Applesauce Overnight Oats | High Protein, No Sugar Added!

How do you make overnight oats? It's EASY with this applesauce overnight oats recipe! When you assemble this layered breakfast parfait the night before, your morning meal will be set and ready. Fragrant homemade cinnamon applesauce and silky peanut butter oatmeal complement each other perfectly in this dish. Aside from being delicious, this high protein overnight oats meal has no sugar added!

Apples are in season in my neck of the woods! We went apple picking a couple of weeks ago and have plenty of ripe, sweet apples on hand. My favorite variety of apple is the Cortland, and I make sure to pick a lot of them every autumn!

Apple season holds equal ground with pumpkin spice season in my head. Both call to mind comforting and delicious cinnamon-infused flavors of fall. I can't get enough of them.

As I was revisiting my apple recipes on this site, I came across my recipe for apple peanut butter overnight oats. I've updated that post here, complete with a new recipe video and some small tweaks to the original recipe. I think you are going to love it!

As with all of my oatmeal recipes, these overnight oats have no sugar added. All sugars here are from natural sugars, present in ingredients like fruit and dairy.

Additionally, this recipe is higher in protein than most overnight oats recipes. We can thank the dairy foods, peanuts, and chia seeds for that.

Why you should make applesauce overnight oats

There are some benefits to having breakfast in a jar! Here are some reasons that you need to make this high protein overnight oats recipe:

• No prep on busy weekday mornings All of the meal prep for overnight oatmeal happens the night before. In the morning, just grab a spoon, and you can start digging into your oatmeal parfait right away. It's easier than pouring a bowl of cold breakfast cereal!
• Vegetarian and gluten free This recipe is a good way to start your morning with some vegetarian sources of protein. Those on gluten-free diets can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free oats.
• Satisfying breakfast option Many of the most popular breakfast options (e.g., cold cereals, muffins, Danish pastries) are low in fiber and lack protein. This protein overnight oats recipe has more fiber and protein to help keep you full longer.
• Low calorie (but easy to modify!) If you have a weight loss goal, ingredients like peanut flour and nonfat Greek yogurt help keep the calories low and protein high. On the other hand, I'm also providing lots of recipe substitutions if you need a higher energy recipe.

Applesauce Overnight Oatmeal Ingredients

This recipe contains (mostly!) simple items that I usually have in my pantry or fridge. Here's what the ingredients for this overnight oats recipe look like:

Unsweetened Cinnamon Applesauce

I highly recommend making my Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe for this one. It adds a fantastic amount of apple pie flavor to your oats and is a great way to use your seasonal apples!

Dry Rolled Oats

You’ll need a cup of dry rolled oatmeal for this recipe. Quick oats and instant oats may also be used, though the end consistency will be a bit mushier. Make sure to choose plain, unsweetened oatmeal for this recipe. It's a pantry staple in my household!

Plain Greek Yogurt

I used nonfat yogurt in these applesauce overnight oats, though low-fat or whole milk yogurt can also be used. If you want overnight oats that are high-protein, make sure to use Greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr. Regular yogurt is lower in protein than Greek yogurt; this is even true of the dairy yogurt varieties.

Dairy Milk

Dairy milk can be another source of protein in overnight oats. I used 2% milk, but skim milk, 1% milk, or whole milk can also be used. If you need to use a dairy alternative, choose an unsweetened variety that is high in protein and calcium.

Peanut Flour

I love peanut flour as a lower calorie way to add peanut butter flavor to foods! Two tablespoons of peanut flour provides (approximately) 50 calories, while two tablespoons of unsweetened peanut butter provides 180 calories.

I used Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter Powder in this recipe. I like that this product is just peanuts, with no added sugar. Most of the peanut butter flour options in the grocery store do have refined sugar added.

Chia Seeds

I like to add chia seeds to my overnight oatmeal recipes because they help to thicken the oat mixture. Chia seeds are a great source of fiber and healthy fats, and they provide some protein as well.

Chopped Peanuts

The finishing touch on this fruit and yogurt parfait is a sprinkling of peanuts. The peanuts give this dish of sweet apples and creamy peanut butter a more varied texture. They provide a little more protein in this overnight oats recipe as well.

Equipment Needed for Applesauce Overnight Oats

Very little is needed to make a basic overnight oats recipe. Aside from measuring cups and spoons, you'll need a big bowl, spoon, and a container to put the layered oats.

You can put your overnight oats in any pint-sized, food-safe container with a lid or cover that you have on hand. I prefer to use wide-mouth, pint-sized glass canning jars. One of the most common brands is Ball jars.

How to Make Applesauce Overnight Oats

I know that most of the folks who try this recipe will use store-bought applesauce. However, I want to highly encourage you to make my Slow Cooker Applesauce Recipe to use here. It lives somewhere between applesauce and apple butter in terms of taste and texture.

Making homemade applesauce is easy and does make a difference in this dish. (And yup, you can substitute with Slow Cooker Pear Sauce if you'd prefer.)

Once you have your applesauce on hand and it has chilled, you are ready to get mixing! First, stir together the rolled oatmeal, peanut flour, and chia seeds.

Second, add in the milk and Greek yogurt. Make sure it is thoroughly combined with the oats. Let this mixture sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to thicken.

Now is the time to gather the containers you'll be putting your finished overnight oat parfaits in. I used two glass pint jars, which were a perfect fit for this recipe. Plastic containers can also be used for overnight oats (if they are food-safe).

To layer, start by putting ¼ of the oatmeal mixture in each pint jar. Next, add ¼ of the applesauce to each jar. Spread each layer around with the back of a spoon to make it even.

To finish the parfait layers, evenly divide the rest of the oat mixture between your two Mason jars. Then evenly divide the rest of the applesauce between the jars.

Put the lids (or covers) on the jars and pop them in the fridge overnight. Top with chopped peanuts right before eating. Since each jar holds a single serving, I typically eat the applesauce oats with a spoon right out of the jar. YUM!

Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). There are sooo many ways to modify this applesauce overnight oats recipe, depending on your needs and preferences! For example, you could make this a higher calorie oatmeal recipe with one or more of the following swaps:

• Use whole milk Greek yogurt instead of nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat Greek yogurt
• Use whole dairy milk instead of skim milk or low-fat milk
• Add more chopped peanuts and/or chia seeds
• Use regular peanut butter or another nut butter instead of peanut flour

All of the above swaps will change the nutrition information provided below. For example, swapping the two tablespoons of peanut flour for peanut butter in this recipe will add over 100 calories (50 calories per serving). It will also increase the total fat in the finished oats recipe.

What are some other overnight oats recipes?

Unsweetened oatmeal is really quite plain-tasting, but it makes a great canvas for a broad range of varied breakfasts. If you keep changing up the fruits, nuts, and seeds you add to it, you'll never have the same meal twice.

I have tons of recipes for overnight oats on this site, and none of my recipes use added sugar. If you are all about overnight oatmeal right now, don't miss out on these:

• Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats
• Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Raspberry Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Low Sugar Peach Jam Overnight Oats with Pecans
• Blueberry Orange Lavender Overnight Oats
• Tahini Banana Overnight Oats Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Can overnight oats be made with steel cut oats?

I prefer using dry rolled oats in my overnight oats recipes because they provide the best texture. Steel cut oats don't soften as much when soaked overnight. This results in overnight oats with a gritty (rather than creamy) texture.

If you want to use steel cut oats in overnight oats recipes, I recommend partially cooking your oats first. Cooking your oats will help them to break down a bit before they get added to the recipe.

The finished jar of overnight oats may still have more texture than when made with rolled oats. However, it should be a pleasant textural difference, not overly gritty due to uncooked oat pieces.

Can overnight oats be made with water?

Yes, you can make overnight oats with water rather than milk and yogurt. However, you will lose out on the protein and calcium in dairy when you make this swap. Additionally, your overnight oats will not have the same texture, losing out on the creaminess in the milk.

If you have limited lactose tolerance, you can use lactose-free milk in this recipe. Greek yogurt is naturally low in lactose, and you may find you can tolerate it.

Those with a true dairy allergy can make these overnight oats dairy free with unsweetened soy milk and soy yogurt. Try to find a brand with a calcium and protein content that is similar to dairy milk.

When do overnight oats go bad?

In general, a closed jar of overnight oats will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. However, if you use highly perishable ingredients (such as fresh raspberries), your jar oats may only last 1-2 days. Always use good judgment regarding whether a food has gone bad; when in doubt, throw it out!

Can overnight oats help with weight loss?

Ultimately, it's the foods that help fill you up while maintaining a calorie deficit that are helpful for weight loss. I ate oats, often daily, during my 70-lb. weight loss journey. That doesn't mean that overnight oats are a must if you want to lose weight.

I find a meal of oatmeal with unsweetened Greek yogurt (protein!) and fruit (volume!) to be very satisfying. If this sort of breakfast leaves you starving and ready to grab a second breakfast 1-2 hours later, maybe this isn't a good choice for you. You could either enjoy bigger portions of this meal or choose something else entirely.

One of the great things about health and nutrition is that there is no one right way to eat. There are many ways to modify your diet to please your taste buds and help you feel full with healthful whole foods. You don't have to eat oatmeal if you don't like it and/or don't find it satisfying.

Can overnight oats be warmed up?

Yes, though overnight oatmeal is often served cold, you can heat overnight oats if you would prefer. Keep in mind that heating the yogurt in this recipe may kill the beneficial bacteria. Additionally, some overnight oat recipes use fresh fruit that is best served chilled.

For these reasons, I tend to prefer to enjoy my applesauce overnight oats breakfasts cold. If you'd rather have a hot meal in the morning, I also have plenty of heated oatmeal recipes on this site.

What are some other recipes that use oatmeal?

If you'd rather have a hot oatmeal breakfast, I've got you covered! The nice thing about these recipes is that you don't have to soak oatmeal overnight to enjoy them. These are all cook and eat oatmeal dishes:

• Hummingbird Cake Oatmeal (No Added Sugar!)
• Proats Recipe: Egg White Oatmeal
• Baked Protein Oatmeal (with a Secret Ingredient!)
• Steel Cut Oats Crock Pot Recipe with Apples
• Healthy Baked Oatmeal Recipe (No Added Sugar!)
• Zoats Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Oats

Though it's convenient to have breakfast in a jar, I get that soaked overnight oatmeal recipes aren't for everyone. Many of the above hot oatmeal recipes can be made ahead and reheated when it is time to eat. They can be another grab and go option for busy mornings!

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And now for the disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!