PBJ Overnight Oats
Peanut butter and jelly is the ultimate flavor and are the stars in these PBJ Overnight Oats. Easy to prep and are ready to eat in less than an hour.
This is for my oat lovers. And as a long time oat lover myself, these oats are in my top 5. After making overnight oats regularly over the past 8 years, I feel like I know exactly what I need to get the perfect texture that makes me happy. So I’m sharing my secrets for these creamy PBJ Overnight Oats with you today.
And to my savory breakfast loves, I haven’t forgotten about you. For right now, you can enjoy these Breakfast Burritos. But, I promise I will come back to you with some extra ideas.
Why You’ll Love These PB and J Overnight Oats
- Takes 5 minutes to prep
- Great to meal prep for the week for easy grab and go breakfast
- Oats are ready in an hour, no overnight waiting needed
- Nutritious and very easy to customize for extra nutrients
- This recipe is vegan, gluten-free and easy to make nut-free
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oats: These oats are best made using rolled oats. To make sure they are gluten-free make sure to use clearly marked gluten-free oats.
- Chia Seeds: Not only a good source of omega 3s, using chia seeds helps to thicken and also give the right texture to your overnight oats.
- Peanut Butter: While you can use any peanut butter you like, I recommend using a natural peanut butter that is creamy and runny. It will blend into your oats better meaning you get peanut butter flavor in each bite. If you use regular peanut butter, just make sure to mix as well as you can.
- Jelly: You can stick to a classic grape flavor, but this recipe works with so many different flavors. I personally have been loving apricot jam, but strawberry and even raspberry work. You can also make your own 10 minute chia jam if you are feeling up to it.
- Plant-Based Milk: There is no right or wrong here. I tend to make my oats using soy milk or almond milk. However, feel free to use your favorite type for this.
- Plant-Based Yogurt: Vegan yogurts vary. I specifically used plain unsweetened Forager Project Yogurt, which is cashew based, but should work with other plain or vanilla based yogurts. For higher protein varieties I would recommend Siggi’s Plant Based Yogurt or Kite Hill Greek Style Yogurt.
How to Make PBJ Overnight Oats
Add equal amounts of oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt to your jars or storage container then give them a good mix.
Pour in your milk, yogurt, peanut butter and jam then give another good mix to fully combine. Make sure to mix well enough that you don’t have clumps of chia seeds in one spot.
Wait 5 minutes, then give the oats a final stir, seal the container and then place in the fridge to set. In the very least, wait 15 minutes before eating, but for best texture, try to wait 1 hour before eating.
Expert Tips
- For best results, use rolled oats (old-fashioned). These oats are the perfect thickness and will give the best texture. Quick oats will get super mushy and steel-cut oats will be hard and chewy using this method, which is not ideal. Use this overnight steel-cut oats recipe instead.
- After mixing your oats, wait 5 minutes and mix them again before letting them set. This helps the chia seeds better gel around the oats and also helps the oats release their starches for the perfect creamy texture.
- Adjust sweetness based on preference. The flavor will be impacted by the jam and yogurt you use. If your yogurt is very sour and the jam is not enough to sweeten it, then add a little touch of maple syrup or agave to help balance it.
- To make the oats higher in protein use high protein plant-based milk. I recommend using either a soy or pea protein milk to soak them in. You can also add other high protein options like a protein-rich plant-based yogurt. And if you are a big peanut butter fan, you can also stir in some extra peanut butter powder as a cheap protein powder alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Steel cut oats are difficult to use for overnight oats unless you do a quick cook of them before storing. I have a blog post dedicated to how to make overnight oats with steel-cut oats that can help!
As the name suggests, overnight set up is generally recommended which is about 6-8 hours. But if you are like me and forget 90% of the time to make your overnight oats the night before, you can still prep these oats the morning of. They only need about an hour or often less time (at least 15 minutes) to set depending on your patience. So pack before you leave and by the time you get to work or school you can enjoy them.
100% yes! Cold oats aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but a quick solution for this is to just heat them up in the microwave or on the stove top. Usually a minute and 30 seconds tends to do the trick, but adjust depending on how powerful your microwave is.
Once sealed and placed in the fridge, your oats will last for up to 4 days. So you can double this recipe easily and have them ready to go for the week.
How to Serve
So this is my favorite part about oats because this is how you can truly customize it to better meet your nutrient needs. Also, definitely add more peanut butter and jam on top for the best experience.
- Fullness: Many things can effect fullness. The amount of fat, protein, fiber, and even texture play a roll. When it comes to fats, we have peanut butter, chia seeds and plant based yogurt. But you can always add more peanut butter. On days when I’m more hungry, extra peanut butter tends to help satisfy me the most.
- Protein: To get more protein, sprinkle your bowl with extra hemp hearts or some extra nuts and seeds.
- Texture: If you need something to help balance the soft texture of the oats add things like granola, cacoa nibs, nuts and seeds, buckwheat groats, or even a little sprinkle of crunchy cereal.
- Fiber: Berries. You can’t go wrong with them and they are such an easy way to get your day started with more fiber. Choose your favorite and add about 1/2 cup or more for a significant boost on top of the fiber you get from the oats.
- Fun: I always top mine with more peanut butter and jelly. It truly gives these peanut butter and jelly overnight oats their true character.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes to Try
- High Protein Strawberry Oatmeal
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Breakfast Polenta Bowl
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash
- Lemon Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
PBJ Overnight Oats
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Peanut butter and jelly is the ultimate flavor and are the stars in these PBJ Overnight Oats. Easy to prep and are ready to eat in less than an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, I used soy milk
- 2 tbsp plant-based yogurt, I used Forager Project
- 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, salted
- 2–4 tbsp any fruit jam, I used apricot jam
- Maple syrup, optional if you want your oats to be sweeter
Instructions
- Combine all your dry ingredients to a bowl or divide half the ingredients into individual containers or jars. Give the dry ingredients a good mix.
- Now add in your wet ingredients to the bowl or divide half the wet ingredients into the appropriate containers. Mix well to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, give the oats one more mix and then seal the containers and allow to sit and gel for at least 15 minutes to an hour or overnight if prepping in advance for the week.
Notes
For best results, use rolled oats (old-fashioned). Quick oats will get super mushy and steel-cut oats will be hard and chewy using this method, which is not ideal. Use this overnight steel-cut oats recipe instead.
After mixing your oats, wait 5 minutes and mix them again before letting them set. This helps the chia seeds better gel around the oats and also helps the oats release their starches for the perfect creamy texture.
Adjust sweetness based on preference. The flavor will be impacted by the jam and yogurt you use. If your yogurt is very sour and the jam is not enough to sweeten it, then add a little touch of maple syrup or agave to help balance it.
To make the oats higher in protein use high protein plant-based milk. I recommend using either a soy or pea protein milk to soak them in. You can also add other high protein options like a protein-rich plant-based yogurt. And if you are a big peanut butter fan, you can also stir in some extra peanut butter powder as a cheap protein powder alternative.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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