Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal | SO Creamy!

This 1-pot Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal tastes like dessert, but is a wholesome and healthy breakfast! It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, too.

I’ll take any excuse I can to eat dessert for breakfast, but luckily you don’t need one thanks to this Chocolate Oatmeal! A warm cozy bowl of double chocolate oats is just what I need to make a Monday feel like less of a Monday. Plus, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan, with low-sugar options as well! So it’s basically a health food, right?

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE OATMEAL

This oatmeal comes together with only 6 pantry-friendly ingredients! All of them are budget-friendly and can be found at any grocery store, too.

I like to sweeten my oatmeal with maple syrup, but date syrup or any other sweetener (such as honey if you’re not vegan, brown sugar, etc) will work perfectly. I wouldn’t skip it entirely, as the cocoa powder does make things a little bitter. But see the “flavor variations” section of this post for some sugar-free alternatives!

*Chocolate Chips vs. Chocolate: as a chocolate lover I am obviously going top my oatmeal with – you guessed it – more chocolate. I recommend using a chopped chocolate bar over chocolate chips, as the chips are made with a food-grade wax and don’t get as gloriously melty. It’s worth the extra effort, I promise!

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY OATMEAL

There are 3 main keys to creating perfect oatmeal, every time:

1. Use a combination of rolled oats and quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats give your oatmeal a nice hearty texture, but quick-cooking oats make it nice and creamy.
2. Use twice as much liquid as oats. It may take a little longer to cook, but trust me – it’s worth it!
3. Stir often. Stir your oatmeal frequently to break down more fiber, and again, make things creamy!

Other than that, the steps are pretty simple – mix your dry ingredients in the pot, add the wet ingredients, and then cook until you get your desired oatmeal texture. Keep in mind that the oats will thicken slightly as they cool. **Pro-tip – cook your oatmeal in a sauté pan instead of a small pot! The increased surface area on the bottom of the pan will help it cook even faster 😉

FLAVOR VARIATIONS

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a big steamy bowl of chocolate oatmeal, but here are some fun flavor variations if you’d like to switch things up a bit!

• Add Banana: replace the sweetener with half of a mashed banana, then slice the rest and use it as a topping!
• High-Protein: add a scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder to the dry ingredients. Reduce the cocoa powder by half and only add sweetener to taste
• Chocolate Chai: add up to 1 tablespoon of a chai spice blend (or some chai spices – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc) to your oatmeal to make it extra cozy!
• Peanut Butter Cup: add 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter to your oats while they are cooking for a subtle peanut flavor, and top with more before serving! Top with peanuts for an extra crunch 🙂
• Pumpkin Spice: add 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and 1/2 – 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to your oatmeal for an autumnal twist
• Other topping ideas: add some crunchy nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans or shredded coconut. You can also switch up your berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or even cherries would be great here!

COOKING TIPS + FAQ:

• Can I make this recipe with steel cut oats? You can, but it will take a lot longer to cook on the stove, closer to 20 to 30 minutes. You can soak the oats overnight in the non-dairy milk overnight in the fridge to speed up the cook time a bit though!
• What milk should I use? The non-dairy milk you choose will add a slight flavor, but any will work. I like to use soy milk because it’s creamy and gives this recipe a protein boost, but almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, or oat milk will work as well.
• Can I make this recipe with water? I wouldn’t recommend using only water, but you can do 50-50 water to milk (so 1 cup water, 1 cup milk) for a slightly less creamy version.
• Can I make this meal prep friendly? Yes! The oatmeal will thicken slightly in the fridge. If that doesn’t bother you you can eat it cold and thick, or you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. I like to add an extra splash of milk or water to the oatmeal when reheating so it doesn’t dry out even more.

If you love this healthy chocolate oatmeal recipe, I’d love for you to leave a comment below!  I bet you’ll also love this Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal , this Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Oatmeal, and this Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal! Or check out all of my oatmeal recipes here.

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal | SO Creamy!

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

This 1-pot Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal tastes like dessert, but is a wholesome and healthy breakfast! It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, and low in sugar, too.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 2 Minutes
• Cook Time: 10 Minutes
• Total Time: 12 minutes
• Yield: Serves 1 to 2 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup (90 g) quick-cooking or rolled oats (I like to do a 50–50 mix)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (475 ml) non-dairy milk
• 1–2 tablespoons grade A maple syrup*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1–2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
• Optional toppings: fresh fruit, nut butter, etc.

Instructions

1. Dry Ingredients: add the oats, cocoa powder, and salt to a sauté pan or sauce pan over medium heat. Mix well until the cocoa is incorporated.
2. Wet Ingredients: add the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and chia seeds to the pot. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats have reached your desired texture. Keep in mind that the oatmeal will thicken slightly as it cools.
3. Serve: divide the oatmeal into serving bowls, then top with chocolate and other toppings, as desired. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or non-dairy milk, as they will thicken slightly overnight.

Notes

• Quick-cooking oats will make the final texture more creamy, while rolled oats make it more hearty. I like to use both for the ultimate texture combination!
• Sweetener: you can swap the maple syrup for date syrup, agave, brown sugar, coconut sugar, etc.
• Non-dairy milk: swap up to half of the milk with water for a less creamy version

Keywords: vegan chocolate oats, chocolate oatmeal, vegan chocolate oatmeal