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Overnight Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Jars

Overnight Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Jars are easy to make and can be customized to suit any taste and stored in mason jars for a healthy and delicious breakfast or grab-n-go meal!

head on view of 4 steel cut breakfast jars with flavorful toppings.

These healthy vegan Overnight Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Jars are versatile and make the perfect grab-n-go meal!

I’ve been eating a lot of oatmeal lately, especially when I’m on the go. I like to switch it up with this Healthy Oatmeal with regular oats, Overnight Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal or easy small batch Cinnamon Oatmeal.

Sometimes I’ll stop by Starbucks and grab their blueberry oatmeal, which is delicious and always hits the spot. I figured it was time to look into coming up with something that I can make at home and take on the go.

In comes these overnight oats and not just one serving – but five for the week! I love the idea of having a couple of mason jars in the refrigerator ready to grab on the go or simply take out and eat whenever I’m in the mood.

Cooking the oats for 5 minutes and then letting them sit overnight leaves them a bit softer, chewier, and creamier than the no-cook version. Top with fresh fruit, nuts, a little maple syrup, and plant milk, and you have the perfect steel-cut oatmeal breakfast jars!

top down view of ingredients used to make overnight steel cut oats recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In this recipe, steel-cut oats are simmered with water and spices, then scooped into mason jars and topped with healthy fruits and nuts for a quick and easy breakfast, snack, or to-go meal.

Here is everything you will need:

  • Overnight Oats Base: Steel cut oats are the base of this overnight oats recipe and make for a perfect porridge. Full of protein and fiber, this will leave you feeling satisfied and ready to go for a few hours or more. Add in some of the optional toppings making sure that at least one of them is fresh, and you have yourself one heart-healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner for that matter!
  • Spices: Cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla will add a nice flavor and pair well with many of the various toppings suggested below to complete your overnight oats.
  • Toppings: I love using a variety of toppings for my steel cut oats breakfast jars. It keeps it interesting and versatile. Use any combination of fruits (dried and fresh), and for added protein, nuts, seeds, and various nut & seed butter work well.
  • Sweetener: Pure maple syrup is my go-to sweetener, but feel free to use organic pure cane sugar, white or brown, to sweeten your overnight oat jars.
  • Plant milk: Use your favorite non-dairy milk such as cashew, oat, almond milk, etc., pref. unsweetened.
side by side photos showing the process of making overnight steel cut oats in a pot.

How To Make Overnight Steel Cut Oats

  • Boil + simmer 5 minutes. In a dutch oven or large pot, bring water and remaining ingredients to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add water or non-dairy milk if needed: Remove from heat, give a good stir, add more water as needed. Use up to 1 cup of more water or almond milk.
  • Fill mason jars. Let cool a bit, fill mason jars (or other containers) and place in refrigerator. If cool enough, top with toppings, maple syrup, and milk, seal closed and store in the fridge.
  • Add toppings. The next day assemble the jars with a mix of toppings for grab and go time or simply top each jar when ready to eat.

That’s it, easy, affordable overnight oats breakfast jars ready to go!

top down view of glass jars with steel cut oats and various fruits and nuts.

Mason Jar Oatmeal Toppings

Once the steel cut oatmeal is spooned into mason jars, you’re ready to add topping of choice. Here a few easy ideas to get you started:

  • Banana Nut: You may like to add sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, and coconut flakes along with a splash of almond milk and pure maple syrup.
  • Blueberry Almond: Serve with blueberries, chopped almonds, coconut flakes, almond milk, and pure maple syrup.
  • Apple Walnut: Top with diced apples, walnuts (or hemp hearts), coconut flakes, pure maple syrup with almond milk poured over the top with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.
  • Raspberry Coconut: Try a mix of fresh raspberries, shredded coconut, maple syrup, and a drizzle of almond milk.

You get the idea – use whatever you have on hand or suits your taste.

Overnight oats made simple, versatile and ready to go!

head on view of 4 steel cut breakfast jars with flavorful toppings.

How To Make Oat Breakfast Jar Parfaits

Make parfaits by filling the jar almost half full, add a layer of fruit, and top with a bit more steel cut oats and more fruit and nuts on top. Nice to have some goodies in the center after you’ve run out – it’s like an overnight oatmeal parfait!

How To Store

Overnight Steel Cut Oat Breakfast Jars can be stored, in airtight containers, for up to 4 – 5 days in the refrigerator.

More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes

head on view of 4 steel cut breakfast jars with flavorful toppings.

If you try this easy breakfast jar recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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Overnight Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Jars

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Overnight Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Jars make a delicious porridge for on-the-go or simply to have ready at home when the mood strikes!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 8 hours
  • Total Time: 8 hours
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Breakfast, Oatmeal
  • Method: simmer
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups steel cut oats (or 1 cup steel cut oats + 1 cup raw buckwheat groats)
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
  • pinch of himilayan salt

Optional ideas for topping:

  • 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped dates, raisins, apricots or other dried fruit
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 cup fresh berries of all kind
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup coconut, almond, cashew, oat or any non-dairy milk
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, coconut sugar or other sweetener of choice
  • 1 – 2 tablespoon nuts and seeds of all kinds
  • sprinkle of cocoa nibs
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons 100% fruit chia jam
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons almond butter or nut butter of choice

Instructions

Simmer: In a dutch oven or large pot, steel cut oats, spices, salt, and water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, give a good stir, add more water as needed.

Rest overnight: Let cool, fill individual mason jars (or other containers), cover, and let sit overnight in the fridge. Alternatively, keep it in the pot you cooked it in, cover, and keep in the fridge overnight.

Fill jars: The next day fill your jars with a mix of toppings for grab & go time or simply top each jar when ready to eat.

I prefer to eat my breakfast jars at room temp but you can heat yours either in the microwave for a minute or two, or use a heated pot of water setting the mason jar in the center until warmed.

This will fill 4 – 6 pint-sized mason jars with plenty of toppings. Wide mouths are preferred as it’s much easier to spoon out of for eating.

Serves 4 – 6

Store: Keep breakfast jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

I like my porridge on the thicker side, adjust water adding more for a thinner consistency. I prefer to add the non-dairy milk at serving to thin it out a bit.

Adjust the amount of cinnamon and cardamom to suit your taste. I’m in love with cardamom at the moment and find myself using a bit more than suggested here.

Nutrition is calculated for the oatmeal only, no topping included.

Updated: Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal Breakfast Jars was originally published in February 2014. It has been retested and updated with new photos in October 2020. The only changes made to the recipe is adding buckwheat groats as an option.

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19 Comments

  1. Great choice for breakfast. ;)
    My favourite snack/breakfast, though, is buckwheat with yogurt (I know, not for vegans), sprinkled with chives. Or (again not for vegans) buckwheat with an egg and perhaps some mushrooms.






  2. Ryan Chappell says:

    If you have a fancy rice maker, you can set up the dry ingredients in the jars, then each night dump them in the rice maker, set it to porridge and use a timer. It will soak every night and start up automatically in the morning. I have never had better porridge than the stuff I make this way. It has changed my life. I use my rice maker for porridge twice as much as I use it for rice. I also add the fat right before I eat it. I use coconut oil, ground flax seed and walnut oil. The author of the article already mentioned my other favorites.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Great recipes! Inspiring photos! Cooking the grain just a bit before storing in fridge overnight is preferable as this will break down phytic acid which binds to minerals we need, and releases phytase which prevents phytic acid from doing its dirty deed.

  4. Jodie Humphrey says:

    Oh wow, these look delicious! I normally have a smoothie for breakfast, but will be trying these now as well! I think I might try banana and peanut butter with cacao nibs on top. yum!

  5. dishing up the dirt says:

    Love buckwheat groats. These different variations sound fantastic!

  6. Laura Black says:

    I've just gotten into mason jar salads which my husband and I use for our lunches when we go to work. I usually work the early morning shift and I always get so hungry. This idea sounds perfect. I hadn't thought of mason jar oatmeal. Great idea!

  7. Cheri Savory Spoon says:

    Never had buckwheat groats before, sounds delicious!

  8. fittingintovegan says:

    Yum, I love overnight oats. It is my breakfast on the mornings when I know I will be doing a hard workout that day. It just hits the spot!

  9. The Vegan Cookie Fairy says:

    Cardamom is one of my favourite spices! It feels quite grown-up and sophisticated to me, for some reason. I love the idea of having several jars ready to go in the fridge – I usually have a smoothie for breakfast, maybe I should do that!

  10. MĂ©lanie says:

    Awesome!
    How many servings gives your recipe and it will keep in the fridge how long?

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Five to six servings. Will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I'll be more specfic in the recipe. Thank you for the questions. :)

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