Power through the day with these satisfying, high protein overnight oats. You get a full 30 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per serving, with zero protein powder.
Unlike many overnight oats recipes that are filled with too many carbs and not enough protein, our recipe has a good protein to carb ratio. Instead of adding sugar, honey, or maple syrup, we used dates to sweeten the oats. Dates add an extra touch of fiber and when paired with protein, promote more balanced glucose levels.
For more nutrition information, be sure to check out Jen's section on why this recipe is dietitian approved for insulin resistance, prediabetes and diabetes.
Ingredients for High Protein Overnight Oats
Many overnight oats recipes are packed with carbs and sugar, making them more like a dessert than a healthy meal. Jen's high protein overnight oats recipe is filled with nutrient-dense ingredients for a healthy, delicious meal you can eat any time of day.
Ingredients for the Overnight Oats:
- Steel Cut Oats: Chewier and denser than rolled oats. Since they take longer to digest, their impact on glucose levels is more gradual. For gluten-free oats, make sure the package says "gluten-free" because some oats can have cross-contamination if processed in a facility that processes other grains.
- Water: Since we're topping the oats with yogurt, water is all that's needed to soften the oats overnight.
- Natural Vanilla Extract: For a dessert-like quality without the added calories.
- Ground Cinnamon: For an earthy, cozy flavor profile.
- Hemp Hearts: (affiliate link) Itty bitty powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
- Pitted Dates: For a sweet caramel-like flavor, we like pitted Medjool dates (affiliate link), but feel free to use what you have available.
Ingredients for the topping:
- Greek Yogurt: Per usual, we love Fage brand Greek Yogurt for its creaminess and high protein content. Here we used the 5% version, but use any brand you prefer, low-fat or regular.
- Sliced Almonds: For a nice crunch and a bit of added protein and healthy fats, of course.
- Mixed Berries: Including berries in one's diet has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity, so they are a great choice.
How to Make High Protein Overnight Oats
As the name implies, overnight oats are meant to soak overnight, which makes them a perfect recipe for meal prep. Instead of making one jar of High Protein Overnight Oats, make several jars for easy grab-and-go meals throughout the week.
For the overnight oats
Place the oats, cinnamon, vanilla, hemp hearts, sliced dates, and water into a jar with a lid (affiliate link). Give the jar a good shake and refrigerate. Over the next couple of hours, give the jar a few more shakes if you're able.
For the topping
The next morning (or when you're ready to eat) give the contents of the jar a good stir. Next, top with the yogurt, sliced almonds, and berries. Make sure each bite contains a little bit of everything. This ensures you have the best, creamiest, high protein overnight oats experience.
Be sure to use jars with tight fitting lids (affiliate link) like the ones shown in this post, and keep the overnight oats refrigerated.
Store overnight oats for 5-7 days in jars with tight fitting lids.
This recipe is gluten-free as long as you get certified gluten-free oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but there can be cross-contamination at facilities that process other grains that contain gluten. So, if you have celiac disease or you are highly sensitive to gluten, it is best to get certified gluten-free oats.
Yes, you can use any other type of oats. Keep in mind that steel-cut oats are ideal because they are the least processed oat. Steel-cut oats are the whole oat groat that has been cut into smaller pieces. Rolled oats have been steamed and flattened and instant oats have been pre-cooked. Instant oats often have added sugar or other flavorings.
Other quick, protein-packed meals we think you'll love:
Recipe
High Protein Overnight Oats (Without Protein Powder)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup steel cut oats
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 2 dates chopped
Served With
- 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
- ¾ cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup mixed berries
Instructions
- Slice or chop the dates. You can use kitchen shears to do this, if you prefer.2 dates
- Place the oats, cinnamon, vanilla, hemp hearts, sliced dates and water into a jar with a lid.¼ cup steel cut oats, ½ tsp natural vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp hemp hearts, ½ cup water
- Give the jar a good shake and refrigerate. Over the next couple of hours, give the jar a few more shakes if you able.
- The next morning or whenever you are ready to eat, give the jar a good stir and then top the oats with yogurt, sliced almonds and berries.1 tbsp sliced almonds, ¾ cup greek yogurt, ½ cup mixed berries
Nutrition
Dietitian Approved by Jen Birge MS, RDN, CDCES
You might have heard that oatmeal is great for lowering cholesterol, and therefore good for heart health. This is a very common idea that I hear from my patients.
Oats can be great for heart health. But, they can also be counterproductive for heart health if oats spike your glucose and insulin levels too much. Insulin resistance increases one's risk for heart disease, so keeping glucose and insulin levels balanced is heart-healthy.
Adjusting Oats For a Good Protein to Carb Ratio
If a patient tells me that they often eat oats for breakfast, I start asking questions. I want to know what kind, how much, and what else is in their oatmeal. I also want to know if the oats have added sugar or if they are adding sugar themselves (like table sugar, maple syrup, honey), and if they are adding protein to the meal.
Adding sugar or too many carbs to the oats will make the protein to carb ratio worse. Adding protein to the oats will make the ratio better.
When we create a recipe, we make sure that it has a good protein to carb ratio. With oats, because they are a high carb food without much protein, we decided to add Greek yogurt for a good protein source.
There is a bit of protein that comes from the oats, hemp hearts and almonds. With the Greek yogurt, you'll get 30 grams of protein per serving. The protein and the 10 grams of fiber per serving are what will help keep your glucose levels balanced. You also get a dose of healthy fats from the hemp hearts and almonds. All in all, this is a very nutrient-dense meal.
Note: If you don't like Greek yogurt, you could add cottage cheese or mix some protein powder into the oats. You can also eat some eggs on the side.
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