Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats

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Give your breakfast an upgrade with Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats! This no-fuss recipe blends the richness of cheesecake with the health benefits of oats for a nutritious-yet-indulgent start to your day. With no refined sugar and no need for special equipment, it's the perfect blend of convenience, nutrition, and taste.

Three jars of Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats topped with fresh berries, graham cracker crumbs, and a spoon.

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🫐 What Are Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats?
🧂 Ingredients
👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
💭 Top Tips
🥡 Storing & Freezing
📖 Recipe FAQs
🍽 Looking For More Breakfast Recipes?
📋 Recipe

🫐 What Are Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats?

Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats are a modern, dessert-like twist on traditional oatmeal. By soaking oats in milk and yogurt overnight, they transform into a soft, creamy, pudding-like texture that’s reminiscent of cheesecake.

When combined with yogurt, fruit, and sweeteners, it feels like dessert for breakfast every morning! This recipe has the perfect balance of tartness from the lemon, sweetness from the maple syrup, and richness from the Greek yogurt. Plus, frozen berries add such a beautiful color and juicy, fruity texture and flavor.

Overnight cheesecake oatmeal is the ideal dish for meal prep, grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks, or even pre and post-workout meals. It’s quick, easy, healthy, and portable like my Spam Musubi with Egg, Pumpkin Protein Balls, or Vegan Cucumber Sandwiches! Plus, you can easily customize this cheesecake oats recipe by using your favorite toppings and add-ins.

Why You'll Love It

Simple: These easy overnight cheesecake oats have the perfect mix of convenience and taste! This recipe requires no cooking and just a simple mix of mostly pantry staples.
Quick: With a quick assembly and an overnight chill in the refrigerator, this nutritious breakfast is ready to be enjoyed first thing in the morning.
Healthy: Berry chia overnight oats are packed with essential fibers, proteins, and vitamins. This recipe contains a powerhouse of nutrition that will keep you energized all day long! It's also gluten-free and vegetarian.

🧂 Ingredients

Old-fashioned rolled oats: I use gluten-free sprouted rolled oats, which absorb liquids well and result in a creamy, chewy texture. Quick oats will be quite mushy and steel-cut oats require much longer soaking times.
Milk: Helps soften the oats and creates the creamy, smooth texture that characterizes overnight cheesecake oatmeal. Use regular, 2%, or your favorite non-dairy milk like soy or almond milk.
Greek yogurt: Whole-fat Greek yogurt replaces cream cheese to provide creaminess while boosting protein content.
Maple syrup: I prefer maple syrup as a natural, sugar-free sweetener but you can use other sweeteners like honey or sugar.
Vanilla extract: Added for its aromatic qualities, subtle sweetness, and depth of flavor that complement the natural taste of the oats and berries.
Lemon juice: Fresh juice provides a quintessential tart “cheesecake” flavor. Use half the amount if you prefer a sweeter taste.
Chia seeds (optional): I like to make my cheesecake oats with chia seeds to thicken them and add fiber, protein, and omega-3s.
Protein powder (optional): Increase the protein content without significantly altering texture. This isn’t as thick as other protein powders, but you can make yours with protein powder of any type for a high-protein option. My favorite brand is Vital Proteins or Nuzest.
Berries: You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries to add natural sweetness and tartness.
Optional toppings: Make your Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats your own with toppings like crushed graham cracker crumbs, more fresh berries, hemp seeds, peanut butter, or chopped nuts.

Substitutions & Variations

Consider using Jello or pudding mix as a sweetener, thickener, and flavor enhancer. Just remember to omit the Greek yogurt.
Experiment with different fruits for varying flavors. Think cherries, mangoes, or bananas.
Add your favorite toppings or mix-ins such as nut butter, protein powder, chocolate, or flax seeds.
You can make this healthy cheesecake oatmeal recipe with steel-cut oats for a different texture, but you may need more liquid and the oats will need to soak for longer.
To make dairy-free Cheesecake Oats, use dairy-free yogurt and plant milk. It can also be made vegan by omitting the collagen peptides.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Adding oats, yogurt, milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt to a jar.

STEP ONE: To a jar with a tight-fitting lid, add rolled oats, milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Also add in your chia seeds and protein powder, if using.

Adding berries and mixing it all together.

Then add in your fresh or frozen berries.

STEP TWO: Give the jar a vigorous shake or simply use a spoon to stir all the ingredients together.

Cover and store in fridge for at least 4 hours, but I recommend overnight. In the morning, stir and enjoy!

Close up of Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats topped with berries and a spoon.

💭 Top Tips

Full fat ingredients: For maximum creaminess, opt for whole-fat Greek yogurt as it usually contains less sugar than other varieties.
Old fashioned oats: For the best texture, use old-fashioned or rolled oats rather than quick oats or steel-cut oats for Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats. They absorb the liquid at the right pace and provide a creamy-yet-chewy consistency.
Stir well: Make sure to stir all ingredients thoroughly before refrigerating. This ensures that the oats soak evenly and the flavors meld together well.
Use the right jars: Make sure to use tall jars (preferably glass) with tight-fitting lids. I love glass jars with bamboo lids, but mason jars or Weck jars also work great.

🥡 Storing & Freezing

Storing: You can keep your berry chia overnight oats in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freezing: For longer storage periods, you can freeze overnight oats in single-serving portions for up to 3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready for more.

Reheating: Overnight oats are best enjoyed cold! If you’d prefer your overnight oats slightly warmed, heat them in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low or in the microwave in 30-second increments.

Make Ahead: Overnight oats were created with the sole purpose of preparing them ahead of time! Just mix everything the night before for a ready-to-eat breakfast. Add any fresh fruit and toppings in the morning.

A jar of Berry Chia Overnight Oats surrounded by rolled oats, fruit, and a spoon.

📖 Recipe FAQs

Why are my overnight oats soggy?

Overnight oats can become mushy if there's too much liquid in proportion to the oats. It's crucial to keep the right oats-to-liquid ratio of 1:2. If your oats are consistently turning out too soft, try reducing the amount of yogurt or milk you're adding. It’s important to note that using thick-cut, old-fashioned rolled oats helps maintain a chewier texture as they absorb the liquid the best.

What makes overnight oats taste better?

To improve the taste of your overnight oats, you can experiment with different flavorings and sweeteners. Adding fruits, nuts, and seeds can provide extra taste and texture. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom can also add depth. And don’t forget a pinch of salt!

What is the best milk to use for overnight oats?

The best milk for overnight oats largely depends on personal preference. Regular cow's milk can make your oats creamy and rich, while non-dairy alternatives like almond, soy, or oat milk are excellent for a lactose-free or vegan option.