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Overnight oats are an unlikely trendy food. It’s like if gruel was suddenly cool. It’s mush. In fact, one of the most popular overnight oats brands out there is straight up called Mush. Oh yeah, there are overnight oats brands now. You can find them in the dairy aisle near the yogurt. And there are lots of them. Because we are too busy and can’t be bothered to make our own cold glop. 

Related: Best Instant Oatmeal Flavors 

You might think all premade overnight oats taste the same—but you would be wrong. (It’s okay to be wrong! That’s how we learn! Don’t be sad!) Anyway, there are so many flavors out there and not all of them work—some of them taste quite bad (please don’t pair coconut milk with artificial peach, brands). We tried nearly 20 different containers of overnight oats (including chocolate overnight oats, banana overnight oats, and apple cinnamon overnight oats) from three different overnight oats brands (Mush overnight oats, Brekki overnight oats, and Trader Joe’s overnight oats) and only six overnight oats flavors made the cut. Here they are, in all their gloopy glory.

Best Chocolate

Made with almond milk, this dairy-free batch of overnight oats tastes like deep, dark chocolate. It’s not super-sweet, but instead has that bitter dark chocolate thing going on. Still, it does feel like you’re eating chocolate pudding in the morning. It’s super creamy. It’s the grown-up way to start your day with chocolate and the best chocolate overnight oats we tried.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Peanut Butter

I had high hopes for Mush overnight oats, but most of their offerings were super watery. This one, though, is much less watery and much more creamy. I think that’s because it’s made with oat milk rather than almond milk or coconut milk, like some of the other Mush overnight oats. It’s extremely flavorful—no bland oats here. It is faithful to the promise of its label; it tastes like slightly salty peanut butter and sweet chocolate. It is definitely decadent, but it’s sweetened with coconut sugar and dates rather than standard sugar.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Apple Cinnamon

Make sure you mix these premade overnight oats up—the apples are on the bottom. There are also crunchy almonds in the mix, which add some much needed texture to the mush. Once you mix everything up, it comes together to taste like the inside of an apple breakfast bar. It’s not too sweet, it’s creamy and warming and hearty. These apple cinnamon overnight oats are definitely the best overnight oats to eat while admiring some autumnal foliage (or the ever-blossoming flowering trees, as is the case in Sporked’s SoCal home). 

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Plain

The OG Brekki overnight oats aren’t just plain old oats. They’re mixed with almonds and ancient grains and just a touch of sweetness. Pick up these premade overnight oats if you’re all about customization. It’s a perfect blank canvas for things like seasonal fruit like berries or cooked apples, or nut butters, or tiny chocolate chips. It’s creamy. It’s yummy. It almost took the top spot as the best overnight oats, tbh, but it’s just a little too one note to claim that title.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Almond Butter

While I did not enjoy Trader Joe’s overnight oats flavored with vanilla or pumpkin spice, I was taken by this extremely thick and creamy blend. If you’re not interested in actually seeing the oats in your overnight oats, then pick up a few of these Trader Joe’s overnight oats. The oats seem to have been pureed a bit, so you’re eating more of a breakfast pudding than cold oatmeal. Don’t worry, though, there’s still some textural variety thanks to the chia seeds, which pop and crunch in your mouth. It’s super almondy and even a little salty with the sweet. I will definitely be buying these again.

Credit: Merc / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

The best overnight oats we tasted are these banana overnight oats from Brekki. Fake banana flavor is never my jam, but these banana overnight oats taste like real, actual banana flavor—complete with that touch of acidity missing from fake banana flavor. The overnight oats themselves are hearty and creamy with little bits of crunchy almonds. It ends with a delicious brown sugar flavor—though I didn’t detect a ton of maple. But that’s okay. It doesn’t need it. It’s all about the banana. It’s like banana bread and overnight oats had a tasty baby you could pop into your bag and eat in the car. These are the best premade overnight oats to buy and, judging by the sheer number of winning products on this list, Brekki is the best overnight oats brand overall. Congrats, Brekki! Thanks for the cold, delicious gruel.

Related: Best Rolled Oats for DIY Overnight Oats

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Other premade overnight oats we tried: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin, Mush Peach, Mush Strawberry, Mush PB&J, Mush Blueberry, Brekki Blueberries, Brekki Vanilla Cinnamon, Mush Apple Cinnamon, Mush Dark Chocolate, Mush Vanilla Bean, Trader Joe’s Vanilla, Mush Maple Cinnamon 

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