Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Steel Cut Oats
This recipe for strawberry vanilla overnight oats uses steel cut oats, is super simple to make, and is loaded with nutrition. Best part? No cooking necessary!
Have you tried making overnight oats before? They were a LIFESAVER for me during those 5am wakeup calls when I was training to become a dietitian. Even now, anytime I have an early morning wakeup call, you can bet I’m whipping up some overnight oatmeal the night before.
While in the past I always used old fashioned rolled oats, I’ve always wondered if I could possibly make overnight oats using steel cut oatmeal instead. If you’ve ever wondered the same thing – I hope this Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe can show you that it is, in fact, totally possible 🙂
In this post we’ll cover:
- How to make overnight steel cut oats
- How long overnight oats keep + how to store them
- Steel cut oat nutrition facts + health benefits
- What the difference is between steel cut + rolled oats
How To Make Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Overnight oatmeal is one of the THE easiest things to make! There is zero cooking involved – something that I can always get behind.
All you need to do is mix oats with water or your milk of choice, put it in the fridge the night before, and breakfast will be ready in the morning. That said, I usually like to add in ingredients like nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, and spices for extra flavour and nutrition.
For this particular recipe, I mixed steel cut oats with chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and almond milk. The next morning, I topped the oats with strawberries, peanut butter, fresh mint, and cacao nibs.
That said, feel free to use the base recipe and switch up the toppings as you desire (or with the seasons). Your options are endless for this grab-and-go breakfast!
How To Store Overnight Oats
These steel cut overnight oats can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I love making a large batch of them, portioning them out, and having breakfast ready to go for a few days! They’re truly one of my favourite recipes to meal prep.
There’s no need to reheat these oats, as they’re meant to be enjoyed cold. That said, if you prefer them hot you can always heat them in the microwave before eating. Just be sure to add the toppings after doing so!
Steel Cut Oats Nutrition Facts
Steel cut oats are not only so hearty and satisfying, but they’re jam-packed with nutrition benefits, too! Steel cut oats are:
- a great source of soluble fibre, which helps to slow digestion, promote satiety, lower cholesterol, and improve blood sugar control
- a great source of micronutrients, like B vitamins, vitamin E, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, and folate
What’s The Difference Between Steel Cut & Rolled Oats?
Steel cut oats have a similar nutrition profile to regular old fashioned/rolled oats, with the main difference lying in their level of processing.
Steel cut oats are simply “oat groats” that have been cut into smaller pieces, compared to being rolled flat. This is why they take a bit longer to cook and have a more dense and chewy texture.
If you want to learn more about the different types of oatmeal, it’s nutrition benefits, and my favourite brands of oatmeal to purchase, be sure to check out this post all about oatmeal!
More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes
- Mango Overnight Oats With Chia Seeds
- Blueberry Lemon Overnight Oats
- Grated Apple Bircher Muesli
- Pineapple Baked Oatmeal
- Zucchini Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Chocolate Orange Oatmeal
Did you give these Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Steel Cut Oats a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
Overnight oatmeal:
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups unsweetened milk of choice (e.g. almond, soy, etc.)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (1/2 cup per serving)
- 4 Tbsp nut butter (1 Tbsp per serving)
- Optional: sprinkle of fresh mint, nuts, scoop of plain greek yogurt, or drizzle maple syrup for sweetness
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add steel cut oats, chia seeds, and ground cinnamon. Give ingredients a quick stir.
- Then, add in milk and vanilla extract. Whisk ingredients together well.
- Mixture can be separated into 4 glass jars and toppings can be added immediately. Alternatively, the entire mixture can remain in the one large bowl and toppings can be added when serving.
- Whichever method you choose – cover jars or bowl and keep in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours) to let the oats soak. Final product can be kept in the fridge up to 5 days!
Notes
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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6 Comments on “Strawberry Vanilla Overnight Steel Cut Oats”
This recipe has become a staple for me! Super delicious and keeps me full until lunchtime. It’s nice and portable as well if you need to commute for work.
Thank you so much for sharing, Ash!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this one and that it’s become a staple for you! I am all for those portable breakfasts on busy mornings 🙂
Carrie, hi! Such a fan of your recipes. I’m curious if you have any section on your site with recipes that include nutrition facts (like number of carbs etc in them)? I see you’ve got some vitamin and general nutritious information, but curious! Thanks so much!
Christina
Hi Christina! Thank you so much for saying that – so happy to hear you enjoy them 🙂
For both personal and professional reasons, I intentionally choose not to include the exact nutrition breakdown of my recipes. Ultimately, focusing on numbers goes against my nutrition philosophy as a dietitian and I much prefer to highlight the various health benefits of the whole food ingredients that I use (as you see in the posts)! That said, if you would like to calculate the nutrition breakdown you can always enter the recipe into an online nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal! I so hope you can understand!!
I meal prepped these for this week. They are so good. I’ve been doing overnight oats forever, but never tried with steel cut oats. I love the texture of these and will be trying with other berries as well!!
Hi Joni! Thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying this recipe. Isn’t nice to have a little bit of a different texture for overnight oats?!
And yes – you can totally flavour the base recipe in any way with lots of different fruits! Enjoy 🙂