Chocolate Overnight Oats

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated October 11, 2023

  • James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Rating
5(594)
Comments
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Here is the perfect excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast. With the addition of cocoa and vanilla, these creamy overnight oats taste undeniably rich and indulgent. The sticky Medjool dates break down, adding a caramel flavor and natural sweetness. (Regular dates will work too, but you may need one or two more.) Customize these oats as you wish: Add spices like ground ginger or cinnamon; dried fruits such as raisins, figs or prunes into the soaking mixture; or top with toasted shredded coconut or toasted nuts for texture.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

  • 3 Medjool dates, pitted, roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more to serve

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 2 ½ cups milk or non-dairy milk

  • Mixed berries, to serve

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

49 grams carbs; 277 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 81 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 25 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a quart jar or a large airtight container, mix the oats, chia seeds, dates, maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder and milk. Stir well with a wooden spoon. If the cocoa powder does not dissolve straight away, leave it for a few minutes, then stir again.

  2. Step 2

    Seal the jar or container tightly and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours).

  3. Step 3

    To serve, stir well. Place into bowls and top with berries and, if you like, a small drizzle of maple syrup.

Tip

  • While not mandatory, the oats benefit from a little stir, about 1 to 2 hours after first being refrigerated. This allows for more even distribution of the chia seeds and prevents clumping.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
594 user ratings
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Comments

Zack

1.5 cups is plenty of milk for 1 cup of oats. 2.5 cups is going to yield a very soupy concoction—1.5 will give you the creamy/pudding texture that is typical for overnight oats.

KL

balanced, filling, yummy breakfast. I make something very similar every morning. For a single serving, you can try 3/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, and add sweetener of choice to taste (I use monkfruit.)

Tobias

I absolutely love chocolate overnight oats. Great to see them getting represented in NYT cooking! I replace some of the milk with greek yogurt to get a more creamier, almost brownie-like texture. You can also do them meal-prep style, I usually make 5+ servings at a time and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge. They're very customizable, you can go so many different ways: bananas for extra sweetness, walnuts or pumpkin seeds for a contrast in taste and texture...

Melissa

I didn’t understand the overnight oats hype until I tried this! I made some substitutions - I added chocolate protein powder for extra protein and cocoa nibs for texture. I didn’t have any dates but it was plenty sweet without. This will be my breakfast to replace hot oatmeal for the summer months. DELICIOUS!!!

Brian Kohout

I found that the consistency was runnier than the store-bought overnight oats. Then I thought to myself, food that's commercially sold is most likely pasteurized. So I took the oats in the morning and heated them in a saucepan for just a few minutes and then let them recool. This gave me much closer of a consistency to the store-bought oats. This makes sense as heating the starches activates them. It is however counterintuitive to heat overnight oats.

Lolly

I always add a little salt anytime I make oatmeal or overnight oats. It makes all the difference.

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