These coconut milk overnight oats are sweet & creamy. They take just five minutes of prep work and use four simple ingredients.
This recipe for coconut milk overnight oatmeal is perfect for a quick and easy breakfast.
It's a great option if you have busy mornings and want something that you can meal prep or make ahead.
If you enjoyed this recipe try my Banana Chia Seed Pudding or my Chia Seed Parfait next!
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Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- Thick & Creamy: This recipe for coconut overnight oats is so thick, creamy, and full of rich flavors and textures.
- Vegan: We don't use any dairy, eggs, or any other animal products in this recipe making it vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is free of any wheat and/or gluten. Make sure you're using certified gluten-free oats to avoid cross contamination if necessary.
- Perfect to Make in Advance: These oats are perfect for a quick and easy meal prep recipe. Make them at the beginning of the week and enjoy them for a fast grab and go breakfast or meal prep breakfast recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Oats: We use rolled oats or old fashioned oats in this recipe. I don't recommend using steel cut oats because it will throw off the consistency due to a different amount of liquid being required.
Coconut Milk: I prefer to use coconut milk from a carton, not a can. This is going to give you great flavor and a good texture/consistency. You can use either sweetened or unsweetened, it's up to you!
Yogurt: We use vanilla plant-based coconut milk yogurt in this recipe to get a great vanilla flavor and even more coconut.
Chia Seeds: I added chia seeds to these overnight oats to thicken things up even more and to provide some extra fiber and nutrients.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Additions
Add more flavor: You can add different or more flavors but switching to a different flavor of yogurt. You can also add a small splash of vanilla extract or almond extract to give it even more flavor.
Mix in protein: Stir in a tablespoon of nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter for an easy way to get more protein.
Another easy way to make these protein coconut overnight oats is to add a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
You can also add nuts like walnuts, shaved almonds, peanuts, or cashews on top for extra protein.
Omit the yogurt: If you don't have any yogurt on hand add 1 tablespoon of extra coconut milk to replace it.
Add fresh fruit: I love stirring fresh or frozen fruit into these oats. My top recommendation is to add mango and make mango coconut overnight oats.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Grab all of your ingredients that you need to make the recipe and make any necessary adjustments or substitutions at this time.
Step 2: Combine all ingredients in a jar or container and mix everything until well combined. Wait about 3 minutes then stir it all again so you break up any clumps that are starting to form. Make sure you're really getting any chunks at the bottom as well, they can be sneaky!
Step 3: Cover the oats and place them in the fridge for at least an hour or ideally overnight.
Step 4: Remove from the fridge when they oats are thick, stir again if needed, garnish, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Stir and stir some more: In order to get the best texture you'll need to stir everything well together when you first combine it and again several minutes later. This will ensure that it all thickens correctly and the chia seeds and oats don't get clumpy.
- Let it thicken: You might be really excited to eat this delicious recipe for coconut milk overnight oats but make sure you allow enough time for them to thicken. It usually takes at least an hour at which point they might still be a bit runny. Though one hour is the minimum, this recipe works best as the name states and they rest in the fridge overnight.
- Use coconut milk from a carton, not can: These are different types of coconut milk and will yield different results.
Topping Recommendations
There are so many ways to enjoy these gluten-free and vegan overnight oats with coconut milk. These are some of my top recommendations:
- Fresh fruit
- Frozen fruit
- Dried fruit
- Granola
- Coconut flakes
- Nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Cashew butter
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best possible flavor and texture I recommend using oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk in your overnight oats. This will give you extra flavor, sweetness, and a rich and creamy consistency.
If your overnight oats didn't come out just right it might be because you need to stir them more, let them rest in the fridge for longer to absorb the milk, add more oats or less oats.
Yes you can heat overnight oats. You can either warm them up on the stovetop or in the microwave for about a minute and a half.
More Overnight Oats & Chia Pudding Recipes
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Overnight Oats with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup light coconut milk
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a jar or container. Wait three minutes then mix everything again to break up any clumps that are forming from the chia seeds.
- Cover the container and place the oats in the refrigerator for at least an hour until they have thickened or ideally overnight.
- Remove from the fridge and add any toppings that you want. Stir again if needed and enjoy!
Bernie says
These are so wonderful and fast to assemble, and eat
Madeline says
Oooo I’m gonna do this but add a dash of coconut extract
Kelsey says
That's such a good idea!! I bet that will taste delicious!