Sweet strawberries & cream oatmeal flavor, reminiscent of those little oatmeal packets when we were growing up, made into a healthy, protein packed overnight oats recipe perfect for a weekday morning!
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A little taste of spring!
We enjoyed a little mid-winter break time off from school with unheard of sunshine, and snow-free hiking last week, and it feels like spring! I was dreaming of even warmer weather when I found some strawberries from Florida in our Michigan grocery store on sale! I look forward to those Florida strawberries toward the end of February every year. My dear Florida readers, we are so thankful for your bit of sunshine to remind us that warmer days are ahead!
Our favorite warmer weather weekday breakfast!
It’s is pretty incredible how you go from feeling like like summer days are long and lazy with little ones at home, to having older kids and needing to cart them around to all the places for all the things in the summer! Last summer, we started using overnight oats often on days that included a lot of running around. I don’t love heating the house up with baking in the warmer months, and overnight oats is such a fast and easy cold breakfast prep.
A childhood favorite oatmeal staple
When fresh strawberries were in season last summer, I had fun re-creating one of my favorite oatmeal packet flavors from my childhood – strawberries & cream! I remember picking that packet when we had oatmeal almost every time. If you happen to have a box in your house, or are out grocery shopping next time, take a peek at the ingredient label. You’ll see why it is something I haven’t bought in a long time. Sure, it has whole grain oats, but the second ingredient is sugar, making one packet of that oatmeal top out at a whole 8 grams of sugar. I remember being able to eat two of those packets for breakfast!
Key players for a healthier Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal
Other than the sugar and some natural flavors and preservatives I don’t love, that oatmeal is actually pretty simple in ingredients. When I make overnight oats, my main goal is to make a base of nutritious porridge and then pack it with the flavors we love. More than just the oats, these overnight oats bowls will hit all of your nutrient needs for the morning.
Here’s the Line Up!
- Oats: Rolled oats to be exact. Don’t use the quick oats. I like to use sprouted oats for best digestion. If you have regular rolled oats, they will be soaking in the acid medium of yogurt. That soaking will make the oats digest well too.
- Hemp Hearts: I love this added protein punch without any flavor changing. It is an easy add-in, and I find I can even double the amount in the recipe for my kids without them knowing.
- Chia Seeds: Other than the fiber source, the chia seeds play an important role in the texture of your overnight oats. They soak up the liquid to thicken the oat mixture. If you like a thicker overnight oats, use more, and if you like it more liquidy, add less.
- Vanilla Protein Powder & Collagen: Obviously this is the largest protein component in the overnight oats, providing necessary satiation and building blocks for muscle health. But this is also where the “cream” flavor in the strawberries and cream comes from. The warm sweetness from the vanilla flavor is delicious. If you don’t have access to vanilla protein powder, us a splash of vanilla extract. I use the Designs For Health Vanilla Protein Powder (for the month of March 2024, you can use the code FIRST20 and get 20% off your protein powder!), and Perfect Supplements Grassfed Collagen.
- Strawberries: I don’t need to explain this one! If you have another berry in season near you right now though, they swap out perfectly. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries all work.
- Milk & Yogurt: We are dairy free in our house so we use coconut milk and coconut yogurt, but dairy works just as well. The yogurt also acts as an acid medium to soak your oats for best digestion if you aren’t using sprouted oats.
Let’s talk about the oats…and a swap!
I think oatmeal gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes. Some might say they are too carb heavy, and others might say they have anti-nutrients. I say, if they work for you, and you feel great after eating them, then that’s a win. Whole grains provide fantastic fiber for our digestion health. But some people really can’t do oats. Or don’t have a quality source of them. We made buckwheat groats into “overnight oats” this summer as well, and we love those too. Buckwheat is actually a seed and makes for a great swap if you can’t have oats. I love the nutty flavor and nutrient profile to provide some variety.
How to Make Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats :: The Dry Ingredients
To make your jars of overnight oats, get all of the dry ingredients into your jar first, and mix them up.
The Wet Ingredients for the Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
Once your dry ingredients are all set, you can pour in the chopped strawberries, milk, and yogurt. Mix the oatmeal up, add a lid, and store them in the fridge.
Overnight oats storage
I have a collection of Weck jars that I have an obsession with that make for great overnight oats storage. My favorite 2 sizes are the 12.5 ounce and the 17 ounce because there is enough room left at the top for kids to stir things up without making a mess, or for topping with extra fruit. I also use these easy to use and wash lids for both of those size jars. Really, any mason jar or storage container with a lid will work though! Use what you have.
Can I eat the strawberries & cream overnight oats warm?
Absolutely! I am the only one in the house that doesn’t prefer them cold, so I do warm mine up. Probably that whole “old dog, new tricks” thing! Simply put the oat mixture into a sauce pan, and warm them up to your liking.
Protein Packed Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2-3 tsp chia seeds depending on how thick you want the overnight oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder We use Designs For Health Vanilla Bone Broth Protein
- 1 scoop grassfed collagen We use Perfect Supplements Grassfed Collagen
- 3/4 cup chopped strawberries plus more for the top if you wish
- 1/2 cup coconut milk or raw milk if you tolerate dairy
- 1/4 cup yogurt of choice We use coconut yogurt, but dairy yogurt works too
- 2 tsp raw honey You may not need the honey if your protein powder is sweetened – mine has monk fruit so I do not need the sweetener.
Instructions
- Put the dry ingredients into your jar (oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds, protein powder, and collagen), and stir to combine.
- Add the chopped strawberries, coconut milk, yogurt, (and honey if you're using it), and stir to combine.
- Put a lid on your jar, and store in the fridge up to a week. The overnight oats will thicken within 2 hours. You can top your overnight oats with more sliced strawberries if you wish.
Notes
- It will take the overnight oats a few hours to thicken up in the fridge.
- If you prefer warm oatmeal, you can dump your jar of overnight oats into a small sauce pan to warm up for a few minutes to eat hot.
I wonder if I can switch the oats for something else? Any suggestions?
Hi Josee! That’s a tough swap. We do switch between oats and buckwheat groats for porridges often in the winter, but don’t typically do the buckwheat groats in an overnight oat style, though it could work – maybe that would work for you?