MUSH Overnight Oats Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

I feel like I've been enjoying overnight oats long before they became a trendy, easily marketable breakfast item. They've been a regular prep meal of mine for well over a decade; now, they're gracing store shelves everywhere, boasting a stunning variety of flavors. If you're also on the overnight oats train, you've probably heard of the MUSH brand by now. Its overnight oats boast clean, healthy ingredients that will leave no confusion as to what you're actually putting in your body — something I very much appreciate in this day and age. 

So, as we do every so often, we figured we'd give the brand's full flavor lineup a try. If you've been interested in MUSH's products but have yet to try them, consider this a comprehensive guide to help you find your perfect cup. I really enjoyed the majority of the selections. Not only did I know I was fueling myself, but they tasted very good, too. Most of the cups exceeded expectations while also avoiding the "off" flavors and textures that sometimes accompany "health foods." I ranked each of MUSH's overnight oats based on both flavor and texture, and while I'd stay away from the bottom few selections, the rest I'd recommend without a second thought. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The only flavor of MUSH's overnight oats that missed all the marks for me was its strawberry cup — in my opinion, you'd do better to make your own strawberry overnight oats at home. First, the texture is lacking. As you can probably tell from the photo above, these oats were pretty watery, which didn't lend them the best mouthfeel. Perhaps that was due to the company's use of coconut milk in this cup, though I didn't experience the same issue with a couple of the other cups that used coconut milk instead of almond. 

My bigger problem, though, was the flavor. Perhaps this is just a "me" thing, but I thought the cup was fairly tangy, and it tasted too much like the dried strawberries used in it for my liking. I think some strawberry chunks would have helped (though, obviously, that's probably hard to incorporate into pre-packaged overnight oats). I'd have preferred a juicy strawberry flavor rather than tasting a few different strawberry byproducts, but I'll give credit where it's due — I'd rather the company use real strawberries (which it did) rather than an artificial ingredient that makes it taste more like strawberries. When pitted against the rest of this list, though, the cup was decidedly lackluster. 

Coming in only slightly ahead of MUSH's strawberry overnight oats is its blueberry flavor. Similarly, this cup used coconut milk, which added good flavor here but may have contributed to the very watery texture — the above picture was taken after thoroughly stirring the oats. That said, this cup still wasn't bad, and its textural inadequacies were my primary issue over any flavor imbalances. In that respect, I enjoyed it more than the previous cup. 

I think the distinct flavor of the coconut milk here worked better with the blueberries than it did with the strawberries, and the blueberry flavors are slightly subtler here, too. The cup doesn't taste like it's trying too hard, a welcome improvement over the last — notably, it only includes one blueberry ingredient (dried blueberries) over the three strawberry ingredients in the last cup. Had the mixture been thicker, I'd have liked these oats more. As it stands, they could only get the second-to-last spot here. 

Up next, we have the final texturally challenged cup you'll see in this lineup: MUSH's dark chocolate flavor. Still, it hit all the marks aside from its texture, so I definitely won't call it bad (perhaps my cup was an anomaly?). This cup uses almond milk rather than coconut milk — a wise choice, in my opinion — and it's flavored only with dates, cocoa powder, and sea salt. A winning, easy-to-read ingredient combo for sure.

If you're a fan of dark chocolate, you'll like these oats. They do lean slightly on the bitter end of the spectrum, but I didn't find that to be a bad thing; instead, it just means that one cup is more than enough to satisfy any craving for indulgence. Personally, I liked that this wasn't as sweet as I expected. My only criticism of the cup is that, again, I wish it had a thicker viscosity to it. If that was a fluke and the cup is supposed to be thicker, go for it (and honestly, feel free to go for it in spite of the above texture — I still doubt you'd be disappointed).

All the aforementioned oats had some issues with mouthfeel, but from here on out, which one you prefer will merely depend on your own preferences. The vanilla bean cup was a very solid overnight oats selection, particularly if you want to dip your toes into the brand without being too risky with your flavors. Again, the ingredients here are delightfully simple: almond milk, rolled oats, dates, vanilla extract, and sea salt are all that go into making this breakfast. 

Vanilla bean is an inarguably safe choice, but don't take that to mean it's bland in the slightest. The vanilla flavor was actually quite strong, which I, an avid vanilla fan, adored. If you want to experiment with adding your own mix-ins — like mini chocolate chips, almond slivers, or shredded coconut — this would also be an easy cup to play around with. That said, there's nothing super special about it, though I did enjoy it quite a bit. Because all of the following had stronger flavors, this cup could only make the number eight spot in my lineup. 

Even if you don't want to add banana milk to your overnight oats, you can still get some banana flavor in the mix — just grab a cup of MUSH's peanut butter banana overnight oats (or, you know, put some bananas in your overnight oats). I'll have to clarify my personal preferences before explaining this placement: I hate bananas. If you've read any of my other taste test pieces, this will come as no surprise. I don't know what it is, but I can't bring myself to like the fruit in anything aside from banana bread. So, though I'm sure anyone who likes peanut butter and bananas would adore this cup, it had to come in at seventh place. 

Notably, this is the first of MUSH's protein line that makes an appearance, all flavors of which I liked very much (except, unfortunately, banana). Were this solely a ranking based on personal opinion, this cup would have ranked lower, but I can't deny that banana fans will love it. Banana slightly overpowers the peanut butter flavor, but not too much; you still get a decent balance of each in every bite. Texturally, I love how thick this cup is, and if you don't mind the slightly sticky mouthfeel of peanut butter, it's a winning pick. I felt seventh place was a fair spot when balancing my own preferences with those of the average consumer.

Another of MUSH's protein-packed overnight oats is its cookies and cream flavor. As you can tell, this cup was slightly more liquid-y than my last couple of selections, but I didn't mind it as much here as I did with the oats at the bottom of my list. The flavors were all there, and those wanting a more dessert-like breakfast will appreciate this selection. Plus, it's another protein-laden option from the brand.

I could have considered giving this a spot or two higher, were it not for the relatively thin texture and a slight flavor issue — there was a subtle bitter aftertaste that I couldn't wholly identify. I did, however, enjoy that the chocolate chips scattered throughout were easily identifiable and added some textural variety rather than just being an additional flavor. If you like cookies and cream, don't hesitate to grab this cup. It'll get the breakfast job done while packing a welcome punch of protein at the start of your day. 

Now onto the top five of MUSH's overnight oat flavors, starting with number five: chocolate peanut butter. This cup had perhaps one of the thickest mouthfeels of all, likely due to its peanut butter content. It was also one of the most decadent. For that reason, I couldn't bring myself to rank it higher — I'm eating it as I write this, and the flavors are so rich that it's taking me quite a long time to eat. That's not objectively a bad thing, but it does mean this cup lacks the easily-downable quality of the following.

That said, it's still exceptionally good. The peanut butter and chocolate flavors vie for center stage, but I think chocolate has a slight edge, especially because of how dark and rich it is. The overall mouthfeel is thick and gooey without being too sticky. If you want dessert for breakfast but the cookies and cream profile doesn't sound like your cup of tea, go ahead and give this one a try — it may call for some savoring, but hey, take that opportunity to slow down for a minute.

Well, despite my aforementioned hatred for bananas, I found MUSH's banana bread overnight oats quite enjoyable (perhaps because I do adore banana bread). Though not a protein-packed selection, this cup still wasn't as thin as some of the aforementioned flavors in its line. I expect that's because of its banana content. Regardless, I liked the mouthfeel here — it rode the line between thick and creamy very well, for an in-between cup that will appeal to any consumer. 

Perhaps the reason I liked this cup so much is that its banana flavors are subtle. Cinnamon is definitely the predominant note, giving it that unmistakable banana bread profile that nobody can say no to. This will be a big hit with both banana fans and banana bread lovers, and if I were one of the former, this may have made it to the top spot on my list. As it stands, though, my anti-banana taste buds couldn't rank this above fourth spot. 

Buckle up, peanut butter fans — I've found your new favorite breakfast, and you don't have to do anything to it except peel off the lid and enjoy. MUSH's peanut butter overnight oats pack 15 grams of protein, making it a filling breakfast option, and being incredibly tasty only helps it stand out from the crowd. If you don't like peanut butter, this isn't the cup for you. If, however, the spread forms the basis of some of your favorite snacks, you should buy this cup yesterday. 

Now, don't be mistaken — though peanut butter was obviously the dominant flavor note, it wasn't too overpowering. I'll credit this partially to the slightly thinner mouthfeel of the oat cup. It wasn't as thick as the aforementioned chocolate peanut butter, which kept it from being as rich and decadent (in my mind, that was a good thing). The whole mouthfeel of the cup is welcoming and surprisingly not too sticky, and it's easy to eat without feeling like you need to take a break after every bite. The following selections were only superior in flavor based on my own preferences. If this sounds like the cup for you, go for it.

You may have made your own chocolate overnight oats before, but I can guarantee they didn't pack the same punch as MUSH's chocolate brownie flavor (which is also filled with protein). This was the first cup I tried, and I couldn't have had a more delightful introduction to the brand. Who doesn't love brownies? This is the oat cup I would choose if I wanted dessert for breakfast, and though it couldn't usurp my number one choice, it was a flavor bomb that I'm sure I'll be having again.

The main thing that stuck out to me about this cup (and the thing I most loved about it) was that it refrained from being very sweet. As an avid fan of dark chocolate, I found this to be a wholly welcome quality, though I can see those more accustomed to the saccharinity of chocolate candy being less than pleased. That said, it's nothing a drizzle of honey couldn't fix. This was a wildly satisfying cup with a welcoming, creamy mouthfeel, and I was hard-pressed not to finish the whole thing in one go — but, alas, I still had several other flavors to try. 

Well, we've arrived at my number one pick, and I must say I'm not surprised this landed in the top spot. Sure, call it bias — I'm drawn like a moth to a flame with anything labeled apple cinnamon, whether it be food, candles, lotion ... you get the picture. However, there's always ample opportunity for brands to do wrong by the flavor. That wasn't the case here. If you ever see me shopping in the refrigerated aisle at my local New Seasons, there's a good chance I'm stocking up on this cup.

As I'm writing this toward the end of summer, I can't deny that my thirst for autumnal weather may have played a role in my adoration for this flavor. It's amply cinnamon-y with a texture that's just thick enough to refrain from feeling liquid-y, but not so thick that I felt I had to take my time eating it. The apple flavor clearly comes through as well, and there's a slightly salty appeal that brings a savory element to this cup. I wholly loved it.

I ranked MUSH's overnight oats flavors primarily based on flavor and texture, though those features were only lacking in a couple of cups. I was decidedly unimpressed with the strawberry option — it disappointed both in flavor and its thin, liquidy texture, while blueberry had similar textural issues but a better overall flavor. I'd easily eat any of the rest again (aside from the peanut butter banana, but again, that's a personal problem). My top choice is perhaps biased, but I still think many consumers would share my adoration of the apple cinnamon variety, especially those who love fall.