Mocha overnight oats are the perfect way to start the day! Combine your favorite breakfast with coffee for the best on the go healthy breakfast idea! These overnight oats are gluten free, vegan, packed with protein and packed with caffeine!
Why this recipe works
Everyone loves overnight oats! Use coffee to soak the oats in overnight and look forward to a healthy filling breakfast that is also packed with caffeine!
This recipe is packed with protein and fiber and is naturally gluten free and dairy free!
Overnight oats require no cooking and can easily be made up to 5 days ahead of time making them perfect for busy mornings!
Eat these oats on the go! No heating up required! Top the oats with homemade espresso almond butter for a real treat!
What are overnight oats?
Instead of cooking oatmeal on the stove or in the microwave, you allow the oats to soak overnight in liquid. This process results in thick and creamy oatmeal without any cooking required!
Usually the oats are soaked in milk to create that creamy consistency, but this recipe switches it up! These mocha overnight oats are made by soaking the oats in a combination of coffee and dairy free milk!
What jar do you need to make overnight oats?
The idea of overnight oats is that you make the oatmeal in the same jar you plan on eating the oats out of. I like to use a large mouth mason jar (affiliate) or a weck jar (affiliate).
Be sure that you use a large mouth jar so you can easily mix the oats and get the spoon all the way in the jar in the morning!
How to make mocha overnight oats
Step 1: Add gluten free rolled oats and chia seeds to the bottom of the jar you plan to use. Add coffee (can be fresh, from the morning of or cold brew coffee), dairy free milk and cacao powder to the oats and chia seeds and stir well. Let the oats sit overnight.
Step 2: In the morning, add protein powder and whatever mix-ins you love. Stir well.
Step 3: Check the consistency of the oats. Depending on the protein powder and what you might have added, you may need more dairy free milk. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time (up to ¼ cup)
Step 4: If you want to add any toppings, add them after the protein powder is stirred in well and you have the consistency you desire. Serve cold or at room temperature.
What toppings or add-in go well with this coffee infused overnight oat recipe:
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Cacao nibs
- Mini chocolate chips
- Sliced strawberries or bananas
- Homemade jam (strawberry balsamic chia jam or raspberry chia jam would be amazing)
- Chopped nuts
- Nut butter
FAQ’s
Can overnight oats be served hot?
Yes, if you want to heat up the oats after soaking overnight, heat them in a microwave safe container for 2 minutes. Be sure to heat the oats up before adding protein powder.
How long can overnight oats be stored in the fridge?
Overnight oats can be made up to 5 days ahead of time. However protein powder tends to break down after 2 days and fruit can go bad if added early.
TIP: If you are looking to save time in the morning:
- Make the base of the overnight oats ahead of time.
- Pre-package individual servings of protein powder and store them on top of the oats in the fridge in a sealed bag.
- In the morning grab whatever fruit you want along with the overnight oats and protein powder. Stir in everything and serve cold.
How to make this overnight oats recipe even creamier?
This recipe is already very creamy from the addition of vegan protein powder, but if you want an even richer consistency, replace ½ cup of dairy free milk with a dairy free yogurt (greek if possible).
How to add protein to overnight oats
Protein is essential for helping you feel full longer and is also essential for building lean muscle. Personally I find that without added protein, oats do not keep me full for long.
This recipe uses a vegan protein powder to add protein to the overnight oats. If you have never worked with vegan protein powder, it tends to absorb a lot of liquid. If you are using a whey protein, egg white protein or collagen, you will want to reduce the amount of liquid in this recipe by ¼ cup. You can either decrease the coffee or the dairy free milk by this amount.
If you are looking for a quality protein powder, I highly recommend Nuzest (affiliate). It’s a pea protein that doesn’t have any artificial flavors or sweeteners. Get 15% off your Nuzest order by using the code below at checkout!
Does it matter what kind of oats you use?
Yes! Be sure to get rolled oats (sometimes called traditional oats). Using quick oats will result in a very gummy oatmeal that doesn’t have the right texture. Using steel cut oats will result in oats that are not quite cooked and are still very chewy and hard.
If you love overnight oats, you should try:
- Peach Overnight Oats
- Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
- Cinnamon Raisin Overnight Oats
- Almond Joy Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Mocha Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rolled oats gluten free
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 3/4 cup brewed coffee or cold brew
- 1/2 cup dairy free milk almond milk
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 serving chocolate protein powder Nuzest
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk (optional) see instructions
Instructions
- In a large mouth mason jar or weck jar, combine all the ingredients except for the protein powder.
- Let this mixture sit in the fridge at least 4 hours but up to 5 days.
- The morning of, add in the protein powder and stir well.
- If the mixture needs more liquid add up to 1/4 cup of dairy free milk until you get your desired consistency.
Notes
- This recipe uses vegan protein powder which absorbs a lot of liquid. If you will not be using this type of protein powder, decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup. You can reduce the coffee or dairy free milk.
- Depending on the type of vegan protein powder, you may actually need to add additional milk to the recipe at the end. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until you get to your desired consistency.
- Stir in your favorite additions for flavor or crunch including
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Cacao nibs
- Chocolate chips
- Sliced strawberries or bananas
- Chopped nuts
- Nut butter
- Jam
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