I love overnight oats. I love how chewy the oats get. The texture is reminiscent of soggy cereal once it has sat in milk for some time. I have realized that some people may not love the texture as much as I do, so I wanted to give my readers another option for eating overnight oats.
I made 2 identical batches of overnight oats but blended one until smooth before refrigerating. I did a taste/texture test the next morning and loved both! The blended oats might as well be called oatmeal without the oats. It was creamy and smooth, and tasted like chocolate cake batter! I really liked both versions, but favor the classic unblended overnight oats because it is chewy and makes me slow down while eating.
Do a taste/texture test and see which way you like your oats!
Chocolate Cake Batter Overnight Oats
Serves 1
1/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 ripe banana
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar or container and refrigerate overnight.
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: banana
Whole Grain: whole rolled oats
Protein: almond milk
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds
diianamariie
April 23, 2012 at 2:27 pm (13 years ago)This sounds DELICIOUS! I have been reading about overnight oats for awhile now but nothing really caught my attention until now. I will be trying this!!
Catherine
April 23, 2012 at 2:29 pm (13 years ago)Prepare to be hooked!
Tamara (fitknitchick)
May 19, 2012 at 6:35 pm (13 years ago)I LOVE overnight oats! The chewier the better. Even like them with steel cut oats! I’ve been looking for a way to make them chocolaty; this looks like a great recipe!
Thanks for the share!
Catherine
May 20, 2012 at 8:56 am (13 years ago)Same here, I loveeee my oats nice ‘n’ chewy! I haven’t tried overnight oats with steel cut oats, but I definitely need to. I Love any kind of oats! This recipe is perfectly chocolaty, let me know what you think!
Grace
July 23, 2014 at 7:37 am (10 years ago)Do you eat them cold?
Catherine
July 23, 2014 at 10:25 pm (10 years ago)Yes, I eat my overnight oats cold! They could be heated though!
Alli
May 24, 2012 at 8:24 am (13 years ago)I’m making this as we speak! Just wondering if you leave the banana in chunks or mash it up?
Catherine
May 24, 2012 at 10:24 am (13 years ago)Hi Alli! Get it mashed a much as you can! It’s ok to have some chunks but the majority should be very mashed! Good luck and tell me what you think!
Mirani
January 10, 2013 at 8:52 pm (12 years ago)Hey Alli, I didn’t know you were meant to mash the banana and when I first made it, I just sliced the banana and it still tasted DE-LICIOUS!
dan
May 28, 2012 at 11:10 pm (13 years ago)honest i have never had these ever. i plan on it soon could you ever add peanut butter i think that would be epic. this sounds like it would be amazing
Catherine
May 29, 2012 at 10:09 am (13 years ago)1 Tbsp of unsalted natural peanut butter would be amazing!!! Great idea, Dan!
Stephanie
June 4, 2012 at 10:24 am (13 years ago)I just discovered your awesome blog last night and I’m absolutely loving it! I had the overnight oats this morning and they were great. I’m so excited to make everything on here!
Catherine
June 4, 2012 at 1:27 pm (13 years ago)Thank you, Stephanie! So happy you stumbled upon my blog and loves the Overnight Oats! Health & Happiness xo
Marina Matson
June 4, 2012 at 8:55 pm (13 years ago)Just made this.. its waiting in the fridge. I am addicted to your blog. I am considering going vegetarian for a month to test it out and have spent all evening reading through your recipes, they are awesome!
Catherine
June 4, 2012 at 11:52 pm (13 years ago)Oh my gosh, I am so excited for you to try your Overnight Oats in the morning! Let me know how you like them 🙂 You should definitely give going vegetarian a try, Its so much easier than you think, and you will feel great! Health & Happiness xo
Mackenzie
June 13, 2012 at 3:06 am (13 years ago)i think this recipe sounds really neat and good for me because i never have time in the mornings to eat but i have one major issue.. i hate bannannas. =/ is there anything i could use in it’s place?
Catherine
June 13, 2012 at 10:29 am (13 years ago)Hi Mackenzie! Another reader doesn’t like banana and used sweet potato instead! I’m not sure what her measurements were, but she said it tasted great and added some sweetness in place of the banana!
Kat
June 24, 2012 at 4:40 pm (13 years ago)Could you use Stevia or a different natural sweetener in place of the honey?
Catherine
June 24, 2012 at 4:46 pm (13 years ago)I haven’t tried stevia in this recipe, but you could try adding Stevia until your desired sweetness is reached! 🙂
Kat
June 24, 2012 at 4:59 pm (13 years ago)Would no honey affect the texture?
Catherine
June 24, 2012 at 5:04 pm (13 years ago)Since it’s only a small amount of maple syrup/honey it shouldn’t affect the overall texture. Most of the texture comes form the oats absorbing all of the liquid ingredients 🙂
Kat
June 24, 2012 at 5:06 pm (13 years ago)Thanks!!! 🙂 I love your site!
Evelyn
June 30, 2012 at 8:24 pm (12 years ago)OH MY! They looked so good, I immediatly made them, and then blogged about ’em. 😉
Catherine
July 1, 2012 at 10:19 am (12 years ago)Hahaha I’m so glad you enjoyed the oats! I loved seeing your Overnight Oats photo! Thank you so much for sharing with your readers, you are so sweet! xo
Lydia
July 2, 2012 at 4:17 pm (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! I just found your blog (through pinterest) and I’m so excited to try rabbit food! One question, where would I find chia seeds, I couldn’t find them at my grocery store. In the meantime, can I use something as a substitute, maybe almonds?
Catherine
July 2, 2012 at 4:30 pm (12 years ago)Hi Lydia! I usually buy my Chia Seeds at Whole Foods, but I have seen them popping up at different grocery stores such as Pavillions and Bristol Farms. Try looking at your local nutrition/health food store! The chia seeds are pretty much flavorless, but once soaked in liquid, swell a few times their size, giving the recipe some extra thickness! Of course in the mean time you could sub with a different nut or seed 🙂
Cadi
July 5, 2012 at 6:03 pm (12 years ago)Holy cow… I’m so whipping this up tonight, with frozen raspberries in lieu of the banana. Sounds like such an indulgent, amazing breakfast, I can’t wait!
Just found you on Pinterest, you’re so inspiring! I’m on my way to losing 40 pounds so I’ll be a frequent visitor. 😉
Catherine
July 5, 2012 at 6:59 pm (12 years ago)Fab idea Cadi! I cannot wait to hear how it turns out 🙂 Keep checking for new healthy recipes! xo
Danielle
July 6, 2012 at 9:45 am (12 years ago)I just had this as part of my am snack and it was SO good. I have been searching and searching for ways to incorporate oats into my morning meals and this will definitely be staple in my meal plans.
Catherine
July 6, 2012 at 9:58 am (12 years ago)That’s great Danielle! Glad you loved it! xo
Dana
July 8, 2012 at 4:30 pm (12 years ago)I just prepped mine tonight for when I wake up tomorrow. Even my healthy-food avoiding father thought they tasted okay!
Catherine
July 8, 2012 at 5:50 pm (12 years ago)haha that’s awesome Dana! xo
Megan
July 9, 2012 at 4:40 pm (12 years ago)Can you only refrigerate these overnight? Or will they stay good in the fridge for a few days! I have never had overnight oats before, but have loved all of your recipes that I have tried, so I am going to try these tonight! I don’t have chia seeds yet, so I am going to throw in some other nuts for now.
Catherine
July 9, 2012 at 5:13 pm (12 years ago)I usually eat them the next day but I suppose they would last a couple of days in the refrigerator! xo
Abbie
July 11, 2012 at 6:38 pm (12 years ago)To those who don’t like bananas: try this with crushed pineapple. Whoa.
Catherine
July 11, 2012 at 6:41 pm (12 years ago)Love it Abbie! I know that there are a few readers that don’t love bananas, so this is a great option for them! Plus I need to try it now! xo
Jen
July 16, 2012 at 12:03 pm (12 years ago)Silly question… so do you eat the oats cold in the morning or should I microwave them a bit?
Catherine
July 16, 2012 at 3:23 pm (12 years ago)Not a silly question at all, Jen! I love eating my oats cold, but if you don’t you could definitely heat them up! xo
Jen
July 17, 2012 at 6:41 am (12 years ago)I only had steel cut oats, but decided to give it a try anyways, unfortunately it didn’t work. The oats were not tender at all this morning. Heading out tonight to grab some rolled oats and try again!
Catherine
July 17, 2012 at 9:36 am (12 years ago)Oh no! I hope that take 2 ends up a little better 🙂 xo
Hope
July 19, 2012 at 11:10 am (12 years ago)Catherine,
Love your blog! I was wondering, I love steel cut oats and was wondering if they would work in the overnight oats recipes? Have you tried them?
Thanks!
Hope
July 19, 2012 at 11:11 am (12 years ago)HaHa—-I just read through the comments and my question was answered already! 😉 My powers of observation are sorely lacking today!
Catherine
July 19, 2012 at 11:38 am (12 years ago)Hahaha no worries! I’m glad you found the answer you were looking for! xo
Catherine
July 26, 2012 at 9:22 am (12 years ago)I am obsessed with the blended version of this! I have literally eaten them for breakfast everyday for the last week. Thank you!
Catherine
July 26, 2012 at 10:11 am (12 years ago)Yayyy so happy you are loving the blended ONOs! I go back and forth between blended and regular haha xo
Andie
July 27, 2012 at 12:32 pm (12 years ago)Would if be ok to replace the maple syrup/honey with Agave Nectar?
Catherine
July 27, 2012 at 1:50 pm (12 years ago)Yes, 1/2 Tbsp of Agave can be used in place of the maple syrup or honey 🙂
Andie
July 27, 2012 at 4:32 pm (12 years ago)Cool thanks! Where can I find Chia seeds? Do they sell them at Spouts/TJ’s/Mothers?
Catherine
July 27, 2012 at 5:08 pm (12 years ago)yes you should be able to find Chia Seeds at any of the grocery stores you listed! I just saw Chia seeds at Trader Joe’s for the first time last week! Great price too! xo
Karen
July 31, 2012 at 3:37 am (12 years ago)I put this together last night and stored it in the fridge. I just finished eating it and I must say it is absolutely delicious! This is definitely a keeper in my books. Easy, fast, and oh so yummy!
Jasmine
July 31, 2012 at 8:12 am (12 years ago)I tried this last night! It was so tasty! I changed a couple things though. Instead of 1/2 tbsp of chia seeds I put 2 tbsps (Love them), 1 tbsp of hemp hearts and instead of Almond milk (nut allergy) I used flax milk. I also over did it on the coco and didn’t put enough milk in, to account for the extra chia seeds. In the morning, I had to put more flax milk because it had gotten too thick. Warmed it up a bit and threw in some apple chunks. So tasty! I am going to try and make an apple pie tasting one 🙂
Janessa
August 2, 2012 at 10:35 pm (12 years ago)Omigosh! I could eat this stuff all the time. Sooooo good! I tried both textures and I like them equally, choosing one over the other depending on my mood. Thanks to you, I can eat cake batter without a stomach ache afterwards!
Catherine
August 2, 2012 at 10:54 pm (12 years ago)Haha so happy you love both textures! xo
Cassie
September 5, 2012 at 12:45 am (12 years ago)This looks amazing! How many calories would you estimate in this?
Nancy
October 26, 2012 at 5:39 pm (12 years ago)Is the cocoa powder the sweetened kind, or the natural unsweetened?
Sophie
January 1, 2013 at 11:22 am (12 years ago)unsweetened
Sophie
January 1, 2013 at 11:21 am (12 years ago)Just ate this for breakfast it is so, so good and fulfilling! It really taste like chocolate and not some kind of cocoa powder, my brother even though their was nutella in there! I put it in a calorie counter and it rounds up to about 230 calories.
Stefanie
February 26, 2013 at 6:53 am (12 years ago)This is my new favorite breakfast! I made this for breakfast two days in a row – today I added a couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt and pb2 powder but I like the original version better, it’s not as thick. I crumbled up a banana chocolate chip vita top to make it even more of a treat, delicious!
Megan
March 4, 2013 at 10:57 pm (12 years ago)I don’t like oatmeal but I love this! My roommate does, too. For the past three nights we’ve had bonding time making this for in the morning. He’s been adding extra banana and I tried adding a little bit of peanut butter. Hopefully it goes well!
Katie
November 2, 2013 at 10:58 am (11 years ago)Hi Catherine, i found you through the tiu girls and recently started following your blog and youve inspired me so much already! To eat healthier and take care of myself better. This cake batter was the first recipe i tried from your blog and it is amazing! I used raw cacao powder and agave instead since i had no chocolate powder or maple syrup on hand but it still tastedgreat! My hubby loves it too! I will definitely be trying your other recipes soon! Thank you for sharing!
Emmalee
January 31, 2014 at 12:43 pm (11 years ago)Made these last night, mama Bunny. They were soooo yummy!
Thanks for posting these quick and easy recipes that don’t have a laundry list of ingredients (my biggest turn off when I’m trying to find inspiration for my meals).
xo
Catherine
January 31, 2014 at 1:41 pm (11 years ago)Awww you are too cute! Love “mama bunny!” I get intimidated by long ingredient lists too, so I’m happy you found my blog! xo
Brandi
February 20, 2014 at 8:15 am (11 years ago)I had these for breakfast this morning (nuked for ~1 min) and they were so yummy! I did not know to mash the banana, but I will do that next time. I won’t use the cinnamon again, just because I personally didn’t care for it that much, but I did see the comment from someone about adding peanut butter, so I think I will add some PB2 next time! Excited! Oh, and I got the recipe from Slender Kitchen, which linked me here.
Jessica Kennedy
March 10, 2014 at 2:16 pm (11 years ago)What kind of jars do you use for most of your recipes? Are those little 6 oz jars? I made this in a mason jar, and there was lots of space left over! My daughter (5) loved it, said we could eat it for dessert! Thanks for all these awesome recipes! =)
hytekblue
June 25, 2014 at 11:36 am (11 years ago)I love overnight oats. My favorite is coconut milk, rolled oats, greek yogurt, chia seeds, banana, walnuts and blueberries with a little shredded coconut on top 🙂
Wendy
July 16, 2015 at 7:26 am (9 years ago)How long will these last? For all overnight oats, would it be safe to make for a week at a time? I just started my journey. I found your site, and I tried my first overnight oats last night – it was amazing.
Jen
January 12, 2016 at 9:22 am (9 years ago)Hi,
Do you have the nutritional info on this recipe? Just wondering about the protein and fiber content. Thanks!