Make these easy apple cinnamon overnight oats and your breakfast will be a cinch! This healthy and gut-friendly recipe uses yoghurt for a light fermentation of the oats, and cinnamon for incredible apple pie flavour.
I eat a bowl of overnight oats for breakfast probably 300 days a year. The other 65 days either I forgot to whip up my oats the night before, I have breakfast plans, or I'm travelling.
I'll admit I was a latecomer to the overnight oats party. They looked and sounded gross to me, and I thought it would be like having a gluey oat paste in my mouth, like that flour and water mixture people use to make papier-mâché.
When I'm wrong, I'll admit I'm wrong, and I'll happily - and deliciously - admit that in the case of overnight oats I was wrong, wrong, wrong. The texture isn't gluey at all! The flavour is great!
And you just can't beat the convenience of having your breakfast ready to go when you're all bleary-eyed and blinking into the fridge in the wee hours of the morning. If mornings are as crazy in your house as they are in mine, you'll also want to check out these 16 Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes You Can Make Ahead.
In the warmer months I tend towards this banana-sweetened and berry-topped Banana Overnight Oats recipe, but as soon as I feel a chill in the air it's apple overnight oats all the way! Unless it's Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats, that is.
What do I need to make this Apple Pie Overnight Oats Recipe?
- Apples! --> Whatever your favourite kind of apple is will likely do just fine.
- Oats! --> Can't be making overnight oats without oats, now can we?!
- Chia seeds --> These aren't critical, but I like how they thicken the oats and add extra fiber.
- Yoghurt --> I love the flavour of my overnight oats made with a touch of yoghurt, and it has the added benefit of providing a light fermentation to the oats.
- Milk --> I prefer to use a plant-based milk here (unsweetened oat milk is my current fave) but you can totally switch it up.
- Cinnamon --> For that tasty apple pie flavour.
How do I make this overnight oats recipe?
Easy as pie, friends. In fact, a helluva lot easier than pie, because when you factor in making pastry, etc, making pie isn't actually all that easy. Why do we say that, anyways?
Easy as:
- Grating some apple
- Layering it into a jar with some oats, chia, cinnamon, yoghurt, and plant-based milk
- Stirring it up
That's it! It'll take literally three minutes of your life to stir a batch together, and then you can get back to important things all the while smugly knowing you've got tomorrow's breakfast done did like a freaking hero.
Pro tips / recipe notes:
- Do I have to peel the apple before grating? Nope! Grate away. The peel is super nutritious and I recommend you keep it on whenever possible. These days I tend to share my overnight oats with my kids and if I don't peel the apple they'll ask me to pick it out, so I tend to peel. But if it's just for me, I leave the skin on.
- How far in advance can I make this overnight oats recipe? Good question! It'll last well for about 3 days in your fridge.
- Can this recipe be made vegan? You bet! Just replace the yoghurt with extra plant-based milk, or a plant-based yoghurt like coconut yoghurt.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It is if you use gluten-free oats.
- Can I make a double or triple batch? Definitely! Just adjust the number of servings in the recipe card below and it'll automatically adjust the recipe for you.
- How many servings does this recipe make? It's perfect for one hungry person or two not-so-hungry people. I share a double batch with my kids and that suits us just fine.
Hey Nutrition Lady, why is there yoghurt in this recipe?
Using a bit of yoghurt in your overnight oats is totally optional. I like it because I like the way the oats taste with a bit of added tang, but also because the friendly bacteria in the yoghurt causes a very light fermentation of the oats, which, together with the overnight soaking time, works to make the oats a little easier to digest.
What's the deal with oats?
Oats are rich in indigestible carbohydrates called beta-glutens which help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Oats are also host to a number of phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties. Due to the high levels of those beta-glucans, oats are also helpful in stabilizing blood sugar.
In fact, eating oats in the morning may help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the entire day. Oats are also a good source of dietary fiber and protein. Look for gluten-free oats if you're celiac or have another gluten sensitivity.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Banana Overnight Oats
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
Unsweetened Applesauce
Cinnamon Roasted Apples
Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 large apple grated (about 1 cup grated apple)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup plain yoghurt
- ¾ cup unsweetened oat milk or other milk of your choosing
Instructions
- Grate your apple using a box grater. The apple can be either peeled or unpeeled.
- Combine grated apple, rolled oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt, yoghurt, and almond milk in a jar with a lid.
- Stir to combine all ingredients well.
- Set in the fridge to soak overnight.
- Serve with fresh apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon in the morning.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only!
- Do I have to peel the apple before grating? Nope! Grate away. The peel is super nutritious and I recommend you keep it on whenever possible.
- How far in advance can I make this overnight oats recipe? Good question! It'll last about 3 days in your fridge before it starts to get funky.
- Can this recipe be made vegan? You bet! Just replace the yoghurt with extra plant-based milk, or a plant-based yoghurt like coconut yoghurt.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It is if you use gluten-free oats.
- Can I make a double or triple batch? Definitely! Just adjust the number of servings in the recipe card and it'll automatically adjust the recipe for you.
- How many servings does this recipe make? It's perfect for one hungry person or two not-so-hungry people.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published September 16, 2014. It was retested, rephotographed, and updated on September 28, 2018. Last updated September 15, 2020.
Beth
I love this easy, overnight oat recipe! I often find overnight oat recipes gummy but this one is perfect, I think the addition of cinnamon amps up the flavour. Sometimes I drizzle honey on top for a slightly sweeter version.
Alison Bonner
So good and so easy!
Emily
I'm so happy I tried these! I never thought I'd like overnight oats - I normally go for warm food in the morning but this recipe is beyond what I ever expected! Such a great mix of tangy and sweet if you include the yogurt, I used Nancy's brand oat yogurt which is a favorite of mine. An added bonus to this recipe is that the serving I made fit perfectly in a pint mason jar. So thrilled - I usually can never stomach the oats I've made for myself without a recipe, I can't get enough of these!
alice k mynett
Since you first posted this recipe, I'm making overnight oats ALL THE TIME. Confession: Sometimes they're not "overnight", but "morning before shower" oats. That's the lazy way of saying I didn't get around to it last night. But they're still good, just let them sit on the counter for about an hour and you could fool anyone. I've branched out and tried pear/walnut, blueberry /almond ... but always with the cinnamon. Thanks for this healthy start to my morning.
Karly
I love overnight oats! Can't wait to try this one.
Sustainable Cooks - Sarah
I too was super late to the overnight oats game but am so glad I'm on the team now.
I LOVE that you can grate the apple for this recipe because that is just genius. The flavors are fabulous and this is a new fall favorite.
J
I'm totally looking forward to trying this recipe. I'm a big fan of overnight oats, though mine are usually banana based, so grated apple sounds a delicious alternative.
A quick question though, and apologies if you've covered it elsewhere, but why almond milk over regular dairy milk?
Is it for flavour, health benefits, or simply to avoid dairy.
Katie Trant
I also make a banana-based overnight oats, but I'm on an apple kick right now and have been making these most days! I love the fresh flavour of the apple. I like to use plant-based milk in my overnight oats for the flavour, but also because I feel like I don't *need* to consume dairy as much as I do. And note that the recipe is not dairy free as it also calls for plain yoghurt. I like the balance and flavour the mixture brings. My current favourite is actually oat milk, not almond, which has a great creamy flavour. But if you prefer to use regular dairy milk, that's totally fine!
Agness of Run Agness Run
These overnight oats are so tasty and palatable. I loved your recipe and I bet I will try it soon again. Is it possible to prepare them with coconut milk instead of almond milk, Katie?
Katie Trant
I've never tried with anything other than almond or oat milk, but I'm willing to bet coconut milk will be tasty as well. Please let us know if you give it a try!
kellie@foodtoglow
I love the simplicity and beauty of this recipe. I'm not one to just munch on an apple (I prefer other fruits) but I do like them in porridge. Hubs is wanting to do overnight oats for breakfast so I will tell not to ask me about it but to come her to you!
felicia | Dish by Dish
Printing out the recipe... it's making its way to my breakfast menu sometime soon!!
Katie Trant
I'm having this for breakfast this morning! It's one of my favourites, especially because there ends up being more apple than oats, so it's light and lovely while still being nice and filling.
kellie@foodtoglow
I have never done the overnight oat thing. I must remedy this as it doesn't take any effort, does it? I always embellish my porridge with seasonal fruit, often apples AND plums. Just because I am greedy. But I'm not sure if I am ready for cold porridge 😉 I am a bit of cold-blooded and need my heat!
Katie Trant
You know, I didn't think I was going to like overnight oats, but I loooooove them. So creamy! So good! But of course you could heat them up if you were so inclined.
Claudia @Breakfast Drama Queen
This looks great! I love overnight oats so much!!
Katie Trant
I love them too! I hope you like this Apple Pie version.
Deena kakaya
Now this is a useful recipe; easy, practical, tasty, wholesome, soothing...mmm....x
Katie Trant
I am so in love with overnight oats. They just make the most soul satisfying and nourishing breakfast, don't they?
AshleY
Hi! Do You warm this or eat it Cold? Thanks for great recipes!!
Katie Trant
You could warm it up if you want to, but I always eat my overnight oats cold! They're delicious and creamy straight out of the fridge (or left to sit for a few minutes to take the chill away) and perfect for this time of year when you're not quite ready for a warm breakfast yet but still want something satisfying.