Kulfi overnight oats that tastes like kulfi ice cream!!!! Saffron, cardamom and pistachios take simple overnight oats into an exotic Indian oatmeal recipe.

What the WHAT.
All the flavors. Cannot handle.
Cold, creamy, no-cook, on-the-go breakfast.
But, wait. It tastes like a cold, creamy Kulfi ice cream!!!
(Check out this Easy Kulfi Recipe <—- one of the most creamiest and authentic tasting kulfi)
Holy goodness. A tasty overnight oats!
Let us look at the team players in this Kulfi Overnight Oats:
Oats : Well, overnight oats has to begin with oats! Old fashion oats is the go-to for a all overnight oats recipes. Steel cut variety is just too hard to be consumed just after soaking. They need to be cooked. Quick cooking / instant oats turns mushy with the long soaking process.
Milk : You can use full fat or reduced fat. But, using other kind of milks like almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, cashew milk, ….. will taste great but not give you the KNOCK YOU SOCKS OF KULFI FLAVOR.
Sweetener : It is good old plain white sugar. Healthier alternatives like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave,….will not taste the same.
Saffron : Ain’t kulfi without the bright saffron yellow. It is used for both color and flavor.
Cardamom Powder : Freshly ground cardamom is highly preferred. But, it is not practically possible to grind 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder. So, I usually grind a handful of green cardamoms in a dry grinder until finely ground. Transfer to a quart size zip lock bag, seal well and store in the freezer and use whenever required. Have leftover cardamom powder? Check out this Raspberry, Mango and Cardamom Clafoutis
Pistachios: Authentic Kulfi Recipe might or might not have nuts! But, if they do then it usually pistachios.

Why is this a great Indian oats recipe?
Overnight oats are such a great breakfast option during summer. It is cold and meal prepped in your refrigerator.
Kulfi is an Indian version of ice cream that is enjoyed all summer long and is perfect to beat the tropical heat (check out this Mango Kulfi or Chocolate Kulfi).
This kulfi overnight oats is an amazing mash up of both flavors!!! And, it totally works.
- Cold
- Creamy
- Sweet
- Flavorful
- Exotic
- Easy
- Meal prepped
How to make Indian overnight oats?
Step-1: Stir old fashion oats, milk, sugar, saffron (remember to crush with your finger tips to break them to into tinier pieces) and cardamom powder in a mason jar or any other container with a lid. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.
Step-2: Just before eating, stir in chopped raw pistachios and stir once to distribute the nuts and saffron, so the golden color is evenly distributed.
Wasn’t that easy?
Well, that is my favorite part of overnight oats. There is no cooking involved and it is perfect for busy / lazy mornings!
I like to serve them in fancy dessert cups because I’m just fancy 🙂
Similar recipes like this Indian oats:
Raspberry, Mango and Cardamom Clafoutis


More amazing overnight oats recipes:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Black Forest Cake Overnight Oats
Banana Nut Muffin Overnight Oats
Chocolate Almond Butter Overnight Oats
More creative Indian recipes can be found here
Kulfi Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup milk (whole milk or reduced fat)
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 small pinch saffron, crushed with your fingertips
- 2 tablespoons raw pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except pistachios) in a mason jar or a container and stir well.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight (at least 6 hours and up to 2 days).
- Uncover, add chopped pistachios and stir well to distribute the nuts and saffron.
Notes
All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
Gillian
Thursday 19th of May 2022
Delicious! I added some chopped up apricots too and they seemed to go well with the cardamom and pistachios :)
Maria Doss
Friday 20th of May 2022
Hi Gilian, Happy to hear hun, Maria
Claudia Phillips
Friday 24th of December 2021
Looks delish! I'll be trying this soon. Question: Do you heat it up in the morning or eat it cold?
Maria Doss
Saturday 25th of December 2021
Hi Claudia, overnight oats are supposed to be eaten cold, straight out of the refrigerator - Wishing you happy holidays, Maria
Siddhi Raina
Friday 12th of November 2021
Thank you for sharing. Will definitely try. Can I use Gluten Free Rolled Oats - Protein Rich Oats from True Elements - a clean label food brand Gluten Free Rolled Oats - Protein Rich Oats for preparing this recipe? Please let me know if I can do that? Also the recipe looks so delicious and I can't wait to try this out !! YAYY !
Maria Doss
Friday 12th of November 2021
Hi Siddhi, You can totally use gluten free oats, Maria
A Young
Friday 19th of June 2020
Thanks for sharing! This recipe was great. I've always been a big fan of traditional Indian flavours ever since I visited India back in 2007.
Maria Doss
Friday 19th of June 2020
Glad you liked it :)
Nehal Preet
Wednesday 22nd of January 2020
What a creative overnight oats recipe! The flavor must be amazing! I will try this for my brother, he is an Oat person. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe with all of us. Regards