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About This Recipe
We all know the best part of the cereal bowl is the leftover milk and now you can enjoy that delicious taste in a healthy, fiber-packed breakfast! This nostalgic upgrade is seriously my new favorite breakfast and I know you’re going to be obsessed too.
I’ve loved overnights for a long time. They’re one of my favorite meal-prep breakfasts and an easy way to make breakfast for your family’s busy weekday mornings that much easier. And not only are they easy, but they’re packed with everything you need to start your day off right.
Oh and did I mention that there are endless variations? If you’ve tried my strawberry overnight oats or pumpkin overnight oats, you know there’s a flavor for any day of the week or time of year.
But these Cereal Milk Overnight Oats might honestly take the cake for me! I love a good bowl of basic cereal but we all know that can leave you still feeling hungry and with a serious sugar crash. Not only do these oats have the most delicious creamy consistency and sweet, sugary taste but they’re packed with protein and fiber (just like my zucchini oats) so you get the best of both worlds!
I’ve written this base recipe using two of my favorite cereals, but the flavor combinations are endless. Use you’re favorite cereal to make any flavor milk you desire! You can also add your favorite toppings like fresh strawberries or more cereal!
These oats are 100% customizable so you can use your preferred choice of milk, type of oat, favorite cereal, add an additional scoop of protein powder, add greek yogurt, etc. Make these oats your own!
Why You’ll Love These Cereal Milk Overnight Oats
- The absolute best make-ahead breakfast meets your favorite childhood cereal!
- Super easy to make! Prepped in just 10 minutes!
- Packed with protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied all morning long.
- Overnight oats are easier to digest than raw or cooked oats.
- They are the PERFECT grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings!
- Milk – any milk dairy or nondairy works for this recipe. You can use chocolate milk too!
- Cereal – for this recipe I chose Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles but you can use any flavor of cereal you like.
- Oats – I used old fashioned oats. But you could use quick oats for this recipe too. Just note it’s gonna be a slightly different texture!
- Protein powder – Use any flavor you prefer! For these, I used vanilla to keep it simple but you could also use chocolate or cake pop. Or you could also do unflavored collagen or unflavored protein powder but I love the flavor the protein powder brings!
- Maple syrup – or honey. You could also use sugar-free pancake syrup if you wanted less calories and carbs. Or use liquid stevia or your favorite zero-calorie sweetener.
- Chia seeds – helps make the oats thick and adds fiber!
- Different cereal! Use your favorite cereal to make any flavor cereal milk you prefer. Try Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, etc.
- Add greek yogurt! Want to add extra creaminess and even more protein? Add 1/2 cup of greek yogurt!
- Make dairy-free! I have found all milk variations work great for overnight oats. Almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, dairy milk, hemp milk, use whichever milk you desire!
- Fresh fruit! Add fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries or raspberries!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles to two separate pitchers or large glasses. Add 2.5 cups milk to each and give them a vigorous stir. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
2. Drain the milk through a fine-mesh strainer to make both cereal milks.
3. Grab two medium size bowls (one for fruity, one for cocoa). Add all the ingredients (except the cereal for topping) to each and mix until combined. Divide each into 2 jars to make 4 overnight oats total.
Cover with a lid or saran wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. For best, creamiest results, let sit for at least 8 hours. Overnight oats stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days. Top with cereal just before serving so it stays crunchy!
Store overnight oats in an airtight container in the fridge. They will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Nutrition Note!
Nutrition information is my guesstimation for what these overnight oats should roughly be at. Given the nature of this recipe, it’s impossible to calculate the exact nutrition like we do with other recipes. I think this guesstimation is a generous estimate and if you’re tracking macros I really wouldn’t stress it. You can use just about any cereal and it will be about the same!
What type of oats should I use for this overnight oats recipe?
I prefer the old-fashioned oats best! But yes, all oat types work and produce slightly different textures! The quick oats will blend more, making it more creamy but a lot of the texture will be lost that way. The old fashioned will be more hearty and thick. The old fashioned also hold up longer in the fridge, but really it’s down to preference in texture! If you are using steel cut oats, reduce the amount by half.
Do I eat overnight oats warm or chilled?
I think they taste best chilled, but you definitely can heat them up! And this way you are still getting all the benefits (including better digestion) from soaking the oats. Just microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until heated to desired temperature. If the oats are starting to get thick you can add more water or milk as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
How long do overnight oats last?
Stored in an airtight container or mason jar, overnight oats stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Cereal Milk Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Cereal Milk:
Overnight Oats (make for each cereal)
- 1 cup old fashioned oats (80g)
- 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (30g)
- 1.5 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 4 tsp chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp salt more to taste
- 1.5 cup cereal milk (360g)
- 1 Tbsp cereal each serving, for crunchy topping
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Instructions
- Add Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles to two separate pitchers or large glasses. Add 2.5 cups milk to each and give them a vigorous stir. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Drain the milk through a fine-mesh strainer to make both cereal milks.
- Grab two medium size bowls (one for fruity, one for cocoa). Add all the ingredients (except the cereal for topping) to each and mix until combined. Divide each into 2 jars to make 4 overnight oats total.
- Cover with a lid or saran wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. For best, creamiest results, let sit for at least 8 hours.
- Cereal milk makes 2 servings of overnight oats of each cereal. 4 servings total. Overnight oats stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days. Top with cereal just before serving so it stays crunchy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
