Recipe

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These overnight oats with instant oatmeal can be enjoyed plain or with your favorite fruit added in.

Learn the right ratios when making overnight oats with instant oatmeal so your healthy breakfast has the best taste and texture.

a jar with overnight oats and strawberries on the top

Instant Oatmeal Overnight Oats

I have to admit that overnight oats made with instant oatmeal can be just as delicious and tasty as any overnight oats recipe made with old fashioned.

Personally, I like the larger flakes, but my husband and son like the finer texture of instant oats in theirs, so I often have two batches going in the fridge at all times. So, if the smaller flakes are your go-to, this recipe will show you how to make the most creamy and delicious overnight oats with instant oats!

Water or Milk for Instant Overnight Oats

While you can make instant overnight oats with any liquid, know that the result won’t be the same. Milk -of any kind- yields a creamier and tastier consistency that you can’t get when you use water.

How to Make Overnight Oatmeal with Instant Oats

Making this breakfast couldn’t be any easier. Check out the details:

Fill the jars with instant oats, milk, vanilla, and sliced fruit. Stir a little, and that’s all! You can use jars or one large container.
Let the oats rest in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
Enjoy this breakfast cold, or heat it in the microwave for a minute.

How Long to Soak Instant Oats for Overnight Oatmeal

Since instant oats are thin and smaller flakes, they need half the time soaking than overnight oats made with old-fashioned oats. Instant overnight oats are ready in as little as 4 hours in the fridge, or you can leave them there overnight.

Instant Oats to Milk Ratio for Overnight Oats

You see how easy this recipe is! What you have to keep in mind to get those perfect creamy overnight oats you crave is using the right instant oats to milk ratio:

Servings	Instant Oatmeal	Milk
1	½ cup	⅔ cup
2	1 cup	1 ⅓ cup
4	2 cups	2 ⅔ cups
6	3 cups	4 cups

Instant Oats to Milk Ratio for Overnight Oats

Mix-ins for Overnight Oats

This recipe is a simple base to customize your overnight oats with your favorite mix-ins and toppings! For extra flavor and/or nutrition, these ideas will rock your breakfast:

½ teaspoon of chia seed per serving
½ teaspoon of flax meal per serving
2 tablespoons of protein powder per serving
1 tablespoon of dried fruit per serving
1 teaspoon of nut butter per serving
1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup per serving

two jars of overnight oats and strawberries on the top

Instant Oatmeal Overnight Oats with Yogurt

Another way to get the delicious texture we crave in overnight oats with instant oats is by using ½ cup of yogurt instead of 1 ⅓ cups of milk. The consistency will be thicker, so add just about 2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out.

How Long Do Instant Overnight Oats Last

Overnight oats made with instant oats will last 2 days in the fridge. After that, they won’t spoil immediately, but the texture will get mushy, and the flavor will not be the same.

Overnight Oats with Instant Oatmeal

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 4 5

These overnight oats with instant oatmeal can be enjoyed plain or with your favorite fruit added in.

5 from 9 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 cup instant oats
1 ⅓ cups milk*, any
½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
1 cup fruit, sliced

Instructions

Prep:

Fill each overnight oats jar with ½ cup instant oats, ⅔ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla (if using), and ½ cup sliced fruit -such as berries, fresh or frozen. Give the contents of the jar a stir with a spoon, and cover it with a lid.

Refrigerate:

Place the jars in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
In the morning, give the overnight oats a quick stir with a spoon. Enjoy them cold or warmed in the microwave for 60 seconds.

Notes

You can use the same amount of water, but it won’t taste as creamy.
You can make these overnight oats with yogurt by swapping the ⅔ cup of milk in each jar for ½ cup of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out.
Add ½ teaspoon chia and/or ½ teaspoon flaxmeal per jar.

Equipment

Overnight Oats Jars with Spoon

Wide-Mouth Mason Jars

Nutrition

Overnight Oats with Instant Oatmeal