Tres Leches Overnight Oats are inspired by my favorite cake. The oats soak in three milks overnight, creating a healthy high-protein, high-fiber breakfast that tastes like dessert and keeps you full all morning.
Tres Leches Overnight Oats
Meet my new breakfast obsession! I’ve been eating these Tres Leches Overnight Oats on repeat for the past few weeks, I can’t get enough. As someone who always has a batch of overnight oats in the fridge, I knew that those sweet, creamy tres leches flavors would be perfect in a make-ahead breakfast. Inspired by the classic Latin American cake I grew up eating, this healthy oat version is packed with protein (26 grams) and fiber (8 grams) to keep you satisfied all morning.
Why I’ve Been Eating These Oats on Repeat
Tres Leches is my favorite cake, so I knew those sweet, creamy flavors would be perfect in overnight oats. I also wanted them to be high in protein without relying on gritty protein powder, so I used my favorite vanilla protein shake as the base along with Greek yogurt. A splash of evaporated milk, vanilla, chia seeds, cinnamon, oats, and just a touch of sweetened condensed milk give these oats that classic tres leches flavor. After one bite, they quickly became my new breakfast obsession.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar crash while still hitting your fiber and protein goals.
- No-cook breakfast: You don’t need to turn on the stove. The oats soak overnight in the liquid.
- Simple: Mix everything together, refrigerate it, and return hours later for a healthy treat.
- Excellent for meal prep: Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to feed your family breakfast all week.
What are tres leches overnight oats?
For this tres leches overnight oats breakfast, I used the same flavors as classic tres leches cake and created a high-protein overnight oats recipe. “Tres leches,” which means “three milks” in Spanish, is traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk or cream. This overnight oats version takes inspiration from those same creamy flavors and transforms them into a healthy, high-protein breakfast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
By swapping a few ingredients with higher-protein options, we can make these healthy tres leches overnight oats much more satisfying. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Nonfat plain Greek yogurt: You can use any type of Greek yogurt, but to maximize protein, buy one like Oikos Pro with 25 grams of protein.
- Vanilla protein shake gives these overnight oats a huge protein boost compared to regular milk. I used Fairlife Core Power Shake with 26 grams of protein and no added sugar.
- Milk: I used a tablespoon each of evaporated milk (thicker and creamier than regular milk) and condensed milk (also thick and creamy, but with added sugar).
- Flavor: Vanilla extract and cinnamon.
- Protein oats: I love Bob’s Red Mill Protein Oats because they contain only one ingredient (whole grain oat flakes) and have 60% more protein than regular oats.
- Seeds: Chia seeds are fantastic for increasing fiber, but if you want even more, I recommend basil seeds, which contain about 5 more grams of fiber per serving than chia.
- Sweetener: If you like your overnight oats sweeter, add a little monk fruit, which has zero calories.
- Topping: Add a pinch of cinnamon, coconut flakes, light whipped topping, and sliced strawberries to make them a bit sweeter and more decadent.
How to Make Tres Leches Overnight Oats
These easy tres leches overnight oats require only a few minutes of hands-on time. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable instructions.
- Mix everything together: Combine all the wet ingredients in a jar. Then, stir in the basil seeds, oats, and cinnamon. Add monk fruit or more condensed milk to make it sweeter.
- Refrigerate the oats overnight or for at least 6 hours until they’re creamy and thick.
- Add the toppings: Divide the oats into 2 bowls. If they’re too thick, stir in a little more milk or protein shake. Then, top with the coconut, cinnamon, whipped topping, and strawberries.
Variations
- Milk: Substitute evaporated light milk for 2% milk.
- Lower-protein alternatives: If you don’t want to use all the high-protein ingredients, you can make these overnight oats with 2% milk (instead of the protein shake), quick rolled oats, and regular nonfat Greek yogurt.
- Sweetener: Substitute monk fruit with stevia, honey, maple syrup, or granulated sugar.
- Toppings: All toppings are optional; if you don’t like or have one, feel free to skip it. Swap the strawberries for another berry, sliced bananas, or peaches, or add some toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 3 /4 cup
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In a mason jar or an airtight container, combine the wet ingredients; protein shake, yogurt, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla extract and mix well until smooth. Add the basil or chia seeds, oats and cinnamon and mix well. If you want it sweeter add more condensed milk or monk fruit.
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Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours, until thick and creamy.
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Divide in two serving dishes and top with light whipped topping, sliced strawberries, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and coconut flakes.
Last Step:
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This is best overnight, but I love it so much I’ve rushed it and eaten it after an hour in the fridge.
Unlike the cake, this is lightly sweetened. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
Serving: 3 /4 cup, Calories: 338 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 26 g, Fat: 8.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 17 mg, Sodium: 158.5 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 9.5 g
Meal Prep Tips
Since overnight oats need to sit for hours to become creamy, they are perfect for meal prep. Make them on a Sunday, and you’ll have breakfasts covered until Thursday!
- Double or triple the recipe, then store each serving in its own container or jar. Make sure each container can hold at least 2 cups.
- It’s best to add the toppings, especially the strawberries, before you eat.
- Eat them straight out of the fridge.
- Refrigerate up to 4 days.
FAQ
Protein powder will thicken the oats, so if you want to use it, you’ll need to add more milk. For this recipe, try using 2 tablespoons of protein powder and an extra ¼ cup of protein shake or evaporated milk.
Yes, you can substitute regular milk for a protein shake. Just remember that the protein content will be lower than what’s listed in the nutritional info below.
Overnight oats technically don’t have to soak all night. They need at least 6 hours to thicken and become creamy.
These tres leches overnight oats will keep for 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing them, as it will affect the texture.
