Chocolate Overnight Oats is not your traditional oatmeal recipe. A chocolate lover will love this recipe that can be made ahead of time, no heat needed, and with only heart healthy ingredients in less than 5 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Overnight oats are one of the best breakfast recipes for those on the go and need something that is simple to meal prep the night before for the next morning, and is a healthy recipe that is also great for heart health.
- Simple steps: Prepping this healthy breakfast will only take about 5 minutes, and you will be ready to go.
- Batch prepping: You can make 2 servings with this recipe, or double it for almost a week of breakfast that is ready to grab and go.
- Variety: There are so many great options for ways to change this healthy overnight oats recipe!
Our Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast Bake is also another sweet indulgence and a simple overnight breakfast recipe.
Key Ingredients:
Milk is essential to this recipe. We like to use low-fat milk for this recipe, but you can also use plant-based milks like almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk.
To flavor the delicious breakfast in this recipe, you will use unsweetened cocoa powder and pure maple syrup for a simple way to add healthy flavor to the instant oats.
Using rolled oats will give you the best texture for overnight oats with a creamy consistency to pair with the chia seeds.
Add dark chocolate chips for a sweet addition to keep the sweet tooth happy.
See below for a detailed list of ingredients!
Equipment Needed:
- Small bowl
- Spatula
- Mason jar or ramekin
How to Make Overnight Oats:
- Combine milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl or divide between two mason jars.
- Add the oats and chia seeds to the milk and then stir it all together until it is well combined. You can add the chocolate chips now, or add them as a topping (or both).
- Then simply divide the mixture between two jars, ramekins, or leave it in the bowl to serve it individually later.
- Cover the oats and place them in the refrigerator overnight. These are good for 3-5 days.
- Serve the overnight oats in the morning, topped with chocolate chips, sliced almonds, or cinnamon.
Tips and Recipe Notes
- To add even more chocolate flavor, you can add some chocolate syrup over the oats.
- Switch the chocolate chips for cacao nibs, they are like healthy chocolate with a similar taste but less sugar.
- Coconut sugar or brown sugar can be added for a little more sweetness.
- Chocolate protein powder is a simple way to add protein and even more chocolatey goodness.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store the overnight oats in individual servings or in a small airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 – 5 days for the best texture.
FAQ’s for Overnight Oats
Rolled oats are our preferred choice after years of making these. You can also use steel-cut oats, but we’ve found they tend to need a little extra milk and an added day to let them sit for the best results.
Some of our favorite toppings for our oats are fresh fruit, a little vanilla Greek yogurt (hello, even more protein), hemp hearts or hemp seeds, a little bit of peanut butter or peanut butter powder, or slivered almonds.
More Simple Breakfast Recipes:
Overnight Blueberry French Toast and Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe are delicious breakfast recipes that can be made for easy prep!
Sunrise Skillet and Amish Breakfast Casserole are simple yet bursting with flavor and protein for a scrumptious and hearty meal.
Chocolate Overnight Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
Prepare the liquid part:
- Make the milk base: Combine milk, cocoa powder and maple syrup in a bowl.
Add the dry ingredients:
- Add the dry ingredients: add the oats and chia seeds. If you’d like, you can add chocolate chips as well, or leave them for the topping. Stir until well combined. Divide the mixture between two jars or ramekins, or leave it in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To serve:
- Serve overnight oats in the morning, topped with chocolate chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Question! Can I assume from the recipe that you then eat the oats cold? I’ve seen several recipes like this that I’ve not made because I have trouble thinking of eating oatmeal cold!
If I wanted to use protein powder where / how would I incorporate it?
Yes, overnight oats are typically eaten cold and straight from the refrigerator as they’re designed to be a no-cook breakfast, but you can warm them up in the microwave if you prefer a hot meal.
Chocolate chips for breakfast? YES PLEASE!
Yes! You can absolutely add protein powder. Just mix it well with your oats, milk, chia seeds, and other ingredients. Different protein powders (whey, casein, plant-based) can affect thickness, so you might need to adjust liquid, and ensure you use a flavor you enjoy. Let us know how it turns out!
Can steel cut oats be used instead of rolled?
Yes, you can use steel-cut oats for overnight oats, but expect a chewier, heartier texture compared to the creamy result from rolled oats, and they might need longer soaking (sometimes two nights) or a quick pre-simmer/cook to soften properly