Name: 4-Ingredient Creamy Chocolate Overnight Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 h
Total time: 12 h 5 min
Cuisine: oats
Ingredients: 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats; 1/2 cup milk (any milk works – oat milk, whole milk, almond milk, etc); 2 tablespoons agave nectar (honey or maple syrup also works); 1 tablespoon cocoa powder; chocolate chips and puffed quinoa for topping

4-Ingredient Creamy Chocolate Overnight Oats

12 hrs 5 min

by: Lindsay Grimes

January 19, 2021 (Updated: September 19, 2024)

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This is an overhead image of a bowl filled with chocolate liquid, chocolate chips, and puffed quinoa. A spoon is scooping up a bite of the oats. The bowl sits on a white counter. — Chocolate Overnight Oats are a decadent no-cook, no-bake breakfast. They’re so decadent and take only 5 minutes to prep!

Chocolate overnight oats are the best way to start your day! They are so simple to prep the night ahead (only five minutes!) and make for a super indulgent breakfast that feels like dessert!

I love topping my overnight oats with some chocolate chips and puffed quinoa for extra crunch, but you can really customize the toppings with whatever you like!

If you love desserts you have to check out my roundup of 50+ Gluten Free Dessert Recipes. You’ll find my favorites from this Almond Flour Chocolate Banana Bread to these Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies!

What are overnight oats?

You make overnight oats by mixing rolled oats with liquid and other mix-ins to add sweetness and flavor. Allow it to sit in the fridge for at least two hours or, more likely, overnight. And, viola! Easy breakfast in the morning prepped ahead for you!

The best part is no cooking is required! You can eat it cold right out of the fridge, or pop it in the microwave to heat it up.

Ingredients to grab:

Milk: I used oat milk, but you can use any nut milk or traditional dairy milk!
Rolled Oats: I always go for gluten free rolled oats. Other oats like quick oats, instant oats, or steel cut oats don’t soak up the liquid as much as traditional rolled oats, so rolled oats are the bets option.
Cocoa Powder: because we need to make it chocolatey!
Agave Nectar: you can sub in any sweetener here. Honey or maple syrup would be a great sub!

This is an image looking at a small white speckled bowl from the side. The bowl sits on a white counter and the bowl is filled with chocolate, chocolate chips, and puffed quinoa. A spoon is dipping into the bowl and leaning against the side of the bowl.

Overnight Oats Ratio:

The base of this recipe is easy to remember! 1:1 is the best overnight oats ratio. If you use 1/2 cup oats, use 1/2 cup liquid. If you use 1 cup oats, then bump it up to 1 cup milk.

How long do overnight oats need to soak?

If you’re in a pinch, only 2 hours is all you need. But, I prefer to let them sit overnight so the oats can really soak in all the flavors.

Allowing them to sit overnight lets the oats really soak in all the liquid, so if allow less soak time, the end result will just be a bit more liquid-y.

This is an overhead angle of a glass jar with overnight oats, chocolate chips, and puffed quinoa. The jar sits on a white counter.

This is the side view and close up of a white bowl filled with chocolate oats. A spoon is dipping into the bowl. The oats are topped with chocolate chips and puffed quinoa.

How to make overnight oats:

It’s as simple as putting all your ingredients in a jar with a lid. Give the ingredient a stir to combine, or place the lid on the jar and give it a shake.

Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferably, overnight.

More overnight breakfast recipes to try:

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Recipe