My apple pie overnight oats use apple cider as the base liquid instead of milk. That’s the move. Apple cider does the apple-flavor work most recipes try to get from sautéing the fruit, which means raw diced apple, cottage cheese, almond butter, and cinnamon are all you need overnight. No cooking, no protein powder, ready in 5 minutes of prep.
Apple cider + overnight oats, yes!
Apple overnight oats with apple cider as the base liquid taste deeper than the milk version, full stop! Cider does the apple-flavor work which means raw diced apple, cottage cheese, almond butter, and chia are all you need overnight. Cinnamon, nutmeg and five minutes, and we’re done.
I originally developed this recipe because I noticed that most overnight oats recipes using apples start by sautéing them. That’s fine if you want pie-filling-style apples, btw, but it defeats the point of a 5-minute no-cook breakfast.
So my version skips the stovetop entirely. The cider does the heavy lifting, and the diced raw apple goes in overnight, softens slightly in the fridge, and keeps a clean, crisp bite that cooked apples lose. The result reads more like apple cinnamon overnight oats than the cooked-pie version. If you only have milk, the recipe still works, but the apple flavor is noticeably less. Cider is what makes this taste like apple pie instead of cinnamon oatmeal. Truly.
Ingredients worth discussing
Full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the recipe card.
- Cottage cheese. Same approach as my pumpkin pie overnight oats. Blend it smooth first if curds bother you. After sitting overnight with almond butter and apple, you won’t notice them. The same cottage cheese base shows up in my cookie dough overnight oats, btw, which is where I started using it.
- Apple cider, not vinegar. This is the liquid base. Adds apple sweetness and a mild acidity. Look for unfiltered cider or the shelf-stable kind year-round. If you can’t find it, milk works but the apple flavor is noticeably less.
- Raw diced apple. About ½ medium apple, diced small. Crisp varieties only. Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala. Soft varieties (Red Delicious, McIntosh) go mealy overnight. The topping gets a second round of fresh apple at serving for brightness.
- Almond butter. Goes in overnight as a mix-in. Addsprotein and richness. Peanut butter works too.
TIPS & TRICKS
Shruthi’s top tips
- Use a crisp apple variety. Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala hold up overnight. Soft varieties go mealy.
- Apple cider, not vinegar. This is the liquid base, not a condiment. If you only have milk, it works but the apple flavor is noticeably less.
- Blend the cottage cheese first if curds bother you. After sitting overnight with nut butter and apple, most people won’t notice them.
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Add walnuts and fresh apple at serving — both soften if they sit in the oats.
How to make apple pie overnight oats
- Combine. Add the oats, cottage cheese, and apple cider to a jar or airtight container and stir until evenly mixed. Add the almond butter, chia seeds, diced apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well — the almond butter will be streaky, that’s fine. It incorporates as it sits.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.
- Serve. Top with fresh diced apple, chopped walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Eat cold or at room temperature.
How to serve high protein apple overnight oats
For a fuller breakfast, pair with a boiled egg or yogurt on the side. For a lighter option, serve with coffee or tea and keep it as-is. Different flavor mood, my tahini date overnight oats lean into a different kind of natural sweetness.
Variations
- Make it vegan. Swap cottage cheese for ½ cup plain unsweetened soy yogurt and add an extra tablespoon of chia.
- Caramelized apple version. If you want pie-filling-style apples, sauté ½ cup diced apple with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon brown sugar for 5 minutes, then layer on top at serving. Defeats the no-cook angle but tastes like dessert.
- Higher protein version. Add 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds and double the almond butter. The cottage cheese already lands these as high protein apple overnight oats. This pushes further.
Store in the fridge up to 3 days. Add toppings fresh each morning. Best cold or at room temperature.
Apple Pie Chia Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Base:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup apple cider
Mix-ins:
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ cup apple, diced small (about ½ medium apple)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Toppings
- ¼ cup apple, diced
- 2 tablespoons walnuts, roughly chopped
- pure maple syrup, for drizzling
Instructions
- Combine the oats, cottage cheese, and apple cider in a jar or airtight container. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Add the almond butter, chia seeds, diced apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well to distribute — the almond butter will be streaky, that’s fine. It incorporates as it sits.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Before serving, top with diced apple, chopped walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Eat cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Blend the cottage cheese smooth before mixing if you prefer no visible curds.
- Apple cider (not apple cider vinegar) is the liquid here — it adds a subtle apple sweetness to the base. Substitute milk if you can’t find it.
- Keeps refrigerated up to 3 days. Add toppings fresh each morning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
