- It’s an easy, make-ahead breakfast that’s high in protein and tastes like dessert.
- The protein, fiber and carb combo will give you energy and keep you full for hours.
- Swap out the peanut butter for almond butter or tahini for a different flavor profile.
Our High-Protein Peanut Butter–Chocolate Overnight Oats taste like dessert, but are the filling breakfast you need to keep you powered all morning. Fiber-packed oats are mixed with protein from soy milk, Greek-style yogurt and peanut butter—a hunger-crushing combo. Deeply chocolaty with cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate throughout, these overnight oats develop a thick pudding consistency once set. Make it ahead to eat all week long. Keep reading for our expert tips on prep, ingredient substitutions and more.
Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen
These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!
- For a rich chocolate flavor in every bite, use hand-chopped bittersweet chocolate. As a time-saver, you can use 2 ounces of mini semisweet chocolate chips.
- To prevent lumps, mix the dry cocoa with the wet ingredients before adding the oats.
- Stir the oat mixture while scooping it into the jars to ensure an even distribution, and leave a ½-inch headspace in each jar, as the oats will absorb liquid and expand.
- You can add the peanut butter topping earlier in the process if you want to get all of the prep out of the way, but it may harden slightly in the fridge.
Nutrition Notes
- Old-fashioned rolled oats are perfect for overnight oats and for your nutrition goals. They contain fiber, which is good for your gut health. They can improve regularity and help prevent constipation. The fiber in oats is also good for your heart, helping to remove bad cholesterol from your body. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they may be contaminated with gluten during processing. If you’re following a gluten-free routine, be sure to buy oats specifically labeled gluten-free.
- Unsweetened soy milk is comparable to dairy milk in protein. To get the most nutrition from your soy milk, ensure that you purchase plant-based milks that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D at a minimum. Most will also be fortified with other nutrients such as vitamins A and B12, magnesium and potassium.
- Greek-style yogurt offers muscle-supporting protein to these overnight oats. Your yogurt may also contain probiotics, which are beneficial for your microbiome. Ensure you read the packaging to see if it contains live and active cultures—that is how you identify the presence of probiotics.
