Rich chocolate, strawberry, and coconut overnight oats

Try this if you’re craving a special breakfast treat.

Contributed by Allison Collins, MD


Rich chocolate, strawberry, and coconut overnight oats

Chocolate for breakfast? Absolutely!

It’s nice to have a special treat every once in a while, even for breakfast. My kids couldn’t believe their eyes the first time I made this for them. The great thing about this recipe is that it is rich and decadent but has no added sugar, as the banana provides all the sweetness you need. It is important to use a high-quality dark chocolate cacao powder to get the right flavor. The nut butter also adds an extra creamy richness. I like to add chia or flax seeds to my overnight oats because they help the mixture gel and offer great health benefits with their omega-3 fatty acids and fiber that help with high cholesterol, digestion, and even cancer prevention when eaten regularly.

I often make this in a larger batch, tripling the recipe for my family of 2 adults and 2 younger children, and then serve in individual bowls in the morning. This is also a great recipe for kids to help with, as their little hands can practice mashing, measuring, and stirring.

Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (I use almond coconut milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon high-quality dark cacao powder (unsweetened)
  • 2 teaspoons peanut butter or almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon chia or ground flax seed
  • Strawberries (3 to 4), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon flaked coconut
  • 1 tablespoon nuts (your choice of: cashews, almonds, peanuts, or others)

Directions

  1. Mash the banana with a fork or potato masher.
  2. Add oats, almond milk, vanilla, cacao powder, and peanut butter (or other nut butter) and stir well.
  3. Refrigerate overnight.
  4. The next morning top the oat mixture with strawberries, coconut, and nuts.
  5. Enjoy!

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 460
  • Total fat: 18 g
  • Saturated fat: 4.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 130 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 62 g
  • Dietary fiber: 11 g
  • Total sugars: 15 g
  • Protein: 14 g