Chocolate Overnight Oats
Creamy, rich, no-cook oats made with cocoa powder, chia seeds and a touch of maple syrup. Mix in five minutes, chill overnight, and wake up to a thick, pudding-like chocolate breakfast.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 8 hr
- Total
- 8 hr 5 min
- Makes
- 2 servings (about 1¼ cups / 300 g each)
Steps
Before you start
- Plan for at least 6 hours of chilling; 8 hours (overnight) gives the best texture.
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or steel-cut oats, which turn mushy or stay hard.
- Sift or whisk the cocoa powder well, since it clumps easily in cold liquid.
- You need two 16-ounce (475 ml) jars or containers with lids.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, cocoa powder, chia seeds and salt for about 20 seconds, pressing out any cocoa lumps against the side of the bowl.
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Ready when: No visible clumps of cocoa; the mixture looks evenly brown.
Tip: Sift the cocoa first if it is very lumpy, because clumps will not dissolve later.
Add liquids
- Pour in the milk, maple syrup and vanilla.
- Whisk for 30 to 45 seconds, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until the cocoa has dissolved into the milk.
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Ready when: The liquid is a uniform chocolate color with no dry cocoa pockets or streaks.
Fold in yogurt
- Add the Greek yogurt and fold with a rubber spatula until fully blended and no white streaks remain.
- The mixture will look loose and soupy, which is correct.
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Ready when: Smooth, evenly chocolate-colored batter with no white streaks.
Divide into jars
- Divide the mixture evenly between two 16-ounce (475 ml) jars, about 1¼ cups (300 g) each.
- Stir each once more to redistribute the settled oats and chia, then seal with lids.
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Ready when: Each jar holds the same amount, with about 1 inch of headspace.
Chill overnight
- Refrigerate the jars for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours for the best texture.
- Give each jar a quick stir after the first 30 minutes if you can, which stops the chia seeds from clumping at the bottom.
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Ready when: Thick and spoonable, with the oats tender and no pool of loose liquid.
Tip: If you skip the early stir, simply stir well in the morning.
Loosen and top
- Stir each jar well.
- If the oats are thicker than you like, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of milk.
- Top with banana slices and chocolate chips, if using, and serve cold.
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Ready when: Creamy, scoopable consistency, like thick pudding.
Tip: Add the banana only just before eating, as it browns and turns soft in the jar overnight.
Good to know
Tips
- Do not skip the pinch of salt, since it sharpens the chocolate flavor.
- For a richer, more dessert-like bowl, use Dutch-process cocoa and stir in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
- If you prefer thinner oats, increase the milk to 1½ cups (360 ml).
- Taste before chilling and add another 1 teaspoon of maple syrup if you like it sweeter, since flavors mellow overnight.
Make ahead
"Assemble the jars (without the toppings) up to 3 days ahead and keep them refrigerated. This makes an easy grab-and-go breakfast for several days. Stir well before eating."
Storage & reheating
"Refrigerator: keep covered for up to 3 days, without fresh fruit toppings. Room temperature: do not leave out for more than 2 hours. Freezer: not recommended, as the texture turns grainy. Reheating: best eaten cold, but you can microwave a jar, uncovered, for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring halfway, and add a splash of milk."
Substitutions
- pure maple syrup → honey or agave nectar. Use the same amount. Honey is not vegan.
- plain Greek yogurt → dairy-free coconut or soy yogurt. Makes the oats vegan when used with plant-based milk and maple syrup.
- chia seeds → ground flaxseed. Use the same amount. The texture will be slightly less thick.
- milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based) → unsweetened almond, oat or soy milk. Oat and soy milk give the creamiest result.
