Easy Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats {18g Protein}

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These Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats are creamy, satisfying and so customizable. Quick and easy to make, they’re the perfect high protein breakfast for busy days or meal prep. Thanks to the fiber and protein, you’ll stay full for hours!

Protein overnight oats have been my to-go breakfast for years, especially on busy mornings when I have no time to cook.

But recently, I’ve been trying to get more protein from real foods. After years, I started reconsidering my overnight oats with yogurt or the ones with cottage cheese. I used to make both as a teenager, back when I had no protein powder.

Why you will love this recipe

• Quick and easy – Make it overnight for a ready-to-eat breakfast in the morning.
• Creamy and delicious – It tastes like dessert! You won’t feel the cottage cheese.
• Healthy and high protein – Each serving packs 18 g of complete protein, fiber and many nutrients. Cottage cheese is a great source of calcium and B vitamins.
• Meal-prep friendly – Make a larger batch on Sunday and keep in the fridge for the week. Perfect before work or school!
• Customizable – From toppings to mix-ins, have fun building your own breakfast.

Ingredients and substitutes

You’ll need just a handful of pantry staples. Here are more details, and you can find the precise quantities in the recipe card at the bottom.

• Rolled oats – I recommend old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if necessary. They yield a chewier, more satisfying texture and are more nutritious. Quick oats work, but they easily get soft and mushy. Just avoid steel-cut oats because they require prior cooking.
• Cottage cheese – Whole milk cottage cheese (4% fat) is richer, creamier, and more satisfying. Good culture 4% fat cottage cheese is my #1 choice, but you can replace with low fat (2%) or nonfat options. Plain Greek yogurt works too.
• Maple syrup – It adds natural sweetness without refined sugars. You can swap it for honey, agave, mashed dates, or ½ mashed banana (ripe). Monk fruit, stevia and erythritol are great sugar-free sweeteners.
• Chia seeds – Optional, they bring in more fiber, benefits and make your oats creamier.
• Milk of choice – Unsweetened almond milk and cashew milk are the best low calorie options. For more protein, you can use semi-skimmed cow milk, soy, or pea milk.
• Optional flavors – For a dessert-like experience, stir in ½ tsp of vanilla extract,
  ⅓ tsp of ground cinnamon, or a hint of pumpkin spice mix.

Dietary adaptations

• Gluten-free – Use certified gluten-free rolled oats. Just read through the ingredient list on the package, it should say “gluten-free”.
• Higher in protein – Make overnight oats with cottage cheese and protein powder. Add 1 scoop (30 g), then fix the texture with 2-3 tbsp of extra milk. I love mine with vanilla whey!
• Low calorie – Use nonfat cottage cheese and stick to unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk. Be conscious of high calorie toppings like nut butters and chocolate.
• Diary-free and vegan – Swap the cheese for dairy-free cottage cheese or plant based yogurt. Greek-style soy yogurt is the highest in protein.

How to make cottage cheese overnight oats

Optional: For a creamier texture, add cottage cheese to a blender and blend until smooth. 

Step 1 – Combine ingredients. In a medium bowl or mason jar, combine rolled oats with chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add cottage cheese, blended if you prefer a creamier porridge.

Step 2 – Add milk. Pour in the milk and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Step 3 – Refrigerate. Seal the jar or bowl tightly, then transfer to the fridge. Let soak overnight or for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. 

Step 4 – Stir and serve. Before eating, give the oats a good stir and serve with your favorite toppings.

Recipe tips

• Not a fan of the cottage cheese texture?
  Blend it! Before adding it to the oats, blend your cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. Or start with my whipped cottage cheese instead.
• Not a of the texture of oats?
  Make blended overnight oats! Just add all the ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until creamy. They will taste like a pudding.

Variations and toppings

Important for mix-ins and toppings.
Make sure you add crunchy mix-ins (like nuts or seeds), fresh fruit like bananas or apple, and toppings only before serving. If you add them before refrigerating, crunchy foods will get soft and fruit will oxidize (aka turn black).

• Blueberry cheesecake – Stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract. Refrigerate overnight, then stir in ½ cup (80 g) of fresh blueberries and serve with a drizzle of almond butter.
• Apple pie – Add ½ tsp vanilla extract and ⅓ tsp of ground cinnamon, then refrigerate. Before serving, mix in diced apple and chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Banana sweetened – Skip the maple syrup! In a small bowl, mash ½ ripe banana with a fork before stirring it into the oats. It adds natural sweetness, nutrients like potassium and extra creaminess.
• Peanut butter – Mix in 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter. I like crunchy for more texture, but creamy is also perfect. Or swap for almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, or sunflower seed butter.
• Mix-ins – After soaking, stir in chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanut crunch, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate chips or seeds. I recommend flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds for more protein and healthy fats.
• Toppings – Before serving, top your cottage cheese overnight porridge with blueberries, strawberries, sliced banana, mango (try mango + coconut!), nut butters, seeds, or healthy granola.

Meal prep and storage

If meal prepping, store your cottage cheese oats in 12-oz mason jars or airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving, give a good stir to bring back their creamy texture.

Although you can freeze them for up to 1 month, I wouldn’t recommend it. Dairy products (like cottage cheese) may get watery after thawing, and your oats won’t be as creamy.

These oats taste best enjoyed chilled, straight from the fridge. But if you’d like a warm breakfast, you can also heat them in 30-seconds intervals in the microwave.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best cottage cheese for this recipe?

I recommend small curd full fat cottage cheese (4%). It’s creamier, has a richer flavor and won’t separate while soaking. Whipped cottage cheese is ideal if you’d like a yogurt-like texture.

Why adding cottage cheese to overnight oats?

Cottage cheese in overnight oats adds protein, minerals like calcium, and B vitamins. Additionally, it will also bring in creaminess and richness. In combination with the fiber from oats, protein makes your breakfast more satisfying and nutritious!

Will I taste the cottage cheese?

Not really. It gets combined with all other ingredients like oats, milk and maple syrup. If you don’t like its texture, you can also blend cottage cheese until smooth.

More high protein oats

If you try this recipe, make sure to leave a 💌 comment and ⭐️ star rating down below letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

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• Optional for a creamier texture: Add cottage cheese to a blender and blend until smooth.

• In a medium bowl or mason jar, combine rolled oats with chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla extract.

• Add cottage cheese, blended if you prefer a creamier texture.

• Pour in the milk and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

• Seal the jar or bowl tightly, then transfer to the fridge. Let soak overnight or for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

• Before eating, give the oats a good stir and serve with your favorite toppings.

Recipe Tips

• Texture – If you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese, blend it before mixing it with the oats.
• Sweetness – Adjust sweetness to your likings.
• Protein powder – For more protein, mix in 1 scoop (30 g) of protein powder. If too thick, fix the texture with 2-3 tbsp of milk.

Storage Directions
If meal prepping, store your cottage cheese oats in 12-oz mason jars or airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Before serving, give them a good stir.

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 329.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.7g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 9.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 13.6mg | Sodium: 421.3mg | Potassium: 299.2mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 7.2g | Vitamin A: 114.2IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 277.7mg | Iron: 2.5mg