Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit

Name: Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup rolled oats; 1 tbsp chia seeds; 1 cup milk; 1 tbsp sweetener (such as maple syrup); ½ packed cup frozen fruits; vegan vanilla yogurt; extra frozen fruits (thawed)

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We LOVE to make overnight oats with frozen fruit. It is convenient, easy to personalize and the thawed frozen fruit create a light sweet syrup that makes the creamy oats so flavorful and colorful. Use your favorite frozen fruit and meal-prep a few of them within minutes to have some healthy breakfasts ready-to-go ahead of a busy week. Vegan, nutrient-packed, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Vegan overnight oats are one of my favorite breakfasts for so many reasons! They come together so easily, they make for the best breakfast to meal-prep ahead, you can load them up with a TONS of nutrient-rich yummy food and the most important one, they are so delicious and creamy and nicely sweet.

I eat them multiple times a week in all sorts of ways, not kidding! I'll often make them the same morning I want to enjoy them and let them soak for only one hour while I sip on my coffee. It is such a forgiving recipe and the perfect breakfast to make if you are not that comfortable in the kitchen.

And overnight oats are a great place to start if you are trying to eat more plant-based meals, everyone loves them and they are so versatile!

But do you know what kind of overnight oatmeals I make the most? Overnight oats with frozen fruit!

I think the most obvious reason to make overnight oats using frozen fruit is for convenience: we usually all have some sort of frozen fruits in the freezer to make pineapple slushies, watermelon smoothie bowls or simply a quick blackberry and strawberry smoothies. But yes, you can also use them to make fruity overnight oats.

Actually, using frozen fruit is amazing since the fruits can be added to the overnight oats right from the start. When making them using fresh fruits, it is better to add them no more than 24 hours before enjoying so they stay fresh, but in this case, the frozen fruits will slowly thaw with the oats and create such an amazing consistency.

The soft thawed fruits actually become saucy and naturally create a lightly sweetened syrup with zero effort, which is perfect for making a creamy jar of overnight oats that remain healthy and low-in-added sugar.

In this recipe, you can use whatever frozen fruit you like or already have. My favorites are any kind of frozen berries, especially blueberries or strawberries, but pineapple, peaches or cherries work wonderfully too. I like to layer the oats with vegan vanilla yogurt and more thawed syrupy frozen fruits for a stunning presentation.

I hope you give them a try and please, share with us down below your favorite fruit combination! ❤️

What are overnight oats

If you are new to overnight oats, then this is a great place to start!

Overnight oats are a combination of rolled oats, chia seeds, milk and sweetener. They often also include nuts or seeds, yogurt, fruits or other flavorful ingredients.

This idea is to combine all the ingredients and then let the mixture rest in the fridge for a few hours, ideally overnight, for the oats to soften while soaking in the milk.

It takes 5 minutes to combine the ingredients and then, you will have a breakfast all ready to-go the next morning.

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy, quick and such a simple recipe.
Kid and family-friendly.
Super versatile with endless fun adds-on to experiment with.
Satisfying thick and creamy consistency.
Amazing for meal-prep and to get organized ahead of a busy week.
Perfect for breakfast, but also makes for the best healthy snack, light dessert or post workout treat.
Make it with OR without yogurt.
No bake, perfect for the summer!
Very filling and satisfying.
Healthy, high-in-fiber and rich in omega-3 fats.
Vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.

Ingredients you'll need

Rolled oats: it really makes a huge difference to use a thicker kind of rolled oats, such as the old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick cooking oats or, even worse, instant oats, become super mushy and just don't give a nice texture to the creamy oats. We even often choose the extra thick rolled oats for a coarser consistency. Choose certified gluten-free rolled oats if you need to!
Plant-based milk: I use oat milk from Oatly to make overnight oats and actually for pretty much all my cooking. It is super creamy and thicker than most other kinds of milk. BUT, you can really use any kind of unsweetened milk you like!
Frozen fruit: I think berries work amazingly for overnight oats, but choose your favorite! As seen in the picture, I used a mix of blueberries, strawberries and pineapple.
Chia seeds: you don't have to use them, but they add a fun tapioca-like texture and an impressive amount of nutrition, such as plant-based protein, fiber and healthy omega-3. While resting, they absorb some of the liquid to expand, which helps create a super creamy mixture.
Sweetener: add to taste, which might depend on the fruit you used and if you are using a sweetened yogurt when serving.

How to make overnight oats with frozen fruit

They are so quick and easy to prep, although you will have to plan ahead so they have enough time to rest.

Combine

In a jar or glass container, combine the oats, chia seeds, plant-based milk, sweetener and frozen fruit (still frozen!).

Stir well and seal.

Rest + Chill

Transfer the overnight oats to the fridge and let them rest overnight or at least for 2-4 hours. If you don't mind a runnier mixture that also has more texture to it, then one hour might be fine too if you are in a rush (I often do this).

Adjust + Serve

When done resting, then stir well and taste to adjust consistency (add more milk if needed) and sweetness (add more maple syrup if needed).

Then, feel free to eat straight from the jar or layer with vegan yogurt and more fruits as needed. See below for more ideas on how I like to serve overnight oats.

In process picture: view on the ingredients needed to make this recipe in a bowl.

In process picture: view on a bowl of oats with frozen fruit.

Watch how to make it

Which frozen fruit to choose

You can really use any frozen fruit you like!

But, I think that berries work the best as they create a light syrup while melting. This helps flavor the creamy overnight oats with natural sugar from the fruits and it gives an appetizing color to the mixture too. Blueberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries are my number 1 choice.

Pineapple, peaches and mango also work well, although they remain pretty sturdy even after thawed and don't create that much fruity juice while melting.

Are there any frozen fruits to avoid? Yes! I would not recommend using frozen bananas, watermelon or honeydew melon. Keep those to make watermelon smoothie bowl, healthy banana milkshakes or sorbet-like melon dessert!

Pro-tips

This recipe gives a large breakfast for one person or 2 smaller ones, which is perfect if you want to layer with yogurt and more ingredients.
You can double or triple this recipe if you love to meal-prep!
If your pieces of frozen fruit are large (such as strawberries or pineapple), then try to first slice the pieces before adding to the recipe so it gives a better texture to the oats after thawed.
The more the rolled oats soak into the milk, the more the mixture will become soft. I enjoy more texture, so I am fine with letting them soak for only one hour. But, if you are looking for a more uniform and creamy mixture, then be sure to let it rest for at least 2-4 hours or ideally overnight.

Serving suggestions and variations

There are many ways you can serve these overnights oats. If you are grabbing-and-go, then just eat it as is. But if you are eating it at home, then you can take an extra 3 minutes to layer it or top with more fresh ingredients.

As seen in the pictures, I made two small servings out of this recipe and layered it with a vegan vanilla yogurt and more frozen fruit. Simply thaw the fruit using the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until soft and juicy.

You can also top the overnight oats with some more healthy ingredients such as:

Nuts, like walnuts, pecans and almonds
A drizzle of almond butter or homemade pumpkin seed butter
Tahini caramel or maple syrup
Dried fruit for a nice chewy texture
Fresh fruits
Granola for a nice crunch. Try my superfood turmeric granola or vanilla almond granola!
Shredded coconut or coconut flakes
Cacao nibs or vegan mini chocolate chips

You can also include more ingredients within the overnight oats mixture. Try adding:

Cinnamon or nutmeg
Vanilla extract
¼ cup vegan yogurt
One tablespoon raw cacao powder (add more sweetener in that case to balance out the bitter flavor)
One tablespoon peanut or almond butter
Hemp seeds
Plant-based protein powder

Storage tips

Overnight oats store well in the fridge for 3 days or even more. I find overnight oats made with frozen fruit to be easier to store for a longer period of time compared to the ones made with fresh fruits.

I layered the overnights oats with the yogurt and thawed fruit as seen in the picture and kept it covered for 3 days in the fridge and it was still delicious!

I do not recommend to freeze this recipe.

FAQ's

How to ensure this recipe is gluten-free?

Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free, but be sure they are certified gluten-free with no risk of contamination.

Can I make it without any added sugar?

Yes, simply omit the maple syrup! The natural sugar coming from the fruit might be enough sweetener for your taste, but also, feel-free to add ½ mashed banana or 2 finely chopped dates to boost the sweet flavor.

Can I make it without chia seeds?

Yes! Chia seeds add texture and help create a thicker and creamier consistency, but you don't have to use them to make overnight oats. In that case, compensate by adding less milk (¼ cup less per each tablespoon of chia seeds).

Can I warm it up?

Yes! In that case, avoid layering with the yogurt and simply heat it up in the microwave or on the stove 30 seconds at the time. Stir well and often while warming up and add more plant-based milk if needed.

How can I make it nut-free?

To make this recipe nut-free, then be sure to use a nut-free plant-based milk, such as soy milk or oat milk (do not use almond milk).

More overnight oats recipes you might like

I hope you like this overnight oats with frozen fruit 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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