The Best Applesauce Overnight Oats Recipe
This Applesauce Overnight Oats recipe is amazing! I’m talking about that rich, authentic apple pie spice flavor that everyone loves. And what I love most about this overnight oats recipe is how simple it is. Just rolled oats, applesauce, milk, maple syrup and some warming spices. That’s it! No weird ingredients, no complicated steps, just the delicious flavor of creamy oats and apple pie.
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I’ve become obsessed with anything that makes my day start a little smoother. There’s something so lovely about opening the fridge and finding this gorgeous jar of apple pie goodness just waiting for you. Especially on those super busy mornings!
Plus, the whole family will love them! And why wouldn’t they? These overnight oats with applesauce taste like dessert for breakfast!
This is honestly the kind of delicious breakfast you’d find at those trendy brunch spots where they serve everything in beautiful mason jars and charge $10 for the privilege. But here’s the thing – you can create that same artisanal experience at home for a fraction of the cost.
Add some chopped apples and you’ve got something that looks and tastes absolutely café-worthy. These applesauce overnight oats are one of those small luxuries that makes even the most hectic morning feel a little more peaceful.
I really hope you love this Applesauce Overnight Oats Recipe!
If you do, I would really love it if you could leave a star rating and comment in the comments section below or from the recipe card. 🥰
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this Applesauce Overnight Oats Recipe:
- Perfect for busy mornings – Seriously, this oat recipe is such an effortless, delicious breakfast. Just mix everything together in an airtight container (I love jam jars!) and pop it in the fridge. Morning me is always grateful!
- Real apple cinnamon flavor – None of that artificial stuff here. With this applesauce overnight oats recipe, you get that rich, authentic taste with warming spices that actually complement the creamy oats instead of overwhelming them.
- Simple ingredients – Just old-fashioned oats, applesauce, your choice of plant-based milk (I love oat milk or unsweetened almond milk), maple syrup, vanilla extract, chia seeds, and a pinch of salt. Add peanut butter, almond butter, or Greek yogurt for extra protein if you’re feeling adventurous.
- With or without chia seeds – Applesauce chia overnight oats have this lovely creamy texture, but this recipe tastes great with just rolled oats as well.
- Easy meal prep – Make individual mason jars, jam jars, or one big batch in an airtight container. This make-ahead breakfast keeps beautifully in the fridge for a few days.
- No white sugar needed when you’ve got that yummy apple flavor doing all the work! This quick and easy breakfast delivers on flavor without all that added white sugar that commercial overnight oats have.
- Use gluten-free oats and dairy-free milk to make it gluten-free and vegan.
Honestly, if you’re on the fence about trying overnight oats, this is the recipe to start with. It’s foolproof and tastes like fall in the best way possible.
Ingredients
Old-fashioned rolled oats – Aka traditional oats. Old-fashioned oats will give you the best texture – they hold their shape beautifully and don’t turn mushy like quick oats or instant oats do. So stick with rolled oats for this apple sauce overnight oats recipe.
Milk – Use whatever milk you prefer! Regular milk, skim milk and plant-based milk like Oat milk, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, cashew milk and even water will work. But honestly, I’d go for something creamy here – we’re aiming for comfort food that tastes like apple pie!
Applesauce – Applesauce in overnight oats works so well. Unsweetened applesauce is best. It adds that gorgeous apple pie flavor without any added sugar, and if you have time, homemade applesauce is lovely. But store-bought applesauce also works really well. Unsweetened is best, though as we are controlling the sweetness with the maple syrup.
Chia seeds – (Optional) These little powerhouses help thicken everything up overnight. Chia seeds are amazing for meal prep because they create that perfect pudding-like texture. No chia seeds? No worries, these apple sauce overnight oats will still taste amazing!
Maple syrup – (Optional) If you are using unsweetened applesauce and want to sweeten things up a bit more, then pure maple syrup will give you the best flavor. But you can use imitation or even pancake syrup. You can also substitute with agave syrup, coconut sugar or brown sugar if that’s what you have, but maple syrup really complements the apple flavor beautifully.
Vanilla extract – Just a splash of vanilla extract brings all the flavors together and makes everything taste more apple pie-ish. But if you don’t have any, it’s ok, the overnight oats with applesauce will still be delicious.
Spices – Ground cinnamon is essential for that warm, cozy flavor. A pinch of nutmeg is nice too. If you have apple pie spice, you could use that too!
Pinch of salt – Just a tiny pinch of salt to bring out all the flavors.
Optional Toppings:
Fresh apples – I love dicing up fresh apples like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, or Fuji for extra apple flavor and extra crunch. Apple slices work too if you prefer bigger pieces.
Nuts – Chopped walnuts or pecans are my favorites here because they taste like they belong in apple pie, but honestly, use whatever nuts make you happy! Toasted nuts are even better if you’ve got the time. Honey-roasted walnuts or maple-roasted pecans are super yum! But don’t stress if you just have regular nuts sitting in your pantry – they’ll be perfect too.
Nut butter – Almond butter, peanut butter, or cashew butter all add creaminess and extra protein. Swirl it in or dollop it on top – both work!
Greek yogurt – A spoonful of Greek yogurt adds creaminess and extra protein. Applesauce overnight oats with yogurt taste amazing!
Granola – Adds some extra crunch.
Protein powder – Vanilla protein powder is great, but you will need to add a couple of extra tablespoons of milk.
Spice it up – Add a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom for extra warmth
Instructions how to make Applesauce Overnight Oats
- Mix the base: In a mason jar, jam jar or bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), salt, and 2/3 of the applesauce until well combined. Keep 1/3 of the applesauce for a topping at the end.
- Add oats and chia seeds (if using) and give everything a good stir. Make sure everything is evenly distributed and the oats are fully submerged in the liquid.
- You can also add protein powder, yogurt and/or nut butter if you like.
- I like to make mine in Bonne Maman jam jars. They are wide at the top, and I just screw the tops on and shake. Easy peasy!
- Spread the remaining tablespoon or two of applesauce over the top.
- Chill overnight: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight (8 hours). The oats will absorb the liquid and soften to a creamy consistency.
- Prepare toppings: In the morning, top with diced fresh apple or extra applesauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you like, you can also add some chopped nuts (maple roasted nuts are super yum!) or some cottage cheese frosting.
- Serve: Enjoy cold, or warm it up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds if you prefer it warm.
This recipe is perfect for a jam jar serving size. I use the Bonne Maman glass jars, as I like their wider opening. Bonne Maman jam jars are 13 oz. size jars, and hold about 1 1/2 cups of overnight oats (about 350 ml).
Applesauce Overnight Oats FAQ
Traditional oats, also called rolled oats, are what you need for this recipe. Quick oats and instant oats break down during the overnight soaking, so you’ll lose the nice chewy texture that makes overnight oats so satisfying. Old-fashioned oats or rolled oats really are best here!
Yes! This recipe works with or without chia seeds. Adding chia seeds gives the overnight oats moe of a pudding like texture, but the overnight oats without chia seeds will still be incredibly creamy and yummy! Chia seeds absorb quite a bit of liquid, so if you use them, you need to add a bit more liquid.
Yes! This applesauce overnight oats recipe is perfect for meal prep. You can make individual portions in individual mason jars or 8-ounce jars, or double/triple the recipe in a larger container. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, making busy mornings so much easier.
Yes, just use certified gluten-free oats and plant-based milk.
If they’re too thick, just add a splash more milk and give it a good stir. Too thin? Let them sit a bit longer, or add a few more chia seeds or oats next time. The thicker texture develops as the oats absorb the liquid overnight. They will thicken overnight and even more the day after.
I’d stick with unsweetened applesauce so you can control the sweetness with the pure maple syrup. Sweetened versions often have added sugar and can make the whole thing too sweet.
I try to use less sugar in my recipes so that the ingredients can shine. Here the creamy oats and the smooth applesauce go so well together. You don’t want to overshadow that yummy combination with that white sugar taste!
But, if all you have is sweetened applesauce, have a taste of it and if it’s very, very sweet, just skip the maple syrup.
Any milk works! Oat milk and coconut milk make them extra creamy, unsweetened almond milk is light and neutral, and regular milk gives classic creaminess. Non-dairy milk options all work beautifully. Just use whatever you prefer or have on hand.
Yes, it’s super easy! While they’re designed as a cold breakfast, you can warm them up in the microwave for 30-60 seconds if you prefer a hot breakfast.
Looking for other cafe-style breakfast ideas? Try these easy meal prep options:
- Overnight oats with raspberries and cacao powder – who can resist that chocolate and raspberry combination…
- The easiest maple overnight oats – these have such an incredible maple taste. One of my family’s favorites!
- Cinnamon roll overnight oats for an especially creamy oats option.
- Nutella overnight oats. Quick and easy and seriously delicious.
- Cottage cheese blueberry muffins that are naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup.
- Almond chocolate bliss balls or lemon bliss balls for when you just want a quick energy bite on the run.
Storage
- These applesauce overnight oats will keep refrigerated for up to 3 or 4 days and actually improve in flavor overnight.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I love using the Bonne Maman jam jars as they have a wide opening and I can eat directly from the pot 😉
- You can freeze them for up to one month.
If you made this applesauce overnight oats recipe, I would love it if you gave me a star rating ❤️ It would mean a lot to me 🥰
Applesauce Overnight Oats Recipe Card
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The Best Applesauce Overnight Oats Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Jam jar or mason jar or airtight container
- 1 Measuring cups
- 1 Measuring spoons
Ingredients
Base:
- 1/2 cup Old-fashioned oats Not quick oats or instant oats
- 1/2 cup Milk of choice oat milk,soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk or regular milk work well
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened applesauce If you have sweet applesauce, then just omit the maple syrup.
- 1 tablespoon Chia seeds Optional, but if you use chia seeds, then add 2 tablespoons extra milk
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup Optional (or agave syrup, brown sugar or coconut sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Nutmeg Optional
- Pinch of salt
Toppings (optional):
- 1 tablespoons Chopped walnuts or pecans Plain, roasted, honey roasted or maple roasted.
- 1 Small apple Diced
- 1 tablespoon Almond butter Peanut butter or cashew butter
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- Protein powder Vanila
- Extra cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Mix the base: In a mason jar, jam jar or bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
- Add oats and chia seeds (if using) and give everything a good stir. Make sure everything is evenly distributed and the oats are fully submerged in the liquid.
- Chill overnight: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight (8 hours). The oats will absorb the liquid and soften to a creamy consistency.
- Prepare toppings: In the morning, give the oats a good stir. Top with diced fresh apple or extra applesauce, chopped nuts, a drizzle of nut butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Serve: Enjoy cold, or warm it up in the microwave for 30-45 seconds if you prefer it warm.
Notes
- Use traditional oats (rolled oats) and not quick oats.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Unsweetened applesauce is best. Check out the label of the applesauce you are using. If it contains sugar, then don’t add any maple syrup.
- Add chopped fresh apple in the morning if possible, as apples can brown overnight.
- It’s best to add nuts right before eating if possible, so they can retain all of their crunch.
- This recipe is perfect for a 13 oz. jam jar serving size. I use the Bonne Maman glass jars, as I like their wider opening. Bonne Maman jam jars are 13 oz. size jars, and hold about 1 1/2 cups of overnight oats (about 350 ml).
