Masala Chai Overnight Oats
Cozy masala chai overnight oats with steeped black tea, bloomed ginger and cardamom, and creamy rolled oats. A no-cook, make-ahead breakfast ready cold from the fridge or warmed like a morning bowl.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mason jars or airtight bowls
- Fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
For the chai base
- 2 cups milk dairy or plant milk
- 2 teaspoons loose black tea Assam or CTC, or 2 strong tea bags
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 4 green cardamom pods lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick small, or pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds optional
- 1 clove optional
- pinch black pepper optional
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt thick, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup or jaggery, to taste
- pinch fine salt
For the oats
- 1 cup rolled oats old-fashioned; certified gluten-free if needed
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed optional
For serving
- 2 tablespoons pistachios chopped
- pinch saffron strands optional
- pinch ground cardamom optional, for topping
Instructions
Bloom and steep the chai base
- In a small saucepan, warm the milk with ginger, crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon, and optional fennel, clove, or pepper over gentle heat. Do not boil.
- Add the black tea leaves or tea bags, turn off the heat, cover, and steep 3 to 5 minutes until the milk is amber and smells like chai.
- Strain out the tea and whole spices. Let the chai milk cool to room temperature.
Mix and chill
- Whisk the yogurt, sweetener, and salt into the cooled chai milk until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness and spice.
- Stir in rolled oats, chia seeds, and optional ground flax until coated. Rest 5 minutes, then stir again.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, until thick and spoonable.
Serve
- Stir, loosen with a splash of milk if needed, and top with pistachios, saffron, or extra cardamom. Serve cold or warm gently.
Notes
Spice strength: make the warm base taste slightly stronger than a drinking cup of chai; chilling and overnight soaking mellow the spices.
Caffeine: use decaf black tea or rooibos for a caffeine-free jar with the same spice profile.
Shortcut: warm milk with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons chai masala per two servings, steep tea, strain, and proceed if you skip whole spices.
Stored airtight in the fridge, keeps up to 4 days; a fresh pinch of cardamom or drizzle of honey brightens day-three jars.
Vegan swap: use plant milk, skip yogurt and add a spoon of coconut cream for richness, sweeten with maple or jaggery.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!