Zucchini bread overnight oats make for an easy and healthy portable breakfast. Made with oats, protein powder, grated zucchini and walnuts, these overnight oats are vegan and gluten-free.
Last month I posted a recipe for zucchini bread oatmeal. It was a huge hit, but I quickly realized that it’s still summer. And there are days in the heat of summer when hot oats just aren’t appealing.
This is where overnight oats come in. They’re easy to prep, portable and best of all you don’t have to turn on your stove to make them. Another thing I love about these zucchini overnight oats… they help you get in a serving of green veggies before lunch! Boom.
Ingredients in Zucchini Bread Overnight Oats
old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the best option for overnight oats. Quick oats get too mushy and steel cut oats take forever to soften and don’t soak up the liquid as well.
almond or cashew milk –any dairy-free milk works here but I prefer almond or cashew milk here.
grated zucchini – the star of the show here. There’s no need to soak up the excess liquid from the zucchini, just toss it in with your other ingredients.
cinnamon – I love adding a hint of cinnamon to bring the flavors together.
vanilla – a staple ingredient for overnight oats.
maple syrup – adds a hint of sweetness!
chopped walnuts – for some crunch.
Why Add Protein?
If you have eaten oatmeal and then are hungry an hour later, it’s likely because you didn’t get any protein! I love adding protein to this overnight oats recipe because they keep me full for hours (seriously!) and add an extra vanilla flavor.
Can You Eat Overnight Oats Hot?
Short answer, yes! You can definitely warm up overnight oats, but the whole point of overnight oats is to eat them cold like muesli. Even if you think cold oats sound strange, I recommend giving it shot before you write them off. Of course, if you simply can’t do the cold oats you can always heat them up. Just pop the overnights oats in your microwave, cooking in 30 second increments until the oats are warm throughout and enjoy.
How Long Do Overnight Oats Need to Soak?
While they are called overnight oats, they technically don’t need to soak overnight! If you forget to prep the night before you can make them in the morning and let them sit for 2-3 hours. It is important to note that the longer you soak them, the softer the oats will be. If you only soak for a couple of hours, the oats will be chewier. I don’t mind the chewier texture, but it comes down to personal preference!
How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight oats should last for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5. With this said, overnight oats are great for meal prep. Feel free to make a whole batch for the week on Sunday. I like prepping them in wide mouth 16 oz mason jars.
Zucchini bread overnight oats make for an easy and healthy portable breakfast. Made with oats, protein powder, grated zucchini and walnuts, these overnight oats are vegan and gluten-free.
Combine ingredients: Place all ingredients except the walnuts in a container and stir until well combined. Seal with a lid and place in the fridge overnight (or at least a couple hours).
Serve: Bring out of the fridge in the morning and stir. You’ll notice that the oats soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more milk before serving. Top oats with walnuts and serve cold.
Notes
Milk: Any type of non-dairy or dairy milk will work.
Protein powder: If you don’t have protein powder on hand or simply don’t want to use it, you can use 1-2 Tablespoons of Greek yogurt instead.
This is delicious! I subbed greek yogurt and a splash of vanilla for the vanilla protein powder (1/3 cup yogurt). I also tried the zucchini bread baked oatmeal a few weeks back (also really good), but I like the overnight oats version better! I have the full week’s breakfast prepped and am looking forward to it every day 🙂
I followed instructions exactly besides doubling the recipe. The first time I made it, the 1.5 cups of almond milk made it a little too runny for my liking (still good!), so the second time I made it I used about 1.25 cups instead which was perfect.
I topped it with some EBF strawberry chia jam, granola, walnuts, and a little extra cinnamon. Sooooo good!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Liz. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
This was absolutely amazing! I did add a half cup of zucchini and some chia seeds for a super hardy pre-surf breakfast 🤤 I love your creativity with simple on-hand ingredients – keep them coming!
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Janelle. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Leave a Comment
Now THIS is the way to incorporate veggies for breakfast. This is very creative and so yummy
This is delicious! I subbed greek yogurt and a splash of vanilla for the vanilla protein powder (1/3 cup yogurt). I also tried the zucchini bread baked oatmeal a few weeks back (also really good), but I like the overnight oats version better! I have the full week’s breakfast prepped and am looking forward to it every day 🙂
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Jennifer. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes. 🙂
Another new favorite overnight oats recipe!
I followed instructions exactly besides doubling the recipe. The first time I made it, the 1.5 cups of almond milk made it a little too runny for my liking (still good!), so the second time I made it I used about 1.25 cups instead which was perfect.
I topped it with some EBF strawberry chia jam, granola, walnuts, and a little extra cinnamon. Sooooo good!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Liz. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
This was absolutely amazing! I did add a half cup of zucchini and some chia seeds for a super hardy pre-surf breakfast 🤤 I love your creativity with simple on-hand ingredients – keep them coming!
Ahh yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Janelle. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Trying these tonight. Are they regular oats or quick?
Hey Angela – Sorry, just seeing this. Rolled oats. 🙂