Tiramisu Overnight Oats

Cold coffee flavored oats, covered with plant-based yogurt and dusted with cacao powder make a delicious breakfast recipe known as Tiramisu Overnight Oats. The cold and creamy coffee-flavored rolled oats are a true indulgence, but the combination of flax seeds, cacao powder, oats, yogurt, and vanilla is what truly makes this a great recipe to kick-start your day.

Tiramisu Overnight Oats

I don’t drink coffee, yet I can’t get enough of these Tiramisu Overnight Oats. That says something. The combination of ingredients and the cold oats makes this a true delight. This week, I have made this recipe more often than my beloved Raspberry Oatmeal.

Since I can’t get over how much I like these oats, I had to share this recipe with you. Even if you don’t want to consume any caffeine, you can still make this recipe. Scroll down for tips on how to make this caffeine-free without missing that delicious coffee flavor tiramisu is known for.

It’s the combination, texture, and cold temperature that make this tiramisu overnight oats recipe such as success.

Cold oats + freshly brewed espresso + cacao + smooth cold yogurt = breakfast in minutes which taste like a million bucks
Three small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cacao powder in a row on white marble

What are Overnight Oats?

Overnight oats are a cold porridge recipe. Instead of cooking the oats, they are soaked in either water or milk. It does not necessarily need to soak overnight, but for convenience, most people make this porridge the night before to enjoy in the morning.

To create overnight oats, you can soak either chia seeds, flax seeds, or rolled oats (or a combination) in a liquid, such as milk, in the fridge. Usually, other ingredients will also be added to make the porridge even more delicious such as a sweetener or vanilla.

The next day you have a delicious, thick creamy porridge. The cold porridge can be eaten as is, or you can add nuts, seeds, fruit, dried fruit, nut butter, or yogurt to the overnight oats.

Two small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cacao powder on white marble

How to make Tiramisu Overnight Oats (step-by-step with pictures)

Soak the rolled oats in coffee and a plant-based milk
This breakfast recipe could not be any simpler. The bottom layer is a combination of rolled oats, freshly brewed coffee, flax seeds, vanilla extract, rum extract, plant-based milk, salt, and maple syrup. All you have to do is add the ingredients to a jar or bowl, stir to combine and keep in the fridge overnight or for at least an hour.

Dry and wet ingredients for tiramisu overnight oats mixed together in a white bowl on a white backdrop

Serve with a layer of yogurt and cacao powder
The soaking will turn the rolled oats into the creamiest coffee-flavored oats ever. The next layer is a simple layer of vanilla-flavored plant-based soy yogurt. If you can get your hands on lightly flavored and sweetened vanilla yogurt, go for that option. The yogurt will add a bit of that tang to this recipe. 

A small bowl with yogurt and a small plate with cacao powder on a white backdrop
Two small jars with a layer of overnight tiramisu oats and a layer of yogurt on white marble

This recipe would not be complete without a generous dusting of cacao powder.

If you can’t be bothered to make the fancy-looking layers in the early morning hours, don’t. Add the yogurt on top of the oats and dust with cacao powder. It will be just as delicious and a genuinely speedy (on-the-go) breakfast.

This recipe is a delicious, nutritious and easy way to start your day. 

Please scroll down to the end of this post, where you will find a recipe card with all the details on how to make these tiramisu overnight oats.

Why you will love these Tiramisu Overnight Oats

  • This breakfast recipe is convenient since you can make it the night before in literally minutes.
  • Coffee + porridge is pure bliss if you crave coffee in the morning and have no time to make your breakfast.
  • Breakfast tasting like tiramisu: do I need to say more?
  • While this breakfast recipe sounds more like a dessert, it is a pretty nutritious plant-based breakfast made with wholesome ingredients.
  • Whether you are a tiramisu lover, a coffee lover, or an oat porridge lover, you will love this recipe. And if you are all three, you are in for a treat!
  • If you are gluten-free, you can make this recipe easily gluten-free by ensuring your oats are gluten-free.
  • You can still make this recipe even if you don’t like to consume caffeine (see below).

Ingredients Tiramisu Overnight Oats

With only 10 ingredients, you can make this recipe and indulge. You might have all these ingredients already in your kitchen pantry. Here’s what you will need for these delicious tiramisu oats.

Ingredients for tiramisu overnight oats in small bowls on a white backdrop

Rolled oats
Are the base for this recipe and serve as the ladyfinger biscuits in original tiramisu recipes. For this recipe, it doesn’t matter whether you go for the big rolled oats or the small rolled oats. The bigger rolled oats will keep their texture more after soaking than the small rolled ones. You can’t use steel-cut oats for this recipe as we are not cooking the oats. 

Ground flax seeds
Not only will these flax seeds add a boost of nutrition to your breakfast, but they also will bind the oats a bit better, making them rich and creamy.

Espresso
There is no tiramisu without that essential and typical coffee flavor. You can use a freshly brewed hot cup of espresso or mix up some instant coffee powder with how water.

Plant-based milk
Together with the coffee, the milk will be soaked up by the oats and ground flax seeds, turning it into a delicious creamy consistency.

Plant-based vanilla yogurt
Vanilla-flavored yogurt adds a bit of sweetness of tang to this recipe. I’m not going to say it serves as mascarpone in traditional tiramisu recipes, but it’s close enough for a quick breakfast recipe.

Sea salt
Brings out all the flavors in this recipe.

Maple syrup
Tiramisu is a sweet recipe, so to add sweetness to these tiramisu oats, add a sweetener such as maple syrup.

Vanilla extract
All sweet dessert-like recipes only get better with a hint of vanilla, especially in combination with coffee and cacao powder.

Almond extract or rum extract
Both will make this recipe extra delicious. If you don’t like anything alcohol/rum-flavored (in the morning), I can highly recommend adding almond extract.

Cacao powder
Dust the top layer with a generous amount of cacao powder for that final tiramisu flavor. 

Substitutions

While this recipe is pretty straightforward, a few substitutions are possible to make this recipe truly your favorite.

While traditional tiramisu requires (freshly brewed) espresso, this is a breakfast recipe, so you can make it your own. You can use caffeine-free coffee or a coffee replacement such as Dandy Blend.

The flax seeds help the oats bind better to the liquids in this recipe, but you can easily use chia seeds or even omit the flax seeds. Especially if you are using the bigger rolled oats, you might not need to add flax seeds or chia seeds to this recipe.

This recipe is better with a sweetener, but you don’t have to use maple syrup. You can use any syrup-based sweetener for this recipe, such as date syrup. The syrup consistency adds an interesting creamy texture to this recipe.

I’m currently trying out a version with blackstrap molasses. If you feel like your vanilla yogurt is already sweet enough, you can try to skip the sweetener altogether.

Any plant-based milk is a good option for this recipe, such as soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, hemp milk, or almond milk. You might want to be careful with coconut milk, as coconut can be a bit overpowering in terms of flavor in this recipe.

A traditional tiramisu recipe contains Marsala wine and rum. While this is great for a dessert, I wanted to keep things a bit more modest for breakfast. I have found that both almond extract and rum extract give that kick to elevate this recipe.

Instead of vanilla soy yogurt, you can use unsweetened soy yogurt and stir in some more maple syrup and a drop of vanilla extract.

Two small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cocoa powder on white marble with a hand holding a spoon into one jar

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use instant coffee powder to replace the coffee? Yes, you can. Make the coffee as you usually do, so combine hot water with the instant coffee. Use the same amount as freshly brewed coffee in this recipe.

I don’t drink coffee. Can I make this caffeine-free? There are two options to make this recipe caffeine-free. Anything with a coffee flavor will be a good option. So, caffeine-free coffee or a good (strong) coffee replacement such as Dandy Blend, or chicory root powder. 

Can I heat the oats? You can prepare the oats with the same ingredients on the stove and not place them in the fridge to soak. Serve it then with cold yogurt. It will not be like a traditional tiramisu recipe, but some people love the contrast between hot and cold. So give it a try.

How long can I store overnight oats in the fridge? In general, you can keep overnight oats in the refrigerator sealed in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you want to keep these oats longer than one night in the fridge, I recommend adding the yogurt before serving so the porridge will not become mushy. 

Can I use any other oats than rolled oats? Rolled oats are the easiest and have the best consistency for this recipe. Steel-cut oats need to be cooked, so these are not ideal for overnight oats recipes. Instant oats or small rolled oats might be a good option for you. You will notice that they will need less time when soaking these oats. They will also have a much runnier consistency after soaking compared to bigger rolled oats. 

How do I make more for a meal prep? You can double or triple the recipe and prepare everything in a bowl. The recipe card shows the recipe for one portion, but I doubled the recipe in the video and made two portions (divided over three small jars).

What if my oats are too runny or too dry? You can either add more milk or oats and stir this through the mixture to adjust the porridge to your liking. 

Two small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cocoa powder on white marble with a hand holding a spoon scooping up some oats and yogurt

Final Tips

If you eat gluten-free, ensure that your oats are indeed gluten-free.

The recipe below is for one portion with 60 grams of rolled oats, but that is my personal recommendation.

If you want to have perfect separated layers and flavors, add the yogurt only the following day before serving.

Bigger rolled oats (jumbo oats) are the best for this recipe because of their texture. They have a beautiful thicker texture and do a great job soaking up all the milk and coffee. Instant oats, porridge oats, or thinly cut rolled oats can turn this recipe into complete mush.

More oat breakfast recipes:

If you make this tiramisu overnight oats recipe, let me know. Take a photo and tag #thegreencreator @thegreencreator on Instagram or Facebook.

Two small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cacao powder on white marble with a gold teaspoon behind it
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Two small jars with tiramisu overnight oats dusted with cacao powder on white marble with a gold teaspoon next to it

Tiramisu Overnight Oats (vegan)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Bianca
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Total Time: 10
  • Yield: 1 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Fridge
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Cold coffee flavored oats, covered with plant-based yogurt and dusted with cacao powder make a delicious breakfast recipe known as Tiramisu Overnight Oats.


Ingredients

Scale

OAT LAYER

YOGURT LAYER

  • 3 tablespoons plain soy yogurt or vanilla soy yogurt

optional: add 1 teaspoon maple syrup and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if you prefer (if you are using unsweetened plain soy yogurt)

FOR SERVING

  • 1/2 teaspoon cacao powder for serving

Instructions

Use a jar or bowl to prepare the oats (depending on how much you make). If you double the recipe, use a bowl. Add the rolled oats, ground flax seeds, salt, rum- or almond extract, vanilla extract, maple syrup, plant-based milk, and espresso to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to soak overnight or for at least one hour.

The next day, give the oats another stir and serve in a smaller jar/a bowl with a layer or multiple layers of plant-based yogurt.

Start layering with the soaked oat mixture. Then the yogurt and more oats and yogurt if you wish. For a quick breakfast, serve half oats and half yogurt.

Dust the top yogurt layer with a generous layer of cacao powder.

Serve immediately.


Notes

If you use jumbo rolled oats, you can keep these overnight oats in the fridge sealed in an airtight container for up to 4 days until ready to be served.

Espresso is preferred because it’s strong and gives a deep flavor, but you can also make this caffeine-free.

Instead of vanilla soy yogurt, you can use unsweetened soy yogurt and stir in some more maple syrup and a drop of vanilla extract.

Make it gluten-free by choosing gluten-free oats.

Double or triple the recipe to make multiple jars overnight oats for the upcoming days.

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