Overnight Oats are a perfect breakfast recipe to make ahead. They pack protein, probiotics, vitamin C, fiber, and healthy fats—and all you need to do to make them is to stir the ingredients together and let it hang out in the fridge while you sleep!

overnight oats in small storage containers

Easy Overnight Oats

I love making a batch of overnight oats—which are simply raw oats softened in liquid (often milk or yogurt)—for similar nutrition to oatmeal but without the cooking. They are an easy make-ahead breakfasts to have on hand during the week.

And this method for how to make overnight oats with yogurt, applesauce, and seeds is a super nutritious and easy option for breakfast for the whole family…babies and toddlers on up.

There’s nothing too complicated about this recipe, but there’s a balanced mix of protein, fat, and produce to help your kids get the nutrients they need without needing to add other foods to their meal (unless you want to!).

It also has a smoother texture than many other similar recipes, making it a great choice for babies and toddlers still learning to like complicated textures.

TIP: You can make them ahead and pull them out on busy mornings—and easily double the batch so you can enjoy a bowl too!

Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe with Yogurt

Yogurt is a nutritious ingredient in overnight oats for babies and toddlers since it has protein, probiotics, and fat they need for their developing brains. To ensure you pick one the best yogurt for kids, look for whole milk plain yogurt.

I still like plain versions since they have lower amounts of added sugars, if any—and the applesauce in this recipe adds plenty of sweetness!

TIP: You can also use a favorite nondairy yogurt as needed for kids with a dairy intolerance.

Ingredients You Need

For this method on how to make overnight oats, you need to have the following ingredients on hand.

ingredients in overnight oats on counter

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Dairy-free: Use a favorite nondairy milk.
  • Sub quinoa flakes for oats as needed.
  • You can use chia seeds in place of the hemp seeds if that’s what you have. The final mixture may be a little thicker since chia seeds absorb liquid a little more.
  • Trade in Pear Sauce or any other puree you like or have for the applesauce to vary the flavor.
  • Add a little cinnamon or maple syrup to taste as you like.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This recipe so super simple with this easy stir together method. Here’s a look at the process. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full how-to.

making overnight oats ingredients in bowl
  1. Gather your ingredients.
  2. Grind the oats into a finer texture. (You can also use instant or quick oats to save a step.)
  3. Stir the ingredients together.
  4. Portion into small airtight containers and let sit overnight in the fridge to soften. Serve for toddler breakfast!

TIP: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information.

overnight oats step 2 mixing in bowl

Tell me more about the texture of these overnight oats!

The big difference between this overnight oats recipe and others is that I grind the oats first, or use instant or quick oats, so that the texture is smoother.

When you stir regular rolled oats into overnight oats, they soften, but they are still fairly chewy due to their size—so this method of using oats with a finer texture is often more accepted by toddlers.

This recipe also uses applesauce for natural sweetness and nutrients, so tastes really great.

TIP: This is also a great food transition food for babies and toddlers who are learning to like textures beyond homemade baby food purees.

overnight oats in containers on counter

How should I serve these overnight oats?

If your toddler is good (or learning!) to use a spoon, go ahead and let her self-feed that way. You can do preloaded spoons for babies or feed them depending on how you prefer to handle that stage. It’s a fairly thick mixture so usually it’s easy for littles to feed themselves, even if it’s a little messy.

TIP: They are meant to be served cold out of the fridge.

toddler drinking from squeasy snacker

How to Serve in a Reusable Pouch

Since the oats are a fine texture, we love serving these overnight oats in a reusable pouch like the one from Squeasy Gear that’s virtually impossible to spill!

Favorite Storage Containers

We love the 4 ounce and 8 ounce storage containers from Wee Sprout, which are the ones with the colorful lids you see throughout this post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other fruit in this recipe?

You can use a flavored applesauce if you prefer or other pureed fruit, such as any other fruit or baby food purees. I’ve used peach puree with great success!

What seeds can I use in this recipe?

I call for hemp seeds, which are a wonderful source of healthy fats, fiber, and protein, and they don’t cause liquids to gel the same way that some other seeds can. Since the amount of seeds added here is small, you can use ground flaxseeds, or chia seeds if you have those on hand and the results will be similar.

What’s the difference between ground rolled oats, quick oats, and instant oats?

Not much! I usually buy rolled oats for oatmeal, so it’s easy for me to grind up a cup or two at a time to keep on hand for overnight oats (and for other recipes like these Peanut Butter Balls with Oatmeal).

But if you want to skip that step or you have instant or quick oats on hand, use them. They’re basically the same thing!

How long to do overnight oats need to chill?

If you mix up this recipe for Easy Overnight Oats with Applesauce in the evening and store it overnight, it will be perfect in the morning. I often send this easy overnight oats recipe for my toddler’s lunch, topped with homemade granola or plain, so 4 hours is a good amount of time for it to sit too.

Once stored in airtight containers or jars, they can stay in the fridge for at least 3 days.

overnight oats for babies and toddlers in pouch and storage container

How to Store

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Stir before serving cold.

Best Tips for Success

  • Use Crock pot applesauce to avoid added sugars as desired.
  • Grind up rolled oats in the blender or food processor, or use instant or quick oats for a smoother final texture.
  • Make this recipe the night before you plan to serve it and store it in the fridge.
  • Serve these overnight oats chilled.
  • Swap in any other fruit or baby puree for the applesauce if desired.
  • Know that you can use chia seeds in place of the hemp seeds, but the consistency will be thicker.

I’d love to hear what your family thinks of this recipe, so please comment below to share!

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applesauce-overnight-oats-in-jars

Easy Overnight Oats with Applesauce

You can easily double (or triple!) the recipe to make more servings. It uses a 1 to 1 ratio of yogurt to applesauce so you can easily scale it up. Mix these up the night before you plan to serve them.
5 from 39 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Breakfast
Calories 138kcal
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (plain or cinnamon flavored)
  • ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • ¼ cup rolled oats, ground finely in a food processor (or quick or instant oats)
  • 2 teaspoons hemp seeds, chia seeds, or ground flaxseeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
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Instructions

  • Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Divide among storage containers and seal. Store in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
  • Serve cold.

Notes

  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Use unsweetened applesauce tor another fruit puree.
  • Grind up rolled oats in the blender or food processor, or use instant or quick oats.
  • Make this recipe the night before you plan to serve it and store it in the fridge.
  • Serve these overnight oats chilled.
  • Swap in any other fruit or baby puree for the applesauce if desired.
  • Know that you can use chia seeds or flaxseed in place of the hemp seeds, but the consistency will be thicker.

Nutrition

Calories: 138kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 30mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 105IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published April 2018.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My super picky 16 month old absolutely loved this, and so did mama and daddy! Win, win, win all around!!

  2. 5 stars
    My toddler really enjoys his morning breakfast when he sees this overnight oatmeal in his plate! he has gotten into the age of 2 where he became all of a sudden a picky eater so, I was struggling to get him to eat but thankfully this oatmeal has been a life saver. A plus to it, is that it is really easy to make ahead of time and just serve it nice and cold in the morning.

  3. 5 stars
    My one year old LOVES this recipe. As does my 37 year old (husband 🤣). Sometimes I switch it up with flavored yogurts with low sugar, but no matter what she gobbles it up.

  4. Hi…. Will it be okay to use oat flour instead grinding the oats? I have tons of oat flour :). Thank you for all your recipes.

  5. 5 stars
    This is the first time I decided to try overnight oats, and this is going to be the recipe I use especially since I always have these ingredients! It’s soooo good. I have a ton of instant oatmeal that I get from WIC, and my toddler refuses it when I make it warm. I know it’s a texture thing, so seeing this and that you grind the oats makes it both fantastic and palatable for the both of us. I tried it two different ways; one with ground oats and one without ground oats. Ground is by far better!

  6. 5 stars
    Winner winner! My daughter loves yogurt and applesauce on their own, and is not a fan of hot oatmeal. I’ve been trying to up her fiber intake as well. I used quick oats and 1/2Tbsp flax with the yogurt, applesauce, oats and cinnamon.
    I made this in under a minute, tossed it in the fridge before bed, and she ate the ENTIRE thing this morning. Amazing!!

  7. Ingredients call for 1/4 tablespoon oats… seems a bit odd. Is that correct, or is it supposed to be a 1/4 cup?

  8. This may be a silly question but is it possible to freeze these if I purée the ingredients into a smoother texture? In a reusable pouch for example?

    1. I think that would be possible. There may be some liquid that separates a little, but I think it would overall be okay.

  9. If you use almond milk instead of yogurt, should you still use 1/4 of a cup? Thank you Amy for your recipes and all the useful information you provide!

  10. My son has a dairy allergy, do you think almond milk or coconut milk yogurt will work with this?

  11. Might be a silly question but do you leave the mixture overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter top?

  12. Hi! If I use milk instead of yogurt, can I reheat the oats in the morning as my toddler likes to eat them warm?

  13. 5 stars

    Yum! I’m going to try this for my 10 month old. I’m in a rut of yogurt or eggs for breakfast and think the whole family will enjoy this!