Good morning, overnight oats.
This overnight oats recipe with protein from yogurt, seeds, and nuts makes an easy, ready-to-eat breakfast that will keep you satisfied and nourished.
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Meet This High-Protein Overnight Oats Recipe
Overnight oats are always a good idea. Prepped the night before, overnight oats are a ready-made breakfast loaded with nourishing whole grain oats, vitamins, fiber, and — thanks to this recipe — lots of protein, without using protein powder.
This overnight oats recipe takes inspiration from old-school Bircher muesli and evolves it into a modern, healthy overnight oats recipe.
We’ve upped the protein thanks to yogurt, nuts, and lots of seeds, and include raisins and grated apple for extra natural sweetness, fiber, and vitamins. Honey rounds out the flavor, but you can leave it out if you’d like.
What is protein, and why is protein important?
Protein is both part of our body, and an essential part of a healthy diet. Protein is a macronutrient made up of smaller amino acids. We have to eat protein to (among other things):
- Build our bones, skin, hair, muscles, and other bodily tissues
- Power all kind of bodily reactions and functions in our body, including carrying oxygen to our blood
- Protein also keeps us full longer than a breakfast of simple carbohydrates, which burn quickly.
Protein at breakfast is especially important. It fuels you for the day, and keeps you fuller, longer.
How much protein do I need?
Everyone needs protein. But the amount you need depends on age, weight, activity level, and muscle-building goals. Current recommendations for how much protein list 0.8 grams or protein per kilogram of body weight for an average sedentary adult.
But someone who exercises regularly or is over age 40 (when muscle loss can naturally set in) needs more: about 1.2-1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight. For reference, one ounce equals about 28.5 grams. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds.
Bonus: Here are more high-protein breakfast ideas that don’t need eggs.
Bircher-Style Overnight Oats, Updated for Extra Protein and Nutrition
One of the best parts of this high protein overnight oats recipe? It’s a no-cook breakfast. Another best part: It tastes hearty, nourishing, and just sweet enough.
This recipe is inspired by Bircher muesli. Old-school Bircher muesli is the original overnight oats. Bircher muesli was developed around 1900 in Switzerland by Dr. Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner. The doctor’s determination to improve tuberculosis patients’ health through diet resulted in this wholegrain bowl.
The original recipe for Bircher muesli called for raw grated apple, nuts, and oats mixed with water, lemon juice, and condensed milk. This apfeldiätspeise, or “apple diet meal” guaranteed vitamins, protein, fiber, whole grains, and a full belly.
The healthful ingredients — coupled with the good doctor’s savvy opening of a health clinic (basically, a precursor to today’s health spa) that catered to Switzerland’s well-healed seekers of health and fresh Alpine air — spread the word about this nutritious breakfast meal.
This recipe hews closely to the original ingredients of oatmeal (rolled oats, not steel cut oats), nuts, apple, and lemon, but bests the original with some additional add-ins for extra protein and nutrients.
- Plain yogurt instead of condensed milk or regular milk. This adds probiotics, and more protein. One cup of plain yogurt has 8 grams of protein. I do not use Greek yogurt, since you need the liquid content from regular yogurt to help soften the oatmeal.
- A healthy sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and nuts, for added protein, magnesium, and other vitamins and minerals
- A pinch of cinnamon always pairs well with apples.
Adding your own style and swaps
That said, feel very free to riff when you prep this. Maybe you add bananas, blueberries, or strawberries to your batch of overnight oats. Maybe you substitute different nuts like almonds or walnuts, stir in some peanut butter or other nut butter, or leave nuts out altogether.
A drizzle of honey or maple syrup can sweeten the deal. A 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract would also add good flavor.
Whatever you do, have fun. The only real rule is to let the oats chill in the fridge first, for minimum an hour but preferably overnight. This lets the oats absorb the flavor and moisture from the fruit and yogurt and develop a soft but hearty texture.
More great grains for breakfast:
High-Protein Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 sweet, crisp apple, such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady
- 1/8 cup golden raisins or similar dried fruit of choice
- 1/8 cup raw, unsalted nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds
- 2 tablespoons assorted seeds, such as chia and pumpkin seeds
- pinch cinnamon
- squirt fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- honey or maple syrup to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the apple, unpeeled, on the wide grates of a box grater.
- Combine all the ingredients except for the honey or maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Stir to fully combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. To serve, give the overnight oats a stir and top with extra fruit, nuts, seeds, and a little honey or maple syrup to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
6 comments
Maxine
This was delicious but I wonder why you wouldn’t use Greek yogurt?
Unpeeled
Hi, Maxine! You could use Greek yogurt, but I find that Greek yogurt is so thick, that when it sits overnight with the oats and other ingredients, the finished product tends to be a little dry. Personal preference 🙂 You could use Greek yogurt and also add a little juice or water to thin it as you like. Glad you enjoyed it.
P.R.
So good. The apple makes it.
Molly W.
This is truly delicious. I’ve eaten it over the past few days.
Beth
I’m going to make this tomorrow! I need to mix up my mid-morning snack and this sounds PERFECT. Thanks!
Helena B.
LOVE this recipe!! I had forgotten about muesli, though I used to make it often when I was just out of college, using my mom’s recipe. This is so good with the yogurt. I also added a splash of vanilla extract.