Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

These Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats are rich in protein, perfectly sweet, and make the best breakfast for cozy mornings on the go! Take 5 minutes to prep them the night before and save time and energy in your busy morning.

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Why you should make these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

If you’re looking for a breakfast that’s as effortless to make as it is satisfying, this Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats recipe is the perfect solution. With just a few minutes of prep the night before, you’ll wake up to a ready-to-eat meal that saves you precious time during your busy mornings. No cooking or rushing, just grab your jar and go!

These overnight oats are not only portable but are also designed to fuel your day with a balance of protein, fibre, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They keep you full and energized and help prevent the afternoon energy slump.

Beyond the convenience and nutrition, the flavour alone makes these oats worth the try. A delicious swirl of cinnamon sugar runs through each creamy bite, delivering that warm, cozy comfort of a freshly baked cinnamon roll. You can even take it to the next level with an easy homemade vanilla glaze drizzled on top!

So whether you’re heading to work, school, or a day out and about, this easy breakfast recipe is sure to be your next go to!

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make these easy overnight oats:

• Oats
  • I prefer using large flake oats for overnight oats because they hold the texture better.
  • See alternative oat options below.
• Chia seeds
  • These gel up when they are mixed with liquid and they add some volume and extra nutrients to the recipe.
• Plain Greek yogurt
  • I recommend using Greek yogurt because it’s thicker and provides significantly more protein compared to regular yogurt.
• Milk
  • Use your preferred choice of milk or plant-based beverage.
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar

For the vanilla glaze (optional), all you need is:

• Icing sugar
• Vanilla extract
• A splash of milk

Optional ingredients

In case you don’t have some of the suggested ingredients or you want to tweak this breakfast to make it more of your own, here are some suggested alternatives:

• Quick oats or old fashioned rolled oats
  • If you don’t have large flake oats you can substitute quick or rolled oats instead. I recommend reducing the milk by 1-2 tbsp so that it’s not too liquidy or mushy.
  • I do not recommend using steel cut oats in this recipe
• Flavoured Greek yogurt
  • If you prefer a flavoured Greek yogurt, you can use vanilla Greek yogurt in place of the plain in this recipe.
• Regular yogurt
  • Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use regular yogurt. However, this tends to be more liquidy than Greek yogurt so I recommend reducing the milk by 1-2 tbsp.
• Alternative milks
  • If you are looking for a higher protein option, I recommend using dairy milk or soy milk. Other plant-based beverages like oat milk or almond milk will still work in this recipe but provide much less protein.
• Fruit
  • You can add some sliced banana or a variety of berries such as strawberries, blueberries or blackberries for extra flavour and fibre.
• Protein powder
  • If you want to add an extra boost of protein to overnight oats, you can use protein powder. I recommend adding a small amount to start with to make sure you enjoy the taste and texture. 
  • If you need help choosing the best protein powder for you, check out my blog posts on this topic here and here.
• Cream cheese
  • If you’re a fan of the cream cheese icing on some cinnamon rolls, you can add a spoonful of cream cheese into your overnight oats and mix it with the remaining ingredients.
• Maple syrup, honey, vanilla extract or chocolate chips
  • Add any of these ingredients to increase the sweetness of this breakfast.

Why add chia seeds to overnight oats?

Adding chia seeds to your oat mixture not only boosts the nutrition profile but also enhances the texture of this breakfast. When soaked in liquid, chia seeds absorb it quickly and form a gel-like consistency that blends well with oats, helping the mixture set to a thick and creamy texture instead of runny.

On top of that, chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and plant-based protein, making them an easy way to upgrade the health benefits of your overnight oats. Be sure to include them here for the texture and nutrient benefits!

How to make Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats

All you have to do to prepare these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats is:

1. In a sealable jar or container, mix the oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt and milk together. Stir well.
2. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
3. When it has set, mix in the cinnamon sugar and stir until combined.
4. If you want to take this breakfast to the next level and really lean into the cinnamon roll flavour, you can make an easy homemade vanilla glaze. In a small bowl mix together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract. 
5. When you’re ready to eat, drizzle this on top of the set overnight oats and enjoy! 

Tip: My favourite containers to store overnight oats in are mason jars or other glass jars with a tight lid. I have reused empty nut butter and salsa jars for this recipe. You just have to make sure to give them a good wash beforehand (especially the salsa jar)!

How much time do overnight oats need to soak?

These overnight oats take just 5 minutes to prepare, making them a quick and easy breakfast meal prep option. For the creamiest texture, it’s best to give the oats and chia seeds enough time to fully absorb the liquid. While they’ll be ready to enjoy after about 1 hour in the fridge, letting them rest overnight (at least 6 hours) delivers the best results.

What is the texture of overnight oats?

Overnight oats should have a thick, creamy consistency. If your mixture turns out too runny, it usually means there’s a bit too much milk. To fix it, simply stir in some extra oats or chia seeds. They’ll absorb the excess liquid and bring everything back to the perfect texture. Make sure you give yourself enough time to adjust the consistency if you’re trying this for the first time!

How long do overnight oats last for?

When stored in an airtight container or jar in the fridge, overnight oats will stay fresh for up to 3–4 days, maintaining both their taste and creamy texture.

Overnight oats nutrition

Not only is this breakfast quick and easy but it’s also absolutely packed with nutrients!! I have broken down the nutrition information for each base ingredient.

• Large flake oats: Per 1/3 cup, there are 3 grams of fibre, 4 grams of protein and 8% of daily value of iron.
• Chia seeds: Per 1 tbsp, there are 3.5 grams of fibre, 2 grams of protein, over 100% of daily omega 3s and a variety of minerals.
• Greek yogurt: Per 1/3 cup, there are 7 grams of protein and 7% of daily calcium.
• Milk (dairy or soy): Per 2/3 cup of 2% dairy milk, there are 5 grams of protein, 15% of daily calcium, and significant amounts of vitamin B2, B12 and K.

As you can see, the base recipe of overnight oats is extremely nutrient dense. If you would like to add an extra boost to the protein content, you can always add in 1-2 tbsp of unflavoured or vanilla protein powder to make protein overnight oats!

Dietary considerations

This recipe is already nut free and vegetarian. Here are some ways to accommodate a few additional dietary restrictions:

• To make this recipe gluten free, make sure you opt for gluten-free oats!
• To make it dairy free or vegan, choose plant-based milk and yogurt products made from soy, almond or oat milk instead of dairy milk.

I hope you love these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats. If you make them, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutritionkitchen!