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These cinnamon overnight oats are an easy basic recipe that is high in protein – and no yogurt! Made with oats, chia, and cottage cheese, they’re thick and filling with lots of cinnamon flavor.
While overnight oats are one of my favorite breakfasts, they can get boring easily. This recipe is a great way to mix it up and not super complicated – just a solid cinnamon overnight oats recipe without yogurt.
With omega-3’s for brain health, and cottage cheese to keep you full, this is sure to become a weekday breakfast favorite. For more cinnamon recipes, don’t miss these cinnamon oat muffins, cinnamon scones, or warm cinnamon milk.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super creamy – These overnight oats are thick and creamy, even without yogurt, making them a little more substantial than plain oatmeal.
- Easy to meal prep – A big batch of these can last all week in the fridge for a quick grab and go breakfast.
- Customizable – This recipe is a great basic recipe that can be used with lots of different toppings.
- Dairy free and gluten free – Perfect for those with additional dietary restrictions.
- Packed with cinnamon – Cinnamon supplementation has shown to reduce severity and frequency of migraine headaches. It’s also anti-inflammatory!
For other variations, try these coconut overnight oats or mango overnight oats or vanilla blended chia pudding.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats – These are just your basic oats you can get from Quaker or Bob’s Red Mill. Do not use steel cut or quick cooking oats for this recipe.
- Cinnamon – Use whatever you like best between Ceylon and Cassia. You could also substitute this with cardamom or pumpkin spice to mix it up!
- Milk – Any type of milk will work – dairy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, seed milk.
- Chia seeds or Flaxseed – These will thicken the overnight oats and also add some great benefits. Both contain omega-3’s for brain health.
- Cottage cheese – Needed for a super creamy texture and also adds protein!
- Maple syrup – This adds some sweetness but is entirely optional. I would omit if your milks have any kind of added sweetener or if you use all oat milk. Choose whatever kind of maple syrup is your favorite.
- Toppings – I like to use sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter. This granola would also be delicious.
Cinnamon Variations
If you’re using cinnamon in overnight oats, there are two options. Both are harvested the same, beneath the bark on trees, but have different taste, smell, and properties.
- Ceylon cinnamon – Native to Sri Lanka, this kind is very mild in flavor. It’s believed to have an effect on blood sugar management and other health benefits. It would be great in these overnight oats!
- Cassia cinnamon – This is the cinnamon you’re probably most familiar with. It has a more intense flavor and can even vary by location – Indonesian being the most mild, Saigon being the most intense and fragrant.
- Low histamine? No problem. Replace the cinnamon with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cardamom for a low histamine option.
How to Make
- Combine Ingredients – Add oats, cinnamon, and seeds to individual jars, or one big glass jar.
- Mix in milk – Mix in the milk, cottage cheese, and maple syrup, if using. Also add any seed butters here to stir in.
- Chill – Allow the cinnamon overnight oats to chill at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Add toppings – This is the perfect time to add any additions to the top, from granola to seeds and even chopped apples, there are lots of ways you can mix up this recipe. To boost protein, consider adding a migraine protein powder to the mix.
Recipe Tips
This recipe makes incredibly thick coconut overnight oats due to the cottage cheese. With the oats, you don’t notice the texture, but you can also use whipped cottage cheese. A lot of recipes use too much liquid, which makes them mushy instead of creamy.
- You must use rolled oats – not steel cut. Using those will produce a different texture.
- Make these in one large bowl and then after chilling, spoon the oats into individual mason jars or storage containers for meal prep.
Toppings for Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Because this is such a simple overnight oat recipe, here are a few different toppings I like to add to spice it up.
- Seeds – Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, or any kind of nuts, if tolerated.
- Granola – Buckwheat granola or grain free granola without oats.
- Apples – Chopped honeycrisp apples are delicious!
- Pumpkin – Stir in a spoonful for pumpkin spice oats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, consuming oats with lots of sugar and no way to balance it will spike blood sugar. This is why we add healthy fats and protein to balance it – omitting the seeds and cottage cheese would leave this unbalanced.
Mixing in your favorite protein powder would be great here, and it works well to do it with the dry ingredients, then stir in the milk. Sometimes protein powder can make overnight oats gritty, so go easy on how much you add if texture is important to you.
Milk adds flavor and a creamy texture to the overnight oats. The cottage cheese also makes the texture thick and creamy versus runny and watery.
If you cannot find a low sodium cottage cheese that will work for you, you can use yogurt (if tolerated) or simply omit the cottage cheese. The texture just won’t be as thick.
Cinnamon Recipes
Breakfast
Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Cottage Cheese
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Cinnamon Overnight Oats with Cottage Cheese
Equipment
- 1 glass jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon chia or flaxseed
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Optional: seed or nut butter
Instructions
- Add oats, cinnamon and seeds to jars. Add protein powder here, if using. Then add milk, cottage cheese and maple syrup, if desired. Mix till fully combined.
- Cover the oats with a lid and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Top with any favorite toppings like granola, seeds, apples, etc.
Notes
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled using the sliding bar to meal prep for the week. It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Great toppings include – more cottage cheese, seeds, nuts (if tolerated), chopped apples, and granola.
- These cinnamon overnight oats are the perfect recipe for days you don’t feel like cooking! Make sure to keep the cottage cheese in there for protein balance, or add in a favorite protein powder.
- For gluten free, use certified gluten free old fashioned oats. For dairy free, use any dairy free milk you like and dairy free yogurt instead (if tolerated) or omit the cottage cheese entirely. For low sodium, use low sodium cottage cheese or omit. Consider replacing with protein powder.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Alicia
Is it 258 calories with the optional sunbutter or without it?
Delicious by the way! 😁
Hey Dawn, it’s with the sunbutter but if you’re on a strict count I would tally it yourself as this widely fluctuates depending on brands.
I really was not sure how I would feel about cottage cheese in my oatmeal… but I am a fan. I add in a scoop of the Sprout Living pumpkin protein (warning: your oats will be green lol). Delicious and keeps me full!