Even with no chia seeds, overnight oats can come together easily & quickly. These Overnight Oats Without Chia Seeds take just 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to make, and are ready to eat in less than an hour!
For some delicious toppings for overnight oats, check out my stovetop caramelized apples or air fryer peaches.
Jump To
About this recipe
Simple Enough for Beginners: my boyfriend has overnight oats a few times a week, so beyond being an easy low histamine breakfast, I know it's also quick & straightforward enough to make regularly.
Low Histamine Snack: you could serve these one hour overnight oats in individual dishes as a snack or pre-made breakfast (similar to flaxseed pudding), but I like to make a double batch and eat as much as I want, then save the rest in the back of the fridge for a snack later that day.
Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Dairy-Free: overnight oats can be made with any type of milk, any sweetener (or none), and any flavoring that you'd like. That makes it safe for almost any intolerances you have or diet you may find yourself on, including the low histamine diet.
Ingredients
Rolled Oats: These whole grains are the base for these super quick overnight oats, and they add bulk and a delightful creamy texture, once soaked. Use certified gluten-free oats, if needed, but if you use instant oats they're likely to get too soft & sticky too quickly.
Oat Milk: You can use any milk to make no chia overnight oats, but I like using oat milk or coconut milk, as either one will lend a creamy and mild flavor to the oat pudding. So I recommend using a clean ingredient or homemade oat milk, or other tolerated homemade milks.
Flax Seed Meal: Flax meal is a low histamine way to get your daily fiber or replace eggs in a recipe, though it's the latter characteristic which makes them so helpful for quick overnight oats. In addition to their fiber content, they're also low in oxalates & lectins and rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which may fight inflammation.
Maple Syrup: this sticky stuff helps sweeten the oats over the time they're soaking; the only decent low histamine sweeteners you could use instead are honey and date syrup.
Vanilla Powder: this adds a mild sense of sweetness and complexity to the quick oats, without the need for any more sweetener. Vanilla also does a great job at complementing almost any other flavor you'd like to add or top them with.
How to make overnight oats without chia seeds: step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Combine everything in a bowl, and then spoon it all into one or two individual jars (you'll need to do two if you want to make a pretty layered one like in the picture).
Step 2. Cover both jars, refrigerating for at least an hour (if not using flax seed then you'll need four to six hours in the fridge, minimum), though they may be thick enough after 30 minutes depending on your fridge temp. Then just layer on toppings and enjoy!
Recipe notes & tips
Refrigeration Time: leaving prepared food to sit in the fridge for a whole hour may make some of you nervous. So if you need to cut down on the fridge time, you can use an extra ¼ teaspoon flax meal and refrigerate it for just half an hour, and only make what you want to eat immediately.
Can I Freeze This?: I wouldn't. While technically you could freeze it, whole oats' texture doesn't respond well to freezer time, as they get both stiff and slimy, lending to an off texture.
Customizing Flavors: while the base overnight oats taste like pretty plain oatmeal, if you have this regularly, there are several delicious ways to change up the flavor. If you're not eating low histamine, you could even add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to make it chocolatey.
My Favorite Flavor Blends:
- macadamia butter (or pecan butter) with lightly chopped fresh berries
- minced apples, toasted pecans, and a pinch of each clove & cinnamon (if tolerated)
- a scoop of tolerated protein powder, a spoonful of tahini, and a big pinch of vanilla
- high-fat coconut milk and fresh or frozen mango chunks
What to put on overnight oats
- candied pecans
- hemp seeds
- toasted pumpkin seeds
- macadamia nut butter
- chopped frozen fruits
- fresh blueberries
- pomegranate seeds
- homemade jam
- caramelized pears or apples
- shredded coconut
- homemade granola
- protein powder
As always, if you like the recipe, I really appreciate a 5-star review or comment!
📖 Recipe
Quick 'Overnight' Oats Without Chia Seeds
Ingredients
- ½ Cup old-fashioned oats NOT instant oats
- ½ Cup milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon ground flaxseed optional; less fridge time needed
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla powder alt. ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine everything in a bowl, and then spoon it all into one or two individual jars (you'll need to do two if you want to make a pretty layered one like in the picture).
- Cover both jars, refrigerating for at least an hour (if not using flax seed then you'll need four to six hours in the fridge, minimum), though they may be thick enough after 30 minutes depending on your fridge temp. Then just layer on toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- macadamia butter (or pecan butter) with lightly chopped fresh berries
- minced apples, toasted pecans, and a pinch of each clove & cinnamon (if tolerated)
- a scoop of tolerated protein powder, a spoonful of tahini, and a big pinch of vanilla
- high-fat coconut milk and fresh or frozen mango chunks
tricia says
Hello! Why do you leave out Chia Seeds? I thought they were low histamine...is that wrong? Thanks in advance 🙂
Max says
They are low histamine indeed, and a great source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. I use them in this overnight oats recipe, but some people requetsed a version without chia seeds, maybe because they're hard to get where they live, they don't like them, or they just ran out, but they're not excluded for histamine reasons. Just for a reader request. 🙂