Refrigerator Oatmeal is the perfect make ahead breakfast for a busy weekday! Fresh fruit, oats and protein packed yogurt layered and ready to grab and go any time of day!
Refrigerator Oatmeal is pretty much the perfect on the go breakfast for any day of the week! Not only can the be made days ahead of time, they’re great for breakfast or even a burst of energy after hitting the gym.
Mornings are always kind of busy around here trying to get everything together and get my daughter out to the bus in time. We try to make breakfasts quick and easy with things like breakfast cookies that are just prepped and ready! Refrigerator Oats definitely fit the bill for getting the family out the door with a full and happy belly!
When I first saw these over at The Yummy Life several years ago I had to try them immediately! Since then I’ve created tons of my own versions (and I think everyone I know has a version of overnight oatmeal)!
I make these quite often with yogurt and whatever fruit I happen to have on hand (or even frozen berries in a pinch). You can use any container or mason jar you have on hand (or even cups covered in plastic wrap)… no need to purchase special jars. Once jarred, we keep them in the fridge up to a week.
I love to use an unflavored/plain yogurt as the base and add a bit of honey but any flavor will work perfectly in this recipe. The addition of oats makes these hearty and filling while chia seeds are little nutritional powerhouses. Keep in mind that while chia seeds can seem a little bit pricey, you only need a tiny bit and they last about a year in the fridge! You can also check your local bulk store or health food store to purchase just as much as you need!
You can also add in tons of other goodies like:
- chopped nuts
- coconut
- raisins
- chocolate chips
- Nutella
Not only are these Refrigerator Oatmeals perfect to grab for breakfast or lunch on the go, they’re great for guests too! My daughter got married last weekend (Aug 26/17) and I had 12 people staying here. I made a refrigerator full of these with different berries and fruits and by the end of the weekend, there were none left. Everyone loved them!
Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup oats or any oats that are not quick-cooking
- 1 ⅓ cups milk or almond or soy milk
- 1 cup plain yogurt or any flavor
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2-3 cups fruit fresh or frozen including berries, mangoes, peaches etc.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, yogurt and milk
- Layer fruit & yogurt mixture in containers
- Seal and refrigerate overnight
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast
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I make this a lot, but I skip the chia seeds. It’s good savory too, with cheese and ham.
1 cup Greek yogurt. 1/2 cup Old fashion oats. Splenda. Slivered almonds. 1/4 cup Raisins. A bit of water to thin. This is my diabetic breakfast. Makes 1 serving.
I’ve been looking for something like this for breakfast, I’m also diabetic and struggle with what’s right for me.
Thank you!!!
Sounds really good!
Going to give this a try, thanks
Hi!!! This is what I had:
Instant Oatmeal, semi-skimmed coconut yogurt, soy milk, raisins, chia seeds and crushed cashews. It was the bomb!!!
I’m going to make these with my daughter. I don’t have chia, but I have plenty of flax, so I’ll try it out. I think our whole family will love this!
I’m wondering, is there a reason the quick cooking oats wouldn’t work?
We have some on hand and we’re so anxious to try this :)
They may work, I don’t generally have those on hand so I didn’t use them! I’d love to hear how it works out if you give it a try!
Everyone loved it. The only issue was the texture (it was pretty runny) and I assume that was from using quick oats. I’ll have to get some real oats for the next batch. For the remaining servings we just added more oats to thicken it up. We also used flax seed because that was what we had on hand.
My other interesting tweak was for my 11 year old son who recently discovered he was lactose intolerant, and was heartbroken that he couldn’t have these. So I researched and discovered kefir, which is 99% lactose free and the probiotics in it actually help the body digest the remaining one percent. So I made him a batch with kefir and vanilla soy milk. So far it seems to be sitting well with him. :)
That’s a great idea to use Kefir! I’ve had it once but didn’t realize it was lactose free! Thank you for sharing!
So, you eat it cold?? I don’t understand.
Yes, you eat it cold.
Do you think this would work with steel cut oats?? I love them but hate cooking them in the morning! This would be a great solution for me :)
I think the steel cut oats would be too crunchy still but that being said, I haven’t tried it! If you do try it, I would maybe soak them overnight one night and then make the overnight oatmeals the next day to sit overnight again. (Does that make sense? lol)
We love steel cut oats too and they are a hassle to fix. I make a huge pot of them, put the cooked oats in individual serving sized containers and pop them in the freezer. A tiny bit of water and a couple of minutes in the microwave and it’s good to go. I have to admit that I stole this idea after seeing them in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s
does this recipe work for diabetics or are there any suggestions that would make it diabetic friendly?
Found you on the On the Menu Monday link up … an interesting concept & I’m probably going to try it tonight. Sans the chia, though. Chia’s not really hit the shelves here in the UK. In fact, it hasn’t been approved for consumption outside of baked anywhere in Europe yet. They were talking about approving it last year but I’ve not heard any follow up on it, yet. Oh well, I’m interested in giving this a go anyway! Stop by my blog, Anyonita Nibbles sometime!
I will have to try this!! Love Chia, so you don’t cook the oats!?
You do not need to cook the oats. They soak up the liquid from the yogurt/milk.
Oh my goodness! This looks wonderful. Thanks for linking it up to my Monday Menu Plan last week. I’m featuring the recipe this week on my blog! Stop over Monday and see your feature and link up more tasty recipes!
susieQTpies
Looks delicious!! I will have to try this.
Wow! That looks sooo good! Thanks for sharing it at Monday Funday!
Thank you for this yummy and HEALTHY recipe! I printed it out and added one of your pictures. I am excited to try it.. Hope my kids will eat it too.. (I know I will…. A LOT!!!)
Wishing you a healthy week… :)
hugs x
Crystelle
I hope they enjoy it! It’s not “sweet” but it really is delicious. It’s has a wholesome flavor!
Really cool idea. I’m going to try this. Pinned!
Consider yourself hugged.
I am so so glad you shared this at ON THE MENU MONDAY! This is a wonderful grab and go breakfast!!!! And it is so pretty too!
very interesting gonna have to try this out
How many servings does this recipe make?
About 4 servings depending on how much you put in each cup.