Chocolate Overnight Oats
With nutritious chia seeds, tangy Greek yogurt, and sweet maple syrup, this chocolate overnight oats recipe makes for a delicious, healthy, and easy breakfast!
Chocolate oats are creamy, satisfying, and packed with nutrients to keep you energized throughout the morning.
Made with cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor, overnight chocolate oatmeal is the perfect way to enjoy a healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert! If you’d like a breakfast overnight oats recipe featuring berries, give this berry yogurt make-ahead breakfast parfait recipe a try! Or, try my berry baked oatmeal recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Overnight oats are perfect for busy mornings when you’re in a rush, or simply want to have a ready-made, quick breakfast. Since they’re made the day before following a few simple steps, you don’t have to worry about any prep in the morning. Simply remove from the fridge and enjoy!
- Healthy and satisfying: Made with oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, these overnight oats are healthy and packed with protein.
- Enjoy with your favorite toppings: These overnight oats are already chocolatey and topped with crunchy cacao nibs. But you can also add different toppings such as dried or fresh fruit, shredded coconut, or peanut butter for different flavor combos.
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Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mason Jar
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Oats: This recipe uses old-fashioned oats (also known as rolled oats) rather than quick oats.
- Milk: You can use the milk of your choice (dairy or non-dairy milk such as almond milk).
- Yogurt: Unsweetened Greek yogurt is what you need.
- Chia seeds: Chia seeds add Omega 3 healthy fats to your breakfast bowl.
- Cocoa powder: You’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Cacao nibs: This recipe calls for cacao nibs to add crunch and flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Overnight Oats
Step 1. Add the oats to a 16 oz mason jar.
Step 2. Add chia seeds to the jar.
Step 3. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, yogurt, and milk to the mason jar, and stir until all ingredients are very well combined.
Step 4: Add the teaspoon of cacao nibs to the jar and stir until just combined.Put a lid on the jar and place the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 5. In the morning, top the oats with a few extra cacao nibs, if desired, and enjoy!
How to Serve
There are so many ways to enjoy these easy overnight oats!
You can enjoy it straight out of the fridge, or topped with frozen or fresh berries, dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, dried fruit, or peanut or almond butter.
Add a splash of vanilla extract for an extra shot of flavor, or some chocolate protein powder if you want to boost your protein intake.
How to Store
Overnight oats are best enjoyed the next morning after they’re prepared. But they will last for up to 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
Steel cut oats are much denser and take longer to soften, so they aren’t ideal for overnight oats unless pre-cooked. For this recipe, rolled oats work best to achieve that creamy texture by morning. If all you have are steel cut oats, try cooking them first or letting them soak for at least 24 hours.
2. Can I substitute maple syrup with coconut sugar or brown sugar?
Yes! While maple syrup adds a lovely depth and liquid sweetness, you can swap it out for coconut sugar or brown sugar. Just note that these sugars are dry, so you’ll probably need to add a splash more milk or Greek yogurt to keep that luscious texture.
3. Is cacao powder the same as cocoa powder?
Not quite! Cacao powder is less processed and retains more nutrients, making it a great choice for a healthy breakfast option like these chocolate overnight oats. It also gives a more intense, rich chocolate flavor—perfect for chocolate lovers looking to keep the recipe more nutritious. We just use cocoa powder for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with cacao powder!
More Breakfast Recipes:
- Easy Healthy Granola
- Baked Oatmeal
- Dutch Puff Pancake
- Sourdough Granola
- Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
- Apple Pecan Baked Oatmeal
- Lemon Scones with Blackberry Glaze
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you!
Chocolate Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Mason Jar
Ingredients
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt no-fat or full-fat
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cacao nibs plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Add the oats, chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, yogurt, and milk to a mason jar and stir until all ingredients are very well combined.
- Add the teaspoon of cacao nibs to the jar and stir until just combined.
- Put a lid on the jar and place the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the morning, top the oats with a few extra cacao nibs and enjoy!
Notes
How to Store
Overnight oats are best enjoyed the next morning after they’re prepared. But they will last for up to 2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?Steel cut oats are much denser and take longer to soften, so they aren’t ideal for overnight oats unless pre-cooked. For this recipe, rolled oats work best to achieve that creamy texture by morning. If all you have are steel cut oats, try cooking them first or letting them soak for at least 24 hours. 2. Can I substitute maple syrup with coconut sugar or brown sugar?
Yes! While maple syrup adds a lovely depth and liquid sweetness, you can swap it out for coconut sugar or brown sugar. Just note that these sugars are dry, so you’ll probably need to add a splash more milk or Greek yogurt to keep that luscious texture. 3. Is cacao powder the same as cocoa powder?
Not quite! Cacao powder is less processed and retains more nutrients, making it a great choice for a healthy breakfast option like these chocolate overnight oats. It also gives a more intense, rich chocolate flavor—perfect for chocolate lovers looking to keep things more nutritious. This recipe makes one 16 oz serving. Feel free to scale the recipe up to make a larger quantity if desired.
This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for chocolate lovers!