These Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats are like eating a handful of cocoa-roasted almonds but in oatmeal form. These oats are packed with four types of chocolate: chocolate almond milk, cocoa powder, miniature chocolate chips, and cocoa-roasted almonds. They’ve got even more nutritious ingredients, like Greek yogurt, almond butter, and old-fashioned oats.

Chocolate almond overnight oats in a bowl, generously topped with almonds and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats

During my college years, overnight oats were my breakfast about 80% of the time. Since I really take the 80/20 rule to heart, the other 20% of breakfasts were likely something slightly less-healthy than oatmeal. And by slightly less healthy… I mean…probably not healthy at all. Okay fine. ALL THE DONUTS! ๐Ÿ™‚ 

About the only dishes I owned in college were small plastic containers — five of them, all the same size. I’d prep the overnight oats usually on Monday and have them the rest of the week. It was the perfect thing to grab as I was headed out to my early morning classes or to the gym. Because I’d eaten donuts the day before. (Balance.)

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats are hands down my favorite version of overnight oats. They are ultra fudgy, mega creamy, taste just like cocoa roasted almonds, and they are very filling.

All ingredients being added to a bowl and mixed together.

Ingredients

  • Milk. To get that rich chocolate flavor, I use chocolate almond milk. Regular chocolate milk would work too, depending on your preferences. Regular unsweetened vanilla almond milk is another great option, although these oats will taste less fudgy overall.
  • Oats. The type of oats you use matters; we like oldfashioned oats best. Steel-cut oats are overly chewy and my least favorite in overnight oats. Quick oats work fine, but end up with less texture because they absorb more liquid.
  • Maple syrup. This is my favorite sweetener to add to overnight oats. Depending on how sweet you like your breakfast, you can scale this amount up or down. I’d recommend at least 1 tablespoon and up to 2 tablespoons for a sweeter breakfast. Liquid stevia can be used in place of maple syrup for a natural zero-calorie sweetener.
  • Vanilla. This extract adds a nice flavor to the oats. It’s not entirely necessary, so don’t worry if you don’t have any.
  • Salt. This ingredient helps to intensify flavors and balance all the ingredients in Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats.
  • Almond butter. This nut butter adds flavor and lots of nutrition to these oats. It also ensures these oats are filling and satiating. As far as almond butter goes, I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar.
  • Special Dark® cocoa powder. This cocoa powder contributes a deep and intense chocolate flavor to these oats. I recommend using a Dutch-process cocoa powder, as opposed to plain (natural) cocoa powder. Any Dutch-process cocoa will work, but Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder is readily available at most grocery stores.
  • Yogurt. More on this below.

Quick Tip

What’s the difference between Dutch-process and regular cocoa? Natural cocoa powder is lighter in color, has a higher acidity of about 5 pH, and because of that acidity, has a sharper chocolate flavor. The Dutch-process powder is natural cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalizing agent, changing the pH from a more acidic 5 pH to a neutral 7 pH. The process was invented by Coenraad Johannes van Houten, a Dutchman (thus the name “Dutch-process”).–Source: Simply Recipes.

Let’s talk yogurt

The ingredient that makes the biggest difference in these overnight oats is yogurt. We absolutely love Greek Gods® Honey Vanilla Yogurt. (Not sponsored).

Whatever yogurt you choose to use, I recommend using yogurt you enjoy eating plain. If you don’t like eating it straight out of the container, you probably won’t like the flavor it gives these Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats. Make sure to get yogurt that doesn’t have an overpowering flavor or that’s pretty much all you’ll taste in these oats.

A jar of the preferred almond butter used in the recipe.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oat Toppings

Once the overnight oatmeal has been assembled, you can also assemble toppings and store those toppings in small bags or plastic containers. Come morning, those toppings can be poured right on top of the oats and you’re ready to eat! Our favorite toppings include miniature chocolate chips or coarsely chopped dark chocolate, cocoa-roasted almonds, and an extra swirl of almond butter.

These oats are also still totally delicious without the toppings!

Delicious overnight oats made with chocolate almond milk, ready to eat, topped with a beautiful almond butter swirl and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats notes

  • Overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold in the morning. As they soak overnight, they become soft, luscious, and creamy. That said, if you prefer them warm, you can certainly heat them up in the morning.
  • You can make overnight oats in the morning. I actually even prefer them this way! Nowadays, I usually make them first thing when I wake up, go work out, and enjoy them post-workout. (So they’ve sat about 30-45 minutes).
  • Sweeten to taste. Depending on the brands you use and how sweet you prefer your breakfasts, scale the sweetener up or down. You may even decide you don’t want any sweetener! If you don’t want to use honey or maple syrup, liquid stevia drops are another great alternative; I usually use 1/4 teaspoon.
  • Make them thicker. I’m obsessed with creamy oatmeal — the creamier the better! I’d say these overnight oats are fairly creamy (even after thickening overnight). If you’d like them thicker, add in a few tablespoons of chia seeds or a few additional tablespoons of oats.

More overnight oats recipes

5 from 3 votes

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats are like eating a handful of cocoa-roasted almonds but in oatmeal form. These oats are packed with four types of chocolate: chocolate almond milk, cocoa powder, miniature chocolate chips, and cocoa roasted almonds. They've got even more nutritious ingredients, like Greek yogurt, almond butter, and old-fashioned oats.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 1 overnight oat serving

Ingredients  

  • 2 heaping tablespoons creamy slow-roasted almond butter see note 1
  • 1/3 cup (74g) honey vanilla Greek yogurt (we love Greek Gods honey vanilla yogurt!)
  • 2/3 cup (156g) chocolate almond milk see note 2
  • 1/2 cup (55g) old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey see note 3
  • 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Hershey's Special Dark)
  • Optional: cocoa roasted almonds, dark chocolate chips/chunks, swirl of almond butter

Instructions 

  • PREP THE OATS: In a small bowl or refrigerator container, stir together the almond butter and vanilla yogurt until well combined and smooth. Add in the chocolate almond milk, old-fashioned oats, vanilla extract, salt, maple syrup, and cocoa powder.
  • STIR: Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Taste the mixture and add any additional maple syrup as needed.
  • CHILL: Cover the container and refrigerate overnight or until sufficiently cold and thickened. (Sometimes I'll even make them in the morning, get ready, and then go eat them -- they are great even after just 30 minutes in the fridge).
  • OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: Just before serving, top oats with some cocoa-roasted almonds, dark chocolate chunks, and/or a drizzle of almond butter.

Video

Recipe Notes

Thickness: These overnight oats are intended to be quite creamy. If you'd rather they be thicker, add a few tablespoons of additional oats and/or 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds.
Note 1: Almond butter: Use an almond butter that you enjoy eating straight out of the jar. We like using almond butter made with slow-roasted almonds and sea salt.
Note 2: Milk: We love chocolate almond milk, but dairy chocolate milk works as well. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk also works for a slightly less chocolate-y overnight oatmeal.
Note3:Sweetener: Scale the sweetener up or down to personal preference -- you may not even want any sweetener! One tablespoon of maple syrup is what we prefer, but use 2 tablespoons for more sweetness. Alternatively, use 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia drops for a zero-calorie sweetener.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18.7g | Cholesterol: 1.8mg | Sodium: 93mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Overnight oatmeal flavored to taste like chocolate-covered almonds. Add in some dried cranberries and enjoy a delicious, quick, & easy seasonal breakfast!

Meet Chelsea


Hi there! Iโ€™m Chelseaโ€“the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

Thanks again for stopping by!

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. Daria says:

    This looks so good. I love oatmeal but I always eat it steamy hot. Can you warm this one up?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Sure, I don’t see why not! ๐Ÿ™‚ Maybe just a minute or two in the microwave. Enjoy!!

  2. Randy says:

    5 stars
    The recipe sounds great. This sentence is absolutely brutal. ” These overnight oats aren’t the best prepped and made in advance for lots of days like some of my overnight oat recipes.”

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Haha thanks for your help Randy! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Frankie The Mayfairy says:

    1. I have actually eaten chocolate covered almonds for breakfast. Frankly if you wake up in a house with chocolate covered almonds in the cupboard it’s just good sense to get in quick before someone else does.
    2. Is oatmeal the American code word for porridge? I’ve probably wondered this for years since I was a kid reading The Babysitters Club, but I’ve never actually asked a real life American if this is the case. Until now!

    1. Natasha says:

      Now I am wondering if oatmeal is porridge!! I had to google it. According to one website: “Porridge is defined as any grain, cereal or legume boiled in water, milk or both, and served hot. Thus, a porridge can be made from a variety of grains and cereals like oats, corn, rice, wheat, barley and so on. When a porridge is made from oats it is called oatmeal. Similarly, porridge made from corn is called cornmeal (polenta or grits). Thus, we can safely deduce that oatmeal is a type of porridge.” Now I know. The recipe looks great – I love the colors. I’m not much of a breakfast person but this looks better than the bran cereal I usually eat!

      1. chelseamessyapron says:

        Haha!! So funny! I was wondering the same thing after Frankie’s comment ๐Ÿ™‚ I love that you googled it and included the definition — so interesting! Thanks so much Natasha!!