The easiest chocolate overnight oats recipe ever! Combine a few simple ingredients like old-fashioned oats, almond milk, sugar, cocoa, and a pinch of salt; and you’ve got delicious, chocolatey oats for breakfast!
Chocolate for breakfast?!? That’s right! You can’t go wrong with this simple basic recipe for chocolate oats. Have a little extra time? See the notes below for some easy add-in ideas to take this basic overnight oats recipe to the next level.
Why “overnight” oats?
Why not just make oatmeal the “morning of” and eat it right away?
Well, I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do when I’m rushing to get ready in the morning is to stand in front of a stove making oatmeal while simultaneously rushing around to get the dogs fed, my hair curled, and my face presentable…
Making chocolate overnight oats the night before means I have the freedom in the morning of having a grab and go breakfast without having to juggle getting ready while getting fed.
For more make-ahead plant-based breakfast ideas:
- Overnight Oats with Apples and Cinnamon
- Broccoli Leak Fritta
- Vegan Classic Breakfast Casserole
- Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake (What? You don’t eat cake for breakfast?)
- 2-Minute Healthy Oatmeal
Table of contents
- Why “overnight” oats?
- For more make-ahead plant-based breakfast ideas:
- Pin now to save for later:
- Ingredients needed to make plant-based chocolate overnight oats:
- Making the overnight oats:
- Some fun add-ins:
- Should you eat overnight oats hot or cold?
- How many days ahead can I make these overnight oats:
- And now for the recipe:
Pin now to save for later:
Ingredients needed to make plant-based chocolate overnight oats:
- old fashioned rolled oats – (quick oats will be too mushy and steel-cut oats won’t soften up enough)
- almond milk (or plant milk of choice)
- sugar or other sweetener
- cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- vanilla extract
- salt
- other optional add-ins (see below)
- you’ll also need a pint-sized jar (affiliate link) or other similar small container with a lid
Making the overnight oats:
First, you’ll need a pint-sized jar with a lid or other similar small container (affiliate link). Next, you just mix all the ingredients in, give it a stir, close the lid, and wait till morning!
Some fun add-ins:
Chocolate overnight oats are yummy and will remind you of eating brownie batter; but, we can make this basic overnight oats recipe even better!
With a little imagination, you can create any type of chocolatey breakfast dish you’d like! Here are some of my personal favorites add-ins. (Some are affiliate links.) I only add in one or two to each jar. You might need to add a little extra plant milk the next morning depending on the amount of add-ins you use.
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- marshmallows
- nuts
- strawberries
- raspberries
- bananas
Should you eat overnight oats hot or cold?
This is a great question and really personal preference. I like mine cold. It doesn’t taste weird at all. The oats don’t need to be cooked because they soften up overnight.
I have other family members who prefer theirs warm. You can warm these overnight oats for 1-2 minutes right in the jar! You need to remember to remove the metal ring and lid before warming in the microwave. Also, keep in mind that the jar might be hot to the touch.
How many days ahead can I make these overnight oats:
I usually make up a few different types on Sunday night and then we enjoy them for a few days. Keep in mind that if you add in marshmallows, they might get melty if they sit in the jar for more than one night. Also, if you add in fruit, it should be quite fresh.
And now for the recipe:
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Quick and Easy Chocolate Overnight Oats (Plant-Based)
Equipment
- pint-size jar with lid or similar container
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats dry/uncooked
- 2/3 cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar or sweetener of choice
- 5 teaspoons cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- optional add-ins – see notes
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in jar.
- Add any add-in items to the top, making sure you leave a little "headspace" at the top of the jar.
- Close the lid tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- Eat cold or remove the lid to microwave for about 1 minute if you'd rather eat warm. Caution: the jar will be hot to touch.
- Depending on the amount of add-ins you used, you might want to add in a little extra almond milk.
Notes
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- marshmallows
- nuts – I like slivered almonds
- sliced strawberries
- 1/2 sliced banana
- raspberries