Ube Overnight Oats

It’s not hard to see why people are falling in love with it. Not only does it LOOK pretty - as a vibrant purple food - but it tastes great AND is super healthy.

In terms of flavour, ube has a sweet, sort of a lightly nutty, vanilla-y kind of flavour, if that makes sense.

It works really well in my Ube White Chocolate Fudge recipe from back in 2021. (Yay! Ahead of a trend!)

In terms of nutrition, it’s considered a superfood on account of its high antioxidant content.

As you may have guessed just from looking at the stuff, it’s loaded with anthocyanins. It’s also a great source of potassium and vitamin C (another antioxidant!)

It’s generally used as a sweet, dessert item, rather than like an actual sweet potato. You’ll see it mashed, dried up and powdered, made into jams, and more.

If you find yourself in a Filipino grocery store, you’re likely to see bright purpler candies, baked goods, and other snack foods featuring this tuber.

Anyway, I’ve recently had to focus on getting a lot more antioxidants into my diet... and I figured ube would work really well with my overnight oats obsession.

I wasn’t wrong! This Ube High Protein Overnight Oats recipe is super simple, and has a LOT of great ube flavour. It’s also gorgeous, and packed with those nutritional benefits.

Pretty much the perfect make-ahead breakfast, IMHO!

Anyway, let’s look what you’ll need to have on hand, to make a batch!

Ingredients

For the most part, the ingredients in this ube overnight oats recipe are pretty simple - you’ll either have them on hand, or won’t have a hard time finding them in any grocery store.

There are two more specialty ingredients, though - so it might be time for a field trip to your favourite Asian supermarket.

Anyway - as always - I have a few ingredient notes for you:

Mashed Ube

You can buy pre-mashed ube, or make your own.

I tend to buy it already cooked and mashed, in frozen bricks. I usually get it at Seafood City, but I’ve also seen it at other local Asian grocers. One brick is usually a few dollars - $4 or so - and will make probably 8 servings of this recipe.

After I thaw it and measure off what I need, I put the rest in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or so - I just plan to use it up in that time.

If you want to cook and mash your own ube, I recommend roasting it - it gives you the best flavour, without adding a ton of water to the mix.

Ube Extract

Ube Flavouring Extract is an optional ingredient, but a fun one.

Not only does it boost the nutty, vaguely vanilla-ish flavour of the mashed Ube, it adds an INTENSE purple colour to your overnight oats. Always fun!

Like the mashed ube, you can generally find this ingredient in larger Asian grocery stores - I get it at Seafood City.

Rolled Oats

This ube overnight oats recipe uses Rolled Oats, which can also be labeled as old fashioned rolled oats, or even just old-fashioned oats.

For best results, stick to rolled oats. It really is the best type of oats for this making this ube overnight oatmeal!

Two things to note here:

1. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you are avoiding gluten for any reason.

Oats themselves are gluten free, but they’re also HIGHLY likely to be cross-contaminated with wheat, if it’s not certified that they’re NOT.

2. Steel-cut oats, and any form of quick oats - AKA instant oats - aren’t going to work the same way in this recipe, as they all behave differently.

Because they’re processed and cut differently, they’ll take up liquid differently, for the same measure of oats. Steel cut oats will have a more tough texture, and quick cooking oats will make a mushy overnight oats.

Vanilla Flavored Protein Powder

This recipe uses Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein Powder - it adds sweetness AND negates the need for vanilla extract!

Personally, I keep a big canister of Revolution Nutrition's High Whey in Vanilla Cake on hand at all times, and use it in a TON of my recipe - baked goods, beverages, etc.

Use whatever vanilla protein powder that you like to drink, and fits your macros.

If you use a plant-based protein powder / vegan protein powder, this can be a vegetarian or vegan overnight oats recipe - you’ll just want to be sure you’re using a plant-based collagen powder. (Or you can skip it entirely.)

Unsweetened Coconut Milk

While Unsweetened Almond Milk has been my milk of choice for years now, I prefer to use coconut milk in this Ube Overnight Oatmeal recipe.

Both are great dairy-free options now that I can no longer handle cow’s milk, and it’s a great option when trying to keep low carb.

The difference between the two - when used in this recipe - is subtle, but I find the coconut adds a little something. When it comes down to it, though... depending on your macros, you can use pretty much any kind of milk in this recipe.

As far as dairy-free milk goes, Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, and Macadamia Milk are all good options. Sometimes you can even find a soy milk with added protein!

Almond and coconut are the most neutral / complementary tasting options, though - so just know that the other plant milk varieties may change the overall flavour of your overnight oats a bit.

Anyway, beyond the non-dairy milk options, regular milk works, too - just a bit higher carb.

You can use whatever you like, but I’d recommend at least 2% fat, for texture reasons. Whole milk is great... I find 1% / skim milk to be too watery, IMHO.

Chia Seeds

Each serving of this high protein overnight oats uses a tablespoon of chia seeds, which serves a few purposes.

First of all, it absorbs some of the milk and gives the overnight oats the best texture, IMHO. Kind of a creamy consistency that you don’t really get when you don’t use them.

They also add a little more protein, some heart-healthy fatty acids, and fiber, well as some minerals and antioxidants. A great ingredient, overall!

Collagen Peptides

This one is optional, but I like to add a scoop of Unflavored Collagen Peptides Powder , as an easy way to give my overnight oats a boost of extra protein.

If you’re not particularly concerned about adding additional protein and don’t have any collagen on hand, you can feel free to skip it.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Plain Greek Yogurt
Honey
Salt

... I just don’t have anything else to add, as far as these last few ingredients go.

How to Make Ube Overnight Oats

The full recipe - with the complete ingredient list - is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here is the visual walk through with step-by-step instructions:

For each mason jar:

Measure ube, yogurt protein powder, chia seeds, collagen, honey, ube extract (if using), and salt into the jar - or another airtight container.

Stir with a fork until well mixed.

Finally, add the rolled oats to the jar, mix to combine. Cover and chill overnight.

Notes

For best results, serve within 3 days - and stir again before eating!

Nutritional information may vary slightly based on differences between protein powder brands.

More Protein Powder Breakfast Recipes!

Looking for more protein packed breakfast recipes? I’ve got you covered! (And hey, many are low carb, also!)

Apple Cinnamon High Protein Overnight Oats
Apple Cinnamon Protein Pancakes
Camping Pancake Mix
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Cranberry Orange High Protein Overnight Oats
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
High Protein Overnight Oats
Peanut Butter and Banana High Protein Overnight Oats
Protein Banana Nut Bread
Pumpkin Overnight Oats
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
Raspberry Protein Pancakes
Strawberry Protein Pancakes