Protein Cookie Dough Oats (Printable)

Creamy overnight oats with protein, chocolate chips, and nut butter for a nutritious, delicious start.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
04 - 2 tablespoons chia seeds
05 - 1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder (approximately 1 ounce)
06 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - Pinch of sea salt

→ Cookie Dough Mix-ins

09 - 2 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips
10 - 2 tablespoons almond butter
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, almond milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, protein powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Stir thoroughly until fully blended.
02 - Fold in chocolate chips, almond butter, and nuts until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
03 - Divide the mixture equally between two jars or airtight containers.
04 - Cover containers and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight, allowing oats to soften and flavors to meld.
05 - In the morning, stir the oats thoroughly. Top with additional chocolate chips or a drizzle of nut butter before serving if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's legitimately ready to eat the moment you wake up—no cooking, no thinking required when your brain is still half asleep.
  • The chocolate and almond butter make it taste like an indulgence, but the protein and fiber keep you satisfied for hours.
  • You can prep two servings in under ten minutes, which means no excuses come Wednesday morning.
02 -
  • The ratio of liquid to oats is critical—too much milk and you'll have soup, too little and you'll have to eat it with a fork. I learned this by accident and had to add extra yogurt to rescue one batch.
  • Not stirring before you eat matters more than you'd think, because everything settles overnight and the bottom layer gets thicker than the top, so a quick stir makes it perfectly uniform.
03 -
  • Add the chia seeds right at the beginning because they need time to hydrate and thicken—add them at the end and they'll still be grainy in the morning.
  • Use cold almond milk straight from the fridge to keep the mixture chilled while you assemble it, which helps everything set faster overnight.
Go Back