If you’re looking for a healthy and diabetes-friendly high-protein breakfast or snack, you’ll love this high-protein chocolate overnight oats recipe! It has 20 grams of protein and is full of flavor.
Take a look at that beauty! Doesn’t it remind you of chocolate pudding?
It might look like chocolate pudding (and taste kind of like it, too), but this recipe is much healthier than your regular sugar-loaded chocolate pudding.
The chocolate flavor isn’t super intense. The recipe is chocolatey, but not overwhelmingly so, which I prefer.
Why you will love chocolate overnight oats
- It’s completely free of added sugar
- It has plenty of protein (20 grams!)
- It will keep you full for hours
- You make it the night before so breakfast is ready in 10 seconds
- It won’t spike your blood sugar
Reader reviews
What a creative simple recipe! It taste amazing! I need to make this for my husband as well. He’s got a sweet tooth, but does better with protein.
Alisa
Love this recipe! I just made it and it was amazing. Next time I will try making it the night before and eat it as breakfast.
Melissa
Chocolate overnight oats ingredients
You only need six ingredients (plus optional berries and almonds) to assemble this healthy breakfast. No cooking is needed!
- Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best choice, but you can also use quick oats (they will spike your blood sugar a bit more). Don’t use steel-cut oats as they need cooking to become soft and edible.
- Almond milk – You can really use any type of milk (dairy or non-dairy), but I prefer almond milk.
- Greek Yogurt – I use either 2% or 10% plain Greek yogurt. The flavor is the same, but the 10% is a bit more creamy (and of course adds more healthy fat).
- Cocoa powder – Use a good unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Vanilla Protein powder – This is an optional ingredient as it doesn’t add significant flavor, just more protein. But I want my breakfast to be high-protein as it keeps me full for longer and helps muscle-building.
- Stevia – Stevia is my preferred low-carb sweetener, but you can also use monk fruit or sugar-free syrup.
- Berries & almond slices– Optional, but taste SO GOOD with the creamy chocolate overnight oats.
How to make high-protein chocolate overnight oats
- Blend Greek yogurt, protein powder, cocoa powder, Stevia, and almond milk thoroughly.
- Pour into a glass or bowl and fold in the oats.
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- Take out of the fridge and stir with a spoon until the consistency is even.
- Sprinkle berries and almond slices on top before enjoying (optional).
And enjoy!
Recipe tips and tricks
- For the overnight oats to be creamy and tender, leave them in the fridge for at least 4 hours so the oats have time to absorb the milk and yogurt.
- You can mix the milk, yogurt, protein powder, cocoa powder, and sweetener with a spoon or fork instead of blending. Just make sure everything is mixed well and that there are no pockets of unmixed protein powder.
Substitutions and variations
- I sometimes like to add chia seeds to thicken the consistency and add fiber. I mix them into the wet ingredients with the oats.
- You can also eat the overnight oats hot. Put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or heat them on the stove while stirring.
- You can make the recipe vegan by using non-dairy milk (almond, coconut, etc.) and non-dairy yogurt.
No matter how you make this recipe, it’s a nutrition start to the day. You can learn more about the nutrition in oats and how they affect your blood sugar in: Is Oatmeal Good for People Living With Diabetes?
Storage and freezing
- Chocolate overnight oats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will stay fresh for up to 5 days. This makes them a great option for meal-prepping breakfast for the whole week!
- You can freeze overnight oats in any suitable freezer-safe container. Let them defrost slowly and mix well with a spoon before eating.
More overnight oats recipes
I am a huge fan of overnight oats breakfasts to get my day started the right way. Here are some of my favorite recipes:
For more recipe inspiration, you can also check out my list of the best diabetic breakfast recipes. It’s full of healthy low-carb breakfast ideas.
High-Protein Chocolate Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 2 oz. low-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Stevia
- 0.7 oz. oats
- Almonds & berries, (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Blend Greek yogurt, protein powder, cocoa powder, Stevia, and almond milk thoroughly (I use a Nutribullet).2 oz. low-fat Greek yogurt, ½ scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup almond milk, 1 teaspoon Stevia
- Pour into a glass or bowl and fold in the oats.0.7 oz. oats
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
- Take out of the fridge and stir with a spoon until the consistency is even.
- Sprinkle almonds and berries on top before enjoying (optional).Almonds & berries
Andrew
Will “quick” oats work, or do you need the “old fashioned”. Also, what is the deal with “steel cut” oats? Which type (not brand necessarily) of oats do you recommend?
Christel Oerum
Quick oats are more refined and I’ve found that the spike blood sugar more which is why I suggest the old-fashioned rolled oats. Steel cut oats require longer preparation, so I only use them when I have plenty of time. If you were to use steel cut oats for this I’d suggest precooking them.
I don’t have a brand option, to me, the taste/texture isn’t better with the expensive brands
Martine
Lovely recipe but i couldnt get it to set
Christel Oerum
Thanks. If you used a different kind of protein powder it might give you a slightly different consistency. You could try reducing the amount of liquid slightly or add a little more starch or protein powder. However, both those strategies will, of course, change the macros a little
Alisa Bauer
What a creative simple recipe! It taste amazing! I need to make this for my husband as well. He’s got a sweet tooth, but does better with protein.
Christel Oerum
Thanks Alisa – best thing is, it tastes as good as it sounds
MARCELL CRUZ
Not much of a chocolate person, any suggestions on what to replace Cocoa powder with?
Linda Brauer
What r the colories in the banana peanut butter shake & the Mousse cake??
Tobias Oerum
Hi Linda,
All our recipes have calories listed in the recipe description if you look in the box called Nutritional Information to the right of the image.
Pat
Looks great. I will try this AND the protein pancakes tomorrow 🙂
Christel Oerum
Awesome! Let us know which one you like best 🙂
Melissa
Love this recipe! I just made it and it was amazing. Next time I will try making it the night before and eat it as breakfast. Thank you!
Christel Oerum
Thank you Melissa! Glad you likes it.
rachel
MMMM cake batter mousse that is high protein? Im totally in 🙂