I grew up in a small rural town with a whopping population of 1400 people. I didn’t even know coffee shops were a thing until I hit college—and it took me another couple years to discover that they sold drinks other than just plain black coffee! After a few years of living on mochas, someone suggested I try a chai latte, and it was love at first sip.
This small-town girl’s horizons were blown wide open with a gloriously warm, sweet, and spicy chai, and to this day, chai is my drink of choice. I love chai so much that you’ll find me putting the rich flavors in all kinds of non-beverage dishes—like these Chai Latte Overnight Oats.
What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are a no-cook oatmeal that you mix up and let sit (surprise!) overnight in the fridge. In the morning, you have a creamy-dreamy grab-and-go breakfast that you can eat cold (my preferred method), or warm up. If you want more details on all things overnight oats, check out our big Overnight Oats 101 post.
What makes overnight oats so special?
Overnight oats should be a meal prep staple for any busy household. Here’s why they’ll always have a spot in my heart:
- Overnight oats are super easy to make ahead. Take just a few minutes on the weekend or in the evening mixing up your oats, and breakfast will be ready by morning. Overnight oats are specifically designed to be made in advance, and who doesn’t want to make their mornings simpler?
- They can be made in bulk. Overnight oats show up on so many meal prep menus for a reason—you can make an entire week’s worth of breakfast at once. You’re only limited by how many jars you have!
- You can customize them to fit your dietary preferences. Need your overnight oats to be gluten-free? Vegan? Lower in sugar? A little more decadent? These are all possible! We’re talking about chai latte overnight oats in this post, but once you get a feel for overnight oats, you can experiment to find your own favorite flavor combination.
- They can be a healthy and hearty way to start the day. You are in complete control of your overnight oats, so you can make them as nutrient-dense (try adding collagen peptides or a superfood like chia seeds) as you want!
- Overnight oats are just flat-out delicious! That overnight stay in the fridge does something magical to the oats—they soften up to make a sweet, creamy pudding. Even my kid loves overnight oats!
Can you warm up overnight oats?
Most folks eat overnight oats cold (that’s part of their grab-and-go appeal), but if that’s not your style, you can warm them in a small saucepan on the stove. Alternatively, you can heat them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, stirring frequently.
Can you make substitutions to these chai latte overnight oats?
One of the best things about overnight oats is that they are super customizable! You can easily make tweaks to suit your dietary needs or preferences. Need them to be vegan, gluten-free, or lower in sugar? No problem-o! We cover all sorts of substitutions you can make in our in-depth overnight oats post, but here are some specific suggestions for these chai spiced overnight oats:
- Make it vegan: Use plant-based yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, plant-based milk, and maple syrup instead of honey.
- Make it sugar-free: Drop the sweetener, make sure to use unsweetened milk, and add 1/2 mashed ripe banana. Or use stevia or monk fruit sweetener in place of the maple syrup or honey, if you prefer.
- Make it gluten-free: Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
What else can I do with this chai seasoning mix?
I highly recommend mixing up a big batch of the chai spice mix, because it has so many fun uses! Add it to pancake batter, stir it into coffee or tea lattes, or use it in place of cinnamon in cinnamon rolls. The possibilities are endless!
Where can you find more overnight oats recipes?
We’ve got you covered when it comes to simple and easy overnight oats recipes! Here are some of the most well-loved recipes on Wholefully.
Chai Latte Overnight Oats
PLEASE NOTE: We have adjusted the amount of spices in the recipe below in response to reader feedback. Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment for helping us make our recipes even better!
Get all the flavor of a warm cup of chai in an easy grab-and-go breakfast with these Chai Latte Overnight Oats.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (heaping) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flaxmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 0–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon into a pint or half liter jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Close and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, before eating.
Notes
- A little bit of cloves can go a long way! If your cloves are especially strong or fresh, you may want to use less to keep it from overpowering the other spices.
- Make up a big batch of the chai spice mix for flavoring all kinds of goodies. Then add a rounded teaspoon of the spice mix to each batch of your chai overnight oats.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 half batchAmount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 5gSugar: 25gProtein: 7g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
