Life is pretty chaotic right now and my eating habits have totally gone down the tubes, so it’s time to start meal prepping. In addition to my new Sunday Meal Prep series, this week I decided to also meal prep my breakfasts. I really enjoy overnight oats, and I still had some blueberries in the freezer, so I decided to make a new flavor, Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats.
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Applesauce Sweetens Naturally
Unsweetened applesauce proved to be the perfect sweetener once again and since apples have a fairly neutral flavor, it didn’t compete with the blueberry almond theme I was going for.
Can I Use Non-Dairy Milk?
Any type of dairy or non-dairy milk will work fine for this recipe. Just keep an eye on the sugar content of non-dairy milks, if you’re concerned about added sugars.
Is Chia Required?
I also added chia seeds to my Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats this time, only because I had them on hand and wanted to try to use them up. While they do add a lot of texture and fiber, these overnight oats are quite a bit less expensive without the chia. To skip the chia seeds, simply increase the amount of oats in each jar from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup.
What Type of Containers Should I Use for Overnight Oats?
You don’t have to make these Blueberry Almonds Overnight Oats in mason jars. I used mason jars just because I have them, they’re pretty, and it’s my job to make food look good. Any resealable container will work just fine. :)
No Sugar Added Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.17)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds, optional* ($0.62)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds ($0.87)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce ($0.88)
- 1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh ($1.20)
- 2 cups milk ($0.62)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract ($0.14)
Instructions
- To each of four containers add 1/4 cup oats, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- On top of the dry ingredients add 1/3 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup blueberries to each container.
- Stir the almond extract into the milk, then add 1/2 cup milk to each container. Stir the containers well to prevent the chia seeds from clumping. Place a lid on the containers and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 4 days.
- When ready to eat, simply stir with a spoon and then enjoy!
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats – Step by Step Photos
To each of four containers add 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 2 Tbsp sliced almonds, and a pinch of nutmeg.
Add 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 cup blueberries to each container.
Stir 1/2 tsp almond extract into 2 cups milk and then pour 1/2 cup of the milk into each container. Stir the contents of each container well to prevent the chia seeds from clumping. Close the containers and refrigerate overnight or up to four days.
You can eat the Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats straight out of the container in the morning for a super convenient breakfast, or pour it into a bowl to be a little more fancy. ;)
This was absolutely delicious! I already know I’m going to be making these a LOT in the future. I’m shocked by the reviews saying they weren’t sweet enough – they have TONS of flavor and don’t taste like straight-up sugar, which is ideal for me! So easy to prepare, too.
Do you think I could substitute the applesauce for Greek yogurt for a protein boost? :)
I’m sure you could, though we have not tested it and can’t give you guidance.
This is one of my favorite breakfasts. I’ve made it with both fresh and frozen berries and far prefer it with fresh berries.
This is one of my favorite oatmeal breakfast recipes. I double the amount of blueberries in mine, and I only use fresh berries.
I subbed in frozen cherries for the blueberries. An I added chocolate chips.
Absolutely delicious. I sometimes like to make it with kefir instead of regular milk to get an added dose of probiotics.
Can this be made with steel cut oats?
We have not tested the recipe with steel-cut oats. To use steel-cut for overnight oats, you should bring the 2 cups of milk to a boil, add the oats, take it off the heat, and cover. Let them sit for at least an hour, and then prepare the recipe. You might need to add a little more liquid. Again, this is just an educated guess, as we have not tested the recipe with steel-cut oats. Thank you! XOXO -Monti
Great recipe! I use a drizzle of honey instead of the applesauce. This little bowl of overnight oats keeps me full and satisfied until lunch time. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Can almond milk be used instead of regular milk?
Yes :)
I left a positive comment but didn’t add a rating so here’s the rating :)
Considering I’ve literally been making this recipe every single week for almost 4 years, I should probably leave a review. I think it goes without saying that we love it :) this recipe got us out of the habit of eating sugar-heavy store-bought oatmeal and now we can’t go back. It does take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to sugary breakfasts, but it is delicious, healthy (two types of fruit!), and so nice to be able to make in advance and eat first thing in the morning. Thank you for our everyday breakfast!
Great recipe! Perfect for us as we are a family of four, we each got a jar!
Compared to the ordinary cooked oatmeal I was eating, this has both more fibre and more protein. Tastes good too! It’s a regular part of my breakfast now. Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and we really enjoy it as a breakfast! It fills us up and helps keep us from snacking, plus it’s super tasty. I make small alterations based on what’s in our pantry and fridge (almond milk, alternate berries), but the combo of oats, chia, applesauce, and fruit has been great!
Can you use gluten free rolled oats?
Yes, that shouldn’t cause any problems with this recipe. :)
I love this recipe (my husband is a convert as well)! Made it many times. Keeps well and I feel healthy eating it! Confession: I bought 4 specific jars for this breakfast as well lol. Thank you!
it was good! but i still need to add 3 spoons of sugar :p and thats with applesauce thats sweetened with cinnamon
Can you use quick cook oats for this or will it not be edible that way?
Thanks
I thought I would like it but the texture of the applesauce with the softened oats threw me off. I made a 1/4 recipe & did not eat it.
I don’t usually keep applesauce on hand. Is there a way to add sugar back in instead?
The applesauce helps add moisture to the oats. You could just omit it for now and add just a little bit of honey!
Do you *need* the extract if you don’t have it on hand?
No you can skip it if you don’t have it on hand.
Are the oats quick 1 minute or the old fashioned 5 minutes and can you use vanilla flavored almond milk. That is all my husband buys. He doesn’t get the insewwtened kind
Yes you can use the vanilla almond milk. The oats are the old fashioned oats.
I’m looking for nutrition info. Am I just blind?
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
If I wanted to replace the chia seeds with flax seeds, would the amounts be the same? I’m trying to use up a good bit a flax seed that I have.
Yep. :) This recipe is super flexible.
I made a few changes based on preference/what I had in my fridge but I LOVE this–it’s perfectly sweet, unlike a lot of overnight oat recipes that are way too sweet (IMO). I used half a banana in each bc I didn’t have applesauce, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and mixed berries instead of just blueberries. I’ve made it several times now and it’s one of my favorite breakfasts!
Yum, yum, yum! I just recently jumped on the overnight oats/chia seed trend (I know, I am a little late to the game), and I generally keep it fairly basic avoiding any of the super sweet recipes as I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. This recipe was perfect for my preferences, and to change up my routine. LOVE the addition of applesauce – I used unsweetened applesauce. I also omitted the almond extract and milk, using almond milk in place of those, and used cinnamon instead of nutmeg.
Beth, I am such a huge fan on your website and have been coming here for recipes for years! I used your recipes throughout uni, and have continued to this day. Thanks for all your hard work, and for providing us with these fabulous recipes!
Could you exchange yogurt instead of apple sauce?
Yes, that should work fine. :) Just keep in mind that a lot of the sweetness in this recipe is from the applesauce, so if you use plain yogurt it will be much more tart and not nearly as sweet.
Could I heat it in the microwave the following morning?
Sure! You can eat them either hot or cold.
Cool and refreshing for summer – very filling breakfast!
Can one use steel cut in place of rolled oats? Thank you for all your recipes!
I haven’t tried this with steel-cut, but I would be concerned that they wouldn’t soften as easily.
The Kitchn says that it will work, 1c oats 2c milk (so if you add chia, you’ll need more milk). That it’ll just be very chewy, they compare it to grape nuts.
Can you provide the nutritional information for this?
Can these be frozen and eaten later? Will they keep in the fridge for a week at a time? I’m into meal prep and this would definitely be a great addition. Thanks!
They’re good in the fridge for about four days. I’ve never tried freezing them, but I don’t think it would be a problem. :)
This was super yummy, since I am just trying to kick the sugar habit I did add a packet of Truvia and popped it the microwave for 30 minutes. I modified once and replaced the nutmeg berries and applesauce, with cinnamon, banana and peanut butter. I have shared the original recipe with my daughter and they love it as well. 5 stars!
I forgot to put the rating in the initial comment haha whoops!
These are so amazingly delicious and filling! I used fresh blueberries, and I didn’t have almond extract so I just threw a little bit of vanilla extract in there and they turned out so goood! I meal prep and they’re super easy to do while something else is cooking too :D
I’ve gotten used to eating a different oats recipe with raisins, so the comparative lack of sweetness in this threw me off a little when I ate my first jar. Second, I’m appreciating the flavours as is a little more, and if you’re a big fan of blueberries as is you’ll love this.
…me, I always forget blueberries aren’t actually that sweet on their own, so I might try mixing in some honey next time. :)
I been look for something like with no sugar and a bit more protein.
thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Such a great recipe! I made it twice this week. It never occurred to me that you could eat overnight oats . . . cold . . . ! I always reheated them the next morning, which was such a pain. I used your recipe but opted for sugar instead of the applesauce, and walnuts instead of almonds. Divine! And so refreshing when it’s only morning but already 102 degrees out.
Hmm interesting that you use apple sauce in these, I still have some from last fall to use up. I don’t know why but I really don’t like my finished breakfast to sit around too long before I eat it, so I either eat something similar relatively fresh (just let it sit while I shower) or make it before leaving in the morning and taking it with me as lunch.. great pictures!
I love that this uses almond extract-that I can adjust the amount of almond flavor as it were. I do have a question though-what’s the texture like on this? I’m used to using yogurt and milk as the wet ingredients, and I’m wondering what the applesauce does.
The applesauce adds natural sweetness and some more moisture. The texture doesn’t change much with the addition of applesauce, but using chia does make it a little more gloppy than regular milk soaked oats.
Perfect as is. However, the second time I was going to make it I realized I was out of frozen blueberries & I used frozen strawberries instead, also added a dash of cinnamon and a spoon of honey. Super awesome. Seems to be a recipe you can play around with and make some easy substitutions if necessary.
This was delicious and super satisfying on a hot summer’s day. Thanks!
Looks awesome, and exactly the inspiration I needed for breakfast. Thanks!
I have the option of using fresh OR frozen blueberries. I’d like to use up my frozen, but wonder if they’ll get mushy and watery? Thanks Beth! I’m excited to try this recipe.
I used frozen in mine. Frozen blueberries will always be softer and more watery than fresh because the ice crystals break down the cell walls. The blueberry juice that seeps from the blueberries as it refrigerates only helps flavor the mix. :)
I am wondering the same thing!
Just had this this morning. Followed recipe to a T, with the exception of using a weird combo almond/coconut milk I bought on mistake. Definitely easy to make and will be working into my regular menu.
I made this and just had it for breakfast this morning. Quite delicious! I couldn’t find chia seeds but when I do I’ll try it with those, too. Thanks Beth, this recipe is a keeper.
This looks so good! A couple of questions, what size jars do you use for these and if I use almond milk should I exclude the almond extract? Thanks!
I would still use the almond extract because IMHO almond milk doesn’t really taste very almond-y. :D These are the 12oz. mason jars.
Hi There! Question: will the recipe work with soy milk or other nondairy milk alternative?
I’ve made overnight oats several times with soymilk and it always works great.
Yep, you can use any type of dairy milk substitute.
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I love all of the ingredients and flavors in this, but cold oatmeal grosses me out. Could I make this and heat it up in the morning? If so, how long would you recommend heating it in the microwave? Thank you for the great recipe and idea, either way!
Yes, you can absolutely heat this and eat it hot instead. I would just do a minute in the microwave, stir, and add more time if needed.
I really need to jump on the overnight oat bandwagon. I’ve been saying that for awhile now… I really love how you don’t add any sugar to this recipe though! So many breakfasts are loaded with sugar its refreshing to see some recipes holding back!