These Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats are thick, creamy and high in protein without tasting like cottage cheese. The cottage cheese is blended with milk first, which gives the oats a smooth, almost cheesecake-style texture with no curds.
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This cottage cheese overnight oats recipe is ideal for meal prep because it takes about 10 minutes to make and keeps well in the fridge for several days.
Frozen berries are stirred straight into the mixture, so they soften overnight and release their juices into the oats and make it deliciously jammy. It's like having dessert for breakfast.
My whole family love these, and they are great for busy Sunday mornings before we had out to a football match.
Looking for more healthy cottage cheese recipes? Why not try these juicy Cottage Cheese Meatballs, easy Cottage Cheese Chia Pudding or our creamy Cottage Cheese Hummus.
For more cottage cheese inspiration, check out 30 Cottage Cheese Recipes.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oats - Rolled oats work best because they soften overnight while still keeping some texture. Quick oats can be used, but the final texture will be softer. Avoid steel-cut oats for this recipe because they will stay too firm unless the recipe is adapted with more liquid and a much longer soaking time.
- Cottage cheese - This adds protein and creaminess. Blending it with milk is the key step because it makes the mixture smooth before it is added to the oats.
- Milk -You can use dairy or non-dairy. Semi-skimmed milk, whole milk, almond milk, oat milk or soya milk all work. For a higher-protein version, use dairy milk or soya milk.
- Berries - Frozen berries are a great budget option and work especially well because they thaw in the jars and release flavour into the oats. Mixed berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or cherries all work.
- Flaxseeds - Ground flaxseed helps thicken the oats and adds fibre. Whole flaxseeds are less effective because they do not absorb liquid in the same way.
- Maple syrup - This adds some extra sweetness. You can use honey instead.
- Vanilla - Use vanilla extract and not essence.
Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats Variations
Texture - The texture is thick, creamy and spoonable. If you prefer your overnight oats thinner, add an extra 60 to 120ml (¼ to ½ cup) milk to the full batch, or stir a little milk into each jar before eating.
Chocolate - Stir 1 to 2 tablespoon cocoa powder into the bowl before dividing the mixture into jars. Raspberries or cherries work best with the chocolate flavour.
PB&J - For a peanut butter and jam version, use frozen raspberries or strawberries, then swirl 1 tablespoon peanut butter into each jar before serving.
Higher Protein - Use high-protein milk and add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. If adding protein powder, increase the milk slightly because protein powder will thicken the oats.
Banana - Mash 1 ripe banana into the mixture before adding it to the jars. You may want to reduce the maple syrup because the banana adds natural sweetness.
Apple cinnamon - Replace the frozen berries with grated apple, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and use a little extra milk. This version is best eaten within 2 to 3 days because fresh apple softens quickly.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats
- Step 1: Blend together the cottage cheese and milk.
- Step 2: Put the cottage cheese mixture into a bowl with the berries, oats, maple syrup, vanilla and flaxseeds. Mix well.
- Step 3: Divide the mixture between glass jars and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats Meal Prep and Storage
For the best texture, make them the night before you plan to eat them. Four hours is enough time for the oats to soften, but overnight gives a thicker and creamier result.
Store the jars in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The oats will continue to thicken as they sit, so you may need to stir in a splash of milk before serving on days 3 or 4.
If you are making these for several days, keep toppings separate until serving. Crunchy toppings like granola, nuts and seeds will soften if added too early.
For a grab-and-go healthy breakfast, use jars with secure lids and leave a little space at the top so you can stir the oats before eating.
Freezing is not recommended. The texture of the oats and blended cottage cheese can become watery or grainy once thawed.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth. This is the most important step for getting a creamy texture in the cottage cheese overnight oats.
- Use ground flaxseed rather than whole flaxseed. Ground flaxseed thickens the mixture better and blends more smoothly into the oats.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly before dividing it into jars. This helps prevent dry patches of oats at the bottom.
- Taste the mixture before chilling. It will taste slightly less sweet once cold, so add a little more maple syrup if needed.
- Use a large bowl for mixing. It is much easier to evenly coat the oats and berries before portioning into jars.
- If the oats are too thick after chilling, stir in extra milk. If they are too thin, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of oats or ground flaxseed and let them sit for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not strongly. Once blended with milk, maple syrup, vanilla and berries, the cottage cheese becomes smooth and mild. It adds creaminess and a slight tang, but it does not taste like plain cottage cheese.
Yes, blending is recommended for this recipe. It gives the oats a smooth, creamy texture and removes the curds. If you skip blending, the oats will still work, but the texture will be lumpier.
Yes. Although overnight oats are usually eaten cold, you can warm them gently in the microwave. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in short bursts, stirring in between. Add extra milk if needed.
More Overnight Oats Recipes
If you've tried this overnight oats with cottage cheese, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 100 g (0.5 cup) of Fat free cottage cheese
- 160 ml (0.66 cup) of Skimmed milk
- 75 g (0.66 cup) of Oats - (use certified gluten free oats to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
- 150 g (1 cup) of Frozen berries
- 3 tablespoons of Maple syrup
- 0.5 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of Ground flaxseeds
Instructions
- Blend together 100 g of Fat free cottage cheese and 160 ml of Skimmed milk.
- Put the blended cottage cheese and milk mixture into a bowl with 150 g of Frozen berries, 75 g of Oats, 3 tablespoons of Maple syrup, 0.5 tsp of Vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of Ground flaxseeds. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture between glass jars and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
Recipe Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth. This is the most important step for getting a creamy texture in the cottage cheese overnight oats.
- Use ground flaxseed rather than whole flaxseed. Ground flaxseed thickens the mixture better and blends more smoothly into the oats.
- Stir the mixture thoroughly before dividing it into jars. This helps prevent dry patches of oats at the bottom.
- Taste the mixture before chilling. It will taste slightly less sweet once cold, so add a little more maple syrup if needed.
- Use a large bowl for mixing. It is much easier to evenly coat the oats and berries before portioning into jars.
- If the oats are too thick after chilling, stir in extra milk. If they are too thin, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of oats or ground flaxseed and let them sit for another 20 to 30 minutes.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Vanessa Witte says
I made this for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious. Tasted like cheesecake! I used smooth cottage cheese so I didn’t need to blend it up. It took no time to assemble. Yum yum