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My hot overnight oatmeal has the same warm, cakey texture as baked oats, just made in a fraction of the time using my overnight oats method. They’re SO easy to make!
Looking for more warm oatmeal recipes? Try my cinnamon roll oatmeal, chocolate oatmeal, Instant Pot oatmeal, or apple pie oatmeal next.
Craving the warm flavors and doughy texture of baked oats but don’t want to wait? You’ll love my warm overnight oatmeal!
With a bit of planning and a very simple hack, you can have warm, nutrient-packed oats for breakfast… or really any time of day.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect for meal prep. Like overnight oats, I love that I can batch a week’s worth of oats on Sunday night and keep them in the fridge until I need them.
- Easy to customize. Like any good oatmeal recipe, you can add all sorts of fix-ins.
- Less energy. Why waste time preheating an entire oven when you only need the microwave?
- Oven option. Okay, okay, I know what I just said, but if I’m making multiple servings of oatmeal at once, I like to use the oven!
Ingredients needed
- Rolled oats. I strongly prefer using old-fashioned oats instead of quick-cooking oats or steel-cut oats, which don’t yield the best texture. Use gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Chia seeds. For texture and a fiber boost.
- Sugar. I went with brown sugar, but white sugar, sweetener, or maple syrup are good options for adding sweetness.
- Sea salt. To taste.
- Protein powder. Optional, but good for flavor and a protein boost.
- Nut butter. I added peanut butter, but any nut or seed butter will do.
- Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but oat milk, coconut milk, or dairy milk all work.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but what’s the harm in a handful of chocolate chips?
How to make hot overnight oatmeal
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Assemble. The night before (or at least one hour), before you want them, combine the oats, chia seeds, sweetener, salt, and protein powder in a mason jar or bowl.
Step 2- Add nut butter. Melt the nut butter and stir it into the dry ingredients. Add the milk and chocolate chips and refrigerate.
Step 3- Microwave. Microwave the oats for up to one minute or until warm.
Can I make this in the oven?
If you’d rather use your oven, prepare the oats as instructed and refrigerate. In the morning, pour the oats into oven-safe ramekins and broil for 5-7 minutes or until golden.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Add more liquid before microwaving. I don’t always do this step, but sometimes I find adding a splash of milk helps soften the oats and warms them up faster.
- Swap the milk for heavy cream or Greek yogurt for creamier, richer oats.
- Heat in intervals. Everyone’s microwave is different, so yours may take more or less time to cook. To prevent bubbling over, microwave the oats for one minute, then at 30-second intervals (stirring between each) until they’re done.
Variations
- Fruit. Once the oats have been heated, top them with sliced bananas, fresh strawberries, or dried fruit.
- Crunch. Top with walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or healthy granola.
- Spices. The night before, mix in some cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or vanilla extract.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover oats should be cooled completely, then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
To freeze: Transfer the oats to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months.
Reheating: Microwave in 20-second intervals until warm.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, by heating overnight oatmeal, you get the texture and comfort factor of warm oats, but with the convenience of prepping everything the night before.
Yes, hot water can be used, especially if you prefer your oats more tender and ‘cooked’ through.
No! Hot oatmeal should always be cooled and stored in the refrigerator so harmful bacteria don’t grow.
More cozy oat-based breakfasts
- Overnight steel cut oatmeal
- Oatmeal breakfast bars
- Tiramisu overnight oats
- Protein oatmeal
- Oatmeal breakfast cookies
Hot Overnight Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup protein powder Optional
- 1 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- The night before or at least an hour before consumption, place the oats, chia seeds, sweetener, sea salt and protein powder and mix well.
- Melt your nut butter and pour into the dry mixture and mix well. Add your dairy free milk and optional chocolate chips and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, microwave for up to 1 minute.
Looks different than the one oatmeal I make. I actually never made overnight oatmeal. I could try!
Thank you so much. I really didnt know you can bake it. Now I will eat only baked oats as I have seen on videos it is much better.
I just threw this together and used latte protein powder. Mixed it all up but simply could not resist trying the “raw” batter.
ohhhmyyyygoodnesssss!!!! This shot to the top of my favorites list, and it hasn’t even “cooked” yet!!!
This looks amazing, definitely going to give it a try! Are you able to make more than one at a time to put in the fridge (making them for a few days in advance) or would it become too soggy?
Hi Sara! I don’t think you’d have the issue to be too soggy- Because you zap it in the microwave, it will warm up and still be delicious and fluffy!
Awesome idea…one that is kinda like, ‘duh’ but I never would have thought of!
Haha nooooo. 🙂
If you use the microwave method, is it still baked?
It gives it the baked oatmeal texture, so yep!
Legit genius idea! I literally never make baked oatmeal because ain’t nobody got time for that. But this makes it so doable. LOVE it.
Cheers Chelsea K!
I really liked this recipe. Seriously I had lunch at 2 pm and wasn’t even hungry then. And the texture! Also it’s a great oatmeal hack in general.
But now why did I make it look so ugly and yours looks so beautiful???
😀 YES!!!! Yours looked beautiful- We can thank editing for this hahaha!
I love, love, love oatmeal!! It’s always a treat getting stovetop oatmeal at my Gramma’s house. I’ve tried your cinnamon bun baked oatmeal and it was fab. Overnight oats I enjoy too, especially when I know I’m going to be short on time in the mornings!! But I prefer my oats warm as opposed to cold, so I’ll be trying this recipe out for sure!
Thanks so much, Jillian- Oh nice- I wish my grandma made me oatmeal haha! 🙂
Huge oatmeal lover here! I’m always in a rush to get out the door in the morning so this is going to be perfect (:
🙂 Thanks so much, Olivia!
Ooooo I can only imagine the delicious texture that will result from overnight-basking to oven-baking. NOM.
Baked oatmeal is something that’s so much harder for me to make because I have to make multiple servings at once! However, it’s a superb way to cook oats! The protein powder would taste incredible in the oatmeal as well–especially chocolate!!
🙂 I can’t wait to give you some protein powder samples! 🙂
I go through phases with oatmeal. Either I will eat eggs every day until I die or I will eat oats. Right now I’m in my eggs stage, but I’ve been there for awhile. Anything that only takes me one minute is alright in my book!
OH I wish I could be satisfied with eggs- They leave me hungry for more!
Genius – anything that takes one minute to transform completely is very worth it!
😀 Thanks, Michele!
Sometimes I do this because I am too hungry to wait in the morning! Warm oats are superior IMO.
OOOOO, You’ll need to try my cake batter oats- Eating it cold = pudding. Seriously!
I love making bread and muffin things in the microwave. They are much more moist then their baked counterparts, but I like the gooeyness more. It’s like I’d rather eat cookie dough than actual cookies. My favorite way to eat oatmeal is probably as granola…I know that sounds like a complete switch, baked oats are crunchy but I love gooey things…but if you top gooey things with crunchy things, it works!
Thanks! Most of my cakes and muffins can be done that way!
Ahhh I do this with my sons oatmeal to make it a bit less messy… hadn’t occurred to me to do it to my own to make it “baked”. Nice tip Arman!!
You are so welcome, Emma! 🙂
What a great idea. I’m cuckoo for oats too. Thanks for all your experimenting to make this awesome wonderful dish!!!
You are so welcome 🙂
Okay, you’ve finally got an 11 for all of your bonus points of creativity and rank #1 in the world!
I hope so- I also hope you better be scoring me using the OLD system, not the new one where 11 would be really bad!!!!
Never thought to make the night before. Brilliant idea!
Serious breakfast hack right here!
You know I love my oatmeal! I eat something similar to this every single day after my run. Ugh, so good! Sometimes I eat it cold, sometimes I heat it. Definitey my most favorite meal of the day, especially after a tough run. I don’t understand people who don’t eat oatmeal!
Right? It’s so comforting! I’m stoked that there is this hack so we can have all the texture of baked oatmeal but in none of the time!