Even with no applesauce and no yogurt, overnight oats can come together easily & quickly in the fridge. These Overnight Oats Without Yogurt or Applesauce take just 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to make, and are ready to eat in about half an hour!
For some delicious toppings for overnight oats, check out my stewed apples or stovetop caramelized apples.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Simple Enough for Beginners: my boyfriend has quick 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 half hour overnight oats in individual dishes as a snack or pre-made breakfast (similar to flax & chia 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.
Coconut 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 coconut milk, or other tolerated homemade milks.
Chia Seeds: these are 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 protein content, they're also low in oxalates & lectins and rich in short-chain omega 3 fatty acids, which may fight inflammation. Plus, they're quite plain-tasting, so they can easily be customized.
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.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🥛 How to Make Overnight Oats With No Yogurt (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Combine everything in a bowl (images 1 & 2), and then spoon it all into one or two individual jars (image 3)(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 half an hour (if not using chia seed then you'll need four to six hours in the fridge, minimum), though they may be thick enough after 30 minutes (image 4) depending on your fridge temp. Then just layer on toppings and enjoy!
🫐 Variations
- Blueberry Vanilla Overnight Oats: Stir in a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries before chilling and top with extra vanilla powder for a lightly sweet, antioxidant-rich version.
- Peach Maple Oats: Add diced fresh or frozen peaches and an extra drizzle of maple syrup for a naturally sweet, summer-inspired flavor.
- Coconut Cream Oats: Replace part of the milk with coconut milk and sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut on top for a richer, tropical twist.
- Pear & Cinnamon Oats: Mix in diced fresh pear and a pinch of cinnamon for a warm, cozy flavor that pairs well with maple syrup.
- Seed Butter Oats: Swirl in tahini or sunflower seed butter for added creaminess and healthy fats while keeping the recipe low histamine.
- Chia Boost Oats: Increase the chia seeds slightly and add a splash more milk for a thicker, pudding-like texture with extra fiber.
👨🏻🍳 Expert 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 chia seeds and refrigerate it for just 15-20 minutes, 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, or a teaspoon of lucuma for a fruity, caramel sweetness.
My Favorite Flavor Blends:
- a scoop of tolerated protein powder, a spoonful of tahini, and a big pinch of vanilla
- minced apples, toasted pecans, and a pinch of each clove & cinnamon (if tolerated)
- macadamia butter (or pecan butter) with lightly chopped fresh berries
- high-fat coconut milk and fresh or frozen mango chunks
🥥 What to Put on Overnight Oats
- toasted pumpkin seeds
- stewed pears or caramelized apples
- homemade cherry jam
- macadamia nut butter
- chopped frozen fruits
- pomegranate seeds
- homemade granola
- shredded coconut
- fresh blueberries
- candied pecans
- protein powder
- hemp seeds
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The chia seeds are optional and mainly help thicken the mixture more quickly. If you skip them, simply let the oats sit a bit longer in the fridge so they can fully soften.
Yes, you can use almost any milk you tolerate, such as oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk, or dairy milk if it fits your diet.
Yes. If you prefer warm oats, simply microwave the soaked mixture for 30–60 seconds or heat it gently on the stovetop before adding toppings.
Old-fashioned rolled oats work best because they soften nicely while still keeping some texture. Instant oats tend to become mushy, while steel-cut oats require a much longer soaking time.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Quick Overnight Oats (No Yogurt, No Applesauce)
Ingredients
- ½ Cup old-fashioned oats NOT instant oats
- ½ Cup milk of choice
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds optional; less fridge time needed
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla powder alt. ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- toppings fresh or frozen fruits, nut or seed butters, etc.
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 half an hour (if not using chia 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
- a scoop of tolerated protein powder, a spoonful of tahini, and a big pinch of vanilla
- minced apples, toasted pecans, and a pinch of each clove & cinnamon (if tolerated)
- macadamia butter (or pecan butter) with lightly chopped fresh berries
- high-fat coconut milk and fresh or frozen mango chunks
mel sadownick says
Hi, Thanks for your advice.
I had been having daily instant oatmeal. I ceased when I read that it is often responsible for bloated stomachs, which I had developed.
Can you discuss a form of oatmeal that would be low histamine and considered to be healthy for digestion ? Thanks,
Mel
Max says
Sure! I emailed you, but it bounced back. I'm not a doctor, so I cannot give & this is not medical advice, but from personal experience I have only tried rolled oats, sorghum, buckwheat groats, and quinoa, but all are good swaps if instant oats are bothering you. But I'm not convinced that any one these is good for digestion; I'd try a chia pudding or flax pudding for that.