If someone asks us if we want chocolate, the answer is always YES, where do we sign up?! Enter chocolate overnight oats (a.k.a. the perfect excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast).
Not only are these overnight oats creamy, nutty, perfectly sweet, and undeniably delicious, but they’re SO easy to make! They come together with just 8 ingredients you probably already have around. It’s chocolate o’clock, so let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Chocolate Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are probably one of the easiest breakfasts EVER! You stir a few things in a jar, set it in the fridge, and breakfast is ready to grab and go in the morning.
For this chocolate variation, we mix together creamy almond milk and almond butter (or use another milk and nut butter of your choice). We add maple syrup for sweetness, chia seeds for omegas and to thicken, and vanilla extract to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Then we stir in rolled oats as the filling, fiber-packed base, cocoa powder for chocolaty goodness, and an optional tiny pinch of salt to enhance it all.
Stir again, seal the jar, and pop the mixture in the fridge.
Eat it straight from the fridge, or warm up your oats for extra comfort. When not in a hurry, we love topping with more maple syrup and nut butter, plus raspberries, coconut flakes, and coconut yogurt.
We hope you LOVE these chocolate overnight oats! They’re:
Creamy
Chocolaty
Perfectly sweet
Nutty
Satisfying
& SO Delicious!
This is the perfect breakfast or snack for early mornings, on the go, or any time you’re craving chocolate for breakfast!
More Quick Breakfast & Snack Ideas
- Peaches and Cream Overnight Oats
- Carrot Cake Smoothie
- Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Decadent Chocolate Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or sub other dairy-free milk such as coconut, soy, or hemp)
- 1-2 Tbsp almond butter (creamy or crunchy // or sub other nut or seed butter)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub coconut sugar, organic brown sugar, or stevia to taste)
- 1-2 tsp chia seeds
- 1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free as needed // rolled oats are best, as opposed to steel cut or quick-cooking)
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tiny pinch sea salt (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Maple syrup
- Raspberries
- Coconut flakes
- Coconut yogurt
- Nut butter of choice
Instructions
- To a mason jar or small bowl with a lid, add almond milk (or other milk of choice), almond butter, maple syrup (or other sweetener), chia seeds, and vanilla and stir with a spoon to combine and distribute the almond butter evenly.
- Add oats, cocoa powder, and salt (optional) and mix well to incorporate the cocoa powder. Then press down with a spoon to ensure all oats have been moistened and are immersed in almond milk.
- Cover securely with a lid or seal and set in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 6 hours) to set/soak.
- The next day, open and enjoy as is or garnish with desired toppings (see suggestions above).
- OPTIONAL: You can also heat your oats in the microwave for 45-60 seconds (just ensure there’s enough room at the top of your jar to allow for expansion and prevent overflow and that you’ve used a microwave-safe jar or bowl), or transfer oats to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warmed through. Add more liquid as needed if oats get too thick/dry.
- Overnight oats will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, though best within the first 12-24 hours in our experience. Not freezer friendly.
Maria says
So good! I used Silk’s Almond Cashew milk which has 10 g of protein per service to really bump up the protein content as well as 2 TBSP of chia seeds which gave it the best texture. And added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Topped with a banana. Like dessert for breakfast.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Maria! xo
Sunny says
What better way to make it a great day then by eating chocolate for breakfast! 😍 Loved this! I used peanut butter and added half a banana. BAM! I didn’t use maple syrup, but sweetened it with 1 date. Plus I only used 1/3 c oats. It was so rich and filling!
Agreed! So glad you enjoyed it, Sunny! xo
Adelaide says
This does taste really good, but mine won’t thicken up. It was in the fridge for almost 12h. I also microwaved it to warm it up, and it did not thicken. How can I get it to thicken?
Hi Adelaide, when you say thicken do you mean that the oats haven’t absorbed liquid and the mixture is “watery”? Did you happen to make any modifications to the ingredients?
Georgia Thompson says
This sounds delicious! I have a question though – your Peanut Butter Overnight Oats recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk, and this one calls for 3/4 cup of milk. Is it because of the coco powder? Just curious! I LOVE your PB Oats and cant wait to try this one!
Hi Georgia! Yes, it’s for the cocoa powder.
KB says
Hello,
What size mason jar would you suggest to make your overnight oats recipes?
Thanks!
Hi, we’d suggest using a 12 ounce jar to allow room for toppings and easy stirring. Hope you love it!
Ruby says
Can I use steel cut oats as a replacement for the rolled oats ? I only have steel cut oats currently.
Hi Ruby, Though we haven’t tried it, some people report success using steel cut oats to make overnight oats. They will take longer, require more liquid, and probably won’t be quite as soft. They may also be more difficult to digest. Let us know if you try it!
Amalia says
I used soy milk, peanut butter and agave syrup as modifications. Served it with banana. Also, I didn’t add as much cocoa powder, I think it would still be chocolately with only 1 Tbsp. I loved the consistency and the taste. It was like a pudding. It’s the recipe that convinced me overnight oats aren’t terrible!
We’re so glad the recipe converted you to an overnight oats fan, Amalia! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Vicki says
Yummy! I put all the wet ingredients in a pint jar and the dry ingredients in a baggie for a recent tenting adventure. One night before bed, I stirred the oats, etc. into the jar. In the morning, we enjoyed it with sliced bananas. It was the easiest … and “chocolatiest” … breakfasts while camping. Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe!
That’s so smart! Thank you for sharing your method, Vicki! xo
Carol Kendall says
I’ve been making overnight oats for the last few weeks. I especially like this recipe. It’s delicious and very easy. I make 1/2-2/3 of a recipe, and it’s plenty for me. I usually cut up banana and put it on top. Sometimes I add coconut. I like to heat it up, so I always add some extra almond milk.
Yum! Thanks so much for the great review, Carol. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
Sharan says
Hey there, would rolled quinoa flakes would the same way as rolled oats for this recipe?
Hi Sharan, quinoa flakes have a more bitter taste and would likely turn out mushy, but we haven’t tried them in this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
Havaleh says
So very delicious. I use peanut butter and soy milk as it is what I have on hand, I calculate the protein to be 17g. It is a very satisfying breakfast or lunch on a day where I don’t’ have a lot of time to eat. Really reminds me of no bake range cookies. I suspect with the chia seeds, a trip through the Vitamix would basically give you chocolate mousse, I haven’t tried that yet.
Ooo, chocolate mousse sounds delish! Thanks so much for the review, Havaleh!
Cassandra says
This is so delicious! My only
Modification is using a teaspoon cacao instead of cocoa and I added dates with hemp and flax before eating it. Love this recipe
Love your additions, Cassandra! Thank you for sharing! xo
Bev Seton says
I would love to make this but nut butters aren’t available where I live in semi rural nsw. I tried to make my own but it was blah.. not nice at all and ended up throwing it away. Could you please help me out with this? Thank you
Hi Bev, do you have access to nuts/seeds? If so, you could make homemade nut butter. Hope that helps!
Coby says
These overnight oats are delicious! I heated mine up, and it was *almost* like eating a gooey brownie for breakfast. The flavor was just sweet enough that I felt like I was indulging, but not so sweet that it stirred up any sugar cravings. Loved it!
Yum, love that, Coby! Thank you for sharing! xo
Alec says
This oatmeal is excellent. My partner described it as being akin to “healthy cocoa pebbles.” :) Great texture, and easy to whip up. Thanks!
Amazing! Love that description, Alec. Thank you for sharing! xo
Faith Colburn says
I am a chocolate lover and I immediately made it. To die for !!!!!. I liked the cocoa being slightly bitter because it didn’t trigger my sweet cravings.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Faith! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Alec says
When you mentioned cocoa powder (as in the decadent Chocolate overnight oats), does that refer to something like Hershey’s cocoa, or cacao? Of course I’m sure either will work, perhaps the cacao being slightly more bitter.
Love this website and have used your vegan recipes for years since becoming vegan. I appreciate the simplicity and of course TASTE, always. Thank you.
Hi Alec, we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! That’s correct – either cacao or cocoa powder will work, but cacao is slightly more bitter. Hershey’s cocoa or any unsweetened cocoa powder will work! We like Equal Exchange or Whole Foods 365 brand.
MrsD says
I made this with whole milk. Delicious! It’s like dessert for breakfast but I don’t have to feel guilty about it. 😂 Thank you for sharing this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Caity says
Wow, this is very chocolatey and delicious! I normally prefer to warm up overnight oats, but I think these are even better cold.
One thing to note about freezing—the recipe indicates that these are not freezer friendly, but I was able to freeze them successfully. I made three batches and placed one in the fridge to eat the next morning and the other two in the freeze immediately after mixing together the ingredients. I moved one from the freezer to the fridge about 24 hours before I wanted to eat it, and the next morning it was ready and the texture was perfect, just like the one that had never been in the freezer.
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Caity! xo
Lindsey says
So, so delicious! I made as directed and then added raspberries, chopped walnuts and hemp seeds as toppings. It’s super chocolately without being too rich or too sweet.
Yum, love that topping combo! Thank you for sharing, Lindsey! xo
Tiffany says
Can I sub flax seeds for the chia seeds? I am out of chia at the moment.
Yes! Hope you love it =)