My Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats are incredibly delicious and so simple to prepare! Mashed banana and raw cacao combine to make a delicious flavour base for these oats. With just a few minutes of preparation time before bed, these oats will be ready for you to enjoy in the morning!
You will love these Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats because:
- They require minimal preparation – all you have to do is mash a banana, combine it with your other ingredients and pop it in the refrigerator!
- The quantities can easily be adjusted to your needs – the written recipe serves two, but can easily be halved or doubled!
- They are ideal for meal prep – they’ll last for three days in the fridge, so you can get a head start on your breakfast for the week ahead.
- This recipe is so versatile – we love to customise the toppings. Add any fruit or nuts of your choice, yoghurt and even a little shaving of dark chocolate! There are many delicious topping and flavour ideas for you to try.
- Although Chocolate Overnight Oats are delicious on their own, the addition of banana makes them extra good. We also love to add Peanut Butter on occasion!
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Banana – for the maximum natural sweetness, use a ripe banana. Bananas are at their best for this recipe when they are in between the eating and baking stage!
Raw cacao powder - is made from minimally processed cocoa beans and maintains the nutritional benefits of the bean. It is, in essence, chocolate in its purest form.
Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – these are the best oats for this recipe. Steel-cut oats and quick-cooking oats can be used in overnight oats recipes, but may have a different ratio of liquid, and will produce a different texture.
Milk – use a milk of your preference. I like to use almond or oat milk, but soy milk works just fine as does dairy milk.
Chia seeds – helps give the oats a nice thick texture, and also add some extra fibre. Black or white chia seeds are fine to use in this recipe.
Maple syrup – for a hint of extra sweetness. You could also use honey, but I would drizzle this on top when serving instead.
Vanilla - use a good quality vanilla extract that is naturally produced from the vanilla bean and not synthetically flavoured.
Cinnamon – ground cinnamon works so well with banana, and adds a lovely warmth of flavour to the oats. A little sprinkled on top before serving is also a nice touch!
How to Make Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Mash the banana:
In a medium bowl, mash the banana using a potato masher or fork.
2 – Combine with the cacao:
To the banana, add the raw cacao powder, vanilla and maple syrup and mix well to combine.
3 – Add the remaining ingredients:
To the banana mixture, add your rolled oats, milk, ground cinnamon and chia seeds. Whisk or stir the mixture well to combine.
4 – Refrigerate:
Cover the bowl with clingwrap, or divide the mixture into two glasses or mason jars and cover. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Tips for success and FAQs:
These Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats are truly so simple to prepare. As there are such few ingredients, I do recommend using the best quality available.
For the best taste and texture, enjoy them within three days.
Refrigerate your overnight oats mixture for at least 6 hours. I make mine just before bed and they’re perfect in the morning!
There are different rules regarding this, depending on where you live in the world. For Australian residents, Coeliac Australia provides a great resource on this topic. Always be sure to read the labels and consult with a health professional if you are unsure.
Serving suggestions:
One of my favourite parts of making Easy Overnight Oats, is customising the toppings!
For this recipe, I like to use a topping of coconut yoghurt, some sliced fresh banana and a sprinkling of shaved dark chocolate!
You could also try:
- Chopped walnuts or almonds - love that great crunch against the oats.
- Greek yoghurt, if you do not need to keep the recipe vegan.
- A drizzle of coconut cream and a sprinkle of additional cinnamon or raw cacao powder.
- Fresh or dried fruit of your choice.
Enjoy these delicious Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats. I hope you’ll love the ease of preparation and great taste – be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below!
Alex xx
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Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Overnight Oats:
- 1 large banana - ripe See Note 1
- 6 teaspoon raw cacao powder See Note 2
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (80 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) milk - I use almond or oat See Note 3
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds See Note 4
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Toppings (optional):
- Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
- almonds or walnuts - roughly chopped
- coconut flakes and banana - freshly sliced when serving
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, mash the banana.
- Add the cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla to the banana and mix until well combined.
- Add the milk, oats, chia seeds and cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl with clingwrap, or divide the mixture into two glasses or mason jars and cover. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Serve with toppings of your choice and additional milk if the mixture is too thick.
Notes
- Banana: for the best flavour and sweetness, make sure your banana is ripe. Prefer to not use banana? Try these Chocolate Overnight Oats.
- Raw Cacao Powder: is the raw version of cocoa powder.
- Milk: use milk of your choice. I use almond or oat milk. Add more milk when serving if you prefer a thinner texture.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
- Toppings: the toppings are optional (and are not included in the nutritional information). Use toppings of your liking - see suggestions above.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Ruby says
Love this recipe very delicious especially with almond milk
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Ruby!
Alex xo
Sherry M says
i love overnight oats especially with almond milk. Delish!
Alexandra says
My preference too, Sherry 🙂 Thank you!