Maple Overnight Oats (No Sugar Added)
Maple overnight oats take about five minutes to put together the night before. In the morning, you open the fridge and breakfast is already done. Four ingredients for the base: rolled oats, milk, pure maple syrup and a little vanilla.
Most commercial overnight oats rely on sugar with just a hint of maple flavoring. This one has no added sugar at all. Just pure maple syrup and a little vanilla. It’s less sweet than you might expect, but it tastes genuinely of maple in a way that most versions don’t.
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Maple Overnight Oats Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 5 minutes. Fridge time: minimum 4 hours, ideally 8.
- Serves: 1 (easy to multiply into a batch)
- Main ingredients: old-fashioned rolled oats, milk, pure maple syrup, vanilla
- Worth adding: a small pinch of sea salt. It sharpens the maple. And chia seeds if you have them, for creaminess.
- Don’t use quick oats. They go mushy.
I grew up eating oat porridge for breakfast. In a Latvian kitchen, oats and semolina are just what mornings are: warm, lightly sweetened with honey, the pot on the stove while the day gets started. Overnight oats are the cold, no-cook version of the same thing. Made the night before, ready in the morning, nothing to think about at 7am. You can read more about the Baltic breakfast tradition on my Latvian Food Guide, and more about my Latvian background on the About page.
We make these in Bonne Maman jam jars, which are the right size for one serving and have lids you can shake. Shaking works better than stirring. My kids have had their preferences over the years. The banana version for a while, then plain with maple pecans, then strawberries. The base stays the same.
If you like overnight oats, I have a few other versions worth trying: cinnamon roll overnight oats, overnight oats with applesauce, and chocolate raspberry overnight oats are the ones we make most often.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- No sugar, just maple syrup and vanilla. Most commercial versions use sugar as the main sweetener with a small amount of maple for flavor. Here there’s no sugar at all. It’s less sweet, but more flavorful — the maple actually comes through, and the vanilla rounds it out quietly. That’s the whole trick.
- Four ingredients for the base. Rolled oats, milk, maple syrup and a touch of vanilla. Add what you like from there.
- Good for meal prep. Make four or five jars on Sunday and breakfast is sorted for most of the week.
- No cooking. Five minutes the night before.
Ingredients (Makes 1 Serving of Maple Overnight Oats)
Full quantities in the recipe card below.
- Old-fashioned oats – rolled oats provide the best texture. Avoid instant oats or quick oats unless you want really mushy oats…
- Milk of choice – Any milk works. I use dairy milk, but almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or any other milk or even water will work.
- Pure maple syrup – you can use imitation maple syrup, but the pure stuff does taste better. I buy my maple syrup when it’s on sale or at Aldi.
- Vanilla extract – A quarter teaspoon. Quiet in the background, but you’d notice if it wasn’t there.
- Chia seeds (optional) Add 1 tablespoon for a thicker, more pudding-like result. Add an extra splash of milk. Chia absorbs more liquid than you’d expect.
Optional Additional Ingredients and Toppings
- No pure maple syrup? Raw honey works and gives a slightly more floral result. It’s the more traditional Baltic way to sweeten oat porridge. Agave is more neutral. Brown sugar dissolves fine if you stir well, though you lose the no-added-sugar angle.
- Banana maple overnight oats. Slice half a banana in before refrigerating. By morning, it softens into the oats and tastes a bit like banana bread.
- Maple pecan overnight oats. Maple-roasted pecans or walnuts on top. Worth keeping a batch in the cupboard.
- Berry version. Add fresh or frozen berries before refrigerating. Frozen raspberries from the garden turn the oats pale pink overnight.
- Dairy-free or vegan. Oat milk or coconut milk plus maple syrup and the base is already there.
- More protein. Stir in a tablespoon of nut butter with the liquids, or a spoonful of protein powder.
- Greek yogurt (or any other kind of yogurt) for creaminess and tang. Avoid sweetened yogurt as the sugary taste can overwhelm the maple taste.
- A sprinkle of chocolate chips or grated dark chocolate – because, you know, chocolate goes with everything 😉
Instructions How to Make Maple Overnight Oats
Quick instructions: You just put all your ingredients in a jar or cup or whatever container you are using and give it a good stir or shake. Top with fruit, nuts, etc. Place in fridge and wait at least 4 hours. Done!
Maple overnight oats with or without chia seeds and yogurt?
You might be wondering about whether to add chia seeds or not or whether to add yogurt or not. So I have three different jars I made. And you guessed it,
- one is with just rolled oats, milk and maple syrup,
- one is with rolled oats, milk, maple syrup and chia seeds and
- one is with rolled oats, milk, maple syrup, chia seeds and yogurt.
As you can see, they get progressively creamier – but also, you get less and less room to fit in any toppings….ah, the choices we have to make 🤔
Detailed instructions
I like to use Bonne Maman jam jars (13 oz), because I can just put the lid on and give it a good shake and that’s it! But you can use any kind of container you like.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Add the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt to your jar or bowl. Stir or shake to combine.
- Add the oats. Don’t use quick oats. Pour in the rolled oats and stir until they’re covered in the liquid. If using chia seeds, add them now with an extra splash of milk. Shake or stir again.
- Stir in any extras. If using Greek yogurt or nut butter, stir them in now. They mix in more evenly before refrigerating.
- Top and refrigerate. Add fruit, a few nuts, an extra drizzle of maple syrup if you like. Put the lid on and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Eight hours is better.
- In the morning. If the oats are very thick, add a splash of milk and stir. Eat cold straight from the jar, or tip into a microwave-safe bowl and warm for 30 to 60 seconds.
Tips
- Use a jar with a lid. Shaking mixes everything more evenly than stirring. Bonne Maman jam jars (the 370ml / 13oz size) are the right size for one serving.
- Don’t skip the salt. A pinch in the liquid sharpens the maple. Same reason salted caramel works.
- Adjust the milk to your preference. I use half a cup plus one or two tablespoons per half cup of oats. Use exactly half a cup if you want them drier. The oats keep absorbing liquid as they sit, so they get thicker by day 3.
- Day 2 is often better. The flavors settle overnight in a way that’s hard to explain. If you’re making a batch for the week, they improve with time.
- Warm them if cold oats aren’t your thing. 30 to 60 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl, especially in winter.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- These keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. The oats absorb more liquid as they sit, so add a splash of milk and stir if they’ve thickened up.
- To make a batch: prepare 4 to 5 jars on Sunday evening, same proportions for each.
- Can you freeze overnight oats? Yes. Let them refrigerate for at least 8 hours first. Freeze in individual containers for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- These also work as an after-school snack, which my kids discovered entirely on their own. A jar with some fruit and a few nuts on top, and they’re happy. I’ve had one for lunch more than once.
- If you want to build out a full week of make-ahead breakfasts, the easy applesauce overnight oats and cinnamon roll oats with yogurt frosting use the same method and store just as well.
FAQ
The minimum is about 4 hours, but 8 hours gives a noticeably creamier result.
You can, but they go quite soft. I really don’t recommend it. Old-fashioned rolled oats give a much better texture.
Pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup or imitation maple flavoring. The difference is significant when maple is the only sweetener.
Yes. The base works fine without them.
Yes. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 to 60 seconds. A lot of people actually prefer them this way.
Oats and chia seeds absorb more with time. Just add a splash of milk in the morning and stir.
Overnight Oats with Maple Syrup Recipe Card
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Maple Overnight Oats (No Added Sugar)
Equipment
- 1 Glass jar Jam jar or mason jar or glass bowl
- 1 measuring cup
Ingredients
The Base recipe:
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats rolled oats provide the best texture; avoid instant oats or quick oats if you want less mushy oats
- 1/2-2/3 cup milk of choice almond milk, oat milk, dairy milk, or any other milk
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Optional add-ins:
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds add 1-2 tablespoons extra milk or water
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, plain yogurt, coconut yogurt or other plant based yogurt for creaminess and tang
- 1 tablespoon Nut butter for richness and protein
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh or frozen fruit like berries, bananas or diced apples
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts,…
- 1 Tablespoon Maple or honey glazed nuts
- 1 Tablespoon Chocolate chips or grated dark chocolate
Instructions
- Add milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a jar or bowl. Stir or shake to combine.
- Add rolled oats. Stir until covered in the liquid.
- If using chia seeds, add them now with an extra splash of milk. Stir well.
- Stir in yogurt or nut butter if using.
- Add fruit or nut toppings. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally 8.
- In the morning, add a splash of milk if too thick. Eat cold, or warm in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 to 60 seconds.
Notes
- Oat type matters. Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best texture. Quick oats go mushy. Steel-cut oats need at least 12 hours.
- Chia seeds absorb a lot of liquid and thicken the oats significantly. Add extra milk if you use them.
- No added sugar. The maple syrup is the only sweetener. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
- Storage: Keeps refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Add a splash of milk when eating if they’ve thickened. Can be frozen for up to a month.
Nutrition
What to Make Next
More Baltic-inspired breakfasts worth knowing about:
- Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats – Same method, warm cinnamon flavor, completely different mood
- Simple overnight Oats with Applesauce – Naturally sweetened, simple, one I make on repeat
- Chocolate Raspberry Overnight Oats – With Cacao powder, cacao nibs and tart raspberries
- Nutella Overnight Oats – For when you want something that feels more like a treat
- Easy Hemp Seed Smoothie with Berries – Hemp seeds have been part of Latvian cooking for centuries. This is the modern version.
For a Baltic-inspired grab-and-go breakfast, the blueberry cottage cheese muffins and banana cottage cheese muffins are worth making. Not overly sweet, good with a cup of coffee, and cottage cheese is as Baltic as it gets.
