Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats Recipe

If you love a good PB&J sandwich, then this is the breakfast you want to try. This peanut butter and jelly overnight oats recipe is perfect for PG&J lovers. It’s easy to make, “cooks” itself, and clean-up is super minimal.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats are great for kids, too. As long as there are no peanut allergies, the kids are bound to eat this up without any issues at all.

What Are Overnight Oats?

Overnight oats are oats that soak up milk in the fridge overnight instead of being cooked. Soaking overnight softens them to almost the consistency of being cooked while having a slightly different finished texture. They are quite good!

Are Overnight Oats Good For You?

They are good for you! In fact, unless you avoid grains/carbs, oats are well-documented for their health benefits. They contain high-quality protein as well as fiber, which we all know is good for us and our digestion.

Why Make Overnight Oats Instead Of Cooked Oats?

Cooking breaks down nutrients in food. Because there is no heat involved in making overnight oats, none of those nutrients gets broken down, leaving you with a much more nutrient-rich breakfast.

What Does Soaking Oats Overnight Do?

As with soaking almost anything, it softens the oats. The oats absorb some of the milk, making them easy to eat and soft without cooking them.

What Type Of Oats Do You Use For Overnight Oats?

This is an important aspect of overnight oats. Using the wrong oats can end up leaving you with some disastrous results.

Always use oats labeled as old-fashioned, rolled, or traditional oats. Nothing else will work here.

Avoid quick-cook oats because they will fall apart, leaving you with mush.

Avoid steel-cut oats because they will never soften properly, leaving you with a jar of something you can’t chew.

What Size Jar Should I Use For Overnight Oats?

You’ll want a jar that is between 8 and 16 ounces. Use a wide-mouthed jar with a tight-fitting lid.

If in doubt, pick a larger jar. Getting the oats and milk in there is one thing, but you want to leave room for adding in additions such as peanut butter and jelly or fruit, seeds, nuts, and any other additions you might want to mix in.

My favorite jar to use for overnight oats is a mason jar. They work great!

What Not To Add To Overnight Oats?

• Water. Never add water to overnight oats. Always use milk.
• Fresh berries – While fresh berries are great for overnight oats, add them after they have soaked for the night so they don’t get mushy sitting in mild all night.

Top Tips For Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats

1. Stir your oats well in the morning to make sure the flavors are well distributed. In fact, if your additions aren’t too delicate, you can even shake the jar with the lid on to mix everything properly. (I don’t recommend this with fresh berries or other delicate additions for obvious reasons)
2. If you want to add protein, you have two choices. Protein powder or yogurt. Greek yogurt works best in this case, but any plain yogurt will work.
3. Warm up your overnight oats! If you don’t like the idea of eating cold oats straight from the fridge, warm them up! See the notes below for how to do it.

Why Did My Overnight Oats Become Gummy?

The longer the oats soak, the more starch they will release. So if your oats are gummy, chances are, they’ve just been in the fridge for too long. I recommend making only 3 days’ worth of overnight oats in advance and making sure you eat them each day. After 3 days, you’ll have a higher chance of your oats being more gummy.

Dietary Concerns For Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats

Gluten-Free – Use oats that are labeled as gluten-free oats, and make sure any other ingredient you used is labeled the same. This recipe is technically gluten-free, but cross-contamination happens. So if it matters, shop carefully.

Vegan Or Dairy Free – Use unsweetened plant-based milk.

Sugar-free – Make sure there is no added sugar in your ingredients, and skip any added sweetener.

Can I Use Different Nut Butter For Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats?

You can! You don’t have to use nut butter. You can use almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, or even seed butter such as sunflower seed butter.

What Types Of Milk Work Best For Overnight Oats?

Truly, you can use almost any type of milk. Dairy milk is great, but if you can’t have dairy, pretty much any unflavored and unsweetened plant milk will work. The only milk I caution against for some flavor combinations is coconut milk.

Recipe Additions And Variations For Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats

You can add almost anything to overnight oats. If it tastes good in cooked oatmeal, it will taste good in overnight oats as well. Try any of the following:

• Pure vanilla extract
• Chopped peanuts
• Fresh berries
• Ground cinnamon

What Ingredients You Need For PB&J Overnight Oats

Old-fashioned oats – These are also called rolled oats or traditional oats.

Unsweetened almond milk – You can use any type of milk you prefer if it’s unsweetened. Regular dairy milk is fine, too.

Chia seeds – You can also use ground flaxseed or flax meal.

Natural peanut butter – The word “natural” is often how peanut butter without added ingredients is marketed. Double-check your ingredients. The only thing on the ingredient list should be peanuts and maybe some salt.

Maple syrup – Use the real stuff, not pancake syrup. You can also use honey if you prefer that. The measurement given below is just a suggestion. You should add the sweetener to taste. If you prefer to add your own amount, I suggest adding it after your oats have soaked and after you have added the peanut butter and fruit spread. You may find you don’t even need it.

Strawberry fruit spread – This should be 100% fruit with no added sugar. Sugar-free jam or jelly is not the same. Look for fruit spread. Many stores carry it these days, or you can find it online, often for a cheaper price.

How To Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats

Divide the oats, milk, chia seeds, peanut butter, and maple syrup between two glass jars and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover them with lids and store them in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Scoop a tablespoon of jelly into each jar and stir to make a swirl of strawberry jelly.

Serve with peanut butter drizzle and sliced strawberries on top.

How Long Can Overnight Oats Last In The Fridge?

Using plant-based milk, you can store overnight oats in the fridge for up to five days.

If you use dairy milk, it will still last for up to five days in most cases, but I would check it closely after 3 days to be sure. Animal products don’t last as long.

Can You Freeze Overnight Oats?

You can! But there are some things you’ll want to consider before doing so. For this, I’ll send you over to Texan Erin for a full description of how to do it properly.

Can You Warm Up Overnight Oats?

Sure can! It’s perfectly fine to do this, though I recommend heating them before adding fresh berries or dried fruit. You may wonder why not just cook the oats, then. Try it once, and you’ll see. It’s great saving all that cooking time first thing in the morning, especially if you warm them quickly in a microwave.

More Healthy Overnight Oatmeal Recipes

• Coffee Overnight Oats
• Banana Bread Overnight Oats
• Coconut Bomb Overnight Oatmeal
• Oatmeal Cookie Overnight Oatmeal

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