Chocolate chip overnight oats are a delicious way to eat oatmeal for breakfast, especially on busy mornings. Mix up rolled oats, milk, yogurt, and chia seeds and add in chocolate chips for a fast make ahead breakfast for dessert.
Chocolate chip overnight oats are the best way to add chocolate to your breakfast. Overnight oats are often eaten chilled, and when mixed with chocolate chips, every chilly creamy spoonful is filled with your delicious chocolate chips. Oats are so energizing and filling, they make a terrific weight loss breakfast, even with the dessert angle of chocolate chips.
If you love overnight oats like I do, try my chocolate overnight oats with cocoa, or seven flavors I provide in this more in depth basic overnight oats recipe post that provides a basic overnight oats recipe as well.
These chocolate chip overnight oats are delicious eaten chilled, or you can heat them in the microwave and let the chips melt into streaks. If you like chocolate for breakfast, don't stop with chips, add a magic shell chocolate top as well, and stir in some peanut butter. The toppings and mix-ins for overnight oats are endless.
Why You'll Love These
A grab and go breakfast. Mix up basic overnight oats, and stir in some chips for this easy make ahead breakfast. Make three in advance and refrigerate them - that's 3 breakfasts taken care of.
Energizing & filling. Overnight oats are known to support weight loss by allowing the oats to help you feel full for hours and avoid unhealthy snacking. The added chocolate chips provide energizing caffeine.
Made for all eaters. This easy chocolate chip breakfast oats recipe is vegan, dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free provided you use dairy free milk, yogurt and chocolate chips. Enjoylife mini chips are my favorite.
Ingredients
1. Rolled oats: Use old fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats can work, but steel cut oats do not work for overnight oats.
2. Dairy free milk: Choose your favorite milk - dairy or canned. The creamier the milk, the creamier your oats.
3. Chia seeds: Chia seeds are high in protein and fiber and a nutritious addition, but optional.
4. Yogurt: Although yogurt is also optional, I'd advise it because it adds a creamy flavor and more protein. I use unsweetened.
5. Lemon juice: I recommend adding a little lemon juice because it deactivate phytates in oats that sometimes interfere with digestion.
6. Maple syrup: Choose your favorite liquid sweetener. In addition to maple syrup, agave, date paste or date syrup also work.
7. Chocolate chips. Use quality chocolate chips with at least 60% cacao such as by Enjoylife or Ghiradelli. Mini chips provide a prettier esthetic.
Equipment Needed
- Measuring cups, spoons
- Strainer
- Oats container with a cover
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Step 1: Rinse oats briefly with water to remove dusty coating on flakes. Then add all basic overnight oats ingredients to a jar, and stir with a spoon to break up clumps.
Step 2: You can add in the chocolate chips now or wait until after the oats have chilled in case you change your mind in the morning as to what flavor overnight oats you want to eat.
Step 3: The next day, or when you intend to eat the oats, stir in the chocolate chips if you haven't yet and eat right away, or cover and store.
Recipe Tips
- Enhance the flavor by adding ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. If you like cinnamon, add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Seal the container well so the oats don't dry out while chilling.
- Taste-test the oats. Before you've added the chocolate chips, taste the oats to be sure they are sweet enough for you and if not, add a bit more sweetener.
- Once the oats have chilled, the liquid and solid layers may have separated so give them a stir. You can add the chocolate chips before or after chilling.
- Overnight oats need to be chilled at least 2 hours, although they will be creamier chilled over night.
Variations
Without chia seeds and yogurt. Overnight oats can be made without chia seeds and yogurt. They both add creaminess to the texture. If you prefer fruity overnight oats, try my overnight oats with frozen fruit.
Other additions. Add crushed walnuts, ground flax seeds and hemp seeds, all for additional crunch and protein.
Overnight oats chocolate top. For a decadent spin, melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in the microwave at 30 seconds, and pour the melted chocolate on top of the prepared chocolate chip overnight oats, either before or after chilling. The melted chocolate will take a few minutes to set in the refrigerator, then break it with a spoon and enjoy!
How to Store
Refrigerated. Overnight oats last about three days covered and in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead. Since oats last three days, it's easy to make ahead three days of breakfasts to be ready to grab and go. You can chill it in a covered jar like a mason jar, or these overnight oats jars, and bring it to work or school. Prepared oats should be chilled however, so don't eat them if they are left at room temperature for more than two hours.
Freeze. Technically prepared overnight oats can be frozen and thawed, but since it takes the same amount of time to make them fresh and chill, it's better if possible to just make them fresh.
Overnight Oats Mix-ins
You can add more than chocolate chips to these overnight oats.
White Chocolate. Add chunks of white chocolate bar or chips for a white chocolate spin.
Chocolate bar. You don't have to stick to chocolate chips. Try chopping up your favorite chocolate bar and add those shards instead.
FAQS
Should you eat overnight oats hot or cold?
Overnight oats are typically served cold so they are a terrific hot-weather breakfast, but they can easily by warmed. Microwave the oats for one minute, uncovered, stir and if not hot enough, microwave another 30 seconds and enjoy.
How long can overnight oats remain at room temperature?
Prepared overnight oats are wet so they should be chilled to prevent the growth of bacteria. However, they can remain at room temperature for up to 2 hours before they are considered not healthy to eat.
Are overnight oats healthy?
Overnight oats are very healthy, high in fiber and protein, a filled with micronutrients such as copper, iron and zinc. Overnight oats are especially healthy for your gut.
Other Overnight Oats Recipes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup dairy free milk
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
- ½ tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice*
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon chocolate chips mini chips are best
Instructions
- Add rolled oats to a strainer and pour water over them briefly. You want a quick rinse to remove the dust from the flakes.
- Add all basic overnight oats ingredients to a jar, including the rinsed oats, and stir with a spoon to break up clumps.½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup dairy free milk, 2 tablespoon yogurt, ½ tablespoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon lemon juice*, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- You can add in the chocolate chips now or wait until after the oats have chilled or add them when you are ready to eat.
- The next day, or when you intend to eat the oats, stir in the chocolate chips and eat right away, or cover and store.2 tablespoon chocolate chips
Video
Notes
- Enhance the flavor by adding ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. If you like cinnamon, add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Seal the container well so the oats don't dry out while chilling.
- Taste-test the oats. Before you've added the chocolate chips, taste the oats to be sure they are sweet enough for you and if not, add a bit more sweetener.
- Once the oats have chilled, the liquid and solid layers may have separated so give them a stir. You can add the chocolate chips before or after chilling.
- Overnight oats need to be chilled at least 2 hours, although they will be creamier chilled over night.
Bennie
I make these with mini chips, so much better.