Overnight Oats are a perfect breakfast recipe to make ahead. They pack protein, probiotics, vitamin C, fiber, and healthy fats—and all you need to do is to stir the ingredients together and let it hang out in the fridge while you sleep!
I love making a batch of Overnight Oats—which are simply raw oats softened in liquid (often milk or yogurt)—for similar nutrition to oatmeal but without the cooking. They are an easy make-ahead breakfast to have on hand during the week.
And this method for how to make Overnight Oats with yogurt, applesauce, and seeds is a super nutritious and easy option for breakfast for the whole family…babies and toddlers on up.
The baby Overnight Oats recipe is easy and has a balanced mix of protein, fat, and produce to help your kids get the nutrients they need without needing to add other foods to their meal—unless you want to! Plus, it also has a smooth texture, making it a great choice for babies and toddlers.
(You may also like my Apple Overnight Oats, Mango Overnight Oats, and Strawberry Overnight Oats recipes, too.)
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Ingredients You Need
For this method on how to make Overnight Oats, you need to have the following ingredients on hand.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dairy-free: Use a favorite nondairy milk.
- Sub quinoa flakes for oats as needed.
- You can use chia seeds in place of the hemp seeds if that’s what you have. The final mixture may be a little thicker since chia seeds absorb liquid a little more.
- Trade in Pear Sauce or any other puree you like or have for the applesauce to vary the flavor.
- Add a little cinnamon or maple syrup to taste as you like.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This Overnight Oats recipe is super simple with this easy stir together method. Here’s a look at the process so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full how-to, including the timing and amounts.
Step 1. Grind the oats into a finer texture. (Or use instant or quick oats or even oat flour.) Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2. Stir together. Cover and chill or portion into containers, seal, and refrigerate overnight to soften the mixture.
Texture Tip for Overnight Oats for Baby
The big difference between this Overnight Oats recipe and others is that I grind the oats first, or use instant or quick oats, so that the texture is smoother.
When you stir regular rolled oats into overnight oats, they soften, but they are still fairly chewy due to their size—so this method of using oats with a finer texture can often be more accepted by toddlers.
TIP: This is also a great food transition food for babies and toddlers who are learning to like textures beyond homemade baby food.
Serving Suggestions
If your toddler is good (or learning!) to use a spoon, go ahead and let her self-feed that way. You can do preloaded spoons for babies or feed them depending on how you prefer to handle that stage. It’s a fairly thick mixture so usually it’s easy for littles to feed themselves, even if it’s a little messy.
TIP: Overnight Oats are meant to be served cold out of the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a flavored applesauce if you prefer or other pureed fruit, such as any other fruit or baby food purees. I’ve used peach puree with great success!
I call for hemp seeds, which are a wonderful source of healthy fats, fiber, and protein, and they don’t cause liquids to gel the same way that some other seeds can. Since the amount of seeds added here is small, you can use ground flaxseeds, or chia seeds if you have those on hand and the results will be similar.
Not much! I usually buy rolled oats for oatmeal, so it’s easy for me to grind up a cup or two at a time to keep on hand for overnight oats (and for other recipes like these Peanut Butter Balls with Oatmeal).
But if you want to skip that step or you have instant or quick oats on hand, use them. They’re basically the same thing!
If you mix up this recipe for Easy Overnight Oats with Applesauce in the evening and store it overnight, it will be perfect in the morning. I often send this easy overnight oats recipe for my toddler’s lunch, topped with homemade granola or plain, so 4 hours is a good amount of time for it to sit too.
Once stored in airtight containers or jars, they can stay in the fridge for at least 3 days.
How to Store
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Stir before serving cold.
Best Tips for Success
I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe, so please comment below to share!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Use unsweetened applesauce or another fruit puree.
- Grind up rolled oats in the blender or food processor, or use instant or quick oats.
- Make this recipe the night before you plan to serve it and store it in the fridge.
- Serve these Overnight Oats chilled.
- Swap in any other fruit or baby puree for the applesauce if desired.
- Know that you can use chia seeds or flaxseed in place of the hemp seeds, but the consistency will be thicker.
Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 30mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 105IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 1mg
This post was first published April 2018.