Spring has sprung here in Nashville and I’m feeling motivated to get back into a routine. Making a meal prep breakfast, like these Double Chocolate Overnight Oats, definitely makes sticking to a routine a lot easier. Overnight oats are so great for making a morning routine because the whole batch only takes minutes to make and then you have a grab-n-go breakfast for the next few days. And I promise you, when you make double chocolate overnight oats, you’re going to look forward to eating them every day.
How Do You Eat Overnight Oats?
This is the question I get most frequently when I post an overnight oats recipe. And the answer is there are no rules! You can eat overnight oats cold, heat them up in the microwave, eat them plain, or make them fancy by piling on the toppings! It’s totally up to you. Soaking the oats overnight basically takes the “cooking” part out of the equation.
What Kind of Oats to Use for Overnight Oats
Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best type of oats to use for overnight oats, in my opinion. They soften quickly but still have a ton of texture so the mixture doesn’t get too gloopy. Instant oats have very little texture once soaked, so your overnight oats will turn out very mushy and gluey. Steel-cut oats require a longer soak time and may need more liquid.
Toppings or No Toppings
When I’m having a super busy morning, I’ll just grab a jar of my overnight oats and dig in. But if I’ve got a little more time on my hands I like to look into my pantry to find something fun to add on top. Here are some fun topping ideas for your overnight oats:
- Nut or seed butter
- Sliced bananas
- Coconut
- Walnuts, pecans, or almonds
- Fresh berries
- Raspberry or strawberry jam
How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?
Overnight oats will stay good in your fridge for about 4-5 days, so I always limit my batches to 4 servings just to give myself a little wiggle room.
Don’t Like Chia Seeds? No Problem.
I added some chia seeds to my overnight oats because I love the extra dose of fiber, but I know a lot of people aren’t a fan of the somewhat gooey texture that chia can create. If you don’t like chia you can simply leave them out. The overnight oats will not be quite as thick, but they’ll be every bit as delicious!
Double Chocolate Overnight Oats
Servings 4 ¾ cup eachIngredients
- 1 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.24)
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional) ($0.44)
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.07)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips ($0.32)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 1/3 cup milk* ($0.27)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.14)
Instructions
- Combine the oats, chia seeds, cocoa powder, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and salt in a bowl.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract, then stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for about five minutes.
- Divide the oat mixture between four resealable containers. Close the containers and refrigerate overnight or up to five days.
- Stir the oats just before enjoying. Eat cold or warm it up in the microwave.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Chocolate Overnight Oats – Step by Step Photos
Add 1 ⅓ cup rolled oats to a bowl along with 2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional), 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, and ¼ tsp salt. Add 1 ⅓ cup milk (any type of milk you like) and ½ tsp vanilla extract.
Stir the ingredients together to combine, then let the mixture sit for five minutes. The mixture will thicken slightly in that time making it easier to get an equal ratio of solid and liquid when you divide the mixture into containers.
Divide the mixture between four containers (about ¾ cup each). Close the containers and refrigerate overnight.
After soaking overnight, the mixture will be much thicker.
Stir the oats just before eating to redistribute the cocoa powder throughout. Then enjoy that chocolatey goodness!
Love the idea of including chocolate to the breakfast
Nice!
Excited to try this! Another hack to make overnight oats thicker if you don’t have chia is to swap some of the milk for Greek yogurt or skyr (can use for 1/3 to 1/2 of the milk depending on how thick the yogurt you’re using is). If you’re using dairy based Greek yogurt this also bumps the protein per serving up quite a bit.
Thanks for the recipe and thanks for your comments at the end.
Who doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast?. This is delicious and I will definitely make again. I didn’t have any chia seeds but will try them next time.
I made this and it was delicious. However, I got four roughly 1/3 cup servings – definitely not four 3/4 cups servings the recipe says. I can’t figure out where I went wrong. Any suggestions?
Without having been there cooking with you, there’s not much I can say. Speculating, it sounds like something wasn’t measured correctly, as the milk alone is 1 1/3 cups. Good luck!
Definitely does not make 4 3/4 cup servings. Barely 1/2 cup
I highly recommend toasting the oats before making the recipe! It removed the raw flour taste :)
Really yummy otherwise ^_^
ooh, thanks for the tip! you’ve put a name and solution to the thing that’s put me off overnight oats I’ve tried in the past. “raw flour taste” :)
I too only got two servings of 3/4 a cup.
SO good! I modified a bit: used unsweetened almond milk and added 1TBSP of peanut butter powder and a tsp of MCT powder. My kids inhaled it! Topped with some coconut whipped cream and strawberries.
I bought the ingredients to make this over a month ago and decided to try it out last night. Eating them this morning, I am mad that I waited so long!!! Delicious and filling, the chia seeds add a nice texture. Also the perfect amount of sweetness. I subbed almond milk and they turned out perfectly. Beth never misses.
Perfection for this oat and chocolate lover! I’ve made too many oats recipes to count and in general overnight oats are not my thing. These however are like enjoying a chocolate dessert for breakfast without the guilt because the ingredients are so wholesome! Will definitely be making again.