High Protein Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Picture this: thick, creamy overnight oats with a literal full-sized peanut butter cup right on top. Okay, not a LITERAL peanut butter cup, but rather a chocolate peanut butter shell that you can spoon right up with the rest of the oats.

How good?! SO GOOD.

We actually made this deliciousness on Instagram a few months ago and decided it definitely needed a spot on the blog. These peanut butter overnight oats are not only so simple to make but they’re also packed with 20g of protein and almost 10g of fiber. What more could you want in a wonderful, super satisfying breakfast?

Just like so many of my oatmeal recipes, these are easy to customize with some yummy add-ins, dairy free swaps, and so much more. Be sure to scroll through the full post for all of my tips and get ready for amazing mornings ahead!

The ultimate breakfast for busy weeks

Have you ever tried overnight oats before? If not, you’re in for the perfect breakfast treat. Overnight oats are simply oats soaked in a liquid overnight until they expand and ‘cook.’ In this recipe, the oats soak in both protein-packed, creamy yogurt and milk to create the best texture. This no cook breakfast is so easy and will be an instant go-to during busy weeks.

Everything you’ll need to make these peanut butter overnight oats

These peanut butter cup overnight oats are made with truly the simplest ingredients that you likely have on hand. The combo gives you a super filling, satisfying breakfast (hello, 20g of protein!) that also tastes amazing. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Yogurt: you’ll get tons of protein by mixing the oats with your fav greek yogurt. I recommend using vanilla greek yogurt for a little extra sweetness, but plain works fine as well (see a note on this below!)
• Milk: I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk for the light vanilla flavor, but feel free to use any milk you’d like.
• Chia seeds: adding just a 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds helps the oats to thicken up while also boosting the fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
• Oats: we’re using old fashioned rolled oats, which expand and get nice and creamy with the rest of the ingredients.
• For the magic shell: that PB & chocolate Reese’s-like topping is made with a little natural peanut butter, chocolate chips, and coconut oil. It hardens perfectly and is so fun to break into the jar! Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15’ for 15% off my favorite peanut butter brand, Wild Friends!

Can I use steel cut oats?

Unfortunately, no, I cannot recommend using steel cut oats because they will not absorb as much liquid as rolled oats so the texture will not turn out right.

Customize your oats

These creamy peanut butter cup overnight oats are super easy to customize with your fav mix-ins and ingredients. Here’s what I can recommend:

• Go dairy free: simply use a dairy free yogurt, such as coconut yogurt, then be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips.
• Use your favorite milk: feel free to swap the vanilla almond milk for oat milk or even coconut milk for an extra creamy texture and delicious flavor.
• Add a boost of nutrition: these delicious peanut butter overnight oats pack 20g of protein, but you can also feel free to add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal, hemp seeds, or a scoop of your fav protein powder.
• Choose your nut butter: I LOVE the flavor of peanut butter in these oats (hello, Reese’s central!) but you can absolutely use any nut butter you’d like.
• Add fruit: a layer of banana slices or berries would also be delicious in these overnight oats.
• Get some extra sweetness: if you’re not using a vanilla flavored yogurt, I’d recommend also mixing in 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to sweeten the oats.

Wait, there’s a magic shell?

YES. This peanut butter overnight oats recipe is made extra special with a chocolate magic shell that you can dig right into. To add it on top you’ll simply:

1. Melt together chocolate chips and coconut oil.
2. Top the jar of overnight oats with a little peanut butter, then add the melted chocolate mixture. Spread the chocolate to the rim of the jar to create the full “shell.”
3. Freeze the jar until the chocolate hardens, then sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you’re extra like me.
4. Use a spoon to crack

If you want to make these oats even more fun, you can layer extra peanut butter and chocolate in the middle of the jar. YUM.

Skipping the shell?

If you’d like to enjoy these peanut butter overnight oats without the chocolate, I’d recommend simply layering peanut butter in the middle of the oats and on top!

How to store peanut butter overnight oats

These healthy chocolate peanut butter overnight oats will stay good in the refrigerator in your mason jar for up to 5 days, which makes them portable and easy to enjoy on the go. Just be sure to give them a good stir (after breaking into the shell) if they’ve been sitting for a couple of days and/or add another splash of almond milk.

More oatmeal recipes you’ll love

Get all of my oatmeal recipes here!

I hope you love these peanut butter overnight oats! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!