These Caramel Macchiato Protein Overnight Oats channel the vibes and flavors of one of your favorite Starbucks drinks, and they are so damn good. If you’ve never tried putting espresso in your overnight oats, take this as your sign that it is 1,000% worth it! I absolutely love the bold espresso flavor paired with the sweet caramel sauce and ultra creamy vanilla oats. Plus, they’re packed with 15 grams of protein per serving!

The name would suggest that you need to make them the night before you eat them, but I’ve made them up to 6 days in advance and haven’t had any issues. For most overnight oats recipes, the texture starts to change slightly after about 3 days in the refrigerator. People worry a lot about oats getting mushy if they don’t eat them within a day or two, but I find they get more creamy than anything. You may also find that some of the liquid separates or that they seem to dry out – just give them a stir and add more of your milk of choice to revive them!

If you’re worried about whether you’ll still like them after a few days, I’d recommend 2 things: 1) make a test batch and give it a try on day 4 and 5 to see if you like it. Don’t put all of your proverbial eggs in that breakfast basket on those days – have a backup ready to avoid any frustration or disappointment if you don’t like them. And 2) if you find you don’t like their texture on days 4, 5, 6, etc. – mix up the dry ingredients in a jar ahead of time and stash it on your counter. Then all you’ll have to do is add the wet ingredients and stick it in the fridge overnight when you’re ready for it!

Another pro tip: always be sure to use the regular or thick rolled oats/old fashioned oats. There are quick cooking rolled oats out there that will lose their chew way faster than the thicker ones. Bob’s Red Mill actually makes these Extra Thick Rolled Oats that are perfect for overnight oats!

Here’s what you’ll need to recreate these Caramel Macchiato Protein Overnight Oats at home:

• Rolled oats – I prefer to use rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats) in my overnight oats recipes because they maintain some chew even after a few nights in the fridge. Quick cooking oats turn to mush and steel cut oats have too much bite (even if you use the quick cooking kind).
• Milk – For the oats themselves, use whatever neutral tasting milk you prefer! I used almond milk, which doesn’t have a strong flavor. Some non-dairy milks have a really strong flavor or are overly sweet – I’d stay away from those in this recipe.
• Vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt – This helps make these oats extra creamy while adding a boost of protein. If you want to use a dairy free yogurt, check out my recommendations here.
• Whey protein powder – I used a whey protein in this recipe. You can really use any kind you like, but I prefer whey in overnight oats since it dissolves easily into milk and tastes great. A casein or whey/casein mix will absorb more milk than just whey alone, so you may need to adjust the amount of almond milk if you decide to use one of those. Plant based proteins can sometimes leave a gritty texture and have an aftertaste.
• Chia seeds – If you’re not familiar with them, they’re the little black specks you can see in the overnight oats. As they sit in liquid, they soak up moisture and help your overnight oats thicken up and get really creamy. Plus they’re a great source of fiber and antioxidants!
• Vanilla extract – Like salt in a savory dish, vanilla tends to enhance the flavors of a sweet recipe.
• Caramel sauce – I used Torani brand caramel sauce for this recipe, but other brands or homemade would work too! I only used 1/2 tbsp per serving of oats to avoid making them too sweet. I don’t recommend subbing the sauce out with caramel coffee syrup, but check out my ideas below on other ways to add even more caramel flavor if you want to.
• Espresso – If you don’t have an espresso maker, you could use strong brewed coffee instead, or just mix in 1 generous tsp of instant espresso per 2 servings of oats.

Recipe