The 2-Ingredient Overnight Oats I Make Every Week
I often don’t have time to make breakfast. The solution: my 2-ingredient overnight oats. They take just two minutes to throw together and last all week.
Breakfast is hard. I recently fell into a rut and ate a trail mix bar every day for a week. It wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t the best, either. I know I can do better—sometimes I just can’t be bothered, you know?
My apathy for breakfast is a real shame since I love breakfast foods. I spend all of my planning energy on lunch and all of my creative energy on dinner, leaving nothing left for breakfast. I realized that I needed to give in to laziness and find solutions that work within my limitations.
That’s how I ended up eating overnight oats every weekday morning for two weeks straight and loving it. And not just any overnight oats—the laziest overnight oats out there, requiring just two (yes, two!) ingredients and two minutes of time to throw together. Now, I can have my homemade breakfast and eat it, too.
Two Ingredients Are All You Need
Most overnight oat recipes call for five or six ingredients. Oats and liquid (usually a milk of some kind) are non-negotiable, with other common additions including maple syrup or honey for sweetness, a bit of salt, flavorings like vanilla extract, and nutrition-builders like yogurt and chia seeds. This is all before you get to the bells and whistles, like nut butter, fresh fruit, nuts, and more.
While dreading pulling out all of the ingredients one Sunday night, it struck me—the only things you really need to make overnight oats are oats and liquid. So why not use a flavorful liquid and call it a day?
Now, I pick up a carton of my favorite flavored, sweetened milk, combine it in a jar with oats, and shove it in the fridge. That’s it!
How To Make My 2-Ingredient Overnight Oats
To make one serving, you’ll need:
1/2 cup old-fashioned/rolled oats
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flavored milk or non-dairy milk (such as vanilla or chocolate)
Add the oats to a jar, followed by the milk. I just measure out 1/2 cup of each and then add another splash of milk. Give it a quick stir or shake, add the top, and place in the fridge overnight. Overnight oats will keep for up to three days before they turn to total mush.
Make It Your Own
While you can certainly stop there and enjoy some tasty oats, you can customize this recipe with little effort. I tend to open the jar the next morning and top it with a couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt and a handful of berries if I have them. At this point, I’ve spent a total of five minutes on breakfast, but it feels special!
Depending on how you like your oats, the exact oats you use, and your choice of milk, you may want to adjust the proportions slightly. For thicker oats, use a one-to-one ratio, and for soupier oats, add more milk. It’s your breakfast, so make it how you like it!
