Creamy vanilla oats topped with a high protein cheesecake topping and finished with berries... these berry cheesecake overnight oats make the perfect meal prep breakfast!
Having dessert for breakfast just got easier with these berry cheesecake overnight oats!
If you know me you know how much I love oats. In my opinion they are THE most versatile food. Need a healthy, easy breakfast? Oats have you covered. Need a higher fibre flour? Oat flour is your go-to. Need a flavourless binder in your turkey meatball recipe? Oats have your back. The uses are TRULY endless.
That is probably why if you go searching through my breakfast recipes 90% of them are made with oats. I have oatmeal cookie cups, baked oats, oat muffins and even an air fryer breakfast cookie. So if you are an oat lover like me looking for a great meal prep option, these berry cheesecake overnight oats are for you!
Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe:
- This is a great balanced breakfast: Oats on their own are a great carbohydrate source however once you pair them with chia seeds, Greek yogurt and protein powder for some added protein... it creates the best balanced breakfast comnbination!
- Great for meal prep: I love overnight oats because they are a great way to make sure you never skip breakfats. Prep a batch of these the night before a busy morning and grab them while you are running out the door!
- Uses fresh or frozen local berries: Supporting my local farmers is always top of mind when I create a new recipe. Using local berries (either fresh or frozen) is a great way to do that!
Ingredients
Oats- duh! you can’t make overnight oats without oats! I like to use minute oats but really any type of rolled or quick oats will work!
Greek Yogurt- For the "cheesecake" layer I actually use greek yogurt. I find it thick enough on it's own to act as a great creamy layer to sit on top of my oats. Skyr would also work perfectly!
Protein Powder- I like to add a little scoop of my favourite protein into all my oatmeal recipes. I find it is an easy way to help keep me full for a little longer during the day (and it adds a little extra sweetness).
Chia seeds- Chia seeds are a natural binder so by adding a tablespoon into your oats they help keep everything together while giving you some healthy fats to help complete your nourishing breakfast! You can find the ones I use here!
Honey- I find honey adds a nice touch of some natural sweetness to these. Maple syrup will work as well however I find honey and greek yogurt together make such a nice cheesecake flavour!
Graham Crackers- The graham cracker crust is arguably the best part of cheesecake so I couldn't leave it out of these high protein cheesecake overnight oats!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
To make vegan: Use a dairy-free yogurt and cream cheese in the topping.
Switching up ingredients? Try these:
- Protein powder: If you want to remove the protein powder, feel free to! I find the oats are a little less sweet without the protein but it shouldn't be too noticeable!
- Honey: Swap for another liquid sweetener of choice like date syrup or maple syrup.
- Chia seeds: Swap for flax seed.
- Berries: Use any berries you have on hand for these berry cheesecake overnight oats!
- Greek yogurt: Not a fan of plain yogurt? Use vanilla yogurt and skip the honey!
- Cream cheese: Can easily be left out of the recipe if you don't desire to add it!
Equipment
Storage
These berry cheesecake overnight oats will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The liquid from the yogurt may separate slightly after a day, so if you are making a large batch I would recommend storing the yogurt separately and topping the oats in the morning!
Top Tip
Be careful not to add too much liquid! I find the biggest mistake people make is not following the recipe exactly as written, this creates oats that are too wet making the cheesecake toppping sink to the bottom of the oats rather than sit on top!
Frequently Asked Questions
Either works! I have made these oats both with fresh and frozen berries with great success. If you are using frozen berries I recommend either adding them right from frozen and allowing them to thaw as the oats thicken overnight.
Yes! That's a great idea. I personally recommend using my berry chia jam for a healthier, lower sugar version!
My personal favourite vanilla protein is the smooth vanilla one from Nuzest! It's a great plant based option I use in all my protein powder recipes! You can use the code NOURISHEDBYNIC for 15% off!
This has been a trending topic when it comes to oats recently! However as these oats are paired with fibre and protein from the chia seeds, and protein from the protein powder and Greek yogurt.this helps help stabilize the breakdown of carbohydrates, and keep your blood sugar steady!
Yes, of course. In the recipe card below, you can easily select different serving sizes and the recipe will automatically adjust.
More Overnight Oat Recipes
I LOVE overnight oats for a quick and easy meal prep breakfast! Try these options next:
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these berry cheesecake overnight oats, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 tablespoon graham crackers crushed *see notes
- 1 teaspoon milk
Oats
- ½ cup oats quick, minute, or rolled all work
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder optional! These are just as good if you decide to omit.
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Topping
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon light cream cheese (optional for a more cheesecake taste and a thicker texture)
- ¼ cup Berries any berries you like- strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or even a mix!
Instructions
- In 3 separate bowls, combine the ingredients for each of the three layers.
- In a mason jar or container, press the crust mixture into the bottom of the jar.
- Layer with oat mixture and top with the cheesecake topping. Add berries and additional graham cracker crumbs if desired, cover and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning enjoy your overnight oats!
Jennifer says
Hi! What size mason jar would you recommend using?
Nicole Addison says
10 oz!