How to Make Overnight Oatmeal (with or without Kefir)

Overnight oatmeal, or refrigerator oatmeal, is a delicious way to ensure a healthy kickstart to the metabolism without the fuss of boiling or mircrowaving. I also find the texture much more palatable than cooked oatmeal and the creamy taste (combined with my favorite mix-ins) makes it feel like dessert for breakfast.

If you’re new to kefir, check out this link to understand what it is, why you should be eating it, and how to make it at home! Either way, make yourself some refrigerator oatmeal!

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats has always been a favorite breakfast food and snack for me and my family. It requires minimal effort the night before and zero effort the morning of! The first few times I would prep it, I would add vanilla, cinnamon, and/or other spices, but then learned I prefer to keep it plain and pick how I want to dress it up in the morning.

Once I discovered kefir, I realized that replacing the Greek yogurt and almond milk would not only quicken an already easy process, but would add 40-60 strains of probiotics and additional protein. It was a no-brainer!

Regular Overnight Oats

Here’s a simple, generous “one serving” recipe for overnight oats without the kefir. In a glass jar, combine the following, then refrigerate overnight:

• 3/4 cup of old fashioned oats (NOT instant)
• 3/4 cup of plain unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• optional sweetener (about a Tablespoon worth of sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia, erythritol, etc.)

I prefer doing a large batch at once to have enough to feed the family, so I quadruple the recipe:

• 3 cups of old fashioned oats (NOT instant)
• 3 cups of almond milk
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 3-4 Tb of sweetener

You can absolutely add other ingredients before refrigeration, but, since I make such a large batch, I prefer to leave it plain and then each person can doctor it to their preferences when they eat it. I’ll list some of my favorite add-ons and variations down below after the kefir version.

Overnight Oats with Kefir

Once you have your own batch of kefir, this recipe becomes even more simple! Since kefir tastes like a drinkable yogurt, ie Greek yogurt with almond milk, those two ingredients can be effectively replaced with the kefir. Now, keep in mind, as I mentioned in the kefir basics post, it does have a very tangy flavor and if you double ferment your kefir, then even more so. There is a noticeable difference in flavor in the two recipes, though nothing that was off putting for me or my children. I maybe added an additional packet of stevia, and the add-ons worked just as well as with the original.

Single Serving:

• 3/4 cup of old fashioned oats (NOT instant)
• 1 cup of kefir
• optional sweetener (about a Tablespoon worth of sugar, honey, maple syrup, stevia, erythritol, etc.)

Large Batch (4x)

• 3 cups of old fashioned oats (NOT instant)
• 4 cups of kefir
• 4-5 Tb of sweetener

Then pop it into the fridge!

By the next morning, the oats will have absorbed much of the liquid and the overall consistency will be thicker.

Add-ins!

Time to get creative! Of course, you can eat your oatmeal plain, which we have done plenty of times, but here are some favorite varieties:

Jelly/Jam (try this homemade recipe!)

Fruit (Bananas, berries, you name it…)

Peanut Butter (this is also yummy combined with bananas or chocolate chips)

PB&J (this is one of my favorites!)

Pumpkin Pie (pumpkin pie spice and a Tb of pumpkin puree per serving)

Cinnamon

Go nuts! Oh yeah, you could also add nuts, chocolate chips, granola, chia seed, extracts, and more!

Let me know in the comments what you thought! What variations did you like best? Did you try something not mentioned here?

Disclaimer: this article may include affiliate links; I receive a small commission from any items purchased through the the links at no additional cost to you. I am not a licensed medical professional. For concerns or questions regarding specific medical conditions please consult your primary physician.