Applesauce Overnight Oats

This simple meal prep recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and perfect for busy mornings. Make one serving of overnight oats with applesauce in just 5 minutes, or prep a batch for the week. When you're ready to eat, grab a jar from the fridge and top it with chopped apples, nuts, or granola for a quick and filling start to the day.

For more dairy-free overnight oat recipes, try chocolate peanut butter overnight oats, overnight oats without chia seeds, pumpkin spice overnight oats, or cinnamon overnight oatmeal. For more fruit-forward oats, try healthy strawberry overnight oats, mango overnight oats, or frozen berry overnight oats.

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a no-cook method of softening oats.  The oats absorb the liquid, creating a creamy breakfast. No microwave or stove is needed, making them perfect if you prefer a cold, ready-to-go breakfast.  The oats are soaked for at least 2 to 3 hours, but overnight is best. 

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The overnight applesauce oats recipe uses simple ingredients, but see the recipe card below for the full list and exact measurements.

Old-fashioned rolled oats - Use rolled oats or quick cooking, not steel-cut oats.  Quick-cooking oats will make overnight oatmeal mushier, and steel-cut oats will not soften enough overnight.  As of writing this, Trader Joe's gluten-free oats seem to be thicker than other rolled oat brands on the market.  For a softer texture, it's best to soak that brand overnight.

Dairy-free milk - Any dairy-free milk will work.  If you prefer the oats to be a thinner consistency, add more milk.

Unsweetened applesauce - The applesauce is the main flavor component. It adds sweetness and reduces the amount of milk needed in the recipe.  If you use sweetened applesauce, you may want to reduce or skip the maple syrup.  If you use cinnamon applesauce, then skip the pumpkin pie spice in the recipe.

For how to make your own applesauce, try homemade unsweetened applesauce.  The recipe includes stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot instructions.  For more apple-flavored oats, try vegan baked oatmeal with apples, vegan microwave apple oatmeal, or apple steel-cut oats.

Almond butter - It adds a slightly nutty flavor.  Almond butter can be substituted with peanut butter, cashew butter, or it can be left out.

Ground flaxseed - This helps to thicken the overnight oats with applesauce.  Ground flaxseed can be substituted with whole chia seeds.  If it's skipped, the oats will not be as thick.  If you use whole chia seeds: stir, rest for 5 minutes, stir again, then refrigerate.  This will help prevent clumping with chia seeds.

Maple syrup - How much maple syrup you need depends on how sweet your applesauce is and how sweet you want your oats.  Adjust to suit your preferences.  Instead of maple syrup, try date syrup or agave syrup.

Pumpkin pie spice - Use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice for more of an apple pie flavor in overnight oats, or cinnamon for apple cinnamon overnight oats. 

Tips

• If you prefer your applesauce overnight oats to be thicker, reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon.  
• If you prefer a thinner consistency, then add more milk.
• We use 16-ounce jars to have room for toppings.

How to make applesauce overnight oats

1. Mix all the ingredients in a jar or container with a lid.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is best.

3. Before consuming, stir the oats and top with oil-free granola, chopped walnuts, or leave them as is. 

Variations

Try one of these easy add-ins to change up the flavor and texture:

Vanilla: Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and skip the almond butter if you'd like a lighter flavor.

Hemp hearts: Stir in 1 tablespoon hemp hearts for extra protein and healthy fats.

Pinch of salt: Add a small pinch of salt to make the flavors pop and balance the sweetness.

Raisins: Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of raisins during meal prep.  They'll soften overnight and naturally sweeten the oats.

Topping ideas

For the best texture, add crunchy toppings right before serving the applesauce oatmeal so they stay crisp.

Fresh diced apples: Add just before eating for the freshest crunch.

Cooked diced apples: Stir in right before serving to keep them from getting too soft.

Dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates): Add the night before, during meal prep, or in the morning.

Chopped walnuts or pecans: Add right before eating to keep them crunchy.

Oil-free granola: Sprinkle on just before serving so it stays crisp.

Fresh berries or sliced banana: Berries can be added the night before; wait to add banana slices until serving so they don't brown.

Meal prepping overnight oats

Here are two simple ways to meal prep these applesauce overnight oats, depending on how you like to do breakfasts for the week.

Method 1: If you're prepping multiple servings, add them all to a container with a lid and don't portion them until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid.  Alternatively, keep the servings in the container and scoop out your desired portion when you're ready to consume.

Method 2:  The assembly line method.  Line up your jars or containers, then just go down the line, adding one ingredient to each jar.  Then go on to the next ingredient, adding it to each jar. 

Storage

Refrigerator - Store applesauce overnight oatmeal in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The oats will continue to thicken as they sit. If they're too thick, stir in a splash of dairy-free milk until you reach your desired consistency. Add fresh fruit and toppings just before serving for the best flavor and texture.

Freezer - The oatmeal can be frozen for about a month in a freezer-safe airtight container. Make sure to leave room at the top for expansion. I only tested it for a month and thawed it overnight in the refrigerator. It was still icy the next morning and needed more time to thaw.  

Overnight oatmeal with applesauce FAQ

I hope you enjoy the easy overnight oat recipe!  If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.