Craving a rich, chocolatey breakfast that's both balanced and delicious? These chocolate baked oats come together with simple ingredients and plenty of cocoa flavor, baking into a soft, cake-like treat in just 30 minutes.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chocolate baked oats are a fun twist on the viral baked oats trend, blending oats with cocoa powder and simple ingredients before baking into a soft, fluffy breakfast. It's a cake-like breakfast that still feels nourishing. Here's what makes it so good:
- Quick and easy: Just blend the ingredients, pour into ramekins, mix in chocolate chips, and bake. It's a simple, beginner-friendly recipe.
- Rich chocolate flavor: Cocoa powder and chocolate chips create a deep, chocolatey taste that feels like dessert for breakfast, while still providing nutrient dense ingredients to fuel your day.
- Balanced and filling: With fiber-rich oats, natural sweetness from banana, and healthy fats from nut butter, this breakfast helps keep you full and energized all morning.
What are Chocolate Baked Oats?
Chocolate baked oats are a rich, decadent twist on classic baked oats. Instead of preparing oats on the stovetop, the ingredients are blended into a smooth batter with cocoa powder and baked in the oven. This creates a soft, cake-like texture that feels indulgent while still providing all the nutritional benefits from the oats.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these chocolate baked oats:
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats work best for this recipe because they create the perfect fluffy texture when blended. If you're gluten-free, look for certified gluten-free oats. You could also use quick-cooking oats. Just make sure you don't use steel cut oats as these need much longer cooking time.
- Milk of your choice: Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or dairy milk all work here. Choose whichever you typically keep on hand.
- Ripe banana: Banana naturally sweetens the batter while also helping create a soft, moist texture. Use bananas with lots of brown spots for the most flavor.
- Chocolate chips: Feel free to use white, milk, or dark chocolate chips.
- Cocoa powder: This adds the rich chocolatey flavor to the mug cake.
- Maple syrup or honey: A touch of natural sweetener helps enhance the flavor even more. You can adjust the amount to taste, or skip it altogether for a less sweet variation.
- Nut or seed butter of your choice: Almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter add healthy fats and a little protein to keep you full longer. My go- to is almond or peanut butter, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a sweet, comforting note that compliments the rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder: Helps the baked oats rise so they become fluffy and cake-like.
- Cooking spray: Prevents the baked oats from sticking to the ramekins.
Ask the Dietitian: Are Chocolate Baked Oats healthy?
Yes! This chocolate baked oats recipe delivers just that with a balanced mix of nutrient-packed ingredients:
- Cocoa powder contains plant compounds called flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, which research suggests may help support heart health with improved cholesterol levels.
- Oats are rich in soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which research shows may help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and support heart health, while also keeping you full, aiding in digestion, and helping maintain steady blood sugar levels.
- Like whole nuts, nut butters are rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Research shows that nut consumption may improve cholesterol levels, support better blood sugar control, and reduce inflammation.
Customize it your way
Like all of my recipes, this chocolate baked oats recipe is completely customizable. Choose the milk, nut butter, and toppings you enjoy most.
- Milk of your choice: Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, dairy milk, or even a vanilla protein shake can work here depending on your preference. If you use a dairy-free milk, this recipe is vegan since there's no egg.
- Nut or seed butter of your choice: Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter all work well and each adds its own flavor profile.
- Feel free to mix up the toppings: Try Greek yogurt, maple syrup, almond butter drizzle, coconut, or extra chocolate chips. Fresh berries or bananas also pair perfectly with the chocolate flavor.
How to make Chocolate Baked Oats
Making these chocolate baked oats only takes a simple few steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Blend the batter: Add rolled oats, milk, banana, maple syrup or honey, nut butter, vanilla extract, and baking powder to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and similar in texture to pancake batter.
- Prep the ramekins: Lightly spray four small ramekins with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Divide the batter among the sprayed ramekins evenly using a rubber spatula.
- Add chocolate mix-ins: Stir 1 tablespoon chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder into each ramekin.
- Bake: Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the centers are set and the tops are lightly golden. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the oats; if it comes out clean, they are ready.
- Top and enjoy: Let the baked oats cool for a couple minutes before adding toppings of your choice. Enjoy warm for a comforting, decadent experience.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Baked oats too dense: This can happen if your baking powder is old or if the batter is overmixed after adding it. Make sure your baking powder is fresh and mix just until combined for a lighter texture.
- My baked oats are not cooked in the center: If the center of your baked oats is still runny after 25 minutes, they may need more time in the oven. Baking time can vary depending on your oven and ramekin size, so continue baking in 5 minute increments until the center is set.
- Oats sticking to ramekins: Ramekins that aren't greased properly can cause sticking. Be sure to spray them well with cooking spray before baking.
Pairing
These chocolate baked oats are delicious on their own, but they also pair perfectly with a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. For an extra satisfying breakfast, try serving them with fresh fruit or a side of Greek yogurt.
Here are a few of my other favorite dishes to serve with these baked oats:
Scaling
This recipe makes four individual baked chocolate oats, but you can easily double or triple the recipe if you're cooking for a crowd or want a meal prep breakfast for the week. For example, to double the recipe, use 2 cups of rolled oats, 1 cup of milk, 2 ripe bananas, and so on. The baking time will stay the same, but you may need to use a larger baking dish instead of individual ramekins.
Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Chocolate baked oats work great for meal prep! Make a batch at the start of the week for a quick, ready-to-go breakfast every morning. Let them cool completely before storing, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, microwave for 30-60 seconds until warmed through, or eat them straight from the fridge for a cold, chocolatey breakfast.
Chocolate Baked Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk of your choice, (almond, oat, soy, dairy, etc.)
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter of your choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips per ramekin
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder per ramekin
- Cooking spray
Optional toppings of your choice:
- Nut or seed butter drizzle
- Greek Yogurt
- Fresh or warm fruit
- Jam or chia jam
- Extra maple syrup or honey
- Extra chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add rolled oats, milk, banana, maple syrup or honey, nut or seed butter, vanilla, and baking powder to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth, with a consistency similar to pancake batter.
- Lightly spray four small ramekins (~1 inch tall by 3 inches wide) with cooking spray and divide the batter with a rubber spatula evenly among them.
- Add chocolate chips and cocoa powder directly into each ramekin and thoroughly mix until combined. Feel free to mix and match different add-ins for each ramekin.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center and lightly golden on top.
- Top as desired and enjoy warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Breakfast Recipes
If you love this chocolate baked oats recipe, here are a few cozy mug cakes to try:
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