Raise your hand if you love cinnamon rolls! Ok, never mind, I probably didn't have to ask. If you're here, you probably like cinnamon rolls, or at least like the thought of them.
As delicious as cinnamon rolls taste, they probably aren't on your daily breakfast menu. Think about it...homemade cinnamon rolls take hours and hours to make (if you've ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch, you know exactly what I'm talking about). And, cinnamon rolls aren't exactly known for their healthy profile.
Luckily, I have come up with the best alternative ever: CINNAMON ROLL OVERNIGHT OATS. I hope you are as excited about this as I am! These cinnamon roll overnight oats combine all the flavors of rich, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls into a small little jar. They are the perfect balance of sweetness, cinnamon and creaminess. The best part? It's easy to make and much healthier than eating a cinnamon roll!
What are overnight oats?
If you have never heard of overnight oatmeal, it is an alternative to normal oatmeal. The oatmeal is prepared the night before, by mixing oats with a liquid, sweetener and any other desired ingredients. This mixture then sits in your refrigerator overnight. During this time, the oatmeal absorbs the moisture from the liquid and softens. In the morning, the oatmeal is ready to eat without any cooking. Overnight oatmeal can be eaten hot or cold.
Reasons you will love overnight oats
- Great way to meal prep for breakfast
Overnights oats require no extra prep in the morning. Since the recipe is made the night before, it is an easy breakfast to take to work, school or out and about. - Healthy Breakfast Choice
Choosing to eat overnight oats is a much better alternative than snacking on something such as a donut or crackers (which we all already know)! There are lots of health benefits to overnight oats, which are described below. - Easy to make
Oats are a very simple recipe to prep. They take less than ten minutes to prep, and most people already have a lot of the ingredients on hand. - Very versatile
There are numerous overnight oat recipes that have different ingredients to keep your taste buds guessing. Some recipes include different ingredients such as fruit, chocolate or peanut butter.
Is cinnamon roll overnight oatmeal healthy?
Let's break down the nutritional profile of this cinnamon roll overnight oatmeal:
Oatmeal: The recipe uses steel cut oats, which are a little bit larger in size and is unprocessed, meaning it takes longer to digest. This means you will feel full for a longer time period. If making a gluten free version of this recipe, use certified gluten free oats.
Fiber: Overnight oats contain 4 grams of fiber per serving. This is a good amount of fiber for 1 food. The US recommended daily intake of fiber is 25 g for females and 38 g for males. Check out this article on Fiber by Web MD if you want to know more.
Carbs: This breakfast dish contains 30 grams of carbohydrate. Most of the carbs are from the oatmeal, and are considered complex carbs. This means it will take your body longer to break them down, and will leave you feeling full until lunch time!
Protein: The oatmeal contains 11 grams of protein per serving. While this is decent, I personally would consume another form of protein with this, such as a hard boiled egg or add in a tbsp of protein powder. Making this recipe with skim milk will also increase the protein content.
Fat: This contains 7 grams of Unsaturated fat, which is a healthy fat and actually good for you! (Learn all about the different types of fat).
Ingredients needed to make cinnamon roll overnight oats
Oatmeal- The recommended type of oatmeal for this recipe is "Old Fashioned Steel Cut Oatmeal". Two types of oats commonly found at the store are "Old Fashioned Steel Cut Oatmeal" and "Instant Quick Cooking Oatmeal". The instant oatmeal is already so small that it rapidly absorbs fluid and can become mushy. Old fashioned steel cut oats will create a more chewy, dense product. Certified gluten free oatmeal will also work.
Milk - I prefer an sugar free, low fat almond milk when making these oats. However, any type of milk can be used. Another healthy choice is skim milk. Other alternatives are 2% milk, whole milk, coconut milk or soy milk.
Cinnamon- The recipe calls for ¾ tsp of cinnamon, however you may increase or decrease this amount based on how flavored you prefer the oatmeal. Initially I tried the oatmeal with 1 tsp of cinnamon, however it was a little too strong for me. Start with less and you can always add more!
Brown Sugar- Increase or decrease the amount based on how sweet you want your oats!
Greek Yogurt- This recipe uses a plain, nonfat greek yogurt. Any brand is fine. In my opinion, the flavor of the plain greek yogurt mimics that of cream cheese icing. We'll talk more about that in a second!
Cream Cheese - optional! Look for a fat free or low-fat cream cheese at the store. The recipe calls for the cream cheese to be mixed in with the oats, however you could also melt the cream cheese and drizzle over the top to mimic cinnamon roll frosting!
Walnuts- optional! Feel free to add walnuts or pecans for an extra crunch! I used walnuts and it tasted delicious!
Let's make some oats!
Here is a step by step tutorial to create those gooey, melt in your mouth cinnamon roll oats !
STEP 1: Combine the oatmeal, almond milk, greek yogurt, brown sugar and cinnamon in a cup or glass. Stir oats until well mixed. If planning to take the oats on the go in the morning, consider using a cup that has a lid on it, such as a protein shaker bottle. You might also use a mason jar which has a lid and stores easily. I purchased a four pack of mason jars at Target for less than 5 dollars.
STEP 2: Microwave cream cheese in a small bowl until softened. Stir until the oatmeal mixture.
STEP 3: Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the top of the mixture. Do not mix the walnuts in right away. Wait to mix the walnuts in until the next morning, so that they remain crunchy.
STEP 4: Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours. Mix well before serving. These oats can be served cold, or microwaved for 30 seconds prior to serving. Enjoy!
TIP: Garnish with walnuts, cream cheese, a sprinkle of powdered sugar or cinnamon!
Looking for more breakfast recipes?
- Check out this lean, green, health boosting smoothie recipe.
- Here's some quick breakfast ideas that take less than 5 minutes to make!
Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats
Sweet & gooey flavors of a cinnamon roll packed into this on-the-go cup of oatmeal. Healthy and easy!
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry old fashioned oatmeal or gluten-free oatmeal
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 Tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Combine oatmeal, almond milk, greek yogurt, brown sugar and cinnamon in a cup or glass.
- Using a spoon, mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Heat cream cheese in a microwave until softened. Add to oatmeal mixture and mix well.
- Sprinkle walnuts over the top. (Do not mix walnuts into the mixture until the next morning)
- Cover and place in refrigerator.
- Let oats sit in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours.
- Mix well before eating. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Adjust the amount of cinnamon added based on how strongly flavored you would like your oats.
To make this recipe gluten free, use certified gluten free oatmeal.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 238Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 4mgSodium 151mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 4gSugar 14gProtein 11g
Nutrition facts may vary based on product brand used.
I have a family full of picky eaters. It is so hard to find things they all enjoy. This was a hit! You made it healthy as well which is a plus for Mom! Thanks!