This chocolate oatmeal recipe gives you that rich chocolate flavor in the morning through unsweetened cocoa powder and rolled oats for a creamy oatmeal breakfast you’ll love. Make it a good day by starting it off on a sweet note that the whole family will enjoy while getting those essential daily values of healthy nutrients too!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Quick and Easy: Breakfast oatmeal is one of the quickest and simplest things to make for a nutritious meal first thing. This easy recipe can be made in just minutes and satisfy that early morning tummy rumble.
  • Tasty: If you love chocolate, there’s a better way to indulge your sweet tooth. It tastes like brownie oatmeal with a rich and delicious flavor. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!
  • Healthy: Quick-cooking oats, cacao powder, and oat milk all have the things your body needs for proper nutrition. Plus, this chocolate oatmeal recipe fills you up, so you’ll stay satisfied and nourished all morning long!

Ingredients + Notes

Bowl of chocolate oatmeal surrounded by it's ingredients.

With just a few pantry staples and plant-based milk, you’ll be able to make this healthy breakfast in no time at all!

  • Oats: Old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats make this recipe a breeze to whip up in just minutes. The shorter cooking time ensures they’ll be ready fast. 
  • Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is the ultimate way to add natural sweetness to this chocolate oatmeal without adding refined sugar. 
  • Salt: With a pinch of salt, you bring the perfect balance to your bowl of oatmeal. It harmonizes the chocolate flavors and makes it taste even better. 
  • Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder brings that deep dark chocolate taste to your bowl. With the added sweetness from maple syrup, it won’t be bitter. 
  • Oat Milk: Give your oatmeal the creamy texture it deserves by using oat milk as the liquid. It will truly please your taste buds. 
Close up of chocolate oatmeal with a spoon coming out of the bowl.

Step-by-step Instructions: Easy Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe

Simply follow these easy step-by-step instructions to make chocolate oatmeal. It literally takes only a few minutes to get the best delicious breakfast full of rich chocolate tastes. 

1. Pour your oat milk into a microwave-safe cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. (Alternatively, you can heat your oat milk in a small saucepan on the stovetop until it just starts to simmer.)

2. Add rolled oats, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt to your bowl and pour hot oat milk over top.

3. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 5 minutes until the oats have soaked up most of the liquid.

4. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Full Recipe Video

Recipe Variations

With only a few ingredients, this chocolate oatmeal recipe is easy enough to make. However, you may be wondering if you can make some changes based on what’s in your pantry rather than having to run to the grocery store. 

  • Sweeteners: If you’re all out of maple syrup, don’t worry! You can use date syrup, coconut sugar, brown sugar, stevia, or another sweetener. Just a little is all you need to sweeten things up. 
  • Non-Dairy Milk Options: Maybe you don’t have oat milk, or it’s just not your favorite non-dairy milk choice. You can use almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or any other kind of plant-based milk. If you don’t have any of those, you can use boiling water, and if you’re not vegan, skim milk works great too.
  • Extracts: Why yes! You can add vanilla extract to this if you like. I find that it helps add a layer of warmth and makes this taste even more like a treat. 
  • Oats: This recipe calls for old-fashioned oats, but rolled oats or instant oats will work as well. You will want to avoid steel-cut oats because they don’t cook quickly and won’t work in a recipe like this. 
  • Warm Spices: Warm spices like cinnamon can also give this a gourmet flavor if you’d like to shake things up. 
Bowl of oatmeal with glass jar filled with oats next to it.

Recipe Topping Ideas For Chocolate Oatmeal

Chocolate oatmeal is even better with toppings. Grab your favorite toppings and add them just before digging in with your spoon!

  • Nut Butter: With a spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter, or even seed butter, you can add more protein to your breakfast oatmeal and give it the taste of Reese’s. Yum!
  • Seeds: Chia seeds on top will also give this a contrasting crunch you’ll adore.
  • Banana: Add some mashed banana in for a chocolate-covered banana flavor.
  • Coconut Flakes: Turn your chocolate oatmeal into a tropical twist of flavors with some coconut flakes.
  • Chocolate Chips: And, of course, dark chocolate chips are one of my favorite toppings for this easy chocolate oatmeal recipe. It’s always the right time for more chocolate!
Cream bowl filled with cocoa oatmeal with a bowl of maple syrup next to it.

Storage Tips

Oatmeal recipes are always best when you make them and enjoy them right away. But if you can’t finish it up, you can store it to enjoy later or make delicious chocolate oatmeal cookies. 

Fridge

Be sure to contain your chocolate oatmeal in an airtight container for freshness. You’ll have up to 5 days to enjoy the leftovers, though it’s definitely better the sooner you get to it. 

Freeze

Freezing this recipe is another option, especially for meal prep or to use in baking. You can keep it for up to 3 months in there. 

Bowl of healthy chocolate oatmeal with a silver spoon in it.

FAQ

What are the health benefits of chocolate oatmeal?

Unsweetened cocoa powder is brimming with antioxidants. These can help you with controlling blood pressure and inflammation to reduce your risk for heart disease. On top of that, oats are incredibly healthy, giving you complex carbs, protein, and soluble fiber to power you through anything. And even better, you satisfy those chocolate cravings in a healthy way!

Is chocolate Quaker Oats healthy?

The reason I don’t simply tear open flavored packages of oatmeal and enjoy is because they are loaded with added sugar. Oatmeal is a healthy choice, but when you put added sugar into the equation, it undoes all the good you’re trying to do. 

What happens if a person eats oatmeal every day?

If you eat oatmeal every day, your cholesterol will be at healthier levels. You’ll also feel more sustained and less likely to overeat, making it ideal for anyone trying to get their health and weight on track. 

More Vegan Oatmeal Recipes

Close up of chocolate oatmeal with chocolate chips and sliced bananas on top.

Recipe

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Close up of chocolate oatmeal with a spoon coming out of the bowl.

Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe


  • Author: Rae Aflatooni
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Serving 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Nostalgia in a bowl. This chocolate oatmeal tastes like Cocoa Pebbles! It’s ready in 5-minutes and you don’t even have to dirty a pan!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1+ teaspoon maple syrup
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup oat milk

Instructions

  1. Pour your oat milk into a microwave-safe cup and microwave for 45-60 seconds. (Alternatively, you can heat your oat milk in a small saucepan on the stovetop until it just starts to simmer.)

  2. Pour rolled oats, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt into your bowl, and pour hot oat milk over top.

  3. Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 5 minutes until the oats have soaked up most of the liquid.

  4. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Storage Tips

Oatmeal recipes are always best when you make them and enjoy them right away. But if you can’t finish it up, you can store it to enjoy later or to make delicious chocolate oatmeal cookies.
Fridge: Be sure to contain your chocolate oatmeal in an airtight container for freshness. You’ll have up to 5 days to enjoy the leftovers, though it’s definitely better the sooner you get to it.
Freeze: Freezing this recipe is another option, especially for meal prep or to use in baking. You can keep it for up to 3 months in there.

  • Prep Time: 2
  • Soak Time: 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: easy oatmeal recipe, instant oatmeal recipe, chocolate oatmeal

Here are more tasty vegan breakfast recipes.

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4 Comments

  1. I ate this one morning and then proceeded to make it again every morning the following two weeks. It satisfies my chocolate craving!

  2. This is now my favorite oatmeal recipe. It tastes like Cocoa Puffs!

    1. Yay! I used to pretty much have my peanut butter oatmeal every morning but now, this is my go-too!