Have dessert for breakfast with this easy birthday cake overnight oats recipe! Packed with over 30 grams of protein, it’s creamy, delicious, and takes just 5 minutes to prep.
In honor of my birthday today (yep, I’m a Valentine’s baby!), I thought it’d be fun to celebrate with birthday cake overnight oats. You all know I’m obsessed with overnight oats, so this feels like the perfect treat!
I already have my birthday cake baked oatmeal, but this version is perfect for when you want that sweet, cake-like flavor in an individual serving.
Not only does it look like a cupcake (especially with the sprinkles and a dollop of whipped cream on top!), but it tastes like one too. With classic cake flavors — vanilla, almond, and a hint of buttery sweetness— this creamy, protein-packed breakfast lets you have your cake and eat it too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes like cake – Thanks to the vanilla, almond, and butter extracts, these oats taste just like my healthy birthday cake and healthy vanilla cupcakes. And of course, we’re adding sprinkles — because they make everything more fun!
- No cooking required – Just mix, refrigerate, and wake up to a ready-to-eat breakfast.
- High-protein – With a mix of oats, Greek yogurt, and protein powder, these oats pack over 30 grams of protein for a filling start to your day!
- Perfect for meal prep – Double or triple this recipe so you have breakfast ready to go for days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this overnight oats recipe. I bet you already have everything in your kitchen right now!
- old-fashioned rolled oats – the base of the recipe! These soak up the liquid overnight, giving you the perfect creamy texture. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but be sure to grab certified gluten-free oats if needed to avoid contamination.
- unsweetened vanilla almond milk – for soaking the oats and creating the perfect consistency. I like using unsweetened almond milk, but feel free to use your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk like oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk. I would just recommend using an unsweetened milk as to not add too much extra sugar.
- plain Greek yogurt – adds creaminess, protein, and a little tang to balance the sweetness. I personally like using plain Greek yogurt since it’s the highest in protein and lowest in sugar.
- vanilla protein powder – helps boost the protein and amplifies that sweet, cake-like flavor. Any plant-based vanilla protein powder works. Nuzest and Truvani are two of my favorite brands.
- natural rainbow sprinkles – I used supernatural rainbow sprinkles. They’re free of artificial dyes and are gluten-free and vegan.
- chia seeds – adds extra fiber and gives these oats a thicker consistency,
- almond, vanilla and butter extracts – the secret to making these oats taste like cake! Almond extract gives that signature birthday cake flavor, and butter extract (which is totally optional) adds richness.
Easy Substitutions & Swaps
- Make them dairy-free/vegan: Use a dairy-free yogurt instead. I like this siggi’s Plain Plant Based Yogurt as it still has some protein.
- Want sweeter oats? I felt like the oats were plenty sweet with the protein powder and sprinkles, but if you want to add a sweetener feel free to add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey.
- Don’t have protein powder? You can skip the protein powder if you don’t have any on hand. Just reduce the milk to 3/4 cup otherwise your oats will be too liquidy.
How to Make Birthday Cake Overnight Oats
Just like with all my overnight oats recipes, this one takes only 5 minutes to prep. The hardest part if waiting for it to soak in the fridge overnight!
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a bowl or mason jar. Stir well to combine. Seal the container with a lid and place in the fridge overnight.
Step 2: Take the container out of the fridge the next morning and stir the mixture. You’ll notice that the oats soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more milk before serving. Enjoy!
Brittany’s Pro Tips!
- Use the right protein powder: I’ve only tested this recipe with plant-based protein powder (made from peas) and not all protein powders are the same! Pea protein absorbs more liquid than whey protein powder, so if you’re using a non-vegan protein powder, you may need to adjust the liquid ratio.
- In a rush? You should be able to get by with only letting the oats soak for 2 or so hours.
Meal Prep & Storage Tips
Overnight oats are great for meal prep. I’ll usually double, triple or quadruple this recipe for the week during my weekend meal prep so I have an easy and healthy breakfast ready to go throughout the week!
I like making and storing my overnight oats in wide mouth 16 oz mason jars. When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight oats should last for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
The combination of vanilla, almond, and butter extracts is the secret! Almond extract, in particular, gives it that classic birthday cake flavor.
A vanilla-flavored protein powder is ideal for that sweet, cake batter flavor. I used Truvani, but any plant-based protein powder will work. If using a whey or non-vegan protein powder, you’ll likely need less liquid since pea protein absorbs more.
Overnight oats tend to thicken as they sit. If they seem too dry or thick, simply stir in a splash of milk before eating to loosen them up.
Absolutely! While sprinkles are a must for the birthday cake effect, you can also top your oats with shredded coconut, white chocolate chips, fresh berries, or a drizzle of almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter for extra flavor and texture.
More Overnight Oats to Try
Check out all my full collection of oatmeal recipes!
