the oats, and is awesome for warm days when you don’t want a hot breakfast.
I’ve also done overnight oats like this using pumpkin puree, finely shredded carrots (think carrot cake!), and banana.
I never had overnight oatmeal before. Definitely will give this recipe a try. :-)