Overnight Oats with Water

Making overnight oats without milk uses simple ingredients, but it’s not as creamy or flavorful when compared to using milk.  Below I’ve laid out options for making the oats creamier, flavor options, and topping options.

The recipe is based on my overnight oats with flax seeds, it’s easy and only requires 5 minutes to prepare.  The oats will need to soak for at least 2 hours to soften but overnight is best.  The overnight oatmeal with water is served cold and works great for a grab-and-go breakfast for busy mornings.  They’re vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

For more meal prep overnight oatmeal recipes try overnight oats with frozen fruit, mango overnight oats, cherry overnight oats, or raspberry overnight oats.  For more inspiration on adding flavor to oats without milk, check out my breakfast section for dairy-free overnight oats.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The ingredients for overnight oats with water are simple, but please see the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Old fashioned oats - Old fashioned oats are the base for making overnight oats and give the best texture.  The whole grains soak up the liquid to become soft and creamy. If you need gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.  Rolled oats cannot be substituted with steel-cut oats since they take longer to break down.  Quick-cooking oats break down much quicker and may become mushy.

Water - Instead of water, try half fruit juice and half water. Coconut water can also be used.

Ground flaxseeds - Ground flaxseeds make the oats a little thicker.  Whole chia seeds can be used instead, but I prefer to reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons instead of a tablespoon. For more recipes with ground flax seeds try flax seed pudding with strawberries.

Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup can be substituted with agave syrup or your sweetener of choice.  Add it to taste to suit your preferences for sweetness.

Ground cinnamon - This is optional to add flavor.

How to make overnight oats with water creamier

Overnight oats without milk can be bland and not creamy, so here are a few options.

• Add powdered peanut butter, this is made from roasted peanut nuts that the oil has been pressed out of. It works well with overnight oats with no milk to make them creamier. Start with a tablespoon and mix into the oatmeal recipe while preparing it or follow this recipe for overnight oats with PB2.
• Add peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or hazelnut puree.
• Add dairy-free yogurt.
• Try dairy-free yogurt and cashew butter, like in this recipe for blueberry cheesecake overnight oats.
• Add dairy-free cream cheese like in this recipe for mixed berry cheesecake overnight oats.
• Add a flavored protein powder, this tends to soak up a lot of water, so you may need to add more water to thin out the overnight oats.  If your protein powder is sweet, leave out the maple syrup or adjust if needed.
• Mix in half of a mashed banana into the oat recipe.  Like in this recipe for banana cinnamon overnight oats.
• Cooked mashed sweet potato or pumpkin, like in my vegan pumpkin overnight oats.  Pair sweet potato or pumpkin with ground cinnamon, maple syrup, and crushed walnuts.

Flavor options

Overnight oats without milk can be enjoyed without any additions, but they’ll be a bit bland without them.  Here are a few options, or you can add toppings instead to add more flavor.

• Use a blender to blend ½ cup of fruit with the water, then mix with the rest of the ingredients.  Fresh or frozen fruit can be used like in this recipe for strawberry overnight oats.  If you use frozen fruit it will thaw overnight. 
• Mash thawed frozen berries to have a layer at the bottom like in my blueberry cheesecake overnight oats or mix them in like in this recipe for raspberry overnight oats.
• Add cocoa powder.  This soaks up some water, add a splash of water if needed before consuming to thin out.  Try pairing cocoa powder with peanut butter, like in this recipe for chocolate peanut butter overnight oats.
• Ground cinnamon adds a lovely flavor to oatmeal or try pumpkin pie spice.
• Stir in applesauce.  I like to pair this with almond butter like in this recipe for applesauce overnight oats.
• Add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract or ⅛ teaspoon of almond extract.
• Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or chopped dates.  Mix in while making the oatmeal and they’ll plump up and soften while soaking in the water, or add them as a topping before enjoying.
• Fruit preserves: mix the oats with water in a separate container, let them soak for 5-10 minutes, then add fruit preserves to the bottom of the jar as a layer, then top with the oatmeal.  Alternatively, add the preserves to the top of the oats or mix them into the oats.  If you mix it in or add it to the top, you may need to adjust the maple syrup in the recipe.

Toppings

To give the overnight oats without milk more flavor, add some toppings!  Or see the sections above for ways to make the oats creamier and options for adding flavor.

• Top it with oil-free granola for a crumble topping
• Vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• Shredded coconut
• Chopped walnuts, chopped pecan, chopped peanuts, or pumpkin seeds
• Add fresh or frozen fruit as a topping.  Frozen fruit will thaw overnight.  Try the oats with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mango, banana, peaches, apples, pineapple, or frozen pitted cherries
• Cooked apples
• Drizzle nut or seed butter on top.
• Top it with fruit preserves

Tips

• I prefer the consistency of a 1 to 1 ratio of oats to water and I use ground flax seeds to soak up some of the water.  
• If you prefer a thinner consistency for your overnight oats then add a splash of water.
• Cocoa powder, protein powder, and powdered peanut butter will thicken the oats and you may need to add more water.
• Adjust the maple syrup to suit your preference for sweetness.
• The recipe is for just one serving, but it can easily be doubled or tripled.

Instructions

In a jar or container with a lid mix together the rolled oats, water, ground flaxseeds, maple syrup, and ground cinnamon if using.

Add any flavor options while preparing the oats. Let them soak for at least 2 hours for the oats to soften, but overnight is best. If the oats are too thick, add a splash of water to thin out. Top with toppings and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

Enjoy the dairy-free overnight oats with your favorite toppings or enjoy it as is.  Then pair the oatmeal with a piece of fruit for a grab-and-go breakfast.  If you need more for breakfast try adding vegan toast, vegan avocado toast, or a dairy-free smoothie.

Storage

Related recipes

• Mango overnight oats
• Chocolate raspberry overnight oats
• Vegan pumpkin overnight oats
• Easy cinnamon overnight oats
• Vegan strawberry overnight oats
• Overnight oats with PB2

As always, I hope you enjoy the overnight oats without milk recipe that is perfect for meal prepping for the next day! If you like this healthy breakfast recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.