Breakfast doesn’t get much easier than overnight oats. Especially when you combine chocolate and peanut to give you the creaminess of chocolate peanut butter overnight oats! 🍫🥜
Although I am usually a savory breakfast type kind of girl, I get in the mood for something sweet, and overnight oats always hit the spot. I mean what is better than making your breakfast before you go to bed and then waking up with it ready?!
I make a lot of overnight oats in our house. They make a super easy breakfast for me and a snack for Michael. He is always on a mission to add more calories to his diet and I can pack overnight oats with a lot of healthy fats, protein, and complex carbs for a healthy snack. It’s so easy to change the flavors to keep it interesting too.
Just like all of my overnight oatmeal recipes, these are well-balanced for balancing your blood sugar and energy levels. It is packed with protein from the protein powder. It also has complex carbs and fiber from oats and chia seeds, which helps slow down digestion. And healthy fats to keep you fueled until your next meal.
Enjoy them as a quick and easy breakfast, or as a post-workout meal!
Why we love these chocolate peanut butter overnight oats
- 5 minutes to make – mix everything up and pop it in the fridge!
- ready in 2 hours or can be made the night before for a grab-n-go breakfast or snack
- a great balanced breakfast – they have 32 grams of protein per serving and are full of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber.
- can be doubled or tripled to make a few servings for the week and a great meal prep option
- customizable – adjust the chocolate, peanut butter, or add-ins to your liking!
What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are similar to your typical stovetop oatmeal but without any cooking. Rolled oats are mixed with a liquid (usually milk) and other flavors, spices, and ingredients and then let to sit overnight. As they sit, the oats absorb the liquid and become a thick and chewy texture, just like cooked oatmeal. Depending on how much milk you add, you are left with almost a pudding-like consistency.
They are quick and easy and so delicious! What I love about overnight oats is the flavor possibilities are endless. Some of my favorite add-ins are nut butter, fruit (fresh or dried), spices, yogurt, cocoa powder, and protein powder.
Chocolate peanut butter overnight oats ingredients
- rolled oats – opt for certified gluten-free if needed
- chia seeds – this help absorb the liquid and adds some more fiber
- protein powder – optional, but helps to add more protein to the recipe. I used peanut butter protein to amp up the peanut butter flavor even more
- cocoa powder
- cinnamon
- salt – to help bring out the flavors
- peanut butter
- milk of choice – use non-dairy milk to keep them vegan
- optional toppings – sliced banana, peanut butter, cacao nibs…
How to make chocolate peanut butter overnight oats
- Make overnight oats. Add all ingredients to a medium jar. Stir well to combine until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place the lid on the jar and put the oatmeal mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the mixture thickens.
- Enjoy! Eat out of the jar or transfer to a bowl and top with toppings of choice.
How long does it take for overnight oats to work?
Overnight oats don’t really need to be “overnight”. I actually usually do “quick overnight oats” and make them the morning of, let them sit for an hour or two, and then enjoy. Two hours is usually enough for the chia seeds and the oats to absorb the liquid.
I also don’t use that much liquid as I love them super creamy. The reason why most people make them at night is that it just makes your morning easier. Just grab it and enjoy! But if you forget, you can totally make them on the same day.
How long do overnight oats last?
Overnight oats can last for up to 5 days in the fridge. The longer they sit, the more time to soak up the liquid. Overnight oats will last 5 days but will be a bit mushier than on day 3 or 4.
They make a great option for meal prep – I will make a few servings at a time (these jars are perfect for them) and just keep them in the fridge for something quick and easy to grab during the week.
Substitutions and additions
Overnight oats are so customizable and you can tweak them to your preference and your macronutrient needs. Here are a few suggestions for this overnight oat recipe:
- oats – you can use quick-cooking oats instead of rolled oats, although the texture will change slightly. While you can use steel-cut oats for overnight oats, they are a lot coarser (they aren’t as processed) and need to soak for at least 10-12 hours. Will will need more liquid if using steel-cut oats as well.
- peanut butter – any kind of nut butter will work or even seed butter if you are allergic to nuts. Try almond, cashew, pecan, sunbutter (sunflower seed butter), or tahini.
- protein powder – you can swap with your favorite protein powder, but it might change the flavor some. Also, since protein powders have different absorbencies, you might need to adjust the liquid.
- cocoa powder – cacao powder can be used instead.
- milk – any kind of milk will work. Feel free to use nut milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or regular dairy milk.
And here are some additions:
- sweetener – add a little maple syrup or honey if you want them sweeter.
- vanilla extract – to add a touch of vanilla flavor.
- powdered peanut butter – if you want to lower the fat some but still want that peanut butter taste, you can use powdered peanut butter instead. I haven’t tried this, but it should work the same.
- greek yogurt – add a 1/2 cup of yogurt to make them extra creamy. You may need to adjust the liquid if doing so.
- toppings – sliced banana, strawberries, peanut butter, cinnamon, and chocolate chips are all great choices to put on top!
More healthy overnight oats recipes
- mango overnight oats
- coffee overnight oats
- apple cinnamon overnight oats
- chocolate coconut overnight oats
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced bowl, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
equipment
ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (50 grams)
- 1 scoop peanut butter protein powder (30 grams – optional, but adds more peanut butter flavor)*
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or more for thicker consistency)
- optional toppings: sliced banana, peanut butter, cacao nibs, cinnamon…
instructions
- Make overnight oats. Add all ingredients to a medium jar. Stir well to combine until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place the lid on the jar and put the oatmeal mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight, until the mixture thickens.
- Enjoy! Eat out of the jar or transfer to a bowl and top with toppings of choice.
Nicole Triplett says
Made the chocolate peanut butter overnight oats for breakfast this week and they are delicious and kept me full until lunch time. In the past my overnight oats where always runny but not these! Loved how thick and creamy the oats were! Another solid recipe!
Kelly says
So glad to hear that – I love thick overnight oats so not too much liquid helps! Thanks for trying Nicole!
Sara says
I have had this every single
Morning!! IT IS SOO GOOOOD!!!!!!!!!
Kelly says
Aw yeah! So glad you are liking them Sara!!
gabriella graziul says
Rando question! Do you think subbing half of the oats for zucchini to make a zoats situation?
Kelly says
Hey Gabriella! I think that would work – I would just make sure they are finely grated so you aren’t getting big pieces of zucchini. They might give off a little water so take that into mind as well. Let me know if you try!
Lauren Wadsworth says
These overnight oats were super easy and tasted amazing! I’ll definitely be making these for my family frequently.
Kelly says
So glad to hear that Lauren! Thanks for trying them!
Jennifer says
Looking forward to making these!! Thank you so much for sharing. Lovely post and recipe 🙂
Kelly says
I hope you enjoy Jennifer – and thank you!
Sigga Ingadottir says
This is legit saving my life at the moment! I’m trying to eat more without adding too much volume because I always get so full. This recipe is perfectly packed with nutrients while having a great macro split. Perfect post workout! <3
Kelly says
Yes, love that!! So glad you are enjoying them and thanks for trying Sigga!
Dan says
Two of my fav ingredients
Kelly says
You gotta try it – so easy to make too!
Emily says
Yes you just can’t beat the creamy texture of overnight oats. And salted caramel overnight oats sounds like a good idea too along with this beautiful bowl of chocolate peanut butter oats. Have you always had a knack for amazing food photography?
Kelly says
I think I might have to try salted caramel ones now haha! And I definitely haven’t…you should see some of my early photos. I have progressed a long way from when I started. Thank you so much for compliment though Emily, it is something I have really grown to love!