Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats

These Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats make such an easy grab and go meal prep breakfast for cherry lovers! Fresh muddled cherries, vanilla extract, and a touch of cinnamon gives these oats a stellar summer flavor!

When I say ‘cherry vanilla’, what do you think of? I instantly think of Dr. Pepper. Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. Want me to sing the jingle? Diet CHERRY vanillllla Dr. Pepperrrrrr.

So glad you didn’t hear that 🥴

Here’s what happening: It’s cherry season, and since that jingle is stuck in my head forever, I turned it into overnight oats! Cherry vanilla overnight oats! Usually I’m all about using vanilla as a backbone flavor, but today, she’s featured!!

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are basically a version of oatmeal that is not cooked, but instead chilled in the fridge to… brew! Like cold brew, but with oatmeal. 

Generally, depending on the recipe, there’ll be rolled oats, milk of some kind, sweetener, and then some mix-ins, including fruits and spices, or things like peanut butter and chocolate. Super customizable!

It needs to sit in the fridge for a least 4 hours but ideally overnight, in my opinion. That way, all the oats and chia seeds have time to absorb the liquid and fruit juices. 

Then in the morning, all you have to do is grab a jar from the fridge and eat!

What are the ingredients in these Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats?

The ingredients in these overnight oats are relatively simple. With the exception of the cherries, you might already have everything you need on hand! 

Here are the ingredients I used for the recipe and some info about each one:

• sweet red cherries – For this recipe, look for sweet red cherries such as Bing or Lapins, which I’ve used here. Sweet Rainier cherries work too, but will have much less red and purple color. I haven’t tried frozen cherries, but I think they would work too if given a few minutes to thaw before muddling.
• rolled oats – The backbone of any overnight oats recipe is rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats. I avoid ‘extra thick’ and just stick with regular rolled oats for overnight oats recipes. Wouldn’t hurt anything if you did use thicker oats, they’ll just have a slightly different texture.
• unsweetened almond milk – This is my favorite milk to use for most cooking and baking! You can use whatever milk you have on hand, dairy or non-dairy.
• pure maple syrup – This works as the sweetener in this recipe. Cherries help, but a little more sweetener makes it perfect. Brown sugar is another option to swap if you don’t have maple syrup.
• chia seeds – They act as thickener, absorbing liquid while it sits in the fridge, and they’re also really good for you!
• vanilla extract – You can definitely use a real vanilla bean here (cut in half, scrape out the seeds and add about half a bean’s worth). However, they can be super pricey, so I went with pure vanilla extra. Not the fake stuff!
• cinnamon & salt – Spices bring max flavor to overnight oats and help create all the different flavor combos. This one incorporates just a touch of ground cinnamon, which acts as a background flavor here, but you’re gonna like the addition. Cinnamon has to be one of the Dr. Pepper’s 23 flavors, right?? (Okay I looked it up, apparently it’s not 😭)

How do you make these overnight oats?

Overnight oats are super easy to make. In my opinion, the best part is always being able to try a new flavor or version with seasonal produce changes, or just whatever I have in mind at the time!

Honestly, the hardest part can be figuring out what containers to use! For my overnight oats, I always use these Pint Sized Wide Mouth Mason Jars (affiliate link!).

I prefer to make my servings of oats in each jar separately, instead of trying to portion equal servings later. Usually for my overnight oats, I would first make the oatmeal mixture. But, it’s a little different this time because we want to muddle the cherries first to get some juice and help flavor the oats.

Add at least 1/2 cup cherries (or as much as 3/4 cup if you want a little more) to each jar. Use a muddler to squish and breakdown the cherries in the bottom of the jar and produce a bit of cherry juice.

If you don’t have a muddler, you can use a blender tamper tool, a pestle, or anything with a small flat bottom. Even a smaller jar should work. If you don’t have any of these options, I would chop up my cherries a bit finer and then use a fork to mash a little bit. Really any way you get a little cherry juice out will work!

Next, add all remaining ingredients to each mason jar and then mix each one up. For this recipe, that means 1/2 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and a small pinch of salt go into each jar.

Put the lid on after mixing, and you’re done! Store in the the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Some people choose to heat up their oats in the microwave, I just go for them cold! You do you!

Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk?

Yes! For this recipe, you can use any kind of milk you want to use, including dairy milk. I just prefer to use unsweetened almond milk for my overnight oats.

Can I use tart cherries instead of sweet cherries?

Honestly, I would skip this unless you want to add a lot of extra sweetener to the oats. Generally, tart cherries are more for baking rather than eating raw.

How do you meal prep this recipe?

This recipe was meant for meal prep! While oats are traditionally served for breakfast, feel free to enjoy this meal prep mason jar meal at any time of the day.

The best way to meal prep this recipe is to prepare individual portions in jars or containers with lids. I use Pint Sized Wide Mouth Mason Jars (affiliate link!) for this kind of meal prep.

Mason jars are super easy to grab and take with you to work, school, or wherever you need to go. Eat as much as you want at a time, and save the rest for later. 

This recipe includes instructions to make as many servings of overnight oats at a time as you need. Don’t feel limited by the two serving suggestion! 

Alternative customization ideas for these overnight oats:

• Reduce the vanilla, then add 2 teaspoons cocoa powder and some dark chocolate chips for a cherry chocolate combo!
• Add some toasted almonds!! I’m doing this next time! Another option for some extra flavor is a drop or two of almond extract. 
• Change out the fruit altogether with what you have on hand! Peach vanilla, strawberry vanilla, blackberry vanilla, lots of combos!
• Add ground flaxseed, a scoop of Greek yogurt or other boosters you like!

Where do you get those containers?

For this recipe, I use Pint Sized Wide Mouth Mason Jars (affiliate link!). I find these are the perfect size for overnight oats, especially if I want to add a little more fruit.

Another equipment recommendation: I just bought this Cherry Pitter Tool (affiliate link!) that does SIX CHERRIES at a time!! And it totally works!! Seriously saves my fingers and a ton of time (literally 6x as fast as a single cherry pitter). Kinda fun too!

Are these overnight oats freezer-friendly?

No, I would not suggest freezing this recipe. Make only as many as you need at one time, rather than making a big batch and attempting to freeze!

How to store, freeze & reheat:

To store: Store in a sealed container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To freeze: I would not suggest freezing this recipe.

To reheat: I prefer to enjoy overnight old straight from the fridge, but you can also reheat in the microwave for 30 second intervals until hot.