Overnight oats with frozen fruit are the ultimate grab-and-go breakfast. Using frozen fruit adds flavor, a bit of color, and an excuse to use up the bag of frozen fruit leftover from making a raspberry blueberry smoothie or mango protein smoothie.
What Are Overnight Oats?
Oatmeal soaks in liquid overnight (at least 2 hours) to make thick and creamy oatmeal you can enjoy the next day. Overnight oats with frozen fruit are easy to make because there’s no need to chop, peel, or wash the fruit. Just toss them with the other ingredients, and your oatmeal is good to go in the morning.
For more breakfast ideas, try one of these overnight oat recipes!
Key Ingredients
- Oatmeal: This recipe works best with old-fashioned oats. They hold their shape and have the perfect creamy texture. Steel-cut oats come out chewy since they don’t absorb the liquid well, and quick oats turn mushy.
- Chia Seeds: A spoonful of chia seeds add texture and a little fiber.
- Oat Milk: Use water or milk, like oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.
- Fruit: Frozen fruit is the perfect addition to overnight oats. Use what you have or play around with different fruits until you find your favorite combination.
- Toppings: My go-tos are honey and more fruit, but nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, or a drizzle of nut butter are delicious choices.
Can You Put Frozen Fruit in Oats?
Frozen fruit is an easy way to make oatmeal way more exciting. They are solid enough that they don’t mushy as you mix up the oats, and after a few hours in the fridge, they soften up just right. Berries, mango, cherries, acai…it all works. Try this recipe with vanilla and blueberries, mango and coconut milk, mixed berries and oat milk, or cherry overnight oats with almond milk.
How to Make Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Divide the oats and chia seeds into the containers, and top them with the frozen blueberries.
Step 2: Combine the oat milk and protein powder in a glass jar, then stir until the protein powder is fully incorporated.
Step 3: Divide the milk between the two containers, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 4: Remove the jar from the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, give it a quick stir and top the oats with a drizzle of honey and fresh blueberries.
Expert Tips
- Mix the protein powder beforehand. Combine the oat milk and protein powder with a frother or whisk before adding it to the oatmeal to break up the powder and prevent clumping.
- What’s a good milk-to-oats ratio? A classic 1:1 ratio (one part old-fashioned oats to one part milk) usually produces the best results. But you should always keep your mix-ins in mind. If you’re adding ingredients like protein powder and chia seeds, you may want to add a little more milk, whereas you can reduce the milk when adding something like frozen fruit that will thaw out as it settles.
- Choose the right container. Store overnight oats in a container or jar with room to spare. The oatmeal and chia seeds will expand as they hydrate, and so will the mix-ins.
- How long should I leave the overnight oats? Despite the name, overnight oats don’t actually need to sit overnight. They’re ready in as little as 2–3 hours, though the longer they rest, the softer and creamier they’ll be. Before eating, give the oats a good stir and add your favorite toppings.
If you enjoy overnight oats with frozen fruit, try more breakfast recipes!
How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?
Store the oats in an airtight container for three days in the refrigerator. If they seem dry after sitting in the fridge, add another splash of milk, stir, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you use frozen or fresh fruit for overnight oats?
The answer to that question is both. I recommend using frozen fruit when your favorite fruit is out of season since frozen fruits get picked at peak ripeness. However, fresh fruit is always delicious.
When should I add fruit to my overnight oats?
I love including frozen fruit in my overnight oats before they have had time to set so the flavor of the fruit gets incorporated into the oatmeal. However, if you love the cold bite of frozen fruit, frozen fruit also makes an incredible topping.
Are frozen berries as good as fresh?
Let’s settle the debate between fresh vs. frozen fruit. Many studies show that frozen and fresh berries contain the same nutrients. That said, I have two rules for deciding what fruit to use.
First, I take a look at what is in season. If blueberries aren’t in season, I will use frozen blueberries picked in season. The next thing to consider is what is on sale. Is there a deal on fresh strawberries? If so, I am buying that. Two for one on frozen strawberries – throw them into my cart.
What kind of oats work best for overnight oats?
I recommend avoiding instant and steel-cut oats to make overnight oats with frozen fruit. The steel-cut oats come out chewy since they take longer to absorb the liquid, and quick oats end up mushy. Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best option.
More Recipes with Fruit:
Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
- 2 Airtight Containers
- Glass
- ⅔ cup rolled oats, divided
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds, divided
- ⅔ cup frozen blueberries, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 drizzle honey
- Divide the oats and chia seeds into the containers, and top them with the frozen blueberries.
- Combine the oat milk and protein powder in a glass jar, then stir until the protein powder is fully incorporated.
- Divide the milk between the two containers, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the jar from the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, give it a quick stir and top the oats with a drizzle of honey and fresh blueberries.
- Mix the protein powder beforehand. Combine the oat milk and protein powder with a frother or whisk before adding it to the oatmeal to break up the powder and prevent clumping.
- What’s a good milk-to-oats ratio? A classic 1:1 ratio (one part old-fashioned oats to one part milk) usually produces the best results. But you should always keep your mix-ins in mind. If you’re adding ingredients like protein powder and chia seeds, you may want to add a little more milk, whereas you can reduce the milk when adding something like frozen fruit that will thaw out as it settles.
- Choose the right container. Store overnight oats in a container or jar with room to spare. The oatmeal and chia seeds will expand as they hydrate, and so will the mix-ins.
- How long should I leave the overnight oats? Despite the name, overnight oats don’t actually need to sit overnight. They’re ready in as little as 2–3 hours, though the longer they rest, the softer and creamier they’ll be. Before eating, give the oats a good stir and add your favorite toppings.