8 New Refrigerator Oatmeal Flavors

Muesli, summer porridge, and refrigerator oatmeal are all names for this popular make-ahead, no-cook, healthy grab-and-go mason jar breakfast.

This is a follow-up post to one from a few months ago that included detailed instructions for making 6 different flavors of refrigerator oatmeal. Since that time, I've had many requests for new flavors from readers. In today's post you'll find recipes for 8 new flavors along with some additional tips and answers to FAQ's. 

The Basics + the 6 Original Recipes
If you are new to making refrigerator oatmeal, I encourage you to begin by reading my first post. It includes:

• step-by-step detailed photos for assembling these grab-and-go jars, along with tips on ingredients and supplies that are needed.
• recipes for my 6 original flavors of fridge oats:
  →Mango Almond
  →Blueberry Maple
  →Apple Cinnamon
  →Banana Cocoa
  →Banana Peanut Butter
  →Raspberry Vanilla. 

Learn the basics and view the original 6 recipes:

click to view detailed step-by-step photos, tips, and
the 6 original recipes for making refrigerator oatmeal 

8 New Flavor Recipes
Here are the new flavors that I've been enjoying recently. Some of them were inspired by Yummy reader suggestions--thanks for all who shared their ideas! 

Each of these recipes starts with the same basic ingredients: rolled oats, yogurt, chia seeds and milk as explained in the previous post. 

view basic supplies on Amazon:
1/2-pint mason jars, plastic lids for jars, chia seeds, rolled oats

Below are descriptions and links to the individual recipes for each flavor, along with nutritional information. Click on the big teal bar below each flavor and that links to the recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Mandarin Orange Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with canned mandarin oranges and orange marmalade. You may use chopped fresh oranges in place of the canned ones, if you prefer. (If you don't know how to section and cut fresh oranges, check out my previous post.)
236 calories, 4g fat, 53g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
♦♦♦view on Amazon: mandarin oranges, orange marmalade

View Mandarin Orange Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Refrigerator Oatmeal
If you like Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, you'll like this recipe. Flavored with cherries (fresh or frozen), honey, and chopped dark chocolate. I use a cherry pitter to make quick work of removing the cherry pits. Chop the chocolate so it's in small pieces but still chunky enough to bite into it. (You may also use chopped chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.)
274 calories, 8g fat, 55g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 9 
♦♦♦view on Amazon: cherry pitter

View Cherry Chocolate Chunk Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Mocha Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with cocoa powder, honey, and instant espresso powder (widely available in grocery stores; also on Amazon). 
207 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 7g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7 
♦♦♦view on Amazon:  instant espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder

View Mocha Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Pineapple Coconut Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with coconut milk beverage (plain or vanilla), honey, and pineapple (fresh, frozen, or canned). It's like having a pina colada for breakfast! 
198 calories, 5g fat, 43g carbs, 7g fiber, 10g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 6
♦♦♦view on Amazon: coconut milk beverage

View Pineapple Coconut Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with pureed pumpkin (I use the canned kind.), maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. (You can purchase pumpkin pie spice or make your own. Here's my recipe.)
216 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7 
♦♦♦view on Amazon: canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup

View Pumpkin Pie Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Peach Melba Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with peaches (fresh, frozen, canned), raspberry jam, and vanilla extract.
234 calories, 4g fat, 53g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 7
♦♦♦view on Amazon: raspberry spread, vanilla extract

View Peach Melba Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Cranberry Pecan Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with whole berry cranberry sauce (may substitute jellied), chopped pecans, and ground cloves. (You may purchase cranberry sauce, or make your own; here's my recipe.)
285 calories, 9g fat, 54g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 9
♦♦♦view on Amazon:  whole berry cranberry sauce, ground cloves, pecans

View Cranberry Pecan Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

Apricot Ginger Refrigerator Oatmeal
Flavored with dried apricots, crystallized ginger, almond extract and honey.
243 calories, 4g fat, 56g carbs, 8g fiber, 12g protein; Weight Watchers PtsPlus: 8
♦♦♦view on Amazon: crystallized ginger, almond extract

View Apricot Ginger Refrigerator Oatmeal Recipe

FAQs
There have been over 670 comments & questions (Yowzer!) on my original refrigerator oatmeal post. To save you the time of reading through all of them, I've answered some of the most frequently asked questions here. 

Can these jars of oatmeal be frozen? Yes, these freeze well. Prepare it in the jars as directed in the recipe, put on the lid, and freeze it. Be careful not to overfill the jars; 3/4 inch of space is needed at the top of the jar to allow for expansion when frozen (and avoid exploding jars!). Move frozen jars from the freezer to the fridge the night before, and your oatmeal should be thawed and ready to eat for breakfast. I've frozen them for up to a month. You may be able to freeze them longer than that, but I haven't personally tested it.

Can you heat them? Yes. Although the recipe is designed to be eaten cold, if you prefer, you can heat these jars of oatmeal. Remove the lid from the jar and heat in microwave for approx. 1 minute (assuming they aren't frozen) to take the chill off and warm it slightly. Microwave longer, if you prefer it hotter. Microwaves and heating times required may vary.

Do I have to make these in mason jars? No. You can use any container you like that holds at least 1 cup. Half pint (one cup) mason jars or containers are the perfect size to hold one full recipe (1 serving) and are convenient for a quick, grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Yummy readers have also recommended these plastic freezer jars and drinking glasses that come with lids.  (View on Amazon:  8-oz plastic freezer jars and 14 oz. glasses with lids)

Is this the same thing as muesli? Yes. I've heard from a number of readers from around the world who say this cold, soaked oatmeal is known by a variety of names: muesli, Beechers muesli, Birchermüesli, summer porridge, yogurt oats, and most likely more!

Can I make substitutions in the recipes? Sure, feel free to experiment. Although I haven't personally tested these, here are some suggestions of Yummy readers:

• substitute ground flax seeds for the chia seeds
• omit the chia seeds ( you may need to reduce the liquid a bit, since they absorb liquid as they soak)
• substitute regular plain or flavored yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (soy, coconut, rice) for Greek yogurt
• omit the yogurt (you may need to experiment with the amount of oats and liquid to achieve a consistency you like)
• substitute other liquids for the skim milk: coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, juice, etc. (this may change the flavor, but it can still be good with these substitutions--taste and make necessary adjustments to get it to your liking)
• substitute agave syrup for honey, or any sweetener you prefer
• substitute fruits (use fresh, frozen, dried, or canned); swap out different fruit flavors to create your own favorite variety
• Substitute quick, instant oats or steel-cut for rolled oats. The quick and instant oats aren't quite as healthy, but they'll still work just fine. Steel cut oats are much harder and don't soften as much when soaked, so the resulting texture is nuttier and chewier. Some have left comments indicating that they can use steel cut oats if they're pre-cooked, or if only a small quantity of raw steel-cut oats are mixed into the rolled oats.

Hope you enjoy these new flavors. Please leave a comment if you have additional tips or flavor combos to recommend. I love hearing from you.

Make it a Yummy Day!
Monica