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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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.
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. ๐
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 purรฉe 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.