Having dessert for breakfast just got easier with these high protein cheesecake overnight oats! A subtly sweet graham cracker crust and nourishing overnight oats all topped with a creamy cheesecake layer, it doesn't get better than this!
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. The thing I didn't have was an overnight oat recipe. That is until NOW. These high protein cheesecake overnight oats are going to be my go-to breakfast ALLLL spring and summer long.
What are Overnight Oats?
I feel like I slept through the overnight oat craze. There was a time a few years ago when everyone hopped on the overnight oat train and I was left sitting at the station still as obsessed with my basic everyday warm oats as ever. UNTIL NOW. To be honest I still love my go-to oats but sometimes I just want a change. Especially when the weather gets warmer I want a breakfast that matches my excitement for sunshine and blue skies.... that's where overnight oats come in.
Overnight oats are oats that are soaked in milk for a few hours or overnight. By leaving them in the fridge and allowing them to soak up the milk, they expand and become a thick pudding-like texture. The best part? They require ZERO cooking, so they are the perfect meal prep option for someone with a busy lifestyle!
To tell you the truth, the reason I wasn't sold on overnight oats for a long time was because of they were cold... WHY would someone choose to have mushy cold oats instead of oats that taste like a warm hug? That is until I realized it was just all about how you flavoured and topped them. I personally needed to add a layer of yogurt and fruit on top to help make it more of a parfait so my brain stopped comparing them to my regular oats and now I am OBSESSED.
I will now be experimenting with every single combination of high protein cheesecake overnight oats I can think of (if you think of a combination you want me to try PLEASE let me know)!
What Ingredients do I need for High Protein Cheesecake Overnight Oats?
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! I have not tested this with any non-dairy yogurts however I'm sure it would work they just may not have the same "cheesecake" consistency.
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). If you aren’t a protein powder fan, feel free to leave this out!
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! I use this honey because I love the squeeze lid for easy clean up (and I'm lazy haha)!
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! I used these graham crackers and just crushed them up with my hands (also because I love having extra graham crackers in the house as a snack with peanut butter!).
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you make these don't forget to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @nourishedbynic or comment how they turned out below!
High Protein Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 graham crackers crushed *see notes
- 1 teaspoon milk
Oats
- ½ cup oats quick, minute, or rolled all work
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder optional! These are just as good if you decide to omit.
Cheesecake Topping
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese (optional for a more cheesecake taste and a thicker texture)
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 desired toppings (see below for ideas!), cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, enjoy your creamy cheesecake overnight oats!
For the Strawberry Cheesecake Oats
- Add a dash of cinnamon into the oat mixture and top with strawberries and graham cracker crumbs.
For the Lemon Cheesecake Oats
- Add the zest of ½ of a lemon into the oat mixture and the juice of ½ a lemon into the cheesecake topping layer. Top with additional lemon zest and graham cracker crumbs.
Sandra
This is my new go to way of eating overnight oats! I added peanut butter to the oat mix and it was so delicious! #nourishedholiday
Nicole Addison
Hi Sandra! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe- the peanut butter is SUCH a good addition!