Cocoa Pebbles Overnight Oats – Healthy + Dairy Free

– vegan – gluten free – oil free – refined sugar free – low fat – 

The perfect breakfast for chocolate lovers! Did anyone else love a bowl of chocolate-y cocoa pebbles as a kid?! These healthy cocoa pebbles overnight oats taste sooo similar! So I present you with the healthier, adult version of cocoa pebbles! They are a quick and easy breakfast idea that comes together in 1 bowl and only takes 10 minutes of prep time. Then set them in the fridge and forget them!

Helpful tips for the very best overnight oats:

• Prep ahead of time. The oats need enough time to absorb the milk. I recommend making them the night before, but at the very least, prep them at least 4 hours before you plan on eating them.
• Adjust to your desired consistency. Everyone prefers the consistency of their oats differently and this is easy to change by adjusting the oat:milk ratio. For this recipe, I like to keep the oats extra creamy with a little extra milk because I love the yummy chocolate milk. Adjust to how you love your oats.
• Add any nuts/topping upon serving. Mix-ins will get soggy if they are sitting in the oatmeal for too long. To keep it all fresh, I recommend adding any toppings right before eating. This will help keep the overnight oats fresher for longer. My favorite toppings for these healthy chocolate overnight oats have been banana, shredded coconut, almonds and cacao nibs.

Are overnight oats healthy?

Although I love starting my day with a large helping of fruit, I also really love a healthy bowl of overnight oats. Here are some great reasons to add them to your breakfast line-up:

• Overnight oats are satisfying and can keep you full all morning. This is in part due to the beta-glucan in oats. Beta glucan is a type of soluble fiber that is often used to prevent heart disease and high cholesterol.
• Old fashioned rolled oats are also a great source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
• Overnight oats contain lots of nondairy milk. I used oat milk for this recipe, which is high in calcium, B vitamins, manganese, protein and other vitamins and minerals. You can use your favorite nondairy milk of choice, as they all contain a variety of essential nutrients. 
• You can make this easy vegan breakfast even healthier by loading it with fruit before serving. 

Kitchen essentials:

• A large mixing bowl with lid
• Small jars with lids (optional)

Substitutions:

• GF old-fashioned rolled oats: Both gluten-free and original rolled oats work well with these overnight oats. I have not tried this recipe with steel cut oats or instant/quick-cooking oats, so I cannot attest to how they will turn out. If you do try them, I would love to know how it worked in the comments :). 
• Plain oat milk: you can use any nondairy milk of your pleasing. I enjoy either oat, soy or cashew milk for it’s extra creaminess.
• Pure maple syrup: can be substituted with other liquid sweeteners like agave nectar or date syrup.

If you love these cocoa pebbles overnight oats, you will love these other overnight oats recipes as well:

• Healthy Snickers Overnight Oats (Vegan + Gluten Free)
• Healthy Salted Caramel Overnight Oats (Vegan + Gluten Free)
• How to Make Horchata Overnight Oats (Dairy-Free)
• Blueberry Pistachio Overnight Oats

Healthy Chocolate Overnight Oats (Dairy Free)

Recipe by Slow Down Company Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Total time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain oat milk (or nondairy milk of choice)

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

• 3 1/4 cups gf old fashioned rolled oats

• 3 tbsp cacao powder

• 1 tsp salt

Directions

• Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the oat milk and maple syrup and give it a quick mix.
• Add dry ingredients. Add in the oats, cacao powder and salt and mix well until fully combined.
• Rest. Let the oats rest for about 5 minutes to absorb the liquid, then give it a final good mix. At this point, you can transfer the oats to smaller, individual containers with lids or you can cover your large bowl. Transfer to the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
• Add toppings before serving (optional). My favorite toppings with this flavor combo are bananas, shredded coconut, chopped almonds, hazelnuts, and cacao nibs. Enjoy!

Notes

• Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• This recipe makes 3-4 servings. Nutrition label is based on 4 servings.
• Nutrition information is based on using plain oat milk and will vary slightly depending on the nondairy milk you choose.

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