Fudgy Chocolate Baked Oats

Name: Chocolate Baked Oats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 large eggs; 2 cups quick cooking oats; 2 cups chocolate milk; ¼ cup cocoa powder; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp baking powder; 2 Tbsp melted butter; ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (plain or a vanilla yogurt work best); 1/2 tsp salt; ¼ cup maple syrup; ½-1 tsp espresso powder (optional); ½-¾ cup chocolate chips

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These super simple, brownie-inspired chocolate baked oats are so rich and fudgy but are still full of protein, fiber and fuel to start your day. A one-bowl breakfast recipe filled with hearty oats that requires less than 10 minutes of prep. Top with a big dollop of Greek yogurt for extra protein, break pieces over a bowl of yogurt, or take a slice on the go–this is the breakfast that tastes like dessert but is so much more!

Slice of chocolate baked oats with Greek yogurt on top.

Why We Love These Chocolate Baked Oats
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
Common Questions
Other Breakfast Recipes
Chocolate Baked Oats Recipe
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Ok, let’s have brownies for breakfast without actually having brownies for breakfast, ok?? Get the rich, chocolatey flavor of brownies in your oats but still with a balanced, flavorful recipe!

Love oats for breakfast and more? Try these other favorites: Banana Oat Blender Pancakes, Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal, Triple Chocolate Overnight Oats, or these favorite Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls.

Why We Love These Chocolate Baked Oats

Oatmeal, especially as overnight oatmeal, is a breakfast recipe staple in our house. We try to get them into our breakfast menu at least a couple times a week, so we have to keep it varied so as not to get bored.

These chocolate baked oats are a fudgy, chocolatey way to eat our oatmeal, and this one for sure doubles as a snack option as well!

These chocolate baked oats are:

hearty and have protein, fiber and the good stuff without tasting overly healthy
just the perfect balance of soft and chewy while also fudgy
super easily varied to meet your needs
banana free–not a huge fan of bananas in certain flavors of baked oatmeal and this one for sure needed to be without them!
have added yogurt and butter to help retain lots of moisture
are super freezer friendly!

Let me know what you think of these!

Ingredient Notes

See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.

Chocolate milk, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder and other labeled ingredients.

I used quick cooking oats in this recipe as opposed to a lot of baked oatmeal recipes, including several others on my site when making these chocolate baked oats. The reason for this is that I wanted people to have the option to make this more of a handheld treat if desired, ya know, like brownies. Using quick oats, you get a more structured result that can be sliced into pieces that will hold together. I also like the softness of the quick cooking oats versus rolled oats as rolled oats are a bit chewier. This recipe can still work with rolled or old-fashioned oats, but the texture will be very different.
I wanted the chocolatey flavor to be very pronounced in this recipe so some sort of chocolate milk or beverage was a must. I made it with Core Power chocolate protein drink for a higher protein option as well as with Fair Life chocolate milk (this one has less added sugar than others) and a chocolate almond milk. They all work well! Use your preference!
Espresso powder is another ingredient that intensifies the chocolate flavor in these oats. It is optional, but strongly suggested if you have it on hand!
Maple syrup is our preferred sweetener–this recipe doesn’t require a lot with the sweetness of the chocolate milk and chocolate chips, but some is still needed. You can use honey if preferred.

Ways To Vary This Recipe

toss in some other add-ins: feel free to stir in chopped nuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit, another variety of chocolate chip and more when adding the chocolate chips to the mixture.
make it higher protein: use the chocolate protein drink as suggested above, a higher and protein Greek yogurt to up the protein in this recipe
vary how it’s served: you can break it up into pieces and serve it over yogurt or a smoothie bowl, under bake it slightly to make it a bit on the wetter side and even add a splash of milk or cream over top, serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Oats, cocoa powder, eggs, butter and other ingredients in bowl before mixing.

Step 1: Whisk the eggs in the bottom of the bowl and then add in the other ingredients except the chocolate chips.

Chocolate chips added to bowl with chocolate oats.

Step 2: Stir well to combine. Add and stir in the chocolate chips.

Chocolate oatmeal mixture before baking.

Step 3: Pour chocolate oat mixture into a greased 8x8inch baking pan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the top and edges are set and a toothpick comes out of the center mostly dry. (you can pull it out before the toothpick is fully dry for a bit more moisture in your oats.

Step 4: Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with flakey sea salt or top with yogurt and fresh berries, etc.

Recipe Tips

It’s better to err on the slightly under-baked side when making these chocolate oats. There may still be some extra moisture in the center, but it continues to cook a bit after being removed from the oven and all of that moisture should soak up as the oats set while cooling.

The amount of chocolate chips is merely a suggestion. Feel free to add more especially if this is more of a snack or treat for you versus breakfast.

Flax eggs should substitute well in this recipe, but the texture and flavor will be slightly altered. I have used them with luck in baked oats and they still make for a successful recipe.

Chocolate baked oatmeal with chocolate chips sliced and sitting in baking pan.

Storage

These baked oats will be the most fudgy freshly baked. The chocolate chips will be nice and melty and the oats have the most moisture. Eat up then for sure, but also you can store leftovers at room temperature for about 3 days in an airtight container. You can refrigerate for about 5 days, but this can dry them out a bit more.

You can also freeze baked oatmeal once it’s completely cooled in a freezer-safe container. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm up in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds before serving.

Common Questions

Can I make this recipe gluten free?

Yes! As long as you use certified gluten-free oats, this recipe will be completely gluten free.

Can this recipe be made in advance?

You can prepare the oat mixture and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight and then bake in the morning. I suggest not making it more than 24 hours before you plan on baking. Give the mixture a stir before baking and you can add an extra splash of milk if too much of the liquid seems to have been absorbed.