This is the overnight oats that convinced people who “don’t like overnight oats.” Light cream cheese in the base makes it taste like frosting, and layering it with cinnamon mimics a cinnamon roll. One jar is 46g of protein for 379 calories.

Unusual for overnight oats, this one is better warm — microwave it and it becomes a hot cinnamon roll in a jar.

Ingredients

  • Fat-free plain Greek yogurt — ¾ cup [P 17 C 6 F 0]
  • Protein powder — 1 scoop, ~30 g (vanilla or cinnamon) [P 24 C 3 F 1]
  • Oats — ⅓ cup (rolled or quick) [P 3 C 18 F 2]
  • Light cream cheese — 2 tbsp [P 2 C 2 F 5]
  • Milk — ¼ cup (1% skim) [P 2 C 3 F 0]
  • Sugar-free maple syrup — 1 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract — ¼ tsp
  • Cinnamon — 1 tsp

Method

  1. Mix. Combine everything except the cinnamon until smooth.
  2. Layer. In a jar, add ~¼ cup of the oat mix, then a layer of cinnamon; repeat four times for a cinnamon-roll swirl.
  3. Chill. Seal and refrigerate 3–4 hours or overnight.

What to eat it with

  • Warmed — microwave it; this one’s meant to be hot.
  • Cream-cheese “icing” — mix light cream cheese, Greek yogurt and a little protein powder and spoon on top.
  • A coffee — it’s basically a cinnamon roll.

Variations

  • Cold and quick: eat it straight from the fridge if you prefer.
  • Nuttier: a few chopped pecans between the layers.
  • Dairy-free: plant yogurt, dairy-free cream cheese and almond milk.

Honest notes

  • Fibre: about 4g, from the oats.
  • Cream cheese: let it come to room temperature (or microwave briefly) so it blends smooth instead of lumpy.
  • Macros: reconcile with the 379 cal / 46g protein listed; no correction needed.