Healthy Indian Overnight Oats have unique flavors infused with ground cardamom, saffron and then topped with pistachios. It is an Indian-style oats recipe that tastes like Kulfi ice cream!
If you like more unique overnight oats recipes, try my chocolate cherry overnight oats or the strawberry overnight oats recipe next!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Indian Style Overnight Oats Recipe
🕒 Ready In: ~5 minutes plus soaking time
👪 Serves: 1 serving
🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: Rolled oats, chia seeds, sugar, saffron and cardamom
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian and gluten free option
📌 Difficulty: Easy, no cooking or baking
Why you’ll love these Indian overnight oats?
It is overnight oats infused with aromatic Indian spices such as ground cardamom and saffron, making it not only taste exotic, like the almond halwa, but also like a healthy Indian dessert. It is sweet, chewy and aromatic. It tastes exactly like a kulfi ice cream!
- maria doss
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Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Oats - Use old-fashioned or rolled oats for overnight oats recipes, since they are ideal for soaking. Steel-cut oats are too hard and require cooking, while quick cooking or instant oats become mushy with prolonged soaking.
- Milk - You have the choice between full-fat or reduced-fat milk. However, vegan milks such as almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and others will add great flavor, they won't quite match the knockout kulfi taste.
- Sweetener - I opt for white sugar to allow the spices' flavors to shine through. Healthier alternatives such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, agave, and others won't deliver the same taste.
- Chia seeds - Adds nutrition and helps it to thicken as this saffron oats is made without yogurt.
- Saffron - Saffron infuses our Indian overnight oats with a golden hue and an unparalleled flavor, as in mango crepes.
- Cardamom - No Indian dessert is truly authentic without the addition of ground cardamom. I prefer to grind my cardamom fresh at home, as store-bought ground cardamom can often lose its potency from sitting on shelves for extended periods. You can read more in cardamom recipes.
- Pistachios - It brings a delightful crunch and vibrant green color contrast when paired with the golden hues of our cardamom overnight oats, as in mango chia pudding.
Looking for more ways to use leftover ground cardamom? Try making a mango mug cake or mango and raspberry clafoutis
Tips for Success
- Use rolled or old fashioned oats. Instant oats will turn mushy.
- Use gluten free oats to make it gluten free Indian overnight oats.
- Don't have saffron? Simply skip it! The oats will have a pale color instead as the mango overnight oats.
- Use chopped toasted almonds and almond milk instead for a kesar badam oats.
More Recipes with Saffron
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Indian Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup milk preferably full fat
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar use as needed
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch saffron crushed with your fingertips
- 3 tablespoons raw pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except pistachios in a mason jar or a container and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
- Before serving, stir in half the pistachios and give a taste. Like it more sweet? Then mix in more sugar. Enjoy topped with more chopped pistachios.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Step 3 - Mix everything together.
Storage instructions
As mentioned in the roundup of overnight oats recipes, it's best to store this kesar overnight oats in the refrigerator for up 4 days when sealed in mason jar or an air tight container. Top them with chopped chopped pistachios just before eating, to maintain the crunch.
Although this Indian overnight oats tastes like Kulfi ice cream, it uses only 1 tablespoon of sugar for one serving, making it healthy!
If you are looking for more recipe using oats, try my chocolate almond butter overnight oats next!
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love to hear your feedback! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Oats with saffron and cardamom? I'm SO IN! This is my new favorite overnight oats recipe 🙂
Maria Doss
Yes, mine too. Thanks dear:)
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
What a creative overnight oats recipe! The flavor must be a amazing! I love oatmeal but have never tried overnight oats before. Now I must try this! Xoxo 🙂
Maria Doss
Oh you have to try overnight oats Kelly. So convenient for busy mornings:)
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
overnight oats that taste like kulfi?! you come up with the best overnight oat ideas 😍
Maria Doss
Thank you so much dear:)
Supriya Kuttty
I’ve never heard of this oats kulfi. The sound of the kulfi only makes your mouth watering. Thanks for the introduction of tasty and healthy for diet people ti have a diet kulfi.
Maria Doss
Thank you very much:)
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
Mithai like oats 😀 !! With Diwali approaching, this is such a great recipe to make! It's like eating healthy mithai! Trying tomorrow 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Haha I love the "what the what!?" intro - so fun. This is such a cool overnight oats flavour Maria!!
IGT LPG
This is looking like a so yummy... great and healthy recipe.
Maria Doss
Thank you so much:)
Nehal Preet
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
A Young
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
Glad you liked it 🙂
Siddhi Raina
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
Hi Siddhi, You can totally use gluten free oats, Maria
Claudia Phillips
Looks delish! I'll be trying this soon. Question: Do you heat it up in the morning or eat it cold?
Maria Doss
Hi Claudia, overnight oats are supposed to be eaten cold, straight out of the refrigerator - Wishing you happy holidays, Maria
Gillian
Delicious! I added some chopped up apricots too and they seemed to go well with the cardamom and pistachios 🙂
Maria Doss
Hi Gilian, Happy to hear hun, Maria
Anu
Can I use sugar substitute instead of sugar. I am trying to adapt this recipe to suit the needs of diabetics.
Maria Doss
Hi Anu, You can use a sugar substitute, but keep in mind that the flavor of the cardamom and saffron may change slightly compared to using regular sugar - Maria
Matilde
First time preparing overnight oats and I love it! So easy, so flavorful, healthy, yummy!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡
Christina
Delicious. I used coconut sugar and non dairy milk (because of restrictions) and still very lovely
Maria Doss
Love to hear that - Maria ❤️