These chocolate banana overnight oats bring together oats, banana and chocolate protein powder to make a quick and easy breakfast option that tastes like dessert.
If you’ve been reading EBF for awhile you’ll know that throughout the summer months (and occasionally in the winter) 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 made (and shared) so many different overnight oat variations, but this one is a little different because there’s chocolate involved! It’s like dessert for breakfast, only healthy and packed with protein, healthy fats and smart carbs.
Per the usual with overnight oats, the process is quite simple. Simply add your oats, protein powder, mashed banana, chia seeds and almond milk into a bowl. Stir, stir, stir… until all the protein powder has dissolved. Then put the mixture in the fridge overnight and let the oats do their thing.
Ingredients Needed for Chocoalte Banana 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
banana
almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any type of milk will work
chocolate protein powder – this is what gives the overnight oats their chocolatey flavor. I use a plant-based chocolate protein powder that is sweetened with stevia. If your protein powder isn’t sweetened, you’ll likely want to add a little sweetener
chia seeds – these little seeds add a bit of fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids and they help absorb some of the liquid which gives the oats a thicker consistency
cacao nibs – I love the crunch that cacao nibs add! You can also add chocolate chips if you don’t have cacao nibs on hand
almond butter – this is the perfect nut butter to use as a topping, but peanut butter would work great too
Overnight Oats Ratio
The base “recipe” for overnight oats is so simple! The hardest part is getting the right ratio of oats to liquid, but if you follow my recipes you’ll be set!
I aim for a 1:1 ratio of rolled oats to milk, plus half as much yogurt. So for 1 cup of oats, I use 1 cup of milk + 1/2 cup of yogurt (or an additional 1/2 cup of milk). For this recipe, I’m skipping the yogurt and using the extra milk. This seems to give the oats the perfect consistency, not too thick, but not soupy. For the liquid, I usually go for non-dairy milk like almond milk, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand and if you really want to experiment you can try using different liquids like fruit juice.
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.
How Long Do Overnight Oats Last?
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight oats should last for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5. With this said, overnight oats are great for meal prep. Feel free to make a whole batch for the week on Sunday. I like prepping them in wide mouth 16 oz mason jars.
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. Add a big spoonful of almond butter… if you please. It’s never a question for me. If I’m having oats, there’s going to be a spoonful of nut butter involved. That’s it. Time to dig in!
If you make these chocolate banana overnight oats be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting us know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and our readers!
These chocolate banana overnight oats bring together oats, banana and chocolate protein powder to make a quick and easy breakfast option that tastes like dessert.
Cut one half of your banana in slices and mash the other half.
Add mashed banana, oats, almond milk, protein powder and chia seeds into a bowl. Stir well to combine, until all the protein powder has dissolved. Divide oat mixture into two containers (I like using mason jars), seal with a lid and place in the fridge overnight.
Take one container out of the fridge the next morning and stir the mixture. You’ll notice that the protein powder, oats and chia seeds soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more almond milk before serving.
Top with banana slices, cacao nibs and almond butter (if using) and enjoy!
Overnight oats will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
Brittany is the queen of ono’s haha! But seriously her overnight oat recipes are the best. I’ve tried recipes from all over pinterest and hers are SO much better. They come out so creamy and thick. This is my fave combo but honestly all of them are tasty.
Soooo good, I must’ve made this like at least 5 times now! Absolutely delicious recipe that’s healthy too. I can’t get enough of these overnight oats since I discovered them from EBF, but this ones by far my favourite one!!!
I was searching for chocolate flavor recipe for oats and I bumped in to this.Nice recipe. Thanks for sharing it. I had used True Elements Rolled Oats as they are gluten free to make this recipe.
They are so tasty, thank you for that recepie. Is it really 5 1/2 cups of milk? I added only about 2.5 and they turned out quite runny but still delicious.
Hi Iwona! Oh goodness, no… it should only be 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 cup of rolled oats for the original recipe, which makes 2 servings. Did you happen to click the 1x or 2x button to scale the recipe? This is what seems to be causing issues. I think something is wonky with this function so I just reached out to my developer to try to fix it.
Oh I am obsessed with overnight oats! I love this flavor combination! Can’t wait to give these a try! No better way to wake up in the morning than knowing these chocolate banana overnight oats will be waiting for me!
I have never bought chocolate protein powder. Would you be willing to give some tips on what I’m looking for, and where to find it in the store? Brands you like would be a bonus. Thanks!
Brittany,
Looks yummy and healthy! Need to try this tomorrow as I have all the ingredients except chocolate protein powder. Which brand did you use? Also I have 2 (pounds) bags of organic cacao nibs and don’t know what to do. I opened one bag, and tried it in oatmeal….boy its bitter as hell! I could not handle it. I wish I could give the unopened bag to someone without having to waste it. I got them at an online super food site, lost receipt and can’t even return the unopened bag.
P.S: Congratulations on your new home 🙂
My parents visited me for a month and was busy running them around and I missed your blog since May! Just now trying to catch up:)
Brittany, I made this last night for breakfast this morning and it was awesome! I make overnight oats with Greek yogurt all time but I can never get the ratio of oats to milk right in the vegan version. These were perfect! I used cocoa powder instead of protein powder and it worked like a charm 🙂
I’d start with 2 Tablespoons. Taste it and add more if needed. Cocoa powder will be a bit bitter (not sweet like the chocolate protein powder) so just be aware of that when adding it.
Yum!! I used to make over night oats all the time back in my vegan days! They were definitely a go too breakfast. I haven’t made them in awhile though! I need to get back into it since it’s been so hot!
Hi Brittany! I’m an overnight oats girl all the way. However, I usually add a banana in the morning sliced up and have never tried it mashed into the oats before. Good idea! 🙂
Anyway to sneak chocolate into my breakfast sounds good to me! Your recipes are so unique and I enjoy your sense of humor through out your blog posts. I have never put protein powder in my overnight oats, but usually try to sneak it somewhere else in my meal. I will have to give it a try! Would you be interested in teaming up with Chicory and becoming a recipe partner?
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Brittany is the queen of ono’s haha! But seriously her overnight oat recipes are the best. I’ve tried recipes from all over pinterest and hers are SO much better. They come out so creamy and thick. This is my fave combo but honestly all of them are tasty.
★★★★★
Awww! Thanks so much, Samantha. You’re the best!
Soooo good, I must’ve made this like at least 5 times now! Absolutely delicious recipe that’s healthy too. I can’t get enough of these overnight oats since I discovered them from EBF, but this ones by far my favourite one!!!
★★★★★
So glad you’ve been loving these overnight oats, Harry! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I was searching for chocolate flavor recipe for oats and I bumped in to this.Nice recipe. Thanks for sharing it. I had used True Elements Rolled Oats as they are gluten free to make this recipe.
★★★★★
Decent flavor, but they came out very soupy following the measurements exact.
★★
Hey Angela – How long did you let the oats soak for before eating it?
You say this is a single serving but say to divide in two bowls. So what is the protein count based on? The whole recipe or one bowl?
Hi Therese. The recipe is actually two servings so the protein count is based on half of the full recipe. Let me know if that makes sense.
They are so tasty, thank you for that recepie. Is it really 5 1/2 cups of milk? I added only about 2.5 and they turned out quite runny but still delicious.
★★★★★
Hi Iwona! Oh goodness, no… it should only be 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 cup of rolled oats for the original recipe, which makes 2 servings. Did you happen to click the 1x or 2x button to scale the recipe? This is what seems to be causing issues. I think something is wonky with this function so I just reached out to my developer to try to fix it.
If you don’t the like the taste/texture that protein powder can add to a meal, try subsiding 50/50 milk and Greek yogurt for the almond milk.
I made these (but doubled the banana because I LOVE bananas) and they were so tasty!! Also now officially addicted to cacao nibs.
★★★★★
Such a wonderful brekkie! LOVE the chocolate!
Thank you!!
Oh I am obsessed with overnight oats! I love this flavor combination! Can’t wait to give these a try! No better way to wake up in the morning than knowing these chocolate banana overnight oats will be waiting for me!
So delicious and I loved that it kept me full until lunch. I hope you post more overnight oat recipes using chocolate protein powder. Thank you!
I have never bought chocolate protein powder. Would you be willing to give some tips on what I’m looking for, and where to find it in the store? Brands you like would be a bonus. Thanks!
Sure! There are a ton of good brands out there. You just have to find one that agrees with your dietary preferences and tastes. I personally love using plant-based protein powders. I’m a big fan of Sunwarrior and Perfect Fit. Here’s a post I wrote about my favorite protein powder.
Brittany,
Looks yummy and healthy! Need to try this tomorrow as I have all the ingredients except chocolate protein powder. Which brand did you use? Also I have 2 (pounds) bags of organic cacao nibs and don’t know what to do. I opened one bag, and tried it in oatmeal….boy its bitter as hell! I could not handle it. I wish I could give the unopened bag to someone without having to waste it. I got them at an online super food site, lost receipt and can’t even return the unopened bag.
P.S: Congratulations on your new home 🙂
My parents visited me for a month and was busy running them around and I missed your blog since May! Just now trying to catch up:)
Somehow I always forget about making overnight oats! Making this tomorrow!!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Hi, any type of protein powder would do for this, or is there a specific powder?
Thanks!
You can use your favorite brand of protein powder! I love the Sunwarrior brand — it’s plant-based and has minimal ingredients.
Brittany, I made this last night for breakfast this morning and it was awesome! I make overnight oats with Greek yogurt all time but I can never get the ratio of oats to milk right in the vegan version. These were perfect! I used cocoa powder instead of protein powder and it worked like a charm 🙂
Woo-hoo! So glad that you liked it, Lauren. I love that you used cocoa powder instead of protein powder — perfect sub!
how much cocoa powder should i use instead of chocolate protein?
I’d start with 2 Tablespoons. Taste it and add more if needed. Cocoa powder will be a bit bitter (not sweet like the chocolate protein powder) so just be aware of that when adding it.
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! And looks like something I would want to eat for every meal!
Simple, healthy recipe!
Chocolate for breakfast? Sign me up! 😀
Yum!! I used to make over night oats all the time back in my vegan days! They were definitely a go too breakfast. I haven’t made them in awhile though! I need to get back into it since it’s been so hot!
If I’m having oats, there is always a spoonful of nut butter involved!
This sounds DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
chocolate and banana is such a classic, def pinning this 🙂
Hi Brittany! I’m an overnight oats girl all the way. However, I usually add a banana in the morning sliced up and have never tried it mashed into the oats before. Good idea! 🙂
Anyway to sneak chocolate into my breakfast sounds good to me! Your recipes are so unique and I enjoy your sense of humor through out your blog posts. I have never put protein powder in my overnight oats, but usually try to sneak it somewhere else in my meal. I will have to give it a try! Would you be interested in teaming up with Chicory and becoming a recipe partner?
I do love my overnight oats! I always add cocoa powder…ALWAYS! 😉