Brownie Batter Overnight Oats
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Published May 16, 2016, Updated Aug 22, 2023
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Treat yourself to these chocolate brownie batter overnight oats. They taste like brownies and are topped with walnuts, chocolate chips and a peanut butter drizzle.
What if I told you that you could eat chocolate for breakfast and keep it healthy? Would you think that I was joking or that you were in some sort of dreamland? Well, today my friend your dreams are becoming a reality because I’m making it happen with these brownie batter overnight oats.
If you’ve been reading EBF for awhile you’ll know that throughout the summer months I’m all about overnight oats. They’re cool, creamy and so easy. I love that I can whip up a batch before bed and wake up to a healthy and delicious breakfast without having to cook anything.
I’ve shared a bunch of dessert inspired overnight oat combos (like peanut butter cup overnight oats and chocolate banana overnight oats), but I think this brownie batter version is the most decadent.
Seriously, if you’re a brownie lover get excited because this combo is delicious and it was made for you!
Ingredients Needed for Brownie Overnight Oats
- old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the best for overnight oats. Instant/quick oats and steel cut oats don’t work the same because they don’t absorb liquid like rolled oats do.
- almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any type of milk will work
- protein powder – I use a plant-based chocolate protein powder that is sweetened with stevia, but you can use your favorite protein powder
- cocoa powder – this gives the oats their rich chocolate flavor and dark color
- maple syrup – pure maple syrup is the perfect natural sweetener to use because it’s liquid so it blends in nicely with the oat mixture and I personally love the flavor. Honey or another natural liquid sweetener will work here. If you want to reduce the sugar in this recipe, feel free to use a sugar alternative like stevia or monk fruit
- vanilla
- sea salt – a pinch of sea salt is the perfect flavor enhancer and brings out the nutty flavor of the oats
- chocolate chips – I like using Lily’s dark chocolate chips because they’re sugar-free and low in carbs
- chopped walnuts – brownies are so good topped with walnuts and I love the crunch they add to these overnight oats
- peanut butter – I love peanut butter on these oats, but any nut butter that you enjoy would work for this recipe
How Long Do Overnight Oats Need to Soak?
Given the name, you’d assume overnight oats need to soak overnight, but you can actually make them in 2-4 hours if you’re in a rush. While it does take some time for the oats to absorb the liquid, they don’t necessarily have to be soaked overnight. I recommend at least 8 hours for true overnight oats, but there have been mornings where I decide I want overnight oats for breakfast even though I didn’t prep them the night before. When this happens I’ll make them the morning of and let the oats soak for just 2-4 hours. With this quick soak, they’re not as soft as overnight oats that have soaked longer and they’re a bit more liquidy, but they’re still delicious.
Can You Eat Overnight Oats Hot?
Short answer, yes! You can definitely warm up overnight oats, but the whole point of overnight oats is to eat them cold like muesli. Even if you think cold oats sound strange, I recommend giving it shot before you write them off. Of course, if you simply can’t do the cold oats you can always heat them up. Just pop the overnights oats in your microwave, cooking in 30 second increments until the oats are warm throughout and enjoy.
After letting your overnight oats soak overnight (or at least a few hours), take the oats out of the fridge and top with banana slices and cacao nibs.
While enjoying these you’ll feel like you’re being naughty by eating chocolate for breakfast (and you kind of are because there are chocolate chips involved) BUT the healthy stuff totally outweighs the chocolate. Plus chocolate does have some health benefits of its own. <– I’m all about the antioxidants… especially those from chocolate and wine. 🙂
More Oatmeal Recipes to Try:
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Berry Baked Oatmeal Bars
- Easy Protein Balls
- Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Protein Oatmeal
- 3 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
If you make these brownie batter overnight oats please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe.
Brownie Batter Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 scoops (50 grams) protein powder, vanilla or chocolate
- 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips, I use Lily’s dark chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter, optional
Instructions
- Add oats, protein powder, almond milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt into a bowl or jar. Stir well to combine, until all the protein powder has dissolved. Seal container with a lid and place in the fridge overnight.
- Take the container out of the fridge the next morning and stir the mixture. You'll notice that the oats soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more almond milk before serving.
- Portion overnight oats into two containers, top each with chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and peanut butter, if using. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free and vegan, be sure to get gluten-free oats, vegan protein powder and vegan chocolate chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yumm! This recipe has so much flavor, the entire family loved it! My husband said to add it to our list of favorite recipes 🙂 Thank you!
So glad this recipe was a hit, Cristina! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
How long do they stay good for in fridge?
They should last about 4-5 days in the fridge!
Do you have to use the protein powder?
I made this and it was incredibly soupy. I’m wondering if it should be 1 cup of milk to 1 cup of oats (2X for two servings)
Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Did you change anything about the recipe? How long did you let the oats sit for? I’ve made this many times and haven’t had an issue with it being too liquidy.
I want to make this tonight for the morning. Can you tell me if the nutrition is for 1 servings or 2?
The recipe makes 2 servings and the nutrition facts are for 1 serving. Hope you enjoy!!
What protein oowder do you like to use? I dont want it to take over the flavours or feel gritty.
I’ve been loving Nuzest! I have a code (eatingbirdfood) if you want to try it for 15% off. 🙂
OMG! This was more dessert than breakfast. Another winning recipe. This was so rich and chocolaty that my hubby said it was too rich. I thought it was perfect! Thanks for another great recipe!
Ah yay!! So glad you enjoyed these overnight oats, AJ! Thanks for the review and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Thank you for sharing your creative overnight oat recipes! I’m so happy I stumbled across them. I just started a new job that starts early, and am a dog walker on the side. Making breakfast at 5am is hard to do.I am so glad I can make it ahead and not skip a good morning fuel up.
Ah yay! I’m so glad these overnight oats have a been a hit, Amy! They are so perfect for those early morning work days. Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
I just mixed this for morning, and even though the oats are still hard, I licked the spoon, and YUM!! I’m so excited for morning!!!:)
Woo!! Enjoy, Tara! Thanks for the review 🙂
This recipe seems so indulgent with the chocolate chips. So yummy