Blueberry Overnight Oats

We have a lot of rich and decadent overnights oats recipes here on Wholefully, but sometimes you want something a little lighter and brighter for breakfast—and these Blueberry Lemon Overnight Oats fit the bill!

Plump and sweet blueberries are suspended in a creamy and tangy lemon-flavored oatmeal. This lemon-blueberry combination reminds me of warm weather and sunshine! I make these oats when I’m craving a little bit of summertime (even in the middle of winter).

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a no-cook way to make oatmeal. Instead of cooking your rolled oats on the stove, you stir them together with liquid and other mix-ins, and let it all rest in the fridge overnight. It makes a great pudding-like porridge that you can eat cold, or warm up. For more on this grab-and-go breakfast favorite of mine, head on over to our Overnight Oats 101 post.

What makes overnight oats so special?

Overnight oats can be a meal prep staple in any busy household. Here’s why you’ll always find a stash in our refrigerator:

• Overnight oats are delicious! If you’ve never had cold oatmeal before, it may sound off-putting, but trust me! This porridge is hearty, creamy, and tastes like pudding! (But if you really don’t like the idea of eating them cold, you can heat them up, too—more on that in a sec.)
• They can be a healthy and hearty way to start the day. You get to control everything that goes into your overnight oats, so you can make them into a super nourishing, nutritious breakfast. Add some collagen or protein powder. Mix in some super seeds, like chia, flax, or hemp. Reduce the added sweeteners, or drop them completely. You can make these oats your breakfast superfood!
• Overnight oats are super easy to make in advance. Spend a few minutes mixing up your overnight oats in the evening or on the weekend, and breakfast will be ready to grab-and-go by morning. Overnight oats aren’t just easy to meal prep—they are designed for it!
• You can customize them to fit your dietary preferences. Make your overnight oats your own—they can be super nourishing or super decadent, vegan or gluten-free. We’re covering blueberry overnight oats here, but once you get a feel for overnight oats, you can discover your own favorite flavor.
• They can be made in bulk. You’ll see overnight oats on meal prep menu after meal prep menu, and for good reason—you can make a full week’s worth of breakfasts at once.

Why add yogurt to overnight oats?

Yogurt gives your overnight oatmeal an extra boost of creaminess—we definitely prefer the texture of overnight oats when we use a combo of milk and yogurt over just milk! Plus, if you choose the right yogurt, your overnight oats can also be a good source of probiotics.

If you’re out of yogurt or just aren’t a fan, replace the yogurt with an additional 1/3 cup of milk and double the amount of chia seeds or flax meal.

Do you eat overnight oats cold or heated up?

Most folks choose to keep overnight oats as a grab-and-go breakfast, and eat them cold (and that’s where the pudding-like texture comes in!). But if you’d rather have them hot, just warm them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, stirring frequently, or heat them in a small saucepan on the stove.

What kind of blueberries should I use? Can I use frozen blueberries?

You can use either frozen or fresh blueberries interchangeably in this recipe. I like using frozen wild blueberries because they are packed with antioxidants, and the small size means you get a nice blueberry flavor in every bite, but regular frozen blueberries work as well. The frozen blueberries will defrost as the oats sit in the fridge, so you won’t need to defrost them before mixing into the oats.

If you go the frozen route, you will want to back off on the added milk just a touch—by about a tablespoon—since the fruit will release some liquid as it defrosts. They will also give the oats a lovely purple color! And if you’d prefer, you can always use fresh blueberries instead, as well.

Can you make substitutions to these overnight oats?

One of the best things about overnight oats is how easy they are to customize! Whether you need them to be vegan, gluten-free, or lower in sugar, the swaps are simple and require no extra effort. Our in-depth overnight oats post has a full range of suggestions, but here are some specific substitutions you can make for these blueberry overnight oats:

• Make it vegan: Use plant-based yogurt in place of the Greek yogurt, and use 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.

Where can you find more overnight oats recipes?

We’ve got you covered when it comes to simple and easy overnight oatmeal recipes! Here are some of the most well-loved recipes on Wholefully.