High Protein Overnight Oats with Yoghurt (Skyr Recipe)

Overnight oats are the breakfast that makes itself. Five minutes in the evening, a jar in the fridge, and in the morning you grab it on your way out the door. The trouble is that a typical jar of oats and milk is mostly carbohydrate, and you can be hungry again by ten. The fix is simple: swap some of the milk for a thick, strained yoghurt.

Here is the short answer. For high protein overnight oats, mix 40 g rolled oats with 150 g skyr, a splash of milk and a spoon of chia seeds, then leave it in the fridge overnight. With Vars Skyr that jar works out to about 27 g of protein, before any toppings. Below is the recipe, the maths behind it, and how the yoghurt you pick changes the number.

The recipe: high protein overnight oats

Makes one jar. Prep 5 minutes, fridge at least 6 hours or overnight.

Ingredients

• 40 g rolled oats (about half a cup)

• 150 g Vars Skyr

• 80 ml milk

• 10 g chia seeds (about one tablespoon)

• A pinch of salt and a little cinnamon

• Optional: a teaspoon of honey, grated apple or a few drops of vanilla

Method

1. Put the oats, chia seeds, salt and cinnamon in a jar or container with a lid.

2. Add the skyr and the milk and stir well, scraping the bottom so no dry oats hide there.

3. Close the lid and leave it in the fridge overnight. The oats soften and the chia thickens everything.

4. In the morning, give it a stir. If it is thicker than you like, loosen it with a little more milk.

5. Add your toppings just before eating and enjoy it cold, straight from the jar.

Rolled oats such as Jungle Oats work well here because they hold their texture overnight. Skyr is thick enough that you need less liquid than with runny yoghurt, which keeps the jar creamy rather than soupy.

How much protein is in the jar?

We worked it out from label and database figures, so you can check every number:

• 40 g Jungle Oats: about 5.2 g protein (13.1 g per 100 g)

• 80 ml Clover full cream milk: about 3.0 g protein (3.7 g per 100 ml)

• 10 g chia seeds: about 1.7 g protein (16.5 g per 100 g, USDA)

• 150 g Vars Skyr: about 17 g protein (11.5 g per 100 g)

That adds up to roughly 27 g of protein in one jar, and the yoghurt supplies well over half of it. Which brings us to the most important choice in the recipe.

Which yoghurt gives the most protein in overnight oats?

We kept the oats, milk and chia the same (about 9.9 g of protein together) and only changed the 150 g of yoghurt. Here is what each one does to the total.

Yoghurt (150 g in the jar)	Protein per 100 g	Protein from 150 g	Whole jar, approx.
Vars Skyr	11.5 g	17.3 g	27 g
Greek yoghurt, plain, whole milk (USDA)	9.0 g	13.5 g	23 g
Clover Authentikos Double Cream Plain	5.5 g	8.3 g	18 g
Lancewood Greek Delight Double Cream Plain	5.2 g	7.8 g	18 g
Plain yoghurt, whole milk (USDA)	3.5 g	5.2 g	15 g

Vars Skyr gives the highest protein jar in our comparison, about 12 g more than the same recipe made with ordinary plain yoghurt. Brands change their recipes, so it is always worth checking the label on the tub in your hand.

Why skyr carries more protein

It comes down to straining. Think of it as a ladder:

1. Plain yoghurt: milk and cultures, not strained, so it keeps its whey and is fairly runny.

2. Greek style yoghurt: a thicker texture, but often made thick with added milk solids or thickeners rather than by straining. Read the label.

3. Strained Greek yoghurt: some of the whey is drained off, so more protein stays behind in every spoon.

4. Skyr: strained further still. More whey is removed, so the protein per 100 g goes up again.

The labels show the difference. Clover Authentikos lists milk solids including milk protein, a thickener (E1442) and preservatives. Lancewood Greek Delight lists milk protein concentrate, whey concentrate, caseinate, stabilisers and preservatives. Vars Skyr has two ingredients: skimmed milk and live cultures. No protein powder, no thickeners, no preservatives. The protein is there because of how long we strain it, not because something was added.

Where Vars Skyr fits in your mornings

We make Vars Skyr in small batches in our own kitchen in Kensington, Cape Town. A 150 g serving gives about 17 g of protein, and a 500 g tub holds 57.5 g, which is enough for three jars of overnight oats with a little left for a snack. Make three jars on Sunday evening and you have breakfast sorted until Wednesday.

With spring here and summer on the way, a cold breakfast makes more sense than a pot of hot porridge. Try these toppings:

• Sliced strawberries and a little lemon zest

• Grated apple, cinnamon and a few walnuts

• Banana and a teaspoon of peanut butter

• Mango or granadilla when they are in season

• Cocoa powder stirred in the night before, with berries on top

Want more ideas like this? See our high protein breakfast ideas for busy mornings, or our full comparison of which yoghurt has the most protein in South Africa.

Where to buy Vars Skyr

Order online at varsskyr.co.za for delivery across Cape Town, or choose a 4 week subscription so your fridge never runs out. You can also collect for free at Ladles of Love Dignity Kitchen in District Six or at our kitchen in Kensington.

In store you will find us at SPAR Cape Quarter (27 Somerset Road, Green Point), Giovanni's Deliworld (103 Main Road, Green Point), Sea Point SPAR, Palmyra Deli (43 Palmyra Road, Claremont), Alphen KWIKSPAR (Old Constantia Village, Constantia Main Road), Royal Ascot SuperSpar in Milnerton and the Oranjezicht City Farm Market. If you are picking up for the week ahead, the Saturday market and the Green Point stores are easy stops. Full details are on our where to buy page.

FAQ

Can you make overnight oats with yoghurt instead of milk?

Yes. You can use yoghurt for most or all of the liquid. With a thick yoghurt like skyr, a splash of milk helps the oats soften evenly, but the yoghurt does most of the work and adds most of the protein.

How long do overnight oats last in the fridge?

Recipe writer Laura Fuentes suggests up to about five days in an airtight container for oats made with yoghurt, or two to three days once fruit is mixed in. That is why we add fruit only in the morning.

Which yoghurt has the most protein for overnight oats?

In our comparison above, Vars Skyr has the most protein per 100 g at 11.5 g, ahead of plain whole milk Greek yoghurt at 9.0 g and the double cream Greek style yoghurts we checked at 5.2 g to 5.5 g.

Is skyr the same as Greek yoghurt?

They are close relatives. Both are strained, but skyr is strained further, which makes it thicker and higher in protein per 100 g. Many Greek style yoghurts in South Africa are thickened with added milk solids or stabilisers instead of straining. Our Greek yoghurt vs plain yoghurt guide explains the differences.

Do you eat overnight oats hot or cold?

Most people eat them cold, which is perfect for warm Cape Town mornings. You can warm them gently if you prefer, but skyr is at its creamiest cold.

Sources

• Open Food Facts: Jungle Oats, nutrition as sold per 100 g

• Clover Fresh Full Cream Milk, product page

• USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2707590): chia seeds

• USDA FoodData Central (FDC 171304): Greek yoghurt, plain, whole milk

• USDA FoodData Central (FDC 171284): plain yoghurt, whole milk

• Clover Authentikos Double Cream Plain Yoghurt 750 g, product page

• Lancewood Greek Delight Double Cream Plain Yoghurt, product page

• Laura Fuentes: How long do overnight oats last?

• Vars Skyr protein: 11.5 g per 100 g, from our product certificate