These Instant Coffee Overnight Oats are your breakfast and morning cup of coffee in one! So creamy, sweet and delicious. All you need is 8 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time. Perfect for vegan and gluten free meal prep and quick breakfasts when you are on the go!
I love coffee and morning oats so combining the two felt so natural! And I must admit, the flavor in these oats is so much better than I imagined. It almost reminds me of tiramisu!
And because I love both chocolate mochas and vanilla lattes I made two versions of these oats to let you choose which one sounds best to you! Both are equally good. Can’t go wrong.
Why This Recipe Works
- Soaking the oats over night in oat milk creates the best, creamy, silky texture.
- Instant coffee adds the perfect coffee taste without needing to take extra time to brew any coffee, espresso, or cold brew.
- My vegan caramel recipe mixed with cacao powder makes for the best WFPB mocha sauce! No refined sugars needed.
Ingredient Notes
- rolled oats – The best type of oats to use for making overnight oats. They are soft enough to soften overnight in the milk, but hearty enough to still leave some hearty, chewy texture! Steel cut oats are too tough and unprocessed to soften properly overnight and instant oats are too processed to hold any texture at all.
- oat milk – My favorite type of plant-based milk for overnight oats because it’s so creamy. Oat milk also has a natural sweet undertone. If needed, substitute with soy milk or any other unflavored plant-based milk.
- vegan caramel – My 4 ingredient homemade caramel that is Medjool date based! Gives these oats the best sweetness and flavor while keeping the recipe healthy and refined sugar free.
- cacao powder – Gives the mocha flavored oats the indulgent chocolate flavor and a boost of antioxidants without additional sugar!
- instant coffee – Easy coffee flavor! I used Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Crystals. If desired, substitute with a ¼ cup of coffee or cold brew and leave out the ¼ cup of water. You could also substitute the instant coffee and water with two shots of espresso for an extra good caffeine boost!
- chia seeds – Thickens these oats perfectly while adding a boost of omegas. I don’t recommend substituting with flax seeds as it makes the texture of the oats slimy.
- vanilla extract – For the classic vanilla latte flavor. Feel free to add a little vanilla to the mocha oats, too! You can substitute vanilla paste or even scraped fresh vanilla pods.
Step by Step Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients together in a 16 ounce jar with a lid.
- Mix ingredients together until well incorporated. Make sure all of the chia seeds are submerged in liquid so they can absorb the liquid properly!
- Cover oats with an airtight lid and refrigerate overnight for at least 6 hours.
- Enjoy next morning! Add a splash of milk, additional sweetener, or coconut whipped cream to make it extra fun.
FAQs
These oats are meant to be eaten cold straight from the refrigerator but you can heat them up in the microwave if you prefer! If you like warm oats, you may like my Instant Pot Oatmeal with Steel Cut Oats recipe better.
Yes, overnight oats will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days so feel free to batch 5 servings on Sunday night and eat them throughout the week! Super great and easy.
I really recommend the vegan caramel recipe as it’s super easy to prepare (10 minutes!) and really makes these oats taste like a latte/mocha.
No, steel cut oats are very different than rolled oats. They take far longer to cook and require more liquid. If you use steel cut oats these oats will be very chewy and unfavorable in texture.
Quinoa also cannot be substituted as it needs to be cooked before eating. You cannot soak raw quinoa like you can oats.
Expert Tips
- If making this for meal prep, prep each serving in it’s own individual jar as opposed to in a large container. This makes it easier to grab and go in the mornings.
- Don’t try to substitute the caramel. It seriously makes the biggest difference in making this recipe taste like a latte or mocha. I tested this recipe with just maple syrup and other various sweeteners and none compared to the flavor of the oats made with the caramel. It really makes the oats taste like an actual, coffee shop quality latte!
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Oatmeal with Steel Cut Oats
- Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding
- Vegan Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Vegan Banana Pudding
- 1 Bowl Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Easy Coffee Overnight Oats
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
MOCHA OVERNIGHT OATS
- ½ cup rolled oats - not instant oats
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk - I used oat milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegan caramel
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
VANILLA LATTE OVERNIGHT OATS
- ½ cup rolled oats - not instant oats
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk - I used oat milk
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegan caramel
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 ¼ teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For Topping
- coconut whipped cream
- unsweetened plant-based milk
- cacao nibs
- vegan caramel
Instructions
- Prepare the vegan caramel recipe ahead of time so it is ready to use.
- Mix all ingredients together in a 16 ounce jar until completely incorporated.
- Cover oats with an air tight lid and refrigerate overnight for at least 6 hours.
- Enjoy next morning as is. Add additional milk, non-dairy whipped cream, sweetener, or cacao nibs as desired.
Storage
- Overnight oats need to soak for at least 6 hours but will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Great for meal prepping several servings at once!
Recipe Notes
- Substitute a ¼ cup of coffee or cold brew for the instant coffee and water if desired.
- Do not substitute steel cut oats for the rolled oats.
- Try my Apple Nachos recipe with the leftover caramel.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Photography by: Stacey Gaar
WONDERFUL!!! The flavor was fantastic. Try it before you judge it.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!