Cranberry Overnight Oats
Need a use for your leftover cranberry sauce? I GOT YOU. These cranberry overnight oats are the perfect make-ahead breakfast that will have you wanting to make another batch of homemade cranberry sauce so that you can make these again and again. The overnight oats base is creamy, pillow-y with a touch of cranberry sauce and then we go wild with amazing toppings like more cranberry sauce, a big spoonful of almond butter and chunks of dark chocolate.
Why I am obsessed with these cranberry overnight oats:
- It is a delicious and fun way to use up leftover cranberry sauce.
- Overnight oats are a healthy breakfast made with just a handful of simple ingredients.
- You can prep multiple servings ahead of time for an ultra-convenient option for busy mornings.
- This meal provides a variety of crucial nutrients that you should be eating every day. The most noteworthy being the fiber beta-glucan in oats, omega 3 fatty acids in chia seeds, protein and calcium in Greek yogurt and vitamins C, E and K1 in cranberries.
What you will need to make cranberry overnight oats:
Oats: I prefer rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) for overnight oats but you can also use minute oats or quick oats. I have not used steel-cut oats but there are a few recipes online that look promising.
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt provides the protein for this recipe and yields creamy oats. I like to opt for plain Greek yogurt (instead of sweetened) because we are adding cranberry sauce for sweetness!
Chia seeds: chia seeds are small, edible seeds that come from the flowering plant Salvia hispanica. They are high in fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. You can find them in the natural foods aisle of most grocery stores.
Cranberry sauce: I’ve only ever made this with my leftover homemade cranberry sauce but you can use canned cranberry sauce if that’s what you have. This recipe is a great way to embrace those Thanksgiving leftovers!
Milk of choice: I like unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened soy milk but you can use whatever kind of milk you like- oat milk, coconut milk, dairy milk, cashew milk, etc.
Cinnamon: reinforcing our festive flavors here with warming cinnamon.
Vanilla: pure vanilla extract adds great flavor, find it in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
Salt: just the teensiest pinch of sea salt really helps lift and elevate all the other flavors.
Toppings: this is where you can customize to your heart’s content. I love extra cranberry sauce, chunks of dark chocolate and a drizzle of almond butter. Other yummy options are pomegranate arils, fresh fruit, peanut butter, cashew butter, toasted coconut, banana slices, dried cranberries, a drizzle of maple syrup, walnuts, pecans or sliced almonds.
How to make:
In a mason jar or resealable container stir together the oats, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, milk, cranberry sauce, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until well combined. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.
In the morning, top with your favorites! I recommend dark chocolate, more cranberry sauce, pomegranate arils and almond butter.
FAQs:
Simply double, triple, quadruple, etc. this recipe to get your desired number of servings!
When tightly sealed in jars or these overnight oat glass containers, this recipe stays great in the fridge for four days. I like to prep four containers of these oats on Sunday night to have for breakfast Monday-Thursday.
See the notes section of the recipe for how to whip together a quick homemade cranberry sauce!
The primary source of sweetness comes from the cranberry sauce. If you want to decrease the amount of sugar simply decrease the amount of cranberry sauce you add but bear in mind that this will result in less cranberry flavor throughout. To increase sweetness add more cranberry sauce or a pinch of brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup.
Make sure you use certified gluten-free oats and then yes! It is gluten-free as written.
If you don’t like the texture of the overnight oats you can prepare hot oatmeal as you normally would and add the same toppings like cranberry sauce, chia seeds, almond butter and dark chocolate chunks. You can also pop this in the microwave for a minute if you like. (I don’t love the idea of warm yogurt but I do this for my toddlers and it works just fine!)
If you love these easy overnight oats you’ll love these other delicious breakfast ideas:
Watch How to Make:
I hope you all embrace cranberry season and enjoy this festive breakfast! Make sure to tag me on Instagram or TikTok when you make it- I love seeing all of your creations.
Print
Cranberry Overnight Oats
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Put your cranberry sauce to good use to make these easy overnight oats! Bursting with great flavor, cranberry overnight oats are going to be a staple during the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- pinches of cinnamon and sea salt
- splash of vanilla
Toppings: more cranberry sauce, nut butter, dark chocolate, pomegranate arils, toasted coconut, dried cranberries, walnuts, fresh fruit
Instructions
In a mason jar or overnight oats jar stir together the oats, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, milk, cranberry sauce, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until well combined. You may need to adjust the consistency with a little extra milk to reach your desired consistency. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or ideally overnight.
In the morning, top with your favorites! I recommend dark chocolate, more cranberry sauce, pomegranate airls and almond butter.
Notes
If you don’t have cranberry sauce on hand: combine 12oz fresh cranberries, 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes until most of the cranberries burst and a few maintain their shape. Remove from heat and add a cinnamon stick, ¼ teaspoon each allspice, nutmeg and ginger, and the orange zest and orange juice from one orange. Stir until combined, let cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
See above blog post for ingredient substitutions and frequently asked questions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: entire recipe (nutrition facts calculated without toppings)
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 82.8 mg
- Fat: 9.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.9 g
- Fiber: 5.7 g
- Protein: 14.1 g
- Cholesterol: 12.3 mg
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Lovely, we had it yesterday with leftover sauce, and hey, I loved cranberries with my oats 🙂 Great recipe.
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed, thanks Leva!
What a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce! Thanks for sharing!
My daughter is absolutely obsessed with these for breakfast. She’s been eating them all throughout winter break. It feels great knowing that she’s eating something so good for her!
My girls love them too! Especially my two-year-old. And I feel the same! So good to know they’re eating such a wonderful balance of nutritious foods. Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂
Erica
I’ve never eaten overnight oats but this looks absolutely delicious. I’m obsessed with cranberry anything. Can’t wait to try it!
These were incredible, especially with the homemade cranberry sauce. Looking forward to having them again!
So glad you enjoyed them Chenee! Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂
Erica
I am hooked on this breakfast. I love serving it with dark chocolate too like you recommended. Great recipe!
Hooray so glad you enjoy it Bobby!
Awesomely delicious. Nourishing way to start the day. Cranberry and chocolate are match made in food heaven.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks for trying Lubna!
THIS is the recipe that converted me to the wonders of overnight oats! We make this all the time now and Infind myself making cranberry sauce in April just so I can have these overnight oats! Ha!
The best pesto ever. Have made it 2x – love it, better than pine nuts