Start your day with a burst of citrusy freshness and a little crunch! These Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats combine the zesty flavor of lemon with the delightful crunch of poppy seeds, making for a refreshing and nutritious breakfast. Perfect for busy mornings, this recipe is quick to prepare the night before and offers a balanced, satisfying meal to kickstart your day.
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If you're not a morning person, these lemon poppyseed overnight oats are the perfect breakfast to start your day! They're super easy to make the night before - just add yogurt, dairy-free milk, oats, lemon, poppy seeds, chia seeds and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to your favorite type of jars or cups, cover and have a quick breakfast ready to go.
The beauty of overnight oats is that they last 3-4 days in the fridge so you can double, triple or quadruple the oat recipe for easy weekday mornings. This will quickly become your favorite thing for breakfast!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: prepare in just 10 minutes and enjoy a ready-to-eat breakfast of lemon overnight oats.
- Refreshing flavor: the tangy lemon pairs perfectly with the nutty poppy seeds for a unique and tasty breakfast.
- Convenient: ideal for busy mornings, these overnight oats can be prepped the night before.
Overnight oats are easy to make and fun to eat. For more convenient breakfasts try my banana oatmeal breakfast cookies, or take a little time to make some healthy apple ginger muffins, gluten free orange muffins or these tasty raspberry muffins.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
You'll need the following ingredients to make lemon poppy seed overnight oats:
Ingredient Notes:
- Old fashioned oats provides a hearty base that's perfect for soaking up flavors. Swap with quick oats for a smoother texture, or steel cut oats for a chewier consistency.
- Almond milk is a dairy-free alternative that adds a creamy texture and milk flavor. Coconut milk, oat milk or soy milk are other great dairy-free options.
- Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt adds creaminess and a slight tang. I prefer plain yogurt instead of vanilla yogurt since it contains less sugar and doesn't compete with the flavor of the oats.
- Fresh lemon zest & lemon juice infuses a bright citrusy flavor and fresh lemon flavor. It's a burst of deliciousness.
- Poppy seeds adds a satisfying crunch and subtle nutty flavor.
- Maple syrup or honey naturally sweetens the oats and adds an extra layer of flavor.
- Chia seeds helps to thicken this easy overnight oats recipe.
- A pinch of salt enhances the lemony flavor.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats
- Step 1: Add oats, poppy seeds, chia seeds, lemon zest, and sea salt to mason jar and mix.
- Step 2: Mix in yogurt, dairy-free milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Expert Tips:
- Adjust Sweetness: add more honey or a sweetener of your choice if you prefer a sweeter taste.
- Consistency: for thicker oats, reduce the amount of almond milk or add more chia seeds.
- Toppings: Enhance the flavor with toppings like fresh berries, nuts, seeds, or a drizzle of lemon curd.
Common Questions
It takes about 2 hours for overnight oats to be ready. The oats need time to soak up the moisture from the non-dairy milk and yogurt.
Poppy seeds do not need to be soaked before adding to your overnight oats. If you prefer your poppy seeds soaked, no worries, they will be soaking overnight in the yogurt mixture.
Steel cut oats have a chewy and firm texture and will need to soak in the overnight oats mixture for at least 8 hours in order to soften for that creamy flavor before eating and enjoying.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store in a covered airtight container, mason jar, or bowl for 3-4 days.
Meal Prep: Prepare multiple servings by doubling, tripling or quadrupling the recipe, and store them individually in glass jars in the fridge for a quick and easy breakfast option.
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Recipe
Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats
Equipment
- 1 mason jar with lid
Ingredients
- ½ cup (40 grams) rolled oats, certified gluten free if needed
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup (83 grams) almond milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
- ¼ cup (60 grams) non-dairy plain yogurt, or plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or honey
Instructions
- In a mason jar or bowl add oats, poppy seeds, chia seeds, lemon zest, and sea salt to mason jar and mix.
- Mix in yogurt, dairy-free milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, add about a tablespoon or two more non-dairy milk if too thick (optional). Top with extra lemon zest, sliced almonds, seeds or fresh berries.
Notes
- Oats can be eaten cold or slightly warmed in microwave to remove the chill.
- Add more honey, maple syrup or a sweetener of your choice if you prefer a sweeter taste.
- For thicker oats, reduce the amount of almond milk or add more chia seeds.
- Enhance the flavor with toppings like fresh berries, nuts, seeds, or a drizzle of lemon curd.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight and enjoy!
Allie
I made these last week after finding your recipe on Pinterest. They tasted like dessert! I'll definitely make them again.
Jacqui Wilson
Oh, I'm so glad you like them!