Healthy Chocolate Overnight Oats Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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This Healthy Chocolate Overnight oats recipe layered with raspberry chia jam is amazing! A quick but satisfying 5 minute healthy breakfast that is perfect for on-the-go, packed with nutrients and just so creamy. Topped with fresh fruit, coconut shreds and yogurt – it makes the best healthy, gluten-free and vegan breakfast, especially for your busy weeks!
I love overnight oats. It saves me so much time in the morning! And the result comes out just even creamier than the oatmeal you cook on the stove for a long time. If you’ve never heard of overnight oats, it is a no-cook method of making oatmeal. Instead of the ways we grew up in, cooking oats with liquid on the stove or in microwaves, you would mix rolled oats (aka old-fashioned) with liquid and rest in the fridge overnight.
Why soaking oats overnight
First of all, before I dive into this delicious recipe, let me explain the WHY behind overnight oats
1. Easy and Delicious:
In the morning, you have a pudding like porridge that is ready and waiting for you in the fridge. Overnight Oats make a perfect easy, satisfying breakfast for on-the-go.
2. Better Digestion
Soaking oats can make it easier for us to digest. Oats contain a high amount of phytic acid which can act as an inhibitor for important digestive enzymes. Therefore, high phytic acid can reduce the nutrition value in a meal. However, overnight, the oats swell up and phytic acid is reduced.
How to make Overnight Oats
Layering the overnight oats and chia jam in a jar
1. Soak Everything together, the night before
Frist, choose a glass container or mason jar, like the one I have here. Second, add the gluten-free oats, cacao powder, nut milk and maple syrup in the jar. Then seal it tight and shake well. Let it sit in the fridge overnight to work its magic.
2. Choose your Favorite Toppings
I love my toppings. I treat everything as a vehicle for me to add more toppings, including this overnight oats. My favorite go-to toppings are berries, cacao nibs, coconut shreds, coconut yogurt and nut butter.
To keep your toppings fresh, pack them in a separate container or add them to your overnight chia oats in the morning.
3. Grab and Go in the Morning
Snoozed your alarm a few more times than you planned? Don’t worry. Your breakfast is ready and waiting for you in the fridge. All you need is to brush your teeth (this step may be optional), throw some unwrinkled clothes on, GRAB this overnight chia oats and run out of the door.
4. Heat it up or eat it cold
Heat up the overnight chia oats, add the toppings, and enjoy a healthy and satisfying breakfast! (Hopefully your office has a microwave for you to use). However, in the summer heat, this overnight oats is also amazing to be enjoyed cold.
What to add to your Overnight Oats?
There are many spices and mix-ins I use for different oatmeal (I list a lot of them in this my ultimate guide to “how to make a healthy oatmeal”). Cacao powder will always be my favorite not only it is so delicious but also because of its health benefits.
Chocolate is the Best Way to Start your day
I know chocolate sounds like a very indulgent ingredient, even restricted for some. But let me tell you, there are so many benefits to chocolate – Dark Chocolate. The reason chocolate has such a bad reputation is because of all the addictive in the store-bought ones. Most of them contain sugar, dairy, soy lecithin (can cause indigestion). However, the main ingredient, CACAO, doesn’t really run the show here.
On the other hand, dark chocolate which is mostly cacao actually provides lots of health benefits. For example, it is a great source of antioxidant, may improve mood, boost energy, aid weight loss and more. Therefore, I am a big believer of chocolate (cacao) being the best way to start our days.
I wrote more about the benefits of cacao powder in this post along with a delicious and healthy chocolate smoothie bowl recipe.
How to make Magical Chia Seeds Layer
Since Valentine’s day is right around the corner, I layered this Chocolate Overnight Oats with some Raspberry Chia Jam. I mean, what can get better than raspberry and chocolate. Surprise him/her, your roommate or yourself with this super “fancy looking” breakfast on that special day.
Let me tell you, I’m a big believer for the saying “Food is the way to a man’s heart” and my heart as well, of course. And I am about to show you a simple food styling trick to make this chocolate chia overnight oats look irresistible.
1. Make Chia Jam:
All you need is some frozen raspberries and chia seeds. You can find my simple 2-ingredient raspberry chia jam recipe here.
2. Add 1/3 of the chocolate overnight oats in a clean mason jar
3. Add a layer of yogurt of choice
I love a good full fat plain or vanilla yogurt. If you are vegan, coconut or almond yogurt are also a great alternative.
4. Add 1/4 cup chia jam
5. Add Toppings
I love fresh or frozen berries, coconut shreds, nut butter or coconut yogurt.
Don’t forget to pin this recipe and share it with your friends, family, and special someone <3.
Get the recipe:Healthy Chocolate Overnight Oats
Ingredients
Chocolate Overnight Oats
- 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 cup liquid of choice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Toppings
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries
- 1 tbsp coconut shreds
- 1 tbsp yogurt of choice
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the chocolate overnight oats in a mason jar
- Leave the jar in the fridge overnight
- Use a fresh mason jar to start layering the overnight oats, yogurt and raspberry chia jam (click for recipe)
- Heat it up in the microwave (Optional)
- Top it with your favorite fruits, nuts and yogurt.
Notes
- For more tips about making the most perfect oatmeal, I have a detailed guide Here.
- For liquid, you can use full or reduced fat milk. For vegan option, my favorite is cashew and coconut milk.
- You can opt maple syrup out for honey, mashed bananas, or no sweetener at all.Â
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
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