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
Hi Amy, I am massively late on to the overnight oats band wagon but my 2017 goal is to lose weight. Thank you so much for this receipe. I made it last night and I have never been so excited for my breakfast. Simply divine. Added a bit of chia seed to up the protein and bit more and thankfully I didn’t ruin your amazing receipe. Love your blog. Thank you for helping me with my weight loss goals xx
I’m so glad you enjoyed the overnight oats Natalie! It’s never too late to join the bandwagon when it comes to healthy and delicious food. 🙂 I’m so excited for you and your weight loss journey! It sounds like you’re already off to a great start, and I’d love to hear if you try any more of my recipes!
WOW! I made the Chocolate one last night for the first time! I will say I love Chocolate so this is wonderful! It is a bit rich but VERY filling!! I looked at the jar and said “That’s ONE serving”?!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these overnight oats Danelle! That really means a lot to me. 🙂 If you’re interested, I have lots more overnight oats recipes here — and many of them involve chocolate too! (I’m a huge chocoholic! ?)
I thought it was some kind of pudding – so tasty! I should try it.. but can I add something instead of Greek yogurt?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Regina! What were you thinking about substituting for the Greek yogurt?
Can you use cacao powder instead of unsweetened cocoa powder?
Yes, that’s fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these overnight oats Renee!
Just found your blog Amy and I love it!! Cannot wait to try many of your oatmeal and muffin recipes. I just mixed up this chocolate overnight oatmeal for the morning and I’m very excited to try it. I love to try new and healthy recipes, especially with a husband who has a sweet tooth, but not very many healthy habits. 😉 Baby steps!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Emily! I’m truly honored that you’re enjoying my blog, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of these oats! 🙂 I hope your hubby enjoys some of these recipes that you try too!
They were SO wonderful! Will be in my regular breakfast rotation! 🙂
That means so much to me Emily! I’m honored! 🙂
I didn’t use a ton of Truvia (I doubled the recipe and used two Truvia packets), but I probably should have used a bit more, since the chocolate flavor is a bit strong and bitter. The texture was great though, and my parents liked it with ReddiWip!
Additional Truvia should really help with that bitterness Diana! I love your parents’ idea of topping it with whipped cream! 🙂
I veganised mine with nudie coconut yoghurt and some coconut milk, also stirred in some sweet william chocolate chips and topped with berries.
That sounds lovely Shennae! I hope you enjoyed the overnight oats! 🙂
Hello, I was wondering if you had to cook all this on the stove and then put in a mason jar and refrigerate or do I just straight put it in a mason jar and refrigerate?:)
No cooking involved! Just stir everything together and refrigerate. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these overnight oats Hayley!
Aww yeah, another good one! Have you ever tried making chocolate overnight oats with peanut butter? ?? I mix it with the yogurt before adding milk and the oats. So. Good.
Yes I have! I’ve posted that recipe here. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed these overnight oats Celina! (And if you’re interested, you can find all of my overnight oats recipes here!)
Thanks! I love exploring new healthy recipes, so I’ll definitely be trying more soon 😀
My pleasure Celina! I’m so excited to hear what you try next! 🙂