Your healthy alternative for a speedy breakfast or snack is overnight oats; all you need to do is keep them in the refrigerator. The question is, how long do overnight oats last?
The fact that overnight oats can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days makes them a good choice for meal preparation. If you want to have some ready for a few months, freezing also works with overnight oats. It is not advised to keep overnight oats at room temperature.
You will learn all about storing overnight oats in this article, including how to extend their shelf life and keep their ideal texture while they are kept in the refrigerator.
Table of Contents
What Are Overnight Oats?
While hot oatmeal should be consumed, overnight oats are cool and creamy. Old-fashioned rolled oats are combined with liquid (milk) and, if desired, a sweetener. The oats soften and absorb some of the liquid overnights, becoming incredibly chewy. Adding different kinds of toppings, such as berries or chocolate chips, to overnight oats ensures that you never get bored, which is part of the appeal.
How Long Do Overnight Oats Last In The Fridge?
Overnight oats can be kept for three to five days in the refrigerator.
The best qualities of the oats, i.e. texture and taste, for the first couple of days. In the refrigerator, overnight oats can be consumed for about 5 days.
The ingredients you are using to make the oats should be carefully examined for expiration dates. The shelf life of overnight oats in the fridge will adjust if any of the products, such as milk or yogurt, expire earlier.
Give the oats a good stir after removing them from the refrigerator. For days, the liquid separates from the oats as they chill in the refrigerator. The mixture will come back together if you stir the oats.
Additionally, it will result in a better texture as oats sitting at the bottom of the jar are much softer than the top layer where oats remain a little crunchy.
You can always add a small amount of milk or yogurt if after stirring the oats you feel that there isn’t enough liquid.
How To Store Overnight Oats In The Refrigerator?
To store overnight oats in the refrigerator, use an airtight container, preferably a 16 oz. wide-mouth glass mason jar.
Compared to overnight oats stored in plastic containers, those kept in an airtight mason jar are more enticing to eat. Additionally, plastics might have a distinct odor that might cling to your oats.
Up to five days’ worth of freshness can be obtained from overnight oats by freezing them. But as you can see, the preparation method affects how fresh the overnight oats are.
They could last up to six months when kept in freezers. However, it goes without saying that the longer the oats stay in there, the more they will soften. Additionally, what goes into overnight oats affects how long they last.
To keep them fresher and longer, keep in mind that they should be covered with a lid or plastic wrap.
How To Tell If Overnight Oats Are Good?
While overnight oats can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, there are some telltale signs that they need to be thrown away.
- Smell: the mixture in the jar should not have an acidic, sour, or weird smell. Keep them away from food if it does.
- Mold: any mold on the fruit or foam-like coating on top means bacteria growth, and your oats should be tossed immediately.
- Change in color: any changes in the color of the oat mixture, which is typically a beige-like color, other than discoloration from your add-ins (like purplish color from blueberries) can mean that the oatmeal has gone bad.
- Change in texture: after 2 days, the fruit in the overnight oats begins to change in texture -especially berries- so make sure to check. After 4 or 5 days, the oat mixture can start to resemble mush.
- Change in taste: if the oats or fruit no longer taste as they should, the berries taste acidic, that’s another sign that the oats might no longer be good.
How To Make Overnight Oats Last Longer?
Avoiding adding fruit to the mixture is the simplest way to extend the freshness of your overnight oats. When you’re ready to eat the oats, top them with any fruit or other toppings.
You can easily extend the shelf life to 5 days by placing plain overnight oats in the refrigerator before immediately adding fresh fruit to the jar or bowl.
How To Meal Prep Overnight Oats?
Again, overnight oats can be kept in the refrigerator for five days. Just leave them there for three days if you prefer chewy foods.
So, to meal prep breakfast for the seven days of the week, follow these easy tips:
- Prepare overnight oats in two portions and two jars.
- Always replenish the overnight oats in the jar you used for breakfast.
- To do this, combine 1 part of oats with 1 part (or more) of water or milk. Remember to stir and cover the dish.
- Place the fresh jar of oats in the refrigerator and soak it overnight.
Making overnight oats is a simple way to prepare meals, as mentioned above. Your best healthy option is ready in less than five minutes.
Tips For Overnight Oats Preparation
Use Almond Milk
Because it stays fresher than regular cow’s milk, almond milk works best for overnight oats.
So that they are not dry when eaten, milk gives the oats some softness. More milk can be added to get more creamy oats.
So choose almond milk if you enjoy milk and would like it in your overnight oats for the taste and creaminess it adds.
Coconut Milk Is Also A Healthy Option
Coconut milk is additional plant-based milk. As a result, it is also very respectable. Additionally, the flavor goes well with the overnight oats.
For those who are lactose intolerant, this dairy-free or lactose-free milk is a great alternative. Keep in mind that you can also use oat milk or cashew milk.
Low Fat Milk
Low-fat milk may be used in place of whole milk if you’re watching your calorie intake. This type of milk, which has 2% fat, is referred to as reduced-fat milk.
Nonfat or fat-free milk is referred to as skim milk. Milk comes in a variety of varieties and sources with varying flavors. Because of this, you must take taste into account when selecting the milk for your overnight oats.
Add Chia Seeds
Chia seeds were chosen because they are loaded with nutrients and have a flavor that goes well with overnight oats.
Iron, calcium, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and a lot of dietary fiber are just a few of the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that chia seeds are packed with.
Chia seeds have a high antioxidant profile that extends their shelf life and shields the body from disease-causing free radicals.
Chia seeds from Amrita Superfood are a superfood that doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients or additives.
Additionally, chia seeds aid in giving the oats a creamy texture.
Similar to traditional rolled oats, these seeds are high in fiber and contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Save Fresh Fruits For Later
Do not incorporate granola, nuts, coconut flakes, and fresh fruit just yet if you intend to keep your overnight oats for five days.
When left in the refrigerator for a while, these toppings will also become softer. Fresh fruit may also develop a sour taste after being soaked that gets stronger over time.
However, use frozen berries like blueberries and raspberries if you want to prepare them with fruits. Overnight defrosting of these will cause the liquid to absorb, cooking the overnight oats.
Maple Syrup For Sweetness And Freshness
You can add honey or maple syrup to the mixture to make overnight oats that are sweeter. Oats are deliciously coated in maple syrup.
Use more honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter dish.
To Warm Or Not To Warm
Even though overnight oats are typically served cold, you can choose to eat them hot instead. However, it is typically consumed cold, which is why it is a grab-and-go breakfast.
Simply zap the oats in the microwave for a minute if you prefer warm oats in the morning. So, if you intend to reheat your overnight oats, use microwave-safe jars.
Avoid Quick Cooking Oats
Rolled oats and old-fashioned oats become unhealthy when they are highly processed for quick cooking.
For overnight oat recipes, old-fashioned oats work best due to their consistency after several days in the refrigerator. But you can also use oats that have been proven to be gluten-free.
Side Effects Of Overeating Oatmeal
- This may lead to malnutrition and shredding of muscle mass
- Increase sugar intake
- Limiting your nutritional choices
- May cause bloating in some who have digestive issues
- Can cause weight gain because of the add-ins that are full of calories
Benefits Of Eating Oats
Oats are one of the world’s healthiest grains.
Oats have a nutritious composition that is well-balanced, claims Healthline.
- Oats are a good source of carbohydrates and fiber. Additionally, they contain beta-glucan, a potent fiber.
- Compared to most grains, oats have more fat and protein.
- They are abundant in necessary vitamins, minerals, and plant-based antioxidants.
- They contain greater concentrations of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin B1, but less calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin B3.
FAQs
Can You Make Overnight Oats With Regular Milk?
However, you can use any type of milk to make overnight oats, from regular cow’s milk to oat milk, whether it is refrigerated or shelf-stable, despite the fact that many recipes call for plant-based milk. For added creaminess, we also like to add plain or plant-based yogurt.
Which Milk To Oats Ratio Is The Best?
A quick guideline for the oats-to-milk ratio is 1:1, but you can also follow the overnight oats recipe we have on the website. A ratio of 2:2:1 for oats, milk, and yogurt can be used if you want to increase the amount of creaminess.
Is It Good To Eat Overnight Oats Every Day?
All-day consumption of overnight oats is perfectly safe. If you want, you could even eat them every morning. While overnight oats are safe for those without medical conditions that impair digestion, some people claim that they experience digestive problems after eating them.
Although overnight oats can be prepared and served in any type of container, we prefer to prepare them in the one we will use to consume them. We typically prepare overnight oats in jars that we can grab and eat at the kitchen table or on the go.