Cottage cheese overnight oats with two easy variations! Chocolate peanut butter and mixed berry. High protein, creamy texture, no protein powder needed.

three varieties of overnight oats with cottage cheese

Why Cottage Cheese?

If you're already a cottage cheese fan like me, you know! It's creamy, packed with protein, and works in so many different recipes. Case in point, all the recipes on my cottage cheese recipes page.

The beauty of it for overnight oats is that it gives you 13 grams of protein per half cup. And protein is helpful for feeling full when combined with fiber rich carbohydrates and slows the rise of blood glucose.

I use my same overnight oats base formula here that you'll also see in my Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats, just swapping cottage cheese for the yogurt. And I'm using the same almond flour trick that I shared there, which helps improve the texture and avoids the gummy factor you get with some overnight oats recipes.

Oats and Blood Sugar Balance

I tested this recipe with my Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and got an excellent response! A score of 8 out of 10, peak of only 107 mg/dL, and zero minutes above target. Who says you can’t eat oats and enjoy balanced blood sugar?

Read more in Joanie's Balanced Bites below about why it works.

cgm data showing a stable response for cottage cheese overnight oats

Ingredient Notes

ingredients to make cottage cheese overnight oats

Cottage cheese — Feel free to use your favorite brand, milkfat percentage and curd size. Small curd, large, 2%, full fat, all work! I personally love the brands Good Culture and Nancy's for the extra rich texture.

Milk — Whatever you have! Whole milk, almond milk, 2%, they're all great.

Sweetener — I use my favorite allulose-based maple syrup because it doesn't raise blood glucose. Regular maple syrup or honey work too.

Oats — Old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats both work well. The rolled will keep a bit more of their firm texture. Don't use steel cut, though, as they will remain too tough to be enjoyable.

Greek yogurt swap — If cottage cheese isn't your thing, try my Greek yogurt overnight oats instead. Same base formula, tangier flavor!

Toppings — Have fun making this your own. I like to add an extra dollop of Greek yogurt for even more protein or add in nuts, seeds, or fruit. They're all great sources of additional protein, fat and fiber!

Blending Cottage Cheese

greek yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese

Some folks don't love the texture of cottage cheese and choose to blend it. Personally, I find busting out the blender a bit of a chore for something like this. If you're not into the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese are also very high in protein and can be swapped in at a 1 to 1 ratio in this recipe.

Also check out my Tiramisu Overnight Oats made with coffee and ricotta!

How to Make My Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats

The recipe card at the bottom makes one serving but doubles, triples, or multiplies easily.

overnight oats with mix ins before refrigerating

Mix the Base: Combine oats, cottage cheese, almond flour, syrup, milk, cinnamon, and salt in a jar or container along with the mix-ins if you're doing one of the variations. Stir until everything is combined.

overnight oats the next day, ready to eat

Refrigerate Overnight: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The oats will thicken as they absorb the liquid.

closeup of texture of overnight oats with cottage cheese

Stir and Serve: Give the oats a good stir. Add a splash of milk if they're thicker than you'd like. Then enjoy them straight-up or jazz them up with a dollop of yogurt, berries, seeds, nuts, fruit, chocolate chips...have fun!

Flavor Variations

The regular overnight oats are great as-is, but if you want to add some extra flavor (and micronutrients!) try out the Mixed Berry or Chocolate Peanut Butter versions.

Chocolate Peanut Butter

This one goes out to Mr Simon, our resident Reese’s fan. The powdered peanut butter adds protein and the cacao gives it both a great chocolate flavor with a boost of antioxidants! Top with extra chocolate and peanuts or a drizzle of peanut butter.

Add to base before refrigerating:

2 tablespoon powdered peanut butter (I use no sugar PBFit)
2 teaspoon cacao powder
Extra 2 tablespoon milk

Mixed Berry

Bright, fruity, and a little lighter than the chocolate version. The frozen berries break down overnight and swirl through the oats, and the chia seeds add extra thickness and a boost of fiber. Top with additional berries and yogurt if you like.

Add to base before refrigerating:

¼ cup frozen mixed berries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Extra ¼ cup milk

mixed berry cottage cheese overnight oats ready to eat

Storing Overnight Oats

Overnight oats keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in sealed jars or containers. They're best on days 1–3. The berry version will get softer as the berries continue to break down. If they thicken up too much, stir in a splash of milk before serving.

Joanie's Balanced Bites

Oats get a bad rap when it comes to blood sugar, but they're actually an outstanding source of fiber, which is key for blood sugar balance. They just need to be paired with protein and fat.

That's exactly what the cottage cheese and almond flour are doing here. The cottage cheese adds around 7 grams of protein per serving, plus the slower-digesting casein protein that keeps you full longer.

This works as a standalone breakfast. The protein and fat are built in. If you're extra hungry, a hard-boiled egg, fruit, or a scramble on the side adds even more staying power.

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Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats