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!
| Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats | | Print |
- ¼ c (25g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary)
- ½ c (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ c (60mL) nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2-3 tsp (9-14g) Truvia (or other sweetener), to taste
- Add all of the ingredients in the order that they’re listed to a mason jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Stir to combine. Screw on the lid, and refrigerate the oats overnight or at least 8 hours.
Any milk and yogurt will work. However, most yogurts don’t contain the same amount of protein and thick creaminess as Greek yogurt.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein}
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
Would this work with steel cut oats, rather than cooking them on the stove? I’m a care provider and one of my clients is a complete chocoholic, but all I have on hand is steel cut.
Yes, steel cut oats should work Vanessa! The oats may need to chill longer to achieve the same soft consistency, but I’m not 100% certain since I haven’t tried it myself. That’s really sweet of you to make them for your client, and I hope that client enjoys them!
I tried this with unsweetened cocoa powder and about three teaspoons equivalent of liquid Stevia, but there was a very bitter aftertaste. Should I be using a different type of cocoa. Should I be using a different type of cocoa powder or sweetener?
I’m sorry the oats didn’t taste like you expected Krithika; that must have been disappointing. Stevia can have a strange aftertaste if you aren’t used to it, so that could factor into it. Also, if the cocoa powder is directly scooped from the container, as opposed to lightly spooned and leveled (like how flour should be measured — I explain more here!), you can end up with at least 1.5 times as much, which would definitely lead to a bitter aftertaste. Hopefully this helps and your next batch turns out perfectly!
I would love to try these, but I’m lactose intolerant. Is there anything I could substitute for the yogurt that would give them the same texture/taste/protein amount?
I still haven’t found a non-dairy substitute with as much protein as Greek yogurt. If you wanted a similar texture, I’d suggest a non-dairy yogurt alternative, but if you wanted as much protein, then try protein powder and additional non-dairy milk instead. If a lactase enzyme pill works for you, that could be another possibility so you didn’t have to modify the recipe. I hope you enjoy the oats Jessica!
I loved this recipe! I made it with Fage yogurt first, which was great. Then I tried Chobani (still 0% Greek yogurt) and it was way too soupy. I’d stick with Fage for a thicker and creamier result.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the oats Suzie!
Haven’t tried this recipe out yet but it sounds to die for!! Just wondering if you could substitute the stevia for anything and if so how much?!
If substituting sugar would it still have as much protein with the healthy effect?
Thanks!!
You’re welcome to use whatever sweetener you prefer Emily! Just substitute whatever tastes best to you — sugar, honey, maple syrup, the sky’s the limit! — and however much you prefer. (i.e. If you like dark chocolate, use less vs. milk chocolate, use more.) Changing the sweetener will not affect the total amount of protein. I hope you enjoy the oats!
I love oatmeal on the stove, but I’ve been looking at overnight oat recipes and came across this one. I just started my third year of grad school in….chemistry! Your blog looks awesome and I am making these overnight oats tonight 🙂
Thanks for your kind words about my blog Megan, and I hope you enjoy the oats! Hopefully this means you’re past quals and just doing research now. I remember how stressed the entire second year class was during the winter and spring of QEs — not fun! 😉
These look delicious.! I haven’t gotten used to the idea of cold oatmeal yet. Can these be heated up?
Thanks Donna! These overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold, so I haven’t tried heating them. I’d be careful of heating the yogurt, but I’m guessing it should work if you keep a watchful eye on it. I hope you enjoy them!
I’m new to your site and I am so pleased to find so many different overnight oats recipes. I was wondering if you think I can use my chocolate protein powder in place of cocoa powder. I am so rushed in the morning, these recipes are perfect for me.
Thanks for your kind words about my recipes! I haven’t tried protein powder in this recipe, but it should work. You may need to adjust the amount to suite your tastes. I hope you enjoy the oats Catie!
This was first overnight oats I’ve tried and I’m in love with it. It was so nice I’ve made another portion for tomorrow morning, I’ve added chia seeds so I’ll see how this will work ☺️
I’m so glad you enjoyed the oats Dagmara, and I hope the chia seeds turned out too!
No nutritional information has been included with the recipe so how does anyone know carbs, protein, etc….
The Nutrition Information is actually included beneath the recipe box. It can be easy to miss! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the oats if you try them Marshall!