Make busy mornings easier by prepping these tasty and filling strawberry cheesecake overnight oats for toddlers the night before!
Mornings in Nita’s household with two kids are nothing short of a whirlwind.
There’s always someone needing help finding their shoes, another asking for last-minute help, a child wanting a few extra minutes of cuddles and of course, everyone’s hungry all at once!
Enter…the morning *golden hour* chaos when breakfast often becomes a rushed afterthought. That’s why we’ve fallen in love with make-ahead breakfasts like these Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats.
This recipe is a lifesaver for busy mornings—just grab a jar and go.
It’s quick, it’s convenient and also packed with wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients that keep everyone fueled for the day ahead. And the best part? It’s a hit with kids and adults–don’t you love it when that happens?
Plus, it feels a little indulgent like you’re eating dessert for breakfast…which is also a win for us. Something we talk about often is the dynamic duo of ensuring meals are both filling and satisfying. When the two coincide, it’s truly magical. So trust us, and let us know how you enjoy this recipe.
Why do we love these toddler overnight oats?
It’s easy: There’s no cooking involved!. Simply mix the ingredients, let them do their thing overnight, and voilà—breakfast is ready when you are.
It uses simple ingredients: We’re all about recipes that don’t require a special trip to the store. With pantry staples like oats, milk, and yogurt, this recipe is as approachable as it gets. Nita’s seven year old can make it!
It can be made ahead: These overnight oats can be made the night before or even a few days in advance if you really want to batch-prep, freeing up precious morning minutes so you can get in that extra snuggle.
When can I feed this to my baby? What about the dairy?
This gets a little tricky. Theoretically, there’s nothing harmful for your baby in this recipe.
But…there are a few things to keep in mind: it contains virtually almost no iron, which is an important nutrient for your baby (we go into all that in our Start Solids Confidently ecourse) and if you’re using a jam with added sugar, it’s not recommended to serve to a child under 24 months.
So keep this in mind:
If you’re offering your baby plenty of iron rich foods over the day, you can start to offer a small amount of this to your baby once you’ve cleared dairy as an allergen.
Instead of using jam, stick to fruit or the berry chia sauce.
Again, because we want to emphasize this, make sure you’re offering plenty of other iron rich foods over the day because this nutrient truly is critical in early childhood, we can’t overstate it enough!
Do you need to cook the oats beforehand?
This is a common question because traditional porridge made with oatmeal is typically cooked in water. But, for this recipe you don’t need to cook the oats. Instead, the oats will soak up liquid from the milk and yogurt and become a soft chewy texture. Essentially, this hydration makes the oats easier to digest!
Rolled oats are safe to consume uncooked because they’ve undergone a steaming process to roll them out flat.
Can the overnight oats be eaten warm?
While anything goes, traditionally people enjoy that these oats can be eaten cold right out of the fridge! If you or your child prefer something slightly warm you can absolutely nuke the overnight oats in the microwave for a few seconds. If offering to a young child, be mindful of hot spots that sometimes form in the microwave. Another option is to warm them up over the stove.
How to store the overnight oats?
Store the overnight oats in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days in the fridge so that it’s fresh! As the mixture sits, it may thicken more and more so feel free to add more milk to loosen up the oat mixture until you have your desired consistency.
extra tips and suggestions:
- OATS: For this recipe we recommend using either large flake rolled oats or quick oats. There’s a slight difference in the texture, so use what you enjoy!
- STRAWBERRIES: Feel free to switch out the strawberries for any fruit you might have at home or in your freezer. We feel raspberries, blueberries, or even cherries would be delicious.
- CREAM CHEESE: If you don’t have cream cheese, don’t worry, just skip it!
- GROUND FLAX: You can also swap out the ground flax seed for chia seeds, but it may end up being thicker. Adjust by adding more milk when serving.
- YOGURT: When it comes to the yogurt, there’s a lot of flex here. You can use a plant based yogurt, Greek yogurt, plain yogurt or even flavoured yogurt. If using flavoured yogurt though, be mindful of the sweetness!
- TOPPINGS: For an extra crunch feel free to top your overnight oats with granola, slivered almonds, or graham crackers as we suggested.
We hope you enjoy this recipe as a family, because truly, it can be enjoyed with your baby, toddler, and the big kids in the house. This is absolutely one of those recipes that tastes as good as it looks, and is rich in nutrition to keep everyone in your family nourished.
Let's make these overnight oats for toddlers!
Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats for Toddlers
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk or milk alternative
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp Chia Berry Sauce* or strawberry jam look for Double Fruit when available
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- ½ cup rolled oats large flake, or quick oats
- 2 tsp flax seed
- Pinch of cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1 - 2 graham crackers for fun!
Instructions
- Stir together the milk, yogurt, berry sauce/jam, and cream cheese. It’s okay if it’s not perfectly smooth and integrated.
- Stir in the rolled oats, ground flax seed, and cinnamon.
- Set aside for at least 4-5 hours (or overnight!) in the fridge to thicken.
- Serve to babies as is. For toddlers, you can top with chopped strawberries and/or crumble with a graham cracker!
Video
Notes
Is your toddler obsessed with yogurt drinks?
It’s super easy to make your own! Save money, reduce added sugars, and cut down on plastic waste with our five DIY recipes. Download them by entering your email address below.
