When your cinnamon bun craving strikes, these cinnamon roll overnight oats are the answer. They have the irresistible flavor of a cinnamon roll but are ready to enjoy as a feel-good breakfast or sweet treat! This recipe includes the option to amp up the nutrition by adding protein powder or hemp hearts.
📝 Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats:
- Taste: You guessed it…they really do taste just like a cinnamon roll. They’re slightly sweet with just the right amount of warm cinnamon and a touch of vanilla.
- Texture: Oh so thick and creamy.
- Difficulty: Super easy.
- Customizability: Very customizable. Add in your favorite protein powder, hemp hearts or use your favorite dairy free milk.
- Time: Just 5 minutes of prep and a few hours are needed to let the oats thicken in the fridge.
- Why We Love Them: If any recipe were to make me an overnight oats convert, this would be the one. I’m a huge sucker for cinnamon rolls (have you seen my Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls or my Cinnamon Raisin Rolls? YUM). As much as I wish I could, I can’t eat an actual cinnamon roll for breakfast everyday. These cinnamon roll overnight oats are really the next best thing… and they make me feel good so I can start my busy mornings off on the right foot!
Ingredients:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Old Fashioned Oats: I used whole old fashioned oats. You don’t need to use quick oats, but you can if you’d like. If you prefer a creamier texture, you can blend the oats to roughly chop them. Don’t use steel cut oats!
- Dairy Free Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use your favorite type of plant-based milk from soy milk to coconut milk or oat milk. If you’d like to add more flavor, you can use vanilla almond milk instead of plain.
- Sweetener: For the oats themselves, feel free to use your favorite sweetener. I prefer coconut sugar or brown sugar since they add a nice caramel flavor and really help the overnight oats taste like a cinnamon roll. That being said, you can use pure maple syrup or agave nectar in the oats. For the cinnamon swirl, it’s best to stick with a granulated sweetener.
- Chia Seeds: I’m not sure who the first person was who put chia seeds in overnight oats…but they are a genius! This hack really helps create a thicker, more chia pudding-like consistency. You can omit the chia seeds, but if you have them on hand, I do highly recommend using them.
- Dairy-Free Yogurt: I love topping this recipe with a dollop or two of vegan yogurt. You can use any thick dairy free yogurt or greek yogurt. My absolute favorite in this recipe is Siggi’s Plant Based Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt.
- Protein Powder: For a high protein breakfast or snack, add in a scoop or two of your favorite protein powder. I recommend using a vanilla flavor or a cinnamon protein for the best flavor. Just keep in mind…if your protein is sweetened, you may want to omit the sugar in the oat mixture.
Helpful Equipment
Here are a few tools that will make creating this recipe extra easy:
- Mason Jar or Individual Airtight Containers: For storing the oats.
- Mixing Bowl: I find it easier to mix a large batch up in a bowl vs. measuring out individual portions in each jar.
- Whisk or Spatula: For mixing the oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
*Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
STEP 1: In a bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, chia seeds, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Add in hemp hearts or protein powder now if you’d like!
STEP 2: Add the dairy free milk and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix well to combine.
📌 TIP: For thicker oats use a ratio of 1:1.25 oats to milk. For slightly looser oats use a ratio of 1:1.5 oats to milk. So if you’re using 1 cup of oats use either 1 1/4 cup milk or 1 1/2 cup milk.
STEP 3: Cover and place in the fridge to thicken for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
STEP 4: After a few hours or the next morning, assemble your jars of cinnamon roll oats! In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon.
STEP 5: Spoon 1-2 tbsp of oats into the bottom of a jar or airtight container. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edges, then add another 1-2 tbsp of oats. Repeat until the jar is full. Spoon 2 tbsp of the vanilla dairy free yogurt on top.
Serving Ideas
These oats are great on their own but I especially love them with the dairy free yogurt on top and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. It looks like icing and adds a layer of creaminess.
You can also serve these oats with some fresh fruit like berries for a well-rounded, hearty breakfast.
The recipe below makes 2 servings but this recipe is perfect for meal prep. So feel free to use the serving slider in the card below to scale up the ingredient quantities as needed.
Store the oats in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Helpful Tips For The BEST Cinnamon Roll Oats
❶ Whisk the Dry Ingredients First: Be sure to whisk the dry ingredients first before adding the dairy free milk. This makes sure all the cinnamon is evenly distributed. This is especially important if you’re adding in a scoop of protein powder!
❷ Adjust the Amount of Liquid to Preference: If you’ve never made overnight oats before I recommend starting with 1 1/4 cup of dairy free milk. You can always add a splash or two of non-dairy milk once the oats have thickened if you prefer a thinner texture.
❸ Layer Cinnamon Sugar Between the Oats: For a classic cinnamon roll flavor (and to help the oats really look like a cinnamon roll…we eat with our eyes!), sprinkle a bit of cinnamon sugar between the layers of thickened oats.
❹ To Use Less Sugar: I recommend sprinkling the cinnamon sugar only on the outer edges (avoid the center of the jar). This way you get the look of cinnamon layers without extra sugar!
More Oatmeal and Overnight Oat Recipes!
- Birthday Cake Overnight Oats
- Chocolate Baked Oats
- Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
- Peach Crisp Overnight Oats
Did you make these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar - or light brown sugar, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼- 1 ½ cups dairy free milk - like unsweetened soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts - optional
- 2 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder - optional (if sweetened, omit sugar above)
Optional Cinnamon Swirl & ‘Icing’
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup vanilla dairy free yogurt - I used Siggis Plant Based Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, chia seeds, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Add in hemp hearts and protein powder, if using.1 cup old fashioned oats, 2 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp coconut sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Add the dairy free milk and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine. Use 1 ¼ cup milk if you prefer thicker oats.1 ¼- 1 ½ cups dairy free milk, ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- Cover and place in the fridge to thicken for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut sugar and ground cinnamon.1 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Assemble the jars. If the oats are thicker than you'd like, add 1/4-1/2 cup extra dairy free milk as needed.
- Spoon 1-2 tbsp of thickened oats into the bottom of a jar. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edges, then add another 1-2 tbsp of oats. Repeat until the jar is full. Spoon 2 tbsp of the vanilla dairy free yogurt on top and repeat with the second jar.¼ cup vanilla dairy free yogurt
- Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Want to Save this Recipe for Later? Pin it to Pinterest!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Leave a Reply