Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
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Published Aug 20, 2025
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Apple pie for breakfast? Yes, please. Creamy, cozy, and easy to make, these apple cinnamon overnight oats are mixed with sweet cinnamon apples and perfect for meal prep.
This apple cinnamon overnight oats recipe has been a go-to in my kitchen for years. It’s the perfect blend of cozy fall flavors and easy, no-cook prep, which makes it just right for that summer-to-fall transition. Think creamy oats mixed with sweet cinnamon apples. It’s basically apple pie for breakfast, but healthy and meal-prep friendly.
Why I Love These Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Easy to make: No stove, no oven, no hassle. Just mix the ingredients, let the fridge do the work, and you’ve got breakfast ready to go.
- Healthy: Between the fiber from oats and apples, the protein from yogurt, and the cozy flavor of cinnamon, this breakfast keeps you full and energized all morning.
- Customizable: I love that you can make this recipe your own. Stir in nut butter or protein powder for extra protein, top with homemade granola for crunch, or add hemp seeds for a nutrient boost.
- Family-friendly: Tested and approved by both my kids and me, this recipe is one of those rare breakfasts that everyone actually likes!
- Meal prep friendly: These oats keep well in the fridge for several days, so you can prep multiple jars at once and have a nourishing breakfast ready all week.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
- rolled oats – rolled oats are the best choice for overnight oats because they soften while still holding their texture. Instant/quick oats get too mushy and steel cut oats don’t absorb liquid as well, so stick with rolled oats for the best results.
- apples – the star of the show! I like using Honeycrisp or Pink Lady for their natural sweetness and crisp bite, but any apple variety will work.
- milk – I usually reach for unsweetened almond milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk works here. Use what you love or have on hand.
- Greek yogurt – adds creaminess and a boost of protein. I typically use plain Greek yogurt, but Siggi’s vanilla & cinnamon yogurt is amazing in this recipe. Highly recommend if you can find it. Non-dairy yogurt works too.
- maple syrup – pure maple syrup is my go-to natural sweetener because it blends easily and adds a subtle caramel flavor. Honey or another liquid sweetener also works. To cut back on sugar, you can swap in a sugar-free option like stevia or monk fruit.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Step‑by‑Step: How to Make Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Step 1: Microwave chopped apples with maple syrup and cinnamon until soft. This will be your cinnamon apple topping, the best part!
Step 2: In a 16oz mason jar (or an airtight container) mix oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon until everything is cozy and combined.
Step 3: Stir in some of the cinnamon apples, cover the jar and give it a good shake. This helps prevent clumping.
Step 4: Chill in the fridge overnight, then top with the reserved apples and your favorite extras like nut butter or chopped nuts.
Tips for the Best Apple Overnight Oats
- Sweetness level: Taste before serving and adjust to your liking. Apples add natural sweetness, so you might not need much maple syrup.
- Soaking time: Overnight is best (8+ hours), but if you’re in a rush, a 2–4 hour soak still works. The oats will just be a little firmer and more liquidy.
- Too thick after soaking? Stir in a splash of milk until you reach your desired consistency.
- Boost the protein: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. If you do, add a splash more milk so the oats don’t turn out too thick, especially if you’re using a plant-based protein powder.
How to Store & Meal Prep
Store overnight oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The oats will continue to soften as they sit, so I find they taste best on days 1–3, but they’re still perfectly safe and tasty on days 4 and 5. I don’t recommend freezing overnight oats because the texture changes.
Overnight oats are an amazing meal prep breakfast because you can prep several jars at once and have grab-and-go breakfasts ready for the week. I like using wide-mouth 16 oz mason jars because they’re the perfect size to hold one serving with plenty of room for toppings.
More Overnight Oats to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples
- ½ cup chopped apple, about 1/2 a large apple
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- pinch of cinnamon
Overnight Oats
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½-¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, honey or your favorite sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon, or apple pie spice
- Toppings: cinnamon apples, nut butter, chopped nuts, chia or hemp seeds
Instructions
- Add chopped apple pieces, maple syrup and cinnamon in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir together to coat apples. Heat for 30 – 60 seconds, until apples have softened a bit and look similar to baked apples. Let cool and reserve 1/4 cup of the apples to use as a topping.
- Add oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon into a dish with a lid (a mason jar works great!).
- Add 1/4 cup of the cinnamon apples to the oat mixture and stir. Place lid on jar and shake to combine a bit more.
- Place in the fridge overnight (or just 30-60 minutes if you’re making these the morning of).
- Remove lid from jar, add more yogurt or almond milk if the mixture seems too thick. Top with extra 1/4 cup apples and your favorite overnight oat toppings. I love adding a little nut butter or chopped nuts.
Notes
- Oats: Rolled oats work best. Quick oats get mushy and steel cut oats don’t soften enough.
- Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Perfect for meal prepping on Sunday for a week of easy breakfasts.
- Protein boost: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder for extra protein. If you do, stir in a splash more milk so the oats don’t get too thick.
- Make it vegan: Use dairy-free milk and yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What’s great about this recipe is that it can be made the night before and left in the fridge to soak, making it a perfect option for those who are short on time in the morning. The addition of chopped walnuts adds a nice crunch and healthy fats to the recipe, while the maple syrup provides a touch of sweetness without being overly indulgent.
Aw yay! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Jennifer. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
This looks like the most perfect breakfast!
It is delicious. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it works out for you. Enjoy!
They are great really like them. Not a huge fan of cold oats though can you warm them up the next day?
Absolutely! You can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off. I hope you enjoy!
Hi EBF crew! Have never made overnight oats and am unsure how the fam will like them.. but summer is a few months from being over in my area and well, our regular oatmeal is almost always with apple, cinnamon, and a sprinkle of brown sugar. So, here we go.. will make this on Sunday for next week. Here’s the question.. I want to add flax or chia to the mix for health benefits, but just KNOW my kiddos will not enjoy it ‘raw’ so I need to add them to the mix prior to refrigeration. How might this alter the consistency? Would you have a recommended change to the recipe to include a little more moisture to a specific amount of flax or chia?
Hey Melissa, I love adding chia seeds and/or flax to my overnight oats! You shouldn’t need to make any changes to the recipe if you’re just adding 1-1.5 tsp, but if you want to add more you might want to add a splash more milk. Can’t wait to hear how these turn out for you and if your kids enjoy it!!
Hi Brittany! We had this for breakfast this morning with the following changes… Made 6 servings and to that larger batch, I added about 2 Tablespoons of ground flax and 1/4 cup of raisins. I also used brown sugar in place of syrup in the oat mixture.. 12 teaspoons is 4 Tablespoons and since I was using sugar, I cut that in half, knowing that the sweet, syrupy apples on top would add to the flavor as well. Well, it was a hit with all three kiddos this morning. Two of them really loved it while my youngest and I love the flavor, but found a certain textural thing we didn’t dislike but didn’t love. The oats are good and creamy but there’s some kind of powdery residue in the post-swallow mouthfeel. This being my first venture into overnight oats, I am not sure if this is an oat thing or a ground flax seed thing. Perhaps you could enlighten me? If I knew it was the flax, next time I would just use whole seeds, but if the powdery mouthfeel is common to overnight oats due to the ‘cook’, or lack thereof, of the oats, then perhaps my little one and I just prefer cooked oats. Either way, the recipe is delicious and too easy on busy weekday mornings! 😀 I’m sure we’ll have it many times this season.
Lastly.. for anyone unaware, there is an apple cider syrup that can be made or purchased as ‘boiled apple cider’. I can’t get good apple cider where I live, so I buy the syrup bottled.. but if you dear readers can get good cider, simply boil it down until it is heavily reduced to a nice syrupy consistency. I’m out of boiled apple cider atm but Fall approaches, so I have two bottles on the way. This cider syrup is tart and strong.. a PERFECT way to use just a little and bring A LOT of bright apple flavor. I cannot wait to make these overnight oats again with the addition of boiled apple cider!
Hey Melissa – I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing your substitutions you made. That’s super helpful!
It was a yum recipe. Sweeter than I expected, but just perfect for my taste. It did taste a bit different from basic oatmeal with apple, definitely like a dessert. Also, It was creamy and I think the Greek yogurt gave it an interesting flavor.
Thank you so much for all these recipes! I am so thrilled to try out more!
YAY! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Denisa. I can’t wait to hear what else you try. Thank you for your star rating + review, I so appreciate it!
Delish! I have been searching for an overnight oats recipe that I like and isn’t super high in points and this hit the mark. I will definitely make again!
Woo!! So happy to hear these overnight oats were a hit, Kate! Thanks so much for the review and star rating. I so appreciate it!
am really amazed to know this recipe with nutritional values, and am really trying every recipe, its yummy and easy to make
So glad you enjoyed these overnight oats! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
This is my favorite overnight oat recipe! The yogurt mades it very creamy and I like to top it with walnuts!
Woo!! So pumped you love this recipe, Katie! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!