Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oats

Who wants brownie batter for breakfast? I probably didn’t need to ask, did I? Prep these thick brownie batter overnight protein oats the night before and you’ll be waking up to a bowl of brownie batter in the morning! It may seem like dessert but who says you can’t eat dessert for breakfast?!

Overnight Oats For Busy Mornings

Overnight oats are my go-to for at least a few mornings a week. I like them because they travel well, I don’t mind eating them cold and they only take a minute to prepare the night before. Plus I can throw in whatever I have lying around so I never get bored!

Best Overnight Oat Containers

You can make your overnight oats in anything you want by my go-to is mason jars. Glass food storage containers are also a good choice or just use a bowl and cover it in the fridge overnight. I like mason jars or glass containers if I’m taking them to-go in the morning. You can also get these super cute, reusable silicone sleeves for mason jars for extra durability and to use like a coffee jacket if you want to take something hot in your jar.

How I Make Overnight Oats

To make my overnight oats, I measure and add my dry ingredients to a small jar then top it off with unsweetened almond milk. I find that’s usually just the right amount of milk to reach the consistency I like. I like my overnight oats really thick so I use about 1/2-3/4 cup of almond milk depending on what else I added. You can up to 1 or even 1.5 cups of milk if you like more of a porridge consistency.

I also like adding pure vanilla extract and a few stevia drops for a sweetener. Pure maple syrup is also a good choice for sweetening. I often add 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds too for a bit of extra thickening and added healthy fats and protein.

Here are some of my favourite flavour ideas!

11 Overnight Oat Flavour Ideas

1. Hemp Seeds, Coconut and Raisin

This variety is a littler higher in fat but I love the texture that the coconut adds and hemp seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, minerals and antioxidants. The raisins add a nice sweetness without having to add additional sweetener.

2. Low-Fat Peanut Butter and Banana

Powdered peanut butter is a must-have if you love peanut butter but don’t want to eat as much fat. I don’t find I get the flavour I want in overnight oats by using just 1 or 2 tablespoons of regular peanut butter. By using powdered peanut butter I get all the peanut butter flavour without adding a ton of calories

3. Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats

I like adding grated zucchini to my overnight oats for extra volume and since I love zucchini chocolate chip muffins, I’ll add a few tablespoons of raw cacao powder and cacao nibs along with them.

4. Protein Overnight Oats

I’ll often add protein powder to my overnight oats to get some extra protein in the morning and I like the texture it creates. Pea protein-based proteins like Vega create a cookie-dough like texture that is perfect in these brownie batter oats too!

5. Cinnamon Raisin Overnight Oats

Add plenty of cinnamon and a few tablespoons of raisins, yum! I like adding shredded coconut to this version too.

6. Peanut Butter Jelly Overnight Oats

Add regular peanut butter or powdered peanut butter plus frozen berries or a few tablespoons of chia seed jam.

7. Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Add a grated carrot, raisins, cinnamon and a few walnuts. I like adding some shredded coconut and maybe some pineapple too.

8. Tropical Overnight Oats

Another favourite! Add sliced mango, pineapple, banana and shredded coconut.

9. Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats

Add sliced strawberries, a few tablespoons of coconut yogurt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can also make this with light coconut milk instead of almond milk for extra creaminess! This is really good with blueberries too for a take on blueberry lemon cheesecake.

10. Gingerbread Overnight Oats

If you love gingerbread cookies, you will love gingerbread overnight oats! Sweeten them with molasses and add ground ginger, ground cinnamon and vanilla protein .

11. Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

I couldn’t make a list of overnight oat flavours and leave off pumpkin pie overnight oats! I eat these year round and never get sick of them. Simply add a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to the mixture. I like adding vanilla protein to this version, some vanilla coconut yogurt is awesome too!

What Will You Create?

I hope that gives you a few ideas for creating delicious overnight oats at home. I could go on and on about flavour combos, there are endless varieties you could come up with! For the most basic overnight oats, all you need is oats and a liquid. From there add your favourite sweetener and then get creative with your add-ins. Some staples are cocoa powder, banana, peanut butter, nuts, seeds and fruits.

Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oats

These brownie batter overnight oats are chocolate-packed, high in protein and the perfect fuel on-the-go. The consistency is quite thick, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter. YUM!

Cocoa Powder Or Cacao Powder?

Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans whereas cocoa powder has been roasted at high-temperatures. Unfortunately, roasting cacao at high-temperatures greatly lowers the nutritional value so to reap the amazing health benefits of chocolate, it’s cacao powder that that you’re after. When you read about how good chocolate is for you (and it is!), we’re talking raw cacao, not your average store-bought milk chocolate bar. The typical grocery store chocolate bar has been so heavily processed that by time it reaches the shelf, it no longer offers any nutritional benefit.

I use both cacao powder and cocoa powder in my kitchen buy I try to use cacao more often. High in antioxidants, cacao has been show to lower insulin resistance, protect your nervous system, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, fight free radicals, support a sense of well-being and provide important minerals like magnesium iron, calcium and zinc. It’s the obvious choice but it is more expensive. Use it in place of cocoa powder when you can but no worries, raw cacao powder and cocoa powder can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Recipe Adjustments

This recipe comes out very thick with a doughy consistency. If you prefer more of a traditional oatmeal consistency, increase the almond milk to 1 cup. Like we talked about above, you can use either cocoa powder or antioxidant-rich raw cacao powder for creating the chocolate flavour.

Choose Your Sweetener

For sweetening, you can use either stevia or a drizzle of maple syrup for a bit of extra sweetness or just leave it out as the protein powder does sweeten it a bit. I add 1 packet of stevia or some liquid stevia drops to mine. I also like adding a bit of pure vanilla extract and pink sea salt to enhance the flavour. These ingredients are optional but I highly recommend them to really add that brownie batter flavour!

Make it Your Own

The amounts in this recipe can be adjusted to your needs too. You can’t really go wrong so feel free to play around with it. Sometimes I use less oats to reduce the carbs, or I’ll add peanut or almond butter for added fats and flavour. Grated zucchini is good too for added volume and nutrition. You can also reduce the amount of almond milk a bit and add in pumpkin puree (go with Farmers Market Organic Pumpkin Puree – best.  pumpkin ever.) or applesauce.

My Favourite Brownie Batter Oat Toppings

• dairy-free chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• sliced banana
• peanut butter, powdered peanut butter, almond butter, tahini
• walnuts, almonds or cashews
• sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds
• warmed berries or chia seed jam

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