Chocolate Overnight Oats
These no-cook chocolate oats are thick enough to layer in clear jars with whole blueberries, then finish with chocolate chips. Old-fashioned rolled oats keep their texture, while Greek yogurt makes the base creamy without chia seeds. Chilling the oats before assembling the jars helps the blueberry bands stay visible.
Allow at least 6 hours for the oats to soften, preferably overnight. The recipe makes four generous jars served cold.
Ingredients for Chocolate Overnight Oats
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (160g)
- 1 3/4 cups dairy or unsweetened plant-based milk (about 420g), plus more as needed
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (170g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (80g), adjustable to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried (220g)
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 45g)
How to Make Chocolate Overnight Oats
- Whisk the chocolate base: In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and maple syrup with a few tablespoons of the measured milk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk, yogurt, vanilla, and salt. Starting with a little milk helps prevent dry cocoa clumps.
- Add the oats: Stir in the rolled oats until no dry pockets remain. The mixture will be loose. Cover the bowl or transfer the oats to a covered container.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Stir and check that the oats are tender and thick enough to mound on a spoon but still easy to scoop. If the mixture is too stiff to layer, stir in more milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Layer four jars: Divide about half the oats among four clear, approximately 12-ounce jars, leaving room for the berries and upper layers. Add a layer of whole blueberries to each, placing some against the glass. Gently spoon in most of the remaining oats, add another small blueberry layer, then finish with the remaining oats, mounding them slightly.
- Finish and serve: Scatter the chocolate chips over the jars just before serving. Serve cold.
How to Keep the Blueberry Layers Visible
Layer the jars after the oat base has chilled: thick oats hold the berries in place better than a freshly mixed base. Use intact, thoroughly dried fresh blueberries, and spoon the oats over them rather than stirring them in. If substituting frozen blueberries, thaw and drain them first; the released juice can blur the layers.
For a more fruit-forward version, try these blueberry overnight oats.
Getting the Chocolate-Oat Texture Right
Old-fashioned rolled oats soften while retaining visible flakes. Quick oats produce a softer mixture, and steel-cut oats are not a direct substitute for this soaking time and liquid ratio. If cocoa specks remain after mixing, let the base stand briefly, then stir again before refrigerating.
Milk and yogurt choices affect the final thickness. Loosen stiff oats with a tablespoon of milk at a time so they remain thick enough to layer. For a dairy-free version, use plant milk, plain dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free chocolate chips; check the consistency after soaking. For an unflavored base, see these classic creamy overnight oats.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Refrigerate the covered oat base or assembled jars for up to four days. For the clearest blueberry layers later in the week, keep the dry berries separate and assemble the jars closer to serving. Add the chocolate chips just before eating.
These oats are intended to be eaten cold. If you prefer them warm, transfer a soaked portion to a microwave-safe bowl, add a splash of milk, and heat briefly in about 30-second intervals, stirring between each. Do not assume the serving jars are microwave-safe; warming also changes the layered presentation.
The chocolate-oat base can be frozen in freezer-safe portions for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add fresh blueberries and chocolate chips. Previously assembled berry layers may not keep their appearance after freezing.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving, based on four generous servings: 385 calories, 17g protein, 9g fat, and 64g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 140 calories, 6g protein, 3g fat, and 23g carbohydrates. Values vary with the milk, yogurt, and chocolate chips used.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Four 12-ounce jars
- Refrigerator
Ingredients
For the Oats
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (160g)
- 1 3/4 cups dairy or unsweetened plant-based milk (about 420g), plus more as needed
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (170g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (80g), adjustable to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
For Layering and Topping
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and thoroughly dried (220g)
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 45g)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and maple syrup with a few tablespoons of the measured milk until smooth.
- Whisk in the remaining milk, yogurt, vanilla, and salt.
- Stir in the rolled oats until no dry pockets remain. Cover the bowl or transfer the mixture to a covered container.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Stir the oats and check that they are tender and thick but easy to scoop. If too stiff to layer, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Divide about half the oats among four clear 12-ounce jars, leaving room for the berries and remaining layers.
- Add a layer of whole blueberries to each jar, placing some against the glass.
- Spoon most of the remaining oats over the berries, add another small blueberry layer, then finish with the remaining oats.
- Scatter chocolate chips over the jars just before serving. Serve cold.
Tips
- Whisk the cocoa with a little milk first to prevent dry clumps.
- Chill the oat base before layering so it holds the blueberries in place.
- Use intact, thoroughly dried blueberries for clearer layers.
- If the oats are too thick, loosen them with milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Thaw and drain frozen blueberries before using; their juice can blur the layers.
Variations
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Overnight Oats: Use plant-based milk, plain dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Frozen Blueberry Overnight Oats: Use thawed and drained blueberries in place of fresh berries.