Can you freeze overnight oats? The answer is yes! Freezing overnight oats is a great way to increase the shelf life of overnight oats. Find out the best way how to do it below!
Frozen overnight oats can last up to 6 months. But know that the taste, texture and quality will be affected the longer it is frozen.
I would try to eat it up within 3 months to get the best possible oats for breakfast.
There are some important things to consider when freezing overnight oats like containers, freezer space and add-ons or mix-ins, so we’ll take a look at those.
Store them in a freezer-safe airtight container. I prefer glass jars or containers with lids over plastic containers because plastic absorbs grease and smells of past food storage, and you might get some funky oatmeal using a plastic container. Plastic bags, however, would be fine.
I suggest freezing them in individual portions to be ready to go when you are. If you freeze three or four portions worth at a time, you’re going to have one big chunk of frozen oats which is ok, but I prefer to use individual portions to lower any possible food waste.
Freezing overnight oats in muffin tins
If you don’t have room for a lot of glass jars in your freezer, then you’ll be happy to know you can freeze individual portions in a muffin tin!
- Just ladle the overnight oat mixture into a muffin tin filling each cup 3/4 full.
- Place the tin in the freezer until the oats are firm.
- Remove the portioned oats from the tin and place in a resealable freezer bag.
- Squeeze out the air, tightly seal, label and date and return to the freezer.
This method keeps them from clumping together and saves a lot of freezer space.
It’s best to combine the batch of oats with ingredients minus add-ins like fruit and seeds and add them directly to the freezer. Making a batch, then placing them in the fridge overnight like you normally would, and then transfering to the freezer makes them mushier than desired.
Note that the oats will expand during freezing, so fill the muffin tin cups 3/4 full. If you fill it to the top, you’ll have a bigger mess to clean up, so make it easy on yourself. ;)
How to thaw them
Once you’re ready to eat them, place the amount you want into a bowl in the fridge overnight. Next morning take them out, top with your favorite toppings and you’re ready to go.
Overnight oats won’t soften in the freezer, so when you place them in the freezer overnight, you’ll get perfectly soft oats to start your morning.
I find that freezing overnight oats are better if they’re as plain as possible. Add-ins like nuts, seeds, nut butter, yogurt, fruit or berries will affect the consistency and taste considerably. To get the best texture and taste, just add the toppings the morning you’re ready to eat them up.
If the oats are dry once they’ve sat in the fridge overnight, simply add more liquid.
Freezing overnight oats is a great way to make an easy wholesome breakfast well ahead of time for your busy weekday mornings.
If you freeze your overnight oats, leave me a comment and let me know how they worked for you! And be sure to try out my PB2 Overnight Oats. They’re amazing and can also be made with peanut butter if you don’t have PB2.
And if you want to learn more about overnight oats, I’ve also got these posts on the topic:
