5 17 Published Jul 27, 2016, Updated Jan 13, 2022 A few weeks ago I made Elvis toast, I have my Green Elvis Smoothie, and now I have these Elvis overnight oats. I have to mention that the Green Elvis Smoothie is definitely one of my most popular recipes here on EBF and one of my all-time favorite smoothies. Adding peanut butter to smoothies (or really any breakfast food) is a must around here. So let’s chat about these overnight oats. They’re essentially peanut butter banana overnight oats, but there’s also BACON involved. Insert the shocked emoji face here.
Ingredients in Elvis Overnight Oats
old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the best for overnight oats. Instant/quick oats and steel cut oats don’t work the same because they don’t absorb liquid the same way rolled oats do.almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any type of milk will work.bananapeanut butter – I used Reginald’s Bourbon Pecan peanut butter and it was perfection, but any peanut butter will work!chia seeds – these little seeds add a bit of fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids and they help absorb some of the liquid which gives the oats a thicker consistency.maple syrup (optional) – pure maple syrup is the perfect natural sweetener to use because it’s liquid so it blends in nicely with the oat mixture and I personally love the flavor. Honey or another natural liquid sweetener will work here. If you want to reduce the sugar in this recipe, feel free to use a sugar alternative like stevia or monk fruit.vanilla extractcoconut bacon – you can make it yourself using my recipe or you can buy it.optional – 1/2 scoop protein powder or 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt for added protein.
Overnight Oats Ratio
The base “recipe” for overnight oats is so simple! The hardest part is getting the right ratio of oats to liquid, but if you follow my recipes you’ll be set! I aim for a 1:1 ratio of rolled oats to milk, plus half as much yogurt. So for 1 cup of oats, I use 1 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of yogurt (or an additional 1/2 cup of milk). This seems to give the oats the perfect consistency, not too thick, but not soupy. For the liquid, I usually go for non-dairy milk like almond milk, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand and if you really want to experiment you can try using different liquids like fruit juice.
How Long Do Overnight Oats Need to Soak?
Given the name, you’d assume overnight oats need to soak overnight, but you can actually make them in 2-4 hours if you’re in a rush. While it does take some time for the oats to absorb the liquid, they don’t necessarily have to be soaked overnight. I recommend at least 8 hours for true overnight oats, but there have been mornings where I decide I want overnight oats for breakfast even though I didn’t prep them the night before. When this happens I’ll make them the morning of and let the oats soak for just 2-4 hours. With this quick soak, they’re not as soft as overnight oats that have soaked longer and they’re a bit more liquidy, but they’re still delicious.
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. 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.
More Oatmeal Recipes to Try:
Baked Oatmeal CupsBerry Baked Oatmeal BarsEasy Protein BallsBaked Oatmeal RecipesProtein Oatmeal3 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
More Overnight Oat Recipes to Try:
Protein Overnight OatsPeach Overnight OatsStrawberry Overnight OatsBanana Bread Overnight OatsZucchini Bread Overnight OatsApple Pie Overnight Oats
If you make these elvis overnight oats be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting us know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and our readers!
