This maple overnight oats is SO flavorful and nicely sweet, plus includes healthy chia seeds, pecans and a touch of cinnamon. Great to enjoy any time of the year and perfect for meal-prep. Fully vegan and easy to customize.

We are getting close to the end of the maple syrup season, so I thought it was perfect timing for this tasty maple overnight oats recipe!
It is a pretty simple recipe, great for meal-prep to get a few breakfasts ready-to-go for the week, but also loaded with amazing maple-y flavor. This version of overnight oats is a little sweeter than what I normally do following my vegan overnight oat guide, but I wanted to really highlight the maple syrup flavor here. Plus, it feels like a nice seasonal treat.
I'll even layer it with more maple syrup whenever I serve it. So delicious.
It is paired with pecans, which adds a nice crunch and nutty flavor, but also brings more healthy fats and protein to your meal to help you feel full longer. Also includes nutrient dense chia seeds and just a little hint of cinnamon to add more layers of flavor.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Only takes minutes to prepare
- Simple
- Great for meal-prep
- Easy to customize
- Ultra healthy and filling
- Delicious with amazing sweet flavor
- Fully vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free

Ingredients you'll need
- Rolled oats: choose old-fashioned style oats for best texture.
- Chia seeds: you can skip them if you don't have them, but they add an amazing tapioca-like texture and help thicken the consistency. They also provide more healthy omega-3 fats, protein and tons of fiber too.
- Maple syrup: use real maple syrup!
- Pecans: can swap for walnuts if you prefer. They add flavor, but also more crunchiness within the soft oatmeal.
- Cinnamon: totally optional. You can also try including other spices such as nutmeg, pumpkin spice mix or cardamom. Vanilla extract would also be amazing!
- Plant-based milk: any kind works, just use your favorite.
More add-on ideas
What's so great about overnight oats is that they are so easy to customize. You can make a few of these overnight oats jars, but include different and unique ingredient in each of them to make for a fun change. More ideas include:
- Vegan yogurt: either coconut or almond yogurt work. You can use a vanilla flavored one. If your yogurt is sweetened, then add a little less maple syrup to compensate. Yogurt in overnight oats are a great addition as it turns the consistency even creamier.
- Peanut butter or almond butter: you can add a spoonful of your favorite butter to add more creaminess and flavor, but also more fats and protein to keep hunger away longer. I'll often top my overnight oats with a drizzle, but whisking it within the mixture also is amazing.
- Mashed banana: to add only when ready to eat. It adds creaminess, but also boosts the sweetness. I often do that when making oatmeal or overnight oats to my kids.
- Maple extract: if you have some, then add a few drops to the mixture to boost the flavor!
- Chocolate chips

How to make it
Combine
Simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl or a jar: oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, pecans, cinnamon and plant-based milk. It will look a little soupy at first, but will thicken as it rests.
Chill
Cover the oats and store in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours). Once done resting, the oats will be creamy and have turned into an oatmeal consistency.
Serve and garnish
Serve and enjoy while still cold and garnish with fruits, nuts, more maple syrup, etc. As seen in the pictures, I topped with sliced bananas and more pecans. Also, I like to divide this recipe into 2 smaller jars that I layer with more maple syrup. I recommend to top your overnight oats only when ready to serve to keep it fresh.
Watch how to make it
Helpful tips
- Don't skip on topping the oats! Even if in a pinch, add more seeds, fresh fruits, nuts and maple syrup. It really adds more interesting texture to your breakfast and garnishing takes only a few seconds.
- If you don't have any plant-based milk, you could also simply use water, although the texture won't be as rich and creamy.
- You can make a few jars ahead of time, for example during the weekend, so they are ready-to-go! They make for great plant-based breakfasts to just grab-and-go if you like to enjoy your breakfast at work.
- Adjust consistency to your liking. You might want it thinner by adding more milk, especially if the oats soaked for a few days. The more it rests, the thicker it becomes!
- Be sure to look for certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
- If you don't want to use the chia seeds, then use ¼ cup less of milk as they absorb lots of the liquid.
- I recommend to use mason jars with sealable covers. They are perfect to stir in the ingredients, but also store well in the fridge. They are great for grab-and-go breakfast too.
Garnishing ideas
- Fresh fruits: especially bananas, apple chunks and strawberries.
- Nuts/seeds: add more pecans over or also try topping with walnuts and pumpkin seeds. They add a nice crunch and more protein/fats to keep you full longer.
- Nut/seed butter: such as this pumpkin seed butter. It boosts the overnight oats with more nutrient.
- Maple syrup: yes to more maple syrup! Or make this tahini caramel to drizzle over your oats. It takes minutes to prepare and done without any cooking!
- Dried fruits: they add a punch of sourness and sweetness, but also a nice chewy bite. Raisins would pair perfectly with the flavor, but also try cranberries or dried cherries.
- Try topping with apple sauce or chia jam!

Storage tips
This maple overnight oats recipe can be made up to 4 days ahead. Wait just before eating to garnish your breakfast so the fruits stay fresh and the nuts crispier. When made ahead, the pecans tend to soften, which is fine, just something to consider.
As mentioned before, as it rests for a longer period of time, it will become thicker and you might need to add a little more milk to adjust consistency to your taste just before serving.
FAQ's
No, not really. 4 hours should be enough and I even often let it chill only for an hour or 2 if I didn't feel like meal-prepping the day before. I usually wake up early and don't get hungry until later, so I'll make it right after I get up and enjoy it at breakfast time with my kids. The longer it chills/soaks, the thicker it will become, so just keep in mind that a shorter soaking time will give you a more soupy texture (which I actually like).
Yes! I LOVE cold creamy oats, but my children prefer warm oatmeal. For them, I'll simply warm it up in the microwave - 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, until ready for your taste, or use the stove - and add a little more plant-based milk as needed to adjust consistency. It will get thicker if you warm it up. Or, check out this vegan baked oats recipe!
No. It is completely safe to eat oats raw. Soaking the grains will help tenderize them though.
This is a very common question. You can use quick cooking, but the result isn't as nice. I guess it depends on your taste. Quick cooking oats will soak up the milk quicker and turn a little more mushy. Also, thicker old-fashioned rolled oats is a little less processed than quick cooking and sturdier, which I find more satisfying.
No. Steel-cut oats take much longer to cook and simply don't absorb on liquids the same way old-fashioned oats do. If you want to make overnight oats using this steel-cut oats, then you can follow this overnight steel-cut oats recipe by well-plated.
More overnight oats recipes you might like
- Full guide on how to personalize vegan overnight oats
- Peanut butter high-protein overnight oats
- Pumpkin and orange overnight oats
- Vanilla strawberry overnight oats
- Mango almond butter overnight oats
- Chocolate orange overnight oats
- Vanilla overnight oats
- Overnight oats with frozen fruit
- Quinoa overnight oats
- Cherry overnight oats
- Overnight oats without chia seeds
I hope you like this maple pecan overnight oats recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Maple Pecans Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds - optional, see notes
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 2 tbsp maple syrup - or to taste
- ¼ cup pecans - roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp cinnamon - optional
Instructions
- In a bowl or a jar, combine all the ingredients together until uniform. It will look a little soupy at this point. Then, cover and chill in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours). The longer it chills, the thicker the overnight oats will become.
- Serve cold and garnish with fresh or dried fruits, a drizzle of maple syrup, more nuts and seeds. You can also drizzle some nut or seed butter over to make it more filling. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage tips: keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Great recipe to meal-prep ahead!
- If not using the chia seeds, then use ¾ cup of plant-based milk instead of a full cup.
- Adds-in ideas: nutmeg or cardamom, dried raisins, vegan yogurt, pumpkin seed butter, vanilla extract and shredded coconut.
- Once ready to eat, adjust consistency with a little more milk as needed.
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This recipe got my attention when I saw Maple Syrup and Pecans - how could anything with these ingredients not be delicious! I made this two nights ago and was not disappointed - it was so good and felt great starting my day with such a hearty, healthy and flavourful breakfast. I had fresh blueberries so added them - love it! I had half yesterday and just finished today. This was easy to assemble and still delicious on the second day. I will make this again for sure and plan to try it with bananas next time - looking forward to it - thanks so much!