Bright and tangy, naturally sweetened lemon poppy seed overnight oats are a delicious and healthy make ahead breakfast to wake up to with just a few simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes of prep time! (gluten-free, vegan option)

If you're a lemon lover, rejoice! You're going to love these lemon poppy seed overnight oats! Inspired by lemon poppy seed muffins, these overnight oats are filled with tons of lemon flavor, poppy seeds, and a hint of almond extract for a healthy breakfast reminiscent of your favorite bakery treat, but without the baking.

These overnight oats came about after I impulse bought a few too many lemons (Meyer, pink, and regular lemons - why so many? I don't know.) and needed to use them all up. Cue all the lemon things! So I decided to put them to work in a healthy make ahead breakfast that's quickly become a new favorite.

Why You'll Love These Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats

They're bursting with lemon flavor! They taste amazing, just like a lemon poppy seed muffin, but cool, creamy and dreamy.
They're easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients, all you have to do is stir and wait -no baking required! They're perfect for meal prep.
They're a healthy breakfast or snack. Loaded with filling fiber and protein thanks to rolled oats and Greek yogurt, plus a little healthy fat from chia seeds, and naturally sweetened with just a hint of maple syrup, these overnight oats provide lasting energy without a blood sugar spike.

How To Make Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats

First, zest the lemon. I like to use a microplane zester. Then squeeze the juice.
Add the yogurt, milk, lemon juice, zest, almond extract, and maple syrup to a jar or other container with a lid and whisk or stir with a fork to combine.
Add the remaining ingredients: chia seeds, poppy seeds and oats. Stir, or close the lid and shake to combine.
Refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours) to let the oats soak up the liquid.
Enjoy!

Tips For Making The Best Lemon Poppy Seeds Overnight Oats

Make sure your jar is big enough, so you don't make a huge mess! I like to use a 16 oz mason jar.
When zesting the lemon, make sure to only get the outer yellow portion. The white will be bitter, and you don't want that.
Don't squeeze the lemon juice directly into the jar. Lemons tend to have tons of seeds, and it will cause a lot of frustration trying to fish them out if you've already added the yogurt and milk.
Sweeten to taste with maple syrup. I like mine less sweet, so I use 1 tsp. If you like a little more sweetness, use 2 tsp.
If the oats are too thick in the morning, add a little more milk and stir to thin them out just a bit.

Recipe Variations

For vegan option, use your favorite plant-based yogurt and milk.
For nut-free, omit the almond extract.
For gluten-free, make sure you use certified gf oats.
If you don't have chia seeds, you can use flax seeds, hemp seeds, or just leave them out!

For more healthy and delicious overnight oat recipes and tips on ingredient swaps, head to my post about How To Make Overnight Oats Out Of Anything.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 0 min
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Category: breakfast
Method: no cook
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup milk of choice
2 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 med lemon)
1 tsp lemon zest
½ tsp almond extract
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup (I use 1)
½ tsp chia seeds
½ tsp poppy seeds
½ cup rolled oats (certified gf if necessary)

Instructions

In a 16 oz jar or other container with a lid, whisk yogurt, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, almond extract, and maple syrup.
Stir in chia seeds, poppy seeds, and oats.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
If the oats are too thick in the morning, add a little more milk as needed.

Notes

Make sure your jar is big enough, so you don't make a huge mess! I like to use a 16 oz mason jar.
When zesting the lemon, make sure to only get the outer yellow portion. The white will be bitter, and you don't want that.
Don't squeeze the lemon juice directly into the jar. Lemons tend to have tons of seeds, and it will cause a lot of frustration trying to fish them out if you've already added the yogurt and milk.
Sweeten to taste with maple syrup. I like mine less sweet, so I use 1 tsp. If you like a little more sweetness, use 2 tsp.
If the oats are too thick in the morning, add a little more milk and stir to thin them out just a bit.
For vegan option, use your favorite plant-based yogurt and milk.
For nut-free, omit the almond extract.
For gluten-free, make sure you use certified gf oats.
If you don't have chia seeds, you can use flax seeds, hemp seeds, or just leave them out!