Stay Warm and Cozy with these Hot Chocolate Overnight Oats

Celebrate Christmas at any time of the year with these hot chocolate overnight oats. A healthy breakfast that's the perfect balance of nutrition and indulgence, these chocolate overnight oats will have you listening out for the sound of reindeer hooves on your roof!

These hot chocolate overnight oats are made up of everything you'd find in a regular cup of hot cocoa, as well as a few extra additions. There's hot chocolate powder, sugar, milk and marshmallows, as well as oats, yogurt and chocolate chips.

Healthy substitutions

Trying to cut down on sugar? Substitute the brown sugar in the recipe for the sweetener of your choice, or leave it out altogether if you're happy with your breakfast not being super sweet. Just make sure to taste test it first.

Here are some other swaps you can make so these hot chocolate overnight oats are a little healthier:

• Sugar-free, fat-free hot chocolate mix.
• Sugar-free marshmallows.
• Sugar-free chocolate chips.

Of course, you can also make these cocoa overnight oats healthier by skipping the marshmallows and chocolate chips. But then is it really hot chocolate overnight oats you've made? Haven't you just made regular chocolate overnight oats?

Other substitutions

While we're on the subject of substitutions, here are some other changes you can make so these healthy overnight oats are lactose-free, gluten-free, vegan and low FODMAP.

Lactose-free

• Swap skimmed milk for lactose-free milk.
• Swap yogurt for lactose-free yogurt.
• Swap hot chocolate powder for dairy-free hot cocoa.
• Swap chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips.

Gluten-free

• Swap oats for gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats.

Vegan

• Swap hot chocolate powder for dairy-free hot cocoa.
• Swap dairy milk for unsweetened almond milk.
• Swap dairy yogurt for dairy-free yogurt.
• Swap chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips.
• Swap mini marshmallows for

Low FODMAP

• Swap oats for gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats.
• Swap hot chocolate powder for dairy-free hot cocoa.
• Swap dairy yogurt for lactose-free yogurt.
• Swap milk for lactose-free milk.
• Swap chocolate chips for dairy-free chocolate chips.

Is it healthy to eat overnight oats every day?

Yes, it is healthy to eat overnight oats every day! The primary ingredients in overnight oats are:

• Oats - loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Milk - (taking standard skimmed milk into account) high in calcium, vitamin D and protein.
• Yogurt - (again, looking at standard dairy milk) also high in calcium, vitamin D and protein.

As long as you're careful about the extras you add in, like sugar and hot chocolate powder, eating overnight oats everyday is really healthy.

What can I add to my overnight oats?

There are loads of different things you can add to overnight oats! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Caramel, apples and cinnamon to make Caramel Apple Pie Overnight Oats.
• Strawberries, cream cheese and chia seeds for Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats.
• Carrots, raisins and walnuts to make Carrot Cake Overnight Oats.
• Ginger and cinnamon for Gingerbread Overnight Oats.
• Cocoa powder, dark chocolate and orange to make Chocolate Orange Overnight Oats.
• Peanut butter and jelly for PB&J Overnight Oats.
• Cinnamon and brown sugar for Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cookie Overnight Oats.
• Milk chocolate and brown sugar to make Cookie Dough Overnight Oats.
• Cocoa powder, dark chocolate and cherries for Black Forest Overnight Oats.
• White chocolate and cranberries for Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars Overnight Oats.

The best thing about overnight oats? You can make them hours or even days in advance. Want to spend time actually enjoying Christmas Day morning? Prep these hot chocolate overnight oats on Christmas Eve or even December 23rd and you can pull them straight from the fridge on Christmas Day to tuck in.

Even though they're called "overnight oats", you don't actually need to leave them overnight. The reason you need to leave the oats to chill for a while is to give the oats a chance to absorb the milk and the yogurt. This turns the mixture from a miserable mix of oats floating in a watery substance into a thick, hearty bowl of yum.

You can leave the oats to chill in the fridge for as little as 4 hours and they'll be ready. Or if you love meal prepping, you can make these overnight oats up and leave them in the fridge for up to 5 days. That's a whole work's worth of healthy breakfasts!

📖 Recipe