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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast/Brunch

    Coffee Overnight Oats with Cacao

    January 9, 2017 By Monika Last Updated January 21, 2021 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Partial view of mocha overnight oats with chopped hazelnuts in white bowl.

    Coffee overnight oats combine the goodness of breakfast oats and the flavour of your favourite morning beverage. With this recipe you can enjoy a delicious, healthy breakfast no matter how hectic your mornings are.

    Mocha overnight oats in coffee cup on top of saucer with half banana in background.

    These coffee overnight oats are perfect for coffee as well as chocolate lovers.  They are incredibly easy to make, contain a handful of ingredients and can be served with lots of different toppings.  So you can enjoy them a little differently every time!

    If you are the type of person who often skips breakfast but cannot start the day without your morning coffee than you should try these mocha overnight oats.  Coffee and porridge in one dish!  Plus chocolate!  And it's all healthy, low in sugar and high in protein.

    Coffee overnight oats ingredients

    The basis for this recipe are old-fashioned rolled oats (jumbo oats).  I flavoured my oats with instant coffee and added a combination of milk and naturally low in fat ricotta cheese for more creaminess (ricotta contains less fat than cream cheese, mozzarella and certainly much less than mascarpone, so think of it as a slightly more calorific yogurt).

    Coffee tastes fantastic with a bit of chocolate which is why I also added cacao into the mixture.  I sweetened these mocha overnight oats with a moderate amount of maple syrup.

    Top down view of chocolate oats topped with crushed hazelnuts in white cup on top of white saucer.

    Can I use espresso instead of instant coffee

    Absolutely!  Simply make a single portion of strong espresso, top up with milk and combine with the oats.  

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1. Dissolve the coffee in the milk.

    Coffee granules with milk in metal bowl.

    2. In another bowl combine the oats with the cacao.

    Oats with cocoa and soon in purple bowl.

    3.  Pour in the milky coffee and add the maple syrup and ricotta.

    Overnight oats with chocolate, cheese and spoon inside purple bowl.

    4. Stir thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight.

    Chocolate overnight oats mixture with spoon inside purple bowl.

    5. In the morning give a good stir, add a splash of milk if required and enjoy!

    Serving suggestions

    • Banana chunks 
    • Berries
    • Toasted nuts and/or seeds
    • Cinnamon
    • Dark chocolate shavings

    Top tips

    • Use old-fashioned rolled oats (jumbo oats), NOT instant oats as these might produce a mushy consistency (this goes for any overnight oats recipe).
    • I recommend using slightly warm milk to easily dissolve the instant coffee.
    • Best served after at least 8 hours (overnight).
    • If the mixture is too thick add a splash of milk.
    • Overnight oats can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Substitutions

    • Coffee: Use regular or decaf.
    • Milk: Use either regular or plant-based.
    • Ricotta: This can be replaced by Greek yogurt, Skyr or fromage frais/fromage blanc (all will add a slight tang).
    • I tend to use cacao in my recipes as it's a little healthier than cocoa but it's perfectly ok to use either. 
    • Maple syrup: Use honey, agave syrup or another sweetener if desired.

    Top down view of chocolate overnight oats topped with crushed hazelnuts in white cup on top of white saucer with spoon and banana in background.

    Extras

    This coffee overnight oats recipe is extremely versatile and can be made a little differently every time.  Although it's delicious as it is you might like to consider using extra ingredients including:

    • chia or poppy seeds or flaxseeds (1 tablespoon each)
    • desiccated coconut (1 tablespoon)
    • currants (1-2 tablespoons)
    • a little vanilla bean extract 

    You might also like

    • Poppy Seed Overnight Oats 
    • Creamy Strawberry Overnight Oats
    • Cherry Overnight Oats with Almonds & Cacao
    • Sweet Potato Overnight Oats with Maple Pecans

    Keep in touch!

    I'd love to know how your mocha overnight oats turned out for you.  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

    Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for regular recipe updates! Or you could subscribe to this blog and receive all my latest recipes right into your mailbox!

    Recipe

    Mocha overnight oats topped with crushed hazelnuts in coffee cup on top of saucer with half banana in background.

    Coffee Overnight Oats with Cacao

    Coffee overnight oats combine the goodness of breakfast oats and the flavour of your favourite morning beverage. With this recipe you can enjoy a delicious, healthy breakfast no matter how hectic your mornings are.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 228kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (85 g) old-fashioned rolled oats jumbo oats, not instant
    • 1½ teaspoons instant coffee regular or decaf
    • ½ cup+1½tbsp (140 ml) semi-skimmed milk/light milk a little warm
    • 1½ teaspoons cacao or cocoa powder
    • 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese or cream cheese
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup/honey or agave syrup or to taste

    Instructions

    • Combine the milk with the coffee and stir until the coffee is fully dissolved.
    • In another bowl or jar combine the oats with the cocoa powder and stir thoroughly. Add the milk mixture, maple syrup and cheese and stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
    • In the morning give a stir, top up with more milk if required, add your favourite toppings and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Use old-fashioned rolled oats (jumbo oats), NOT instant oats as these might produce a mushy consistency (this goes for any overnight oats recipe).
    • Milk: Use regular or plant-based.
    • I recommend using slightly warm milk to easily dissolve the instant coffee.
    • Use either regular instant coffee or decaf. Alternatively use a single strong espresso and top up with milk.
    • Ricotta: This can be replaced by Greek yogurt, Skyr or fromage frais/fromage blanc (all will add a slight tang).
    • I used maple syrup but honey or agave syrup are good alternatives.  Adjust the amount to suit your preference.  
    • I tend to use cacao in my recipes as it's a little healthier than cocoa but it's perfectly ok to use either.  
    • If the mixture is too thick add a splash of milk.
    • Best served after at least 8 hours (overnight).
    • Serve with chunks of banana, berries, toasted seeds/nuts etc.
    • Overnight oats can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
    • Not suitable for freezing.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

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    1. Midge says

      January 15, 2017 at 12:04 pm

      I am really trying to love overnight oats, they are so convenient and would really save me some time but I am not a great fan of them with fruit. HOwever - coffee & dark chocolate flavour?! YUM! I am putting a pot of these on the go for tomorrow (with a slight dairyfree adjustment!) Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 15, 2017 at 3:22 pm

        Great! Hope you enjoy them:)

        Reply
    2. hijackedbytwins says

      January 13, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      These sound amazing! I love oats and love a good tasty breakfast so this ticks all the boxes! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 13, 2017 at 5:49 pm

        Thank you Kirsty! Overnight oats is my new favourite breakfast:)

        Reply
    3. Mandy Mazliah says

      January 11, 2017 at 5:30 am

      I love overnight oats too and this is such a genius idea!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 11, 2017 at 7:21 am

        Thank you Mandy! Glad you like it:)

        Reply
    4. Shinta says

      January 10, 2017 at 9:39 pm

      This is one breakfast Id love to give a try. I am in love with overnight muesli and need to try more overnight variants of breakfast in my life!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 10, 2017 at 10:39 pm

        I am glad to hear that as it's a fantastic breakfast idea! Have fun finding new flavour combinations for overnight oats:) Thanks for stopping by:)

        Reply
    5. Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com says

      January 10, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      I am a massive coffee nut so this sounds amazing!! Such a clever idea and those flavours - YUM! Eb x

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 10, 2017 at 2:39 pm

        Thanks Eb! My 13-year-old son loved it, which was a surprise as I thought this was a very 'adult' recipe.

        Reply
    6. Colette says

      January 09, 2017 at 7:00 pm

      I love overnight oats but prefer doing them in warmer weather. Can you warm up overnight oats? In winter I love my warm oats in the morning.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        January 09, 2017 at 9:01 pm

        I don't see why you wouldn't be able to warm them up, especially with this flavour combination. Enjoy!

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

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