Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats

My first winter in grad school, the professors played a mean joke on us. Our classes started at 8 am three days a week and 7:30 am the other two. With the sun barely above the horizon, the temperatures weren’t much higher, and a thick fog rolled in every night with water droplets so big it almost felt like you took a second shower just by walking outside.  

I started to dread my morning alarm clock, so to sleep in as long as possible and prolong the inevitable walk across campus, I began making my breakfast and lunch the night before. With enough papers to grade in the evenings, my meal prep as very basic and usually consisted of fruit and dry cereal, plus veggies and a sandwich, but every once in a while if I had an extra 5 minutes to spare, I mixed up overnight oats.

I usually kept things simple—milk, yogurt, cinnamon—but occasionally I threw in raisins to make them taste like my favorite oatmeal cookies or fresh fruit for a juicy twist. Although I may not have thought of them all with my brain so full of chemistry, the possibilities really were endless!

These Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats were one of my favorites. I just needed 5 standard pantry staples, nothing strange at all. And they’re so full of chocolate that they practically taste like a cross between hot chocolate and brownies!

For those of you who haven’t heard of overnight oats, they’re really easy to make. Simply add all of the ingredients to a jar or container with a lid, stir, cover, and let them chill overnight in the fridge. It’s a way to eat your oatmeal cold, but it still has the same soft texture as when you cook it on the stove. They’re great for the summer or breakfasts on the go!

I generally lean towards old-fashioned oats for these because I love their thick, hearty texture. Quick-cooking (aka minute or instant) oats will also work too, if that’s all you have in your pantry, but since we’re letting them sit for at least 8 hours (get as much beauty sleep as you can!), it isn’t necessary.

To boost the protein in these chocolaty oats, I turned to Greek yogurt. I’m not a fan of protein powder in my smoothies or overnight oats just yet. I haven’t quite gotten past its slightly grainy texture. Maybe someday! But for now, plain nonfat Greek yogurt adds the protein I want, as well as an irresistible creamy richness.

Since the yogurt alone won’t quite soften the oats all by itself, you’ll also add a tiny bit of milk. The mixture may look a little watery at first, but the oats act like little sponges while you sleep and soak up most of the moisture.

All of the chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder. You’ll need 2 tablespoons, and if you’re a chocoholic like me, make sure they’re heaping! To balance it out, add a little sweetener, however much you need to make your taste buds happy.

Then in the morning, grab a spoon and enjoy!

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More overnight oat recipes from other food bloggers…

♥   Flax and Blueberry Vanilla Overnight Oats by Pinch of Yum

♥   Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats by French Press

♥   Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats by Crème de la Crumb

♥   Ambrosia Apple Pie Overnight Oats by The Sweet {Tooth} Life