The simple and creamy combination of rolled oats and vegan yogurt is an easy and satisfying breakfast or snack. It's basically overnight oats without milk and is even creamier and more delicious! Customize yogurt oats with a variety of spices, extracts, fruits, nuts and seeds. Healthy, dairy-free, and SO quick!
Something magical happens when you combine oats and yogurt. It's like regular overnight oats, but better! No milk or chia seeds needed and yogurt oats are seriously creamy!
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This recipe was originally posted in 2018 and has been updated with new photos and content. I hope you enjoy the combination of oats with yogurt as much as we do!
Ingredient Notes
- oats - regular, old fashioned rolled oats work best here. You can use quick oats, but they don't hold up as well in the yogurt. If using quick oats I recommend serving right after mixing the two.
- yogurt - any yogurt you love is great. I usually use my homemade cashew yogurt or almond milk yogurt. Forager's plain cashewgurt is great!
The Inspiration
I posted about yogurt oats recently on Instagram and shared the story about how my husband used to make these when we first met (well, not exactly like this since it was before we went vegan).
Each morning while prepping his lunch and snacks for the day, he would transfer store-bought yogurt to a storage container and stir in some oats. Usually he ate it as an afternoon snack, but sometimes it was breakfast, or pre-workout fuel, or even dessert.
As a pretty serious weight lifter, he says the idea of adding oats to yogurt occurred to him as a way to simply get more calories - and to have something quick he could eat at work.
When we started dating, I picked up the yogurt oats habit, too.
Fast-forward a few years, we ditched dairy and learned about the sensation that is overnight oats! Overnight oats are similar, of course, but usually made with plant milk and chia seeds. Honestly, regular overnight oats aren't as delicious as yogurt oats! And they're not as thick and creamy.
Randomly last week I decided to revisit our old friend yogurt oats, and now I’m hooked all over again!
Now I make my own plain vegan yogurt! Check out these recipes for Homemade Cashew Yogurt and Almond Milk Yogurt in the Instant Pot. Don't have an Instant Pot? No problem! See the Notes section of the recipes for all the best yogurt-making tips.
If you've ever had Forager's products, you know how great they are. Their plain cashew yogurt tastes JUST like the plain Greek yogurt Mark and I were eating so much of before we went vegan.
The consistency of their cashewgurt, though, tends more toward kefir, in my opinion (not that I'm complaining). But that thinner yogurt actually works perfectly here.
I'm no scientist, so I won't claim to understand what magical science-y thing is happening to the oats as they bathe in yogurt. Probably something to do with the starch bonding with fat molecules or something.
All I know, is that it's a creamy dream! The yogurt softens the oats faster than milk does, and the oats provide the loveliest, chewy texture. It's awesome kind of in the same way rice pudding is awesome.
Serving Suggestions
Sweeten your yogurt oats however you like or keep it sugar-free and embrace the tang of plain yogurt. Add any and all toppings you can dream up - berries, chopped fruit, seeds, coconut, granola, spices, cereal, jelly, nut butter...
Just look at that thick and creamy yogurt below! I'm sure some of you understand my excitement over something as seemingly insignificant as thick and creamy yogurt. It's so luscious!
How to Store Oats With Yogurt
Similar to regular overnight oats, the longer the yogurt oats sit, the softer the oats become. So there's definitely a window where the consistency is best.
They'll keep up to several days in the fridge, but we like to enjoy them within 24 hours for the best texture.
Since yogurt seems to soften the oats more quickly than milk does, you can prep these in the morning and eat not long after. I often stir them together before showering and getting dressed for the day. Then when I'm hungry for breakfast they're just right.
I hope you enjoy the magical simplicity that is oats with yogurt. If you try it be sure to comment below and let us know!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Oats With Yogurt (No Milk)
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¾ to 1 cup plain vegan yogurt - tap for cashew yogurt recipe
- sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup, agave, stevia, or monk fruit, to taste
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds for serving
Instructions
- Stir oats and yogurt together in a small bowl or storage container. Add sweetener and extract, if using.
- Yogurt oats can be made the night before, similar to overnight oats, or mixed before serving. The oats continue to soften the longer it sits. I like the texture best after about 2 hours in the fridge. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
