High-Protein Overnight Oats Recipe With Greek Yogurt and Chia

Overnight oats are the easiest breakfast to make ahead: you stir a jar at night, and in the morning it is ready to eat. This high protein overnight oats recipe gets its protein from Greek yogurt, milk, oats and chia, so it works without protein powder.

Stir 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in a jar and chill overnight. One jar is about 340 calories and 20 g of protein, with no protein powder. Add more yogurt and peanut butter to reach about 30 g.

Protein boosters at a glance

Add to the base jar	Calories added	Protein added	Note
Nothing (the base jar)	About 340 in total	About 20 g in total	Oats, milk, yogurt, chia, maple syrup
Another 1/3 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt	About 50	About 8 g	The most protein for the calories
1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter	About 96	About 4 g	Adds calories and fat as well
1 extra tablespoon of chia seeds	About 58	About 2 g	Adds fiber too
Protein powder	Varies	Varies by brand	We did not use any: follow the label

Values are from USDA FoodData Central for the amounts shown. The chia tablespoon (12 g) is a common weight, not a USDA one, and brands differ.

High protein overnight oats without protein powder

Protein powder is not needed. Greek yogurt is the main source in this recipe: USDA data lists plain nonfat Greek yogurt at about 8.4 g of protein in 1/3 cup. Add the milk, the oats and the chia, and the jar reaches about 20 g. If you do want powder, the amount of protein per scoop depends on the brand, so use the label.

How to get 30 g of protein in overnight oats

Add a second 1/3 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter. That brings the jar to roughly 32 g of protein and about 490 calories. If you want to go further, two extra servings of yogurt and the peanut butter reach about 40 g, but that is about as far as food alone goes in one jar. Recipes that advertise 47 g usually rely on protein powder. We would not aim for a very high-protein breakfast without asking a doctor or dietitian.

High protein overnight oats meal prep and storage

You can make several jars at once. Keep them covered in the fridge and add fruit and toppings when you eat so they stay fresh. We could not find an official shelf life, so we suggest eating them within 3 days, as a cautious rule of thumb.

Fridge food should be kept at 40°F (4°C) or below (USDA cold food storage chart). The oats keep thickening as they sit: add a splash of milk before eating if they are dry. Looking for more to prepare ahead? Browse our meal prep ideas for weight loss.

Do oats help with weight, cholesterol or blood sugar?

Oats get a lot of health claims. Here is what the studies we read say, and what they do not:

• Cholesterol. A 1999 meta-analysis (PMID 9925120) found that 3 g of soluble fiber from oats, about three servings of oatmeal, lowered total and LDL cholesterol by approximately 0.13 mmol/L, and the authors call the effect small within the practical range of intake.
• Blood sugar. A 2020 randomized trial (PMID 31828287) found that thicker oat beta-glucan in a breakfast slowed stomach emptying and lowered the blood sugar and insulin response after the meal.
• Appetite. The same 2020 trial found no significant effect of the beta-glucan on appetite or food intake. A 2008 randomized trial (PMID 18978166) found that muesli with 4 g of oat beta-glucan did not change satiety but lowered the blood sugar response.

All of these used measured amounts of oat fiber, not a jar of overnight oats, and none tested weight loss. So we cannot say overnight oats lower cholesterol or help you lose weight. A half cup of oats has about 4 g of fiber according to USDA, which is a filling start to the day, not a treatment.

Variations and substitutions

• Dairy-free: use a plain, unsweetened soy yogurt and soy milk, and check the protein on the label, because it differs from Greek yogurt and milk.
• Nut-free: skip the peanut butter and add an extra tablespoon of chia seeds or more yogurt.
• Fruit: top with banana, berries or peach slices, or stir mashed fruit into the jar.
• Sweetener: maple syrup or honey, or none. Taste before you add more, because fruit and some yogurts already bring sugar.
• Warm: heat the finished jar in the microwave for a minute for a hot breakfast.
• Flavored: our overnight oats recipes for weight loss give three more jars, strawberry kefir, apple cinnamon and pumpkin pie, at 341 to 388 calories each.

For a parfait style version, try our Greek yogurt parfait recipe, or our shake with high protein if you want to drink your breakfast. If berries are what you like in the morning, our antioxidant smoothie blends blueberries with spinach and Greek yogurt.

For more egg-free ideas, see our high protein breakfast without eggs guide, or try the cottage cheese bowl. On the days you do want eggs, a quinoa and edamame bowl and a feta scramble are among our high-protein breakfast recipes.

Emma stuck to the recipe and found it easy: the oats were delicious, the texture came out as hoped, and a repeat is on the cards.

Serving ideas

• Classic: sliced banana and a spoonful of peanut butter.
• Berry: a handful of berries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
• Crunch: add chopped nuts or a little granola just before eating, so they stay crisp.
• To go: keep the jar sealed and add toppings from a small container at work.
• Between meals: for a savory change, see our high-protein snacks for weight loss.

Tips and mistakes

• Stir well. Dry pockets of oats stay hard, so stir until no dry spots remain.
• Check the thickness in the morning. Add a splash of milk if it is too thick.
• Add toppings at serving. Fruit and crunchy toppings stay fresh and crisp.
• Use rolled oats. This recipe is tested with rolled oats, not instant or steel-cut.
• Measure the chia. It is easy to pour too much, and it adds calories.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use instant or steel-cut oats? This recipe was written with rolled oats. Instant and steel-cut oats soak differently, so the texture may not be the same.

Do I have to eat overnight oats cold? No. Cold is the classic way, but you can warm the finished jar in the microwave for a minute.

Do I need the chia seeds? They add thickness, a little protein and fiber, but you can leave them out. The jar will be looser, and the protein a little lower.

Can I make it with a plant milk? Yes. Protein differs by milk, so check the label if protein matters to you.

Safety: oats, dairy and nuts

Check the labels for allergens: oats may be processed with other grains, and the yogurt, milk and nut butter are common allergens. Think of it as a breakfast suggestion, not dietary advice. If your doctor or dietitian has given you specific dietary advice, follow that first.

How we checked this

• Studies: a PubMed search on October 18, 2026 for trials and reviews on oats and oat beta-glucan with LDL cholesterol, satiety and blood sugar. We read the abstracts and cite only what they say.
• Nutrition: values come from USDA FoodData Central for oats, milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup and peanut butter. The estimates change with your brands.
• Food safety: we read the USDA chart linked above. The USDA leftovers page could not be read, so we give no official number of days.