Strawberry Shortcake Vanilla Oats (Printable version)

Creamy oats combined with sweet strawberries and vanilla for a quick, nutritious start to your day.

# What You'll Need:

→ Oats Base

01 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup milk, dairy or unsweetened non-dairy
03 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
04 - 1 tablespoon chia seeds
05 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt

→ Strawberry Layer

08 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
09 - 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

→ Topping

11 - 2 tablespoons crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafer cookies
12 - 2 tablespoons whipped cream

# Directions:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine oats, milk, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir thoroughly until well combined and smooth.
02 - In a separate bowl, mix diced strawberries with sugar or honey and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to release juices and develop flavor.
03 - Divide oat mixture evenly between two jars or containers. Layer with macerated strawberries, alternating oat and strawberry layers for visual appeal and even distribution.
04 - Cover containers with lids and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. The oats will absorb liquid and develop a creamy texture.
05 - Gently stir the oats to recombine layers. Top with crushed graham crackers or vanilla wafer cookies and a dollop of whipped cream before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You prep everything in under 10 minutes and breakfast is literally waiting for you—no cooking, no excuses.
  • That strawberry layer macerated with lemon juice tastes so much fresher than you'd expect from something made the night before.
  • The texture contrast between creamy oats and those little graham cracker bits reminds your mouth why strawberry shortcake exists in the first place.
02 -
  • Don't skip the lemon juice on the strawberries—I learned this the hard way when a batch tasted oddly flat, and those few drops transformed it into something that tastes alive and fresh.
  • If you're making these more than a day ahead, keep the graham crackers completely separate and add them only when you're about to eat—they absorb moisture and lose their crisp if they sit in the jars.
03 -
  • Mix your milk and yogurt together first before adding oats—it helps them blend smoother and prevents lumps from forming.
  • If you use almond extract instead of vanilla (or in addition to it), use only half a teaspoon because it gets intense overnight and can overpower everything else.
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