Can I even call this a breakfast recipe? I mean it doesn’t taste like breakfast. Well…unless you eat mint brownies for breakfast. Hey, you never know. Maybe you woke up and thought it’s either I eat brownies or someone is going to suffer. Haha.. Don’t worry I won’t judge. For me, the last time I ate brownies for breakfast was probably circa 1995 after a fun college night in the dorms. Ahhh memories. It’s amazing how different life is 20 years later. Well maybe not too different because I still love mint brownies or chocolate mint anything. Hence, this new recipe…
So, I decided after much deliberation (for 2 minutes) I am going to call this a breakfast recipe. Why? Because even though it is chocolaty, minty, rich, and oh so delicious it is filled with wholesome ingredients. Hearty rolled oats, unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, pure vanilla extract, chia seeds, a little peppermint extract, and some pure maple syrup are the ingredients that make up this scrumptious jar of goodness. I did add a teaspoon of chocolate chips after I stirred it up but if that is just too over the top then leave them off. But if you can look past chocolate chips for breakfast then DO IT!
This is easily one of my favorite overnight oats recipes. Have I said that before? Maybe. But this chocolate mint recipe tastes just like a jar of chocolate mint brownie batter. It is awesome. I know I said this is a breakfast recipe, because of the oats and all, but I would recommend keeping a stash available for when you need to curb a chocolate craving. I ate mine for a snack one day and another for lunch the next.
It did take me a couple tries to get the flavor right. At first I used 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. That was too much for me. It made the oats taste bitter. 1/2 of a tablespoon gave it a perfect chocolate flavor. Then I used ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract – that was way too much. Holy peppermint! 1/8 teaspoon was just the right amount of peppermint. You can still taste it but it wasn’t overpowering.
I also found this recipe needed a touch more sweetness than my other overnight oats. Typically, I only need 1-2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup but for this recipe I used 1 tablespoon and that gave it the perfect amount of sweetness. Use the amount that works for you.
About the mason jars I use. I make my overnight oats in pint sized (16-ounce) mason jars. This size provides enough room for all the ingredients to be stirred up, especially the next day when the oats expand.
The jars you see in the final pictures are 8-ounce jars. I originally bought those for overnight oats. All the ingredients fit in (barely) but after the oats expand it is hard to stir up so I prefer the large jars for the overnight oats. But I prefer the small ones for the pretty pictures.
You can buy the mason jars right from Amazon if it makes life easier for you. Click here for the pint size and click here for the 8-ounce size.
Now go make this!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup more or less to taste
- small pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a pint size (wide mouth) glass mason jar mix together the rolled oats and unsweetened cocoa powder. Add the coconut milk, chia seeds, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, pure maple syrup, and salt. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. Place the lid on and store overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning give it a stir and add a little more coconut milk or maple syrup if needed. Sprinkle chocolate chips on and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Sienna says
Do i have to add chia seeds? I don’t have any at home- Should i adjust the measurements of the other ingredients to accommodate? Any help would be great!!
Jan says
Mine came out very thick?
Tammy Overhoff says
They are thick in the morning, I add a couple of splashes of milk to “loosen up” and then it’s perfect.
marilyn says
Which is better the quick oats or the old fashioned?
Tammy Kresge says
I use rolled oats which are also considered old fashion oats.
Ali says
When do u cook them?? The Instructions don’t mention cooking
Claudia says
They’re overnight oats, the “cook” by themselves throught the night
Debbie Keel says
I make mine a little different also, 1 scoop of whey protein, 1/3 c of skim milk, 1 container of Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Greek yogurt (5.3 oz) size, 2 Tbsp cocoa unsweetened powder, 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp of peppermint extract. This will make two jelly size mason jars and only 5 WW smart points.
Courtney says
Can you use skim or 1% milk instead of coconut milk?
Tammy Kresge says
Yes you can.
Morgan says
Do you think this would be just as good without the peppermint?
Tammy Kresge says
Yes it would,
Angela says
I’ve made this several times and it is very good. Overnight oats are perfect for me because I never have time to make breakfast in the mornings before work. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk in mine because I always keep some in the fridge. The first time I made this I shredded some dark chocolate over the top and it was delicious!
M says
Thank you for this recipe. Made a double batch and just put it in a bowl in the fridge overnight. I heated it up 1 serve ie 1/2 of what I made 60 secs in the microwave. Fantastic.
Peggy Kho says
I really confused about the WW points assigned to this recipe. And others.
50? I did a calculation and it was 8. So how do you arrive at the values?
I’m wondering about the accuracy . Calories, fat etc.
Thank’s
Tammy Kresge says
you are ready the carbs. The points are to the left.
easypeasy says
Oh my word! This sounds soooo good! Gotta try this! 🙂
Gail says
Can you substitute unsweetened vanilla almond milk? If so, any idea what the caloric info would be? Looks delicious! I’m assuming the caloric info you provided is without the chocolate chips?
Tammy Kresge says
Yes you can substitute vanilla almond milk. Not totally sure on calorie count. But yes the calorie does include the chocolate chips.
Christina says
hi!! I’ve tried overnight oats and like them but do you heat them up in the morning before eating? I know this is a silly question!!
Tammy Kresge says
No I eat them cold. You could heat them up if you like.
Stephanie says
I set mine out on the counter for an hour before I eat them to take the chill off. If I don’t have time for that and want to eat them right away, I will heat them for 30 seconds. My Mom likes her oatmeal warm so she warms them up all the way. It’s personal preference!
Christina says
Thank you all for your repliesI don’t really care for them cold but I will try them again and heat them up a bit ! I have some freezer smoothies and now I’m going to make some overnight oats! Thank you for all your time and efforts, love your blog!!
Norma says
This sounds so good. Do you mind if I ask some questions? 1, when you say coconut milk, you mean the one in the carton, not the cream in the can, right?
Also, do you think this could be done with steel cut oats?
Thanks! Love this site.
Tammy Kresge says
Yes the one in the carton. I have not had much luck using steel cut oats with overnight oats.