Cookies + Cream Overnight Oats (Easy + High Protein)

If you like sweet breakfasts, you’re going to love this Cookies and Cream Overnight Oats recipe. This make-ahead breakfast combines your favorite cookies with nutritious ingredients like oats, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds. The end result is a high protein, nutrient dense breakfast that’s delicious and filling!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe uses wholesome ingredients that add vital nutrients to keep you full and satiated. Rolled oats are the star of any overnight oats base ingredients. They’re a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber is helpful for balancing blood sugar levels, decreasing cholesterol levels, keeping you feeling full, and improving digestive health.

Research actually shows that oats can lower your risk of diabetes by lowering hemoglobin A1c levels, glucose levels, and insulin levels. Oats can also lower your risk of cardiovascular disease because they can lower cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol (frequently known as the “bad” cholesterol). Additionally, they’re a good source of B vitamins, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, and selenium.

In addition to 9 grams of fiber, this recipe provides a whopping 38 grams of protein. Starting your busy mornings with a high protein breakfast may be beneficial for your health goals too. Research shows that a high protein breakfast can provide more energy and focus, improve lean muscle mass, and aid in weight management. 

Plus, the most important reason you’ll love this nutritious breakfast is because it tastes amazing too! With crushed oreos, cocoa powder, and white chocolate chips added to your base oat mixture, you get that delicious cookies and cream flavor that tastes like dessert. 

Like any overnight oats recipe, this is a perfect meal prep option to make at the beginning of the week and enjoy for breakfast during the week.

Alright, let’s talk about what you’ll need to make these oreo overnight oats. 

Ingredients You’ll Need: Cookies and Cream Overnight Oats

The best part of this breakfast is that it uses simple ingredients and breakfast staples that you can easily find in your local grocery store. Here’s the ingredients you’ll need to make this cookies and cream overnight oats recipe: 

• Rolled oats. An overnight oats recipe would not be possible without oats. I use rolled oats in these types of recipes. You can substitute quick oats or steel cut oats if you have those on hand though, you may just need to slightly increase the amount of liquid you use. Quick oats will likely require a little less liquid, while steel cut oats will likely require a little more liquid.

• Greek yogurt. This will bulk up the protein content of this overnight oats recipe to keep you feeling more full. I generally use a full fat plain Greek yogurt because I like the creamy oats it provides but you can use any type of Greek yogurt! If you want more flavor and a bit more sweetness, you can use vanilla yogurt too.

• Almond milk. With any overnight oats recipe, you’ll need a liquid. I find unsweetened almond milk to be a refreshing option. You can substitute any type of milk though such as regular cow’s milk or another non-dairy milk like cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or soy milk.

• Chia seeds. These tiny nutrition powerhouse seeds absorb a good amount of liquid but also pack in some extra fiber and healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids. Just one tablespoon of chia seeds per serving gives you an extra 5 grams of fiber!

• Vanilla protein powder. I’ve tried this recipe with unflavored collagen peptides, Orgain, and Wellious protein powders and they all come out great. If you’re using the collagen peptides, you can get away with using ½ cup almond milk in the recipe. If you’re using a traditional type of protein powder like the Orgain or Wellious brands, I’d recommend using 1 cup of almond milk or your milk of choice. 

• Vanilla extract. This just elevates the flavor dimension and gives some subtle vanilla undertones to this recipe.

• Crushed sandwich cookies. The star of this cookies and cream oats recipe! Since you’re only adding a very small amount to achieve the cookies and cream flavor, I normally just use traditional Oreo cookies in this recipe. You can also opt for gluten-free sandwich cookies or lower sugar sandwich cookies.

• White chocolate chips. I love Lily’s chocolate chips because they don’t have added sugar and usually have a few grams of fiber too – bonus!

• Cocoa powder. I use unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder. Cacao powder has a quite bitter flavor but a slightly higher nutritional value. It’s usually slightly less sweet because it’s made from raw cacao beans versus cocoa powder which is made from roasted cacao beans. 

How To Make Cookies & Cream Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are so easy to make. They’re one of my favorite prep-ahead breakfasts because they only take a few minutes to actually prep…then you just let them sit in the fridge overnight!

To make this cookies and cream overnight oats recipe, you’re just going to mix all of your ingredients into a mason jar or another glass container. Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible. Then the next day, you just pull out, give it a quick stir, and enjoy!

After soaking overnight, if your overnight oats are too dry, you can add a splash of milk by the tablespoon while mixing in until you reach your desired consistency. 

If you want, you can add some optional ingredients or extras. Some popular additions are a sweetener of choice, oreo-like crumbles added the day of eating, a scoop of peanut butter, or cinnamon.

I’d recommend using at least a 16oz airtight container (such as these) to make each serving in. This ensures you have enough room for all the ingredients and some space to mix things around!

You can make several overnight oats servings up at one time. Each serving will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Variations & Substitutions

• After soaking overnight, if your overnight oats are too dry, you can add a splash of milk by the tablespoon while mixing in until you reach your desired consistency. 

• Dairy-Free? Use your favorite non-dairy milk and substitute a plant-based yogurt such as this…or simply skip the Greek yogurt entirely.

• Gluten Free? Opt for oats that are certified gluten-free oats and for sandwich cookies that are gluten-free.

• No almond milk? Use traditional cow’s milk, cashew milk, oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or pea milk.

• If using a traditional protein powder like Orgain or Wellious protein powders, I’d recommend using 1 cup of almond milk. 

• Substitute unflavored collagen peptides for the protein powder. You’ll likely have to adjust the amount of milk in the recipe to ½ cup. 

• Add more flavor by adding a scoop of nut butter or peanut butter powder. Dark chocolate chips, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, or a dollop of whipped cream are also great additions.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

PCOS Overnight Oats: 4 Different Variations

Greek Yogurt Chia Pudding (High Protein)

High Protein Baked Oats

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