10-Minute Creamy Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

Aug 25, 2020 (Last updated Dec 10, 2025) by Hannah Sunderani

I love making overnight oats for a quick breakfast or snack. It’s perfect for busy lifestyles, and pleases both adults and kids. Overnight oats are creamy, cozy and comforting. It’s a sweet and wholesome breakfast, made with nourishing and simple pantry ingredients. And, it takes just minutes to make.

Plus, you can switch up the toppings to give different flavour combos, so that you’re never bored. (See my blog post below for my favourite ideas!).

Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this recipe so that you can start enjoying them pronto!

How to make overnight oats

Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and straight-forward. Likely, you have everything you need in your pantry. 

For this recipe you will need:

• oats
• chia seeds
• almond milk
• maple syrup

It doesn’t get more simple than that, amirite? As promised, there’s no fancy ingredients on this list! Likely you already have them in your pantry, but if you don’t they are easy to find at most generic grocery stores. 

How to make overnight oats: Tips & Notes

Making overnight oats is quick and easy!  Simply throw everything into a bowl or jar, whisk together with a fork and wait at least 20 minutes for the ingredients to absorb. You’ve just made yourself a delicious breaky or snack.

There are a few tips however to help you to master the taste and consistency of overnight oats. So let’s get into it. 

Mix, mix, mix

The biggest mistake I see when making overnight oats is under-mixing the ingredients. This recipe uses chia seeds; and if you don’t stir well, they tend to clump.

As a result, you’ll find yourself with inconsistent spoonfuls of milky vs. dry.  

To avoid dry and clumpy oats, I like to whisk my mixture with a fork and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk again to break up any clumps that may have formed before storing in the fridge to soak. It’s the same method that I use for making chia pudding and it works great!

When ready to eat, remove from fridge and mix again to ensure consistency is the same throughout. 

Ratios: liquid to dry ingredients

Now, I often find that recipes online really underestimate the amount of liquid you need for making overnight oats! Often they use too little milk. As a result the recipe turns out dry and clumpy. All-in-all, you don’t want to skimp out on the almond milk. 

The perfect ratio for overnight oats is: 2/3 cup oats + 4 teaspoons chia + 1 1/2 cups almond milk

Of course, you can add splashes more almond milk to thin if desired, depending on your own preference. But I find the ratios above are ideal for the perfect consistency.

Add your favourite toppings (I like fresh fruit and nut butter) and enjoy!

So there we have it! Now you know how to make overnights oats. It’s easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and it’s creamy, cozy and comforting. This makes for a great base recipe. Add your toppings to customize to taste. And try a new version every time! I know you’re going to love these overnight oats. 

And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.