Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal

Name: Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup old fashioned oats; 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk; 1/2 cup water; 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional); 1 dash sea salt

As a chocolate lover, any excuse to add more chocolate into my diet is a welcome one. This healthy chocolate oatmeal made with cocoa powder is a delicious way to start your day. Top with nut butter and some fresh berries for a filling breakfast you can feel good about.

chocolate oatmeal in white bowl topped with fresh berries, peanut butter, and cacao nibs.

If I’m not making a healthy smoothie for breakfast, a bowl of hot oatmeal is my go-to. I love my morning oatmeal because it’s a blank canvas for so many different delicious flavor combinations. In fact, I even wrote a post all about healthy ways to add flavor to your oatmeal. This chocolate oatmeal recipe is perfect for when you are craving something a little more indulgent for breakfast, but it’s also still good for you!

Looking for more ways to incorporate chocolate into your breakfast? Check out these easy recipes: peanut butter mocha smoothie, chocolate chia pudding, and this vegan chocolate granola.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Chocolate for breakfast? What more is there to love! You’ll want to cozy up with a big bowl of chocolate oatmeal every morning.
Healthy and Delicious: This oatmeal provides lots of filling fiber, heathy fats, as well as tons of antioxidants from the cocoa.
A yummy recipe for almost everyone: This recipe is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and egg free.

Oats are a versatile and budget-friendly pantry staple that I always keeps on hand. Check out my health benefits of oats post for the lowdown on this nutritious whole grain from a plant-based dietitian.

Ingredients You’ll Need

chocolate oatmeal ingredients in bowls with text labels for each ingredient: maple syrup, soy milk, oats, chia seeds, salt, and cocoa powder.

Old fashioned oats: I like the texture of old-fashioned oats, but you could also use instant oats. If you use steel cut oats, the cooking time will need to be adjusted as they take much longer to cook! Use gluten free certified oats to make this recipe gluten free.
Soy milk: soy milk is my go-to since it has more protein than other plant-based milks and makes a really creamy oatmeal. However, you can substitute with your favorite plant milk like oat milk, almond milk, or even coconut milk.
Cocoa powder: just a couple tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder gives this oatmeal recipe tons of delicious chocolate flavor.
Maple syrup: my preferred way to add sweetness to oats. However, you can also use agave, brown sugar, or coconut sugar. For a sugar free version, sweeten with your favorite sugar free sweetener like Splenda or monk fruit.
Chia seeds: these are optional, but I like to add them to my oats for extra protein and plant-based omega 3 fat. You could also add a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseeds instead for similar health benefits. I wrote a whole post about chia seeds vs flaxseeds in case you want to learn more about these super seeds.
Sea salt: adding a pinch of sea salt to your oats really helps the flavors pop!

Topping Suggestions:

Here is a list of some of my favorite toppings for this oatmeal recipe:

Nuts or seeds: add a handful of chopped nuts for some healthy fats. This oatmeal would be great with some chopped peanut, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds.
Nut butter: one of my favorite ways to make oatmeal more filling is to add a spoonful of nut butter on top. The hot oatmeal makes it extra melty and delicious. Some of my favorites with chocolate oatmeal are peanut butter or a chocolate almond butter.
Fruit: Fresh berries and bananas are great but you could also add frozen fruit too. You can add the frozen fruit from the start or stir it in at the end. Either way, the hot oats will defrost your fruit for you.
Chocolate chips or cacao nibs: add even more chocolate flavor with some chocolate chips or cacao nibs.

Step by Step

MICROWAVE: You can make it in the microwave if you prefer. Simply add all of your oatmeal ingredients to a large microwave safe bowl and heat for up to 5 minutes in the microwave. (Oats can swell in the microwave so use a bigger bowl than you think you need! I like to use a small mixing bowl.) Stir oats occasionally while they cook in the microwave. Carefully remove from microwave when oats have thickened to your liking.

STOVETOP:

chocolate oatmeal ingredients added to a small saucepan.

Step One: Add all of your ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gently simmer and stir frequently.

cooked chocolate oatmeal in a small saucepan.

Step Two: Simmer until oats have reached desired consistency and remove from the heat.

Want to make chocolate overnight oats? Just add all of the ingredients in the recipe card to an airtight container and stir well to combine. Store in the fridge overnight to thicken and then add all of your favorite toppings in the morning! You can also check out my chocolate peanut butter overnight oats recipe.

Expert Tips

Don’t skip the salt! It may feel strange to add a pinch of salt to cooked oats, but it really helps all the flavors pop.
Top as desired. One of the best ways to elevate a boring bowl of oatmeal is to add more toppings! Add toppings with different textures to make it more interesting.
Adjust the sweetness to taste: If you like a sweeter oatmeal, feel free to add more than 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Since I often add fruit to my oats, I find that I don’t need much more sweetener.

Recipe FAQs

Can you put chocolate in oatmeal?

Yes! This chocolate oatmeal recipe made with cocoa powder is delicious! You can also add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to plain oatmeal to add flavor.

Can you reheat oatmeal?

Yes, you can reheat oatmeal that has been stored in the fridge. Oatmeal will thicken after chilling so add a splash of milk and then reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop; stir to loosen up the oats again.

Is oatmeal vegan?

Not always – it depends on how it was made since milk is often used to cook the oatmeal. You can easily make it vegan by using a plant-based milk to cook the oats and adding sweetness with maple syrup or brown sugar instead of honey.

More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love

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