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.
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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!
This recipe looks delicious! Just served up this recipe for breakfast and noticed that I had given only 4 stars when I should’ve given 5! My but it was delicious and so very simple. Really took my breakfast to the next level! Thank you
I love this recipe and want to try to but do I have to separate them? I’m not sure i
I have enough containers:)?
You could refrigerate it all in one bowl or container and then just scoop some out every morning. :) Just make sure to stir it really well each time because the chocolate does tend to sink down to the bottom.
Have made a few times with ground flax seeds instead of chia, that’s what I have in cupboard. Have made with both dairy milk and almond milk. Added chocolate chips and omitted. Even added chopped banana right before eating. Every way has been delicious and easy.
Do you have any recommendations on using milk powder or coconut milk powder? I was thinking this could be a good recipe for camping but I wouldn’t have access to milk.
I’ve never tried to make overnight oats with milk powder, but I would probably just follow the ratio in the reconstitution instructions to figure out the amount, but I’m not sure how you’d let them soak once you add the water without refrigeration. Unless you plan to make it as hot oats and cook them over the fire instead of soaking cold, which you could totally do!
I made this recipe with original Almond milk. I used semi sweet chocolate chips (not miniature) because that is what I had on hand. I don’t have to share, so I mixed it in a mason jar. Eat some now and eat some later. This is AWESOME! More like a dessert or snack than breakfast. Thanks for the great recipe. I will make this often. Might try substituting stevia for brown sugar.
This recipe looks delicious! Would it come out okay if I substituted Splenda or some other non-nutritive sweetener for the brown sugar? And what would your recommendation be on how many packets of splenda to use to replace 2 Tbsp of brown sugar? And could I add the toppings (nut butter or nuts, berries, etc) the night before to save time in the morning?
Hi Julie, Yes you can definitely use any type of sweetener that you like. :) Unfortunately, I don’t use splenda, so I’m not sure how much you would need here, but you can just sweetened the mixture to your tastes before you portion it into jars. You can add toppings the night before, just keep in mind that they will absorb moisture along with the oats, so if you want the nuts to stay crunchy I would add them in the morning. Fruit may also get a bit water logged or moldy if left on the oats for too long.
Read this recipe and decided not to wait to try it. And, boy, am I glad I did. Thought the chocolate wasn’t going to be enough. I was wrong. I added pecans after microwaving for the crunch factor. Really a nice breakfast. Thank you for sharing.
I made them yesterday with soy milk. I added fresh raspberries and 2 Tbsp of hemp hearts.
This morning my daughter and I had a portion. They were delicious! Thank you!!
Would it be good to add/substitute steel cut oats? Do you have any overnight steel-cut oats recipes?
Steel cut oats usually require a longer soak time and more liquid, but I haven’t made this one with steel cut, so unfortunately I can’t offer any precise recommendations. I don’t really have anything for steel cut oats right now, but it’s on my list for the future!
You could probably get away with adding a small portion (like a teaspoon), but any more than that I would increase the amount of milk. I’ve made overnight steel cut oats before, and they definitely soften enough to be edible, but still have a chewy texture.
Delicious!! Ever since I made it, I’ve been craving this, although, I am a big breakfast eater and needed double the suggested serving size to fil me up!
So do you make these for the whole week at one time? Are they good for several days in the fridge?
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.
I loved these! It’s nice to have dairy free overnight oat options, so many recipes have yogurt. Thank you!
What’s the texture like on this? I’ve never made oats before but this makes me want to try. But I have some sensory stuff going on, so anything slimy is a no go.
The chia can definitely get a little slimy, but you can leave those out. Overnight oats on their own aren’t as gooey as cooked oats. You can test it first by soaking one portion of oats in milk overnight to see if the texture works for you before making a whole batch (equal parts oats to milk).
Oh BETH. This looks DELICIOUS. And I have a container of espresso powder begging to turn them into MOCHA overnight oats. THANK YOU!!!
Yessssss! That will be amazing!
Oatmeal is my favorite breakfast and I have it almost every day with nuts and berries. Your recipe sounds delicious and almost like dessert. Will make a batch up today and add berries, nuts, and coconut topping. Be like a healthier version of an almond joy ;)
Thanks for another great recipe