Healthy Gingerbread Protein Overnight Oats

 
At some point during my college years, my dad and I took over almost all of the Thanksgiving cooking. We set our alarms to ring slightly earlier than normal so we could squeeze in a decent workout (and a shower!) before meeting in the kitchen to pull out pots, pans, and mixing bowls.  

We started with Dad’s recipe for whole wheat bread rolls that he created while attending graduate school in Boston. After kneading the dough by hand (that’s still my favorite method and what I always do for all of my cinnamon roll recipes!) and setting it aside for its first rise, Dad lit the coals on our barbecue outside for cooking the turkey, and then we turned to Great Grandma’s stuffing.

Butter, onions, celery, and plenty of savory seasonings went into our largest pot, which I stirred until translucent and tender, while Dad browned a massive amount of sausage on the adjacent burner. He added that to my pot, along with more butter to melt, followed by bread cubes, chicken stock, and another sprinkling of seasonings to taste.
 

 
Once we set that aside to simmer, we punched down the bread dough, divided it into little spheres, and nestled them inside of baking pans for their second rise. Then came the regular and sweet potatoes, baking them until perfectly tender, and Mom generally volunteered to mash each for us. Everyone always looked forward to my maple sweet potato casserole — it tastes almost exactly like pumpkin pie!

At that point, we tried to fit as many dishes into the oven as possible to finish baking: the stuffing, the rolls, the sweet potato casserole, and finally our favorite healthy roasted Brussels sprouts. Dad brought in the turkey from outside, while I pulled out Great Grandma’s cranberry relish, the pecan pie, and my ultimate healthy pumpkin pie that we had prepared the night before.

With that bustling whirlwind of activity in the kitchen, chopping and slicing and handing each other spoons and spatulas, all while sidestepping each other and moving in circles around the various countertops almost like an interpretive dance, both Dad and I almost always forgot about our growling stomachs that wanted a bit of lunch during our many hours of cooking!
 

 
So this year, I’m planning ahead and making us these healthy gingerbread protein overnight oats as a wholesome breakfast to keep us fueled for all of that cooking! Dad is absolutely obsessed with all of my high protein overnight oats recipes (the banana bread version is one of his all-time favorites!), and with this recipe’s cozy spices and sweet, almost dessert-like flavor, I have a feeling he’ll love them just as much.

And the 16g+ of protein will definitely help too! 😉

WHAT ARE OVERNIGHT OATS?

If you’re unfamiliar with overnight oats, they’re a “no-cook” version of oatmeal that’s incredibly simple to make! Instead of heating oats with water or milk on the stove or in the microwave, you just stir all of the ingredients together in a mason jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, place that in the refrigerator overnight, and stick in your spoon the following morning. That’s all there is to it!

So yes — overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, straight from the fridge! Letting the oats soak up the yogurt and milk for that many hours softens them as much as if you had cooked them on the stove or in the microwave. That easy prep feels like magic, especially if you love your sleep like me!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY GINGERBREAD PROTEIN OVERNIGHT OATS

Let’s quickly go over what you’ll need and how to make this healthy gingerbread protein overnight oats recipe! It’s super quick and easy.

Oats. Both old-fashioned rolled oats and quick oats (also called “instant” or “one minute” oats!) work equally well to make these gingerbread overnight oats, so feel free to use whichever you typically have on hand. Just don’t use steel-cut oats… They don’t soften the same way, so they often remain stiff and crunchy!

Greek yogurt. In this recipe, Greek yogurt provides the thick, creamy texture and big protein punch. (It has 20g+ of protein per cup!) That’s right, zero protein powder in these gingerbread overnight oats… It’s all from Greek yogurt!

Milk. Just a splash! The milk adds moistures and helps the oats soften. Almost any type will work, so feel free to use what’s already in your fridge!

Spices. For the first part of the gingerbread flavor, you’ll sprinkle in ground ginger and a hint of cinnamon. The ginger adds that iconic zing and spicy taste, while the cinnamon provides warm and extra cozy notes.

Molasses. For the other half of the gingerbread flavor, you’ll stir in molasses. Don’t skip it! This is what provides that deep, rich, irresistible part of the gingerbread taste. I love this kind. It’s cheap, shelf-stable, and keeps for ages. You can generally find molasses on the baking aisle, near the honey, or around the oats on the cereal aisle, close to the pure maple syrup.

Tip: Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap! The latter tastes noticeably more bitter, but regular unsulphured molasses boasts a lighter and sweeter flavor.

Sweetener. For the rest of these overnight oats’ sweetness, you’ll use one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, sugar-free, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You just need ¼ teaspoon to sweeten this entire jar! This is the kind I use because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I typically buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

Hint: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I highly recommend using the same one that I do! If you decide to use a different one, you may need to adjust the amount. Just something to keep in mind!

Stir + refrigerate. Although the very first photo looks pretty with its distinct layers of oats and yogurt, you must stir everything together. Otherwise, the oats won’t soak up the moisture and soften overnight! They’ll remain stiff and dry. After giving everything a good stir, pop on the lid, slip your container in the refrigerator overnight… And you’re done. Yup — that’s it!
 

 
Ready for breakfast?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy gingerbread protein overnight oats!

Healthy Gingerbread Protein Overnight Oats

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 jar

These protein-packed overnight oats are incredibly simple to make! They’re thick, creamy, and taste just like cozy gingerbread cookies. They’ll keep for at least 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and the recipe is easily doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled to serve more.

5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients 

• ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
• ½ tsp molasses (not blackstrap!)
• ¼ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste)
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¹/₁₆ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup (25g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary)

Instructions

• Stir together everything except the oats until thoroughly combined in a mason jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in the oats. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Notes

IMPORTANT MIXING + SERVING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: You must mix everything together the night before. Do not leave the ingredients in your jar layered (like in the very first photo of my blog post)! In order for them to soften properly, the oats must be mixed into the milk and yogurt and allowed to absorb their moisture for 8+ hours.

 

Overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, straight from the refrigerator! No need to heat them up.

 

JAR NOTE: I use 12-ounce jars. Mine are no longer sold in stores, but these jars are really similar.

 

YOGURT ALTERNATIVES: Other types of Greek yogurt (ie low fat, full fat, flavored, etc) may be substituted for the plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Regular non-Greek yogurt and dairy-free yogurt may also be substituted. These latter two aren’t quite as thick, but you can easily decrease the milk by a touch to help compensate. (And your overnight oats will still taste the same!)

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

MOLASSES NOTES: The molasses is half of what gives gingerbread its iconic flavor (with the ginger as the other half!). This is the regular unsulphured molasses that I buy. It’s inexpensive, shelf-stable, and keeps for ages. Don’t skip it!

 

I don't recommend substituting blackstrap molasses. It's noticeably more bitter.

 

STEVIA NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best flavor results, I highly recommend using the same one that I do. I buy it online here (and you can use it to make all of these recipes of mine too!). If using a different stevia product, you may need to adjust the amount.

 

Many other sweetener options will work! Those include pure maple syrup, honey, agave, coconut sugar, monk fruit, erythritol, and more. (Liquid sweeteners tend to be a bit easier to incorporate, but granular ones still work too.) Feel free to use whatever sweetener you're most comfortable with! You’ll want your sweetener's equivalent of about 3-4 teaspoons of granulated sugar (or adjusted to suit your tastes).

 

OATS ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats (aka "quick cooking" or "one minute" oats – and gluten-free, if needed!) may be substituted for the old-fashioned oats. Do not substitute steel-cut oats; they do not soften the same way.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or certified gluten-free instant oats.

 

DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Substitute your preferred dairy-free milk and yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based) for the nonfat milk and Greek yogurt. Non-dairy yogurts aren’t quite as thick, but you can easily decrease the milk by a touch to help compensate. (And your overnight oats will still taste the same!)

 

HOW TO STORE: Store these overnight oats in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days, if not closer to a week.

 

{gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein, dairy-free option, vegan option}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Scones
♡  Healthy Classic Gingerbread with Maple Glaze
♡  Healthy Baked Gingerbread Donuts with Maple Glaze
♡  Healthy Gingerbread Latte
♡  Healthy Soft-Baked Ginger Cookies
♡  Healthy Cranberry Gingerbread Granola
♡  …and the rest of of Amy’s high protein overnight oats recipes and healthy gingerbread recipes!