Cookie dough for breakfast? As a dessert-loving dietitian, I turned everyone's favorite guilty pleasure into a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast dessert. These cookie dough overnight oats hit all the marks as a decadent sweet treat, energizing breakfast, and a healthy way to satisfy your cookie dough craving.
As a registered dietitian with a massive sweet tooth, I've probably made this exact recipe a few dozen times over the past year. It's my go-to when I want a sweet breakfast that actually keeps me full and energized, not one that leaves me reaching for a snack an hour later.
Creating recipes like this one is kind of my thing: taking dessert flavors and building them into something nutrient-dense enough to start your day on the right foot. I originally created this recipe in May of 2025, and it's just as good now as it was then! If you love sweet treats that leave you feeling energized, you'll want to make tiramisu overnight oats and cookies and cream overnight oats next!
High-protein chocolate chip cookie dough overnight oats taste like a thick, sweet cookie dough batter but with all the nutrients you need for a balanced breakfast that will stick with you all morning long!
If you've been searching for an overnight oats recipe without yogurt, this is THE ONE. Using cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt and cashew butter in this cookie dough overnight oat recipe adds tons of protein and a rich, buttery flavor, and gives it a thick, doughy texture that's just like real cookie dough.
Aside from the 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber in these overnight oats (which I love!), they're also way lower in added sugars than real cookie dough. The only added sugars you'll find are those from a tablespoon of maple syrup and the chocolate chips.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It tastes exactly like cookie dough. I’m not kidding! Blending cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt gives it a thick, extra-doughy texture, while the flavor is sweet and slightly buttery from the cashew butter.
- Each serving has 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber to help you feel full and satisfied throughout the morning.
- It’s such an easy high-protein breakfast meal prep recipe. You can easily double or triple this recipe and portion it out for an easy breakfast on the go all week long. I have a whole collection of overnight oat recipes if you're looking for more flavors!
- It works as a breakfast or a sweet and energizing snack! I like portioning this recipe into two smaller servings to enjoy as an afternoon snack or even a bedtime sweet treat to satisfy my sweet tooth!
Ingredients
- Rolled oats: Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, which slows down the digestion of sugar and helps you feel full. You can use quick oats if you’d like, but the texture won’t be as chewy.
- Milk: I like using ultra-filtered skim milk to add extra protein and creaminess, but any type of milk will work!
- Cottage cheese: Most overnight oats use yogurt, but cottage cheese gives this a thick, doughy texture and adds tons of protein. It’s blended, so you won’t even know it’s cottage cheese, I promise!
- Cashew butter: If you want these overnight oats to truly taste like cookie dough, use cashew butter. The rich and buttery flavor makes it taste like cookie dough. Peanut butter or almond butter will work, but it will alter the flavor some.
- Chia seeds: These little seeds thicken the oat mixture and add a boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. My blueberry chia seed pudding uses the same trick to get that thick, creamy texture without any yogurt.
- Maple syrup: I like the flavor it adds to overnight oats, but honey or another sweetener would work as well.
- Mini chocolate chips: For a little extra burst of chocolate in every bite.
Equipment for overnight oats
You can make these overnight oats with any jars or bowls you already have, but if you’re looking to make overnight oats a regular thing, I suggest investing in these 16-ounce glass jars with lids, which are super easy to write on with a dry-erase marker (included!), noting what flavor you have in each jar, and the day they were made!
I also love using my Beast Mini Blender for blending the cottage cheese mixture. If I'm making just one serving, I'll use the 415 ml smallest size, and if I'm making a double or triple batch, I'll use the larger 640 ml canister.
Substiutions
- Cashew butter: While I highly recommend cashew butter for the most cookie-dough-like flavor, you can swap it with almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter if needed.
- Oats: You can swap the rolled oats for instant oats if you have them or want a smoother texture.
- Chia seeds: If you don’t have or don’t like the texture of chia seeds, you can swap them for an equal amount of ground flaxseed. Ground flax provides similar nutrition and helps absorb some of the liquid, creating a doughy texture.
- Mini chocolate chips: Use white chocolate chips, mini M&M’s (for a monster cookie), shredded coconut, nuts, or seeds instead.
How To Make Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
- Step 1: Add the oats, chia seeds, and chocolate chips to a jar and combine.
- Step 2: Blend the cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup, cashew butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Step 3: Add the blended ingredients to the dry ingredients and shake to combine. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Variations
- To make this a low-sugar overnight oats breakfast, replace the maple syrup with a few drops of vanilla monk fruit sweetener and replace the chocolate chips with cacao nibs!
- For more protein, use a half scoop of vanilla protein powder. It's the same move I make in my chocolate protein overnight oats when I want an extra boost on a long day.
- To make this recipe dairy-free or vegan, use plant-based milk and soy or coconut yogurt instead of cottage cheese and use dairy-free chocolate chips or cacao nibs.
- For gluten-free chocolate chip cookie dough overnight oats, make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.
Top Tips
- For the most authentic cookie dough flavor, use cashew butter. Other nut butters add creaminess, but cashew butter has a buttery flavor and a smooth texture that really make it taste like you’re licking dough off the spoon!
- Let these overnight oats chill overnight if you have the time. While the oats will be soft after 4 hours, they become perfectly doughy when left for 12 hours or more.
- Adjust the sweetness to your taste. A tablespoon of maple syrup is the perfect amount of sweetness for me, but if you like your oats extra sweet, add a little more. A little less sweet? Use just a teaspoon or two.
Make Ahead and Storage
These cookie dough overnight oats are ideal for meal prepping ahead of busy weeks. You can double or triple the recipe and store it in individual containers to enjoy all week long. To store them, keep them refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
FAQ
You can if you want, but they’re meant to be eaten cold (like cookie dough!). If you do heat them, microwave in 30-second intervals and stir well between each one until warmed through. The chocolate chips will get nice and melty!
With 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber, they’re filling and nutrient-dense. Plus, they use simple ingredients like oats, chia seeds, cottage cheese, and cashew butter for energy that will last all morning long.
More Dessert-Inspired Overnight Oat Recipes
Did you try this recipe?
Once you've made it, let me know! You can:
- Leave a 5-star rating and review! (If you made any substitutions, let us know in the comments!)
- Share a picture of the recipe on Instagram and tag me @graciouslynourished - I'd love to see how it turns out!
Until Next Time...
All my best,
Kelsey
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup cottage cheese.
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese, milk, maple syrup, cashew butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Stir in the oats, chia seeds, and chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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