Overnight Oats with Coconut Milk

These overnight oats with coconut milk are absolutely delicious and a great easy, healthy, and customizable make ahead breakfast!

Overnight oats are one of my favorite go-to healthy breakfasts. I love that you can make it the night before and just grab it and go in the morning.

Personally, I like them even better than chia pudding with coconut milk, which is also pretty darn good if you ask me – especially chocolate chia pudding with coconut milk!

If you’ve never had overnight oats before, its basically a no-cook method of making oatmeal.

Instead of cooking oatmeal, you soak the raw oats with milk. This allows the oats to absorb the liquid and soften them enough to eat uncooked.

You only need to let the oats soak and rest in the fridge for 2 hours, but ideally, you let them soak overnight. Hence the name.

The next morning, you have an easy convenient breakfast that has a creamier texture than regular oatmeal.

The creamy texture is in large part due to the chia seeds, which is probably why they are called for in every recipe I’ve ever seen.

However, the yogurt also adds a lot of creaminess to the overnight oats, so I wouldn’t skip it unless you don’t have it on hand – which has happened to me before, and it was still delicious without it.

What I really like about overnight oats with coconut milk is the hint of tropical flavor the coconut milk gives. I also like adding some granola or muesli just before I eat it so that there is a variety of texture and flavor.

However, you can mix in all kinds of things. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, and more. Really, anything you want.

If you enjoy these overnight oats with coconut milk, you may also like my oatmeal with coconut milk.

Are overnight oats dairy free?

Typically, no. Overnight oats usually are made with milk or yogurt and is therefore dairy. This recipe is dairy free since it uses coconut milk and dairy free yogurt.

What Coconut milk should I use?

Whatever coconut milk you prefer would work, though I’d recommend an unsweetened milk.

For coconut milk, I prefer the light coconut milk to cut calories, but full fat coconut milk will work just as well.

What kind of dairy free yogurt should I use?

A regular or vanilla flavored yogurt works best here, unless you want to add a mild fruit flavor to your overnight oats.

Yogurts made from almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, and soy milk all work fine. The yogurt is to add creaminess to the overnight oats.

Do I have to use yogurt?

Nope. I leave it out when I’m out of yogurt but still want overnight oats.

However, it is going to be less creamy.

Do I have to use chia seeds?

You don’t, but they add a pudding-like texture.

This may be less noticeable if you have the yogurt, but it will be very noticeable if you don’t have yogurt or chia seeds.

Can I leave out the milk, yogurt, and chia seeds?

Only if you don’t mind the idea of oats sitting in dairy free milk or water. Personally, it is not my cup of tea.

Types of Vanilla

Vanilla comes from a pod commonly known as a “vanilla bean”, which comes from the vanilla orchids.

Vanilla pods have been used for flavoring since the Aztecs and was introduced to Europe by a Spanish conquistador, along with cocoa.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is created by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol for some time. This is the most commonly used type of vanilla.

Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla sugar is common in Europe and some parts of the Middle East, like Israel. 

It is made from vanilla beans sitting in sugar, vanilla bean powder mixed with sugar, or sugar mixed with vanilla extract.

In some countries, like Italy, you can also find vanilla powdered sugar, which is used for confections.

Vanilla Paste

Vanilla paste is generally a specialty item.  It is a thick paste that contains a blend of the scraped-out vanilla pod seeds and vanilla extract. 

You can use it as you do vanilla extract and it will leave flakes of vanilla bean like you see in vanilla bean ice cream.

Imitation Vanilla

Imitation Vanilla, otherwise known as artificial vanilla or vanilla essence, is made from synthetic vanilla. 

This is the compound that naturally occurs in vanilla beans and gives it its flavor.

Can I use imitation vanilla?

Many will tell you that you should use high quality vanilla, just like they say you should use the best cocoa. 

However, most of us will probably not be willing to pay the hefty price that comes with exceptionally high-quality ingredients.

Overall, vanilla is very expensive, so the extract is as well. 

So, if you’re not going to get regular quality vanilla extract, you might as well use imitation vanilla.

Can vanilla extract be used as a substitute for vanilla beans?

Yes, vanilla extract can be used as a substitute for vanilla beans. Use about 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for each inch of vanilla bean.

How to Store Vanilla

Pure vanilla extract and other vanilla products should be kept away from heat and light, and should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Make Ahead

I like making overnight oats the night before, as the name indicates. However, you can also make overnight oats up to a few days before you’re going to eat it. This is great for meal prep.

How to Store

Overnight oats will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

If you have fruit toppings or fruit mix-ins, eat within 3 days, as the fruit is likely to go bad first.

For Freezing

Yes, you can freeze overnight oats.

Place in a freezer safe container. You can keep overnight oats for several months in the freezer.