Overnight Oats

Low FODMAP overnight oats made with rolled oats, chia seeds, lactose-free or almond milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 1

Gluten-freeVegan-option

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (52 g) rolled oats (not steel-cut)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) lactose-free milk or unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• Low-FODMAP fruit for topping (see Tips)

Instructions

Assemble the Jar

1. Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt to a pint-size jar or sealed container.
2. Pour in the milk and water. Add the maple syrup if using.
3. Stir well, making sure no dry oats are stuck to the sides.

Chill Overnight

1. Cap the jar and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
2. In the morning, stir once to loosen. If the texture is thicker than you want, splash in another tablespoon of milk.

Serve

1. Eat cold straight from the jar, or warm it for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave.
2. Top with low-FODMAP fruit and any extras just before eating.

Tips & Substitutions

• Peanut-butter banana. Stir 1 tablespoon of pure peanut butter into the base before chilling. Top with a firm-yellow (unripe) banana, up to 1 medium / 100 g. Skip this variation if the banana is spotted or soft.
• Berry. Top with 1/2 cup blueberries (~60 g) or 5 medium strawberries (~65 g, sliced) in the morning. Frozen berries can go in with the base, but expect a looser texture.
• Maple-pecan. Use the full teaspoon of maple syrup in the base and top with 10 pecan halves and a pinch of extra cinnamon. No fruit needed.
• Choose the milk. Lactose-free cow's milk, unsweetened almond or macadamia milk (1 cup / 250 ml), or rice milk (up to about 210 ml). Oat milk is low only up to about 100 ml, so it is not a full swap here.
• Check plant-milk labels. Skip anything with inulin, chicory root fiber, fructooligosaccharides, or apple or pear juice concentrate.
• Sweeten with maple or table sugar. Honey is low only at about ½ teaspoon and agave is high FODMAP. Stevia and sucralose are low FODMAP; skip sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, and isomalt.
• Going gluten-free. Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free but are often cross-contaminated with wheat. If you have celiac disease, buy certified gluten-free oats or swap in rice flakes.

Why This Works

Oats serve size. Monash tests rolled oats as low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup uncooked (52 g). Larger serves stack up on fructans and GOS, so keep to one jar per sitting.

Milk matrix. Lactose-free dairy milk and almond and macadamia milks are low FODMAP at 1 cup; cashew milk is not. Oat milk is low only at about 100 ml.

Sweetener rule. Pure maple syrup is low-FODMAP at 1 tablespoon. Honey is low only at about ½ teaspoon and agave is high FODMAP, so maple is the sweetener here.

Fruit stacking. Individual fruit serves are low, but stacking two or three in one bowl adds up. Pick one topping and keep it within its Monash serve: 1 cup blueberries (125 g), 5 medium strawberries (65 g), 30 raspberries (60 g), 1 firm-yellow banana (~100 g), or 1 gold kiwi.

Storage

Assembled jars keep in the fridge for up to 4 days at 40°F (4°C) or below. Make the base without toppings and add fruit the morning you eat it, or make up to four jars at once and eat them within 4 days. Frozen berries can go in with the base; fresh fruit is best added last.