How to Make High Protein Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt
Five minutes the night before, no cooking and no protein powder: oats, milk, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and banana make a 30 g protein breakfast that's waiting in the fridge. Here's the method, the right ratio, how long it keeps, and lean, budget and bulking versions.
Illustration. The ingredients shown are the ones we priced; any plain rolled oats, milk and high-protein Greek yogurt work.
To make high protein overnight oats, stir 60 g of rolled oats, 200 ml of milk and 100 g of high-protein Greek yogurt together in a jar, swirl in a tablespoon of peanut butter, and refrigerate overnight. Top with a sliced banana in the morning. That's about 634 kcal and 30 g of protein with no protein powder. Use about 1 part oats to 2 parts liquid, keep jars for up to 3 days, and see the variations for a lean 368 kcal version or a budget version made with dahi.
- Calories
- 634
- Protein
- 30.3 g
- Carbs
- 85.7 g
- Fat
- 20.9 g
Ingredients · 1 jar
60 g rolled oatsAbout ⅔ cup · not instant or steel-cut
200 ml milkWhole or toned, about 3% fat
100 g high-protein Greek yogurtPlain, about 12 g protein per 100 g
1 tbsp peanut butter16 g, unsweetened
1 medium bananaAbout 120 g, added in the morning
At a glance
- Prep
- 5 minutes, no cooking
- Soak
- At least 6 hours, ideally overnight
- Diet
- Vegetarian; contains milk and peanut
- Keeps
- Up to 3 days in the fridge
- Jar
- 400–500 ml with a lid
On this page
How to make overnight oats, step by step.
STEP 1Add oats and milk
Put 60 g of rolled oats (about two-thirds of a cup) in a 400–500 ml jar and pour in 200 ml of milk.
STEP 2Stir in the Greek yogurt
Add 100 g of plain high-protein Greek yogurt and stir until every oat is wet. Dry pockets stay hard overnight. Our Greek yogurt rankings list the highest-protein plain options.
STEP 3Swirl in peanut butter
Add a tablespoon of peanut butter and swirl it through. Optional extras now: a teaspoon of chia seeds (add a splash more milk), cocoa or cinnamon.
STEP 4Refrigerate overnight
Close the lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The oats absorb the milk and soften without cooking.
STEP 5Top and eat
In the morning, stir, add a splash of milk if it's too thick, top with a sliced banana and eat cold, or take the jar with you.
What's the right oats-to-milk ratio for overnight oats?
About 1 part oats to 2 parts liquid by volume gives thick, spoonable overnight oats. In this recipe, 60 g of rolled oats is about ⅔ cup, and the liquid is 200 ml of milk plus 100 g of yogurt. Adjust to taste:
| Texture | Oats | Milk | Greek yogurt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thick, like a cheesecake | 60 g | 150 ml | 100 g |
| Classic (this recipe) | 60 g | 200 ml | 100 g |
| Loose, like porridge | 60 g | 250–300 ml | 100 g |
Chia seeds absorb a lot of liquid: add about 30 ml extra milk for each teaspoon.
Which oats are best for overnight oats?
Rolled oats
Soft overnight but still with a bit of bite. Quaker, Kellogg's, Bagrry's and Saffola plain rolled oats all work. See our oats rankings for the cheapest per kg.
Quick or instant oats
Work, but go soft and mushy. Use a little less milk. Avoid flavoured instant packets: they add sugar and salt.
Steel-cut oats
Stay hard after one night. Soak them for 24 hours, or cook them first and chill.
High protein oats
Pouches like Alpino or Yogabar work too, but most are sweetened with jaggery or stevia. Compare them in our high protein oats guide.
How many calories are in overnight oats?
Plain overnight oats (60 g of oats in 200 ml of milk) come to about 366 kcal and 13 g of protein. Greek yogurt, peanut butter and banana take this version to 634 kcal and 30 g of protein:
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolled oats (Quaker label) | 60 g | 244 | 7.1 g | 41.1 g | 5.7 g |
| Milk, 3.25% fat (USDA whole) | 200 ml | 122 | 6.3 g | 9.6 g | 6.5 g |
| Epigamia Turbo Natural (label) | 100 g | 65 | 12 g | 4 g | 0.1 g |
| Peanut butter (USDA) | 16 g | 96 | 3.6 g | 3.6 g | 8.2 g |
| Banana (USDA) | 120 g | 107 | 1.3 g | 27.4 g | 0.4 g |
| Total | ~450 g | 634 | 30.3 g | 85.7 g | 20.9 g |
No added sugar; the sugar is from milk, yogurt and banana. [1] [3] [8]
Lean, budget and bulking versions: six ways.
| Version | What changes | kcal | Protein | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High protein (this recipe) | Epigamia Turbo Natural, 12 g protein per 100 g | 634 | 30.3 g | ₹110–120 |
| With skyr | Milky Mist Skyr instead (11 g protein per 100 g) | 665 | 29.3 g | ₹79–94 |
| Budget, with dahi | Amul Masti Dahi instead of Greek yogurt | 634 | 22.3 g | ₹42–52 |
| Lean / weight loss | 40 g oats, 150 ml toned milk, ½ banana, no peanut butter | 368 | 21.9 g | ₹94–99 |
| Extra protein | Stir in ½ scoop whey (15 g) | 694 | 42.3 g | ₹134–152 |
| Lactose-free | Amul Lactose Free milk + Country Delight lactose-free Greek yogurt | 671 | 28.5 g | Varies |
Two measures, two panels with their own scales. The budget dahi version has the same calories as the Greek yogurt version but about 8 g less protein.
Calories
Protein
Calculated from the Quaker, Amul Taaza, Epigamia Turbo, Milky Mist Skyr, Amul Masti Dahi, Country Delight and Amul Lactose Free labels and USDA data. Costs from BigBasket and brand stores on 8 October 2026; whey from our budget whey rankings. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Greek yogurt is most of the cost: Epigamia Turbo is about ₹76 per 100 g. Skyr gives nearly the same protein for about ₹30 less, and plain dahi cuts the cost by more than half if you can accept 22 g of protein. Want it to drink instead? The 750-kcal oat gainer shake uses the same base with whey.
How long do overnight oats last, and can you warm them?
Up to 3 days
Keep jars sealed in the fridge and make up to three at once. They get softer each day.
Add it fresh
Banana goes brown and soft overnight. Add it, and any other fresh fruit, on the morning you eat the jar.
Yogurt goes in after
Microwave the oats and milk for 1–2 minutes, then stir in the Greek yogurt so it doesn't split.
Keep it cold
It's a dairy dish. On a hot commute, carry it with an ice pack and eat it within a couple of hours.
Why this works for a high protein breakfast.
30 g is a full meal's protein for most adults. A review of nutrition for natural bodybuilders recommends about 0.40–0.55 g of protein per kg of body weight per meal, spread over the day. [11] For a 55–75 kg person, that's roughly 30 g, which this jar provides without powder. The lean version's 22 g is still a solid start to the day.
Live cultures help with lactose. Europe's food safety authority accepts that live yogurt cultures improve lactose digestion in people who don't digest lactose well. [12] If milk itself is the problem, use the lactose-free version.
Oats bring fibre that helps cholesterol. Oat beta-glucan lowers LDL cholesterol modestly at about 3 g a day [13], which Quaker's listing says is roughly two bowls of oats. [1] One jar gets you about halfway.
For weight loss, the size matters more than the recipe. The 634 kcal version suits bulking. If you're cutting, use the 368 kcal lean version: protein and fibre keep you full, which is the point. Pair it with a plan like Cut Without Crashing. If you're bulking, see oats for muscle gain.
Check with a doctor first if you have diabetes (about 86 g of carbohydrate in the full version), a peanut or milk allergy, or kidney disease and have been told to limit protein.
Frequently asked questions about overnight oats
How do you make overnight oats?
What is the ratio of oats to milk for overnight oats?
How long do overnight oats last in the fridge?
Can I use curd (dahi) instead of Greek yogurt in overnight oats?
Are overnight oats good for weight loss?
How many calories are in overnight oats?
Do you eat overnight oats cold or warm?
Which oats are best for overnight oats?
- Quaker. Quaker Oats 1 kg and Quaker Rolled Oats: nutrition panel, price and beta-glucan statement. bigbasket.com; bigbasket.com (rolled)
- Amul. Taaza Toned Milk 1 L: nutrition panel and price. bigbasket.com
- Epigamia. Turbo 50 g Protein Yogurt, Natural: nutrition panel (12 g protein per 100 g) and price ₹325 for 430 g. bigbasket.com; epigamiastore.com
- Milky Mist. Skyr High Protein Plain Yogurt 100 g: nutrition panel and price. bigbasket.com
- Amul. Masti Dahi 1 kg: nutrition panel and price. bigbasket.com
- Pintola. All Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy, Unsweetened 1 kg: price. bigbasket.com
- Fresho. Banana Robusta 1 kg: price. bigbasket.com
- US Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat (FDC 171265); Bananas, raw (FDC 173944); Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt (FDC 172470). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Country Delight. 10g Protein Natural Greek Yoghurt 100 g: nutrition panel and price. bigbasket.com
- Amul. Lactose Free Milk 250 ml: nutrition panel. bigbasket.com
- Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(7):154. PubMed 31247944
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to live yoghurt cultures and improved lactose digestion. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(10):1763. efsa.europa.eu
- Whitehead A, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(6):1413–1421. PubMed 25411276
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