This Chocolate Oatmeal is easy to make, super creamy, and so delicious! Top it with caramelized bananas sweetened with maple syrup to make it taste like a decadent dessert! The oatmeal comes together in just 15 minutes, and it can be easily doubled!
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Why You'll Love This Chocolate Oatmeal
Creamy and sweet - The combination of chocolate and caramelized bananas yields such creamy and decadent oatmeal that it feels like you're eating dessert for breakfast. The bananas are sweetened with maple syrup, which gives them a great flavor and doesn't make them overly sweet.
Vegan and gluten-free - Oats are naturally gluten-free, but be sure to always check the packaging to make sure they're certified gluten-free if needed. The oatmeal is made with almond milk, so it's also dairy-free. If dairy isn't an issue for you, you can use any milk you would normally use.
Easy and simple - Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts to make because it doesn't require any prep, and you can easily whip it up in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- Rolled oats - You can use any kind of oats you like here, but I like using rolled oats. They're creamy when cooked but still retain some texture. Quick-cooking oats will be creamy and super quick to cook. Steel-cut oats will need much more liquid and will take about 20-25 minutes to cook.
- Almond milk - You can use any milk you prefer. I usually like using almond milk, cashew milk, or hazelnut milk for this oatmeal. Other options include oat milk, rice milk, or whole milk. If you want to use coconut milk, use boxed coconut milk, not the one from a can.
- Cacao powder - Both cacao and cocoa powder can be used. Cacao is the raw, unroasted version of cocoa. They have slightly different flavors. I prefer cacao but you can use either. Cacao has lots of antioxidants and minerals.
- Sweetener - This is optional if you're topping the oatmeal with caramelized banana, but you can also add a little bit of sweetener to the oatmeal. I like using maple syrup, but honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any sweetener works.
- Flavorings - Vanilla extract and cinnamon are classics. You can also use ground ginger or gingerbread spice if you're making this in the winter.
Variations and Substitutions
- Caramelized peaches - If you're making this in the summer, peaches are a great topping to use! Try them in this Peach Oatmeal.
- Caramelized apples - You can caramelize diced apples the same way you would bananas or peaches for a fall-flavored topping.
- Protein - If you want to make the oatmeal even more filling, add a scoop of your favorite protein powder at the end of the cooking. I like adding chocolate or vanilla protein. You could also stir in some almond or peanut butter for added protein and healthy fats.
- Double chocolate - You can stir in some chocolate chips for a more indulgent double chocolate oatmeal!
- More fruit - I like to stir some frozen blueberries and raspberries into the oatmeal. You want to keep cooking it on low to make sure the berries warm up and the oatmeal stays hot. I like using frozen berries because they release their juices and make the oatmeal creamier and softer.
- Turn it into overnight oats - Add everything to a jar and refrigerate overnight. The oats will soak everything up and your breakfast will already be ready for you when you wake up! You can eat it cold or warm it up on the stove.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Chocolate Oatmeal
- Add almond milk and rolled oats to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer stirring often for 5-7 minutes or until creamy. Add more milk or water if needed.
- I recommend stirring the oatmeal often because the oats like to stick to the bottom a lot as the oatmeal gets thicker.
- Stir in cacao powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to serve.
While the oatmeal is cooking, make the caramelized bananas. If you need to let the oatmeal sit for more than just a few minutes, it might thicken up too much. Simply add more milk or water to loosen it up and make it creamy and smooth again.
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Caramelized Bananas
- While the oatmeal is cooking, heat a medium pan over medium-high heat.
- Add butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
- Add maple syrup, banana slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Arrange the bananas in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Gently flip the banana slices and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side until soft but not mushy. Lower the heat if it bubbles too vigorously.
- Plate the oatmeal and top with caramelized bananas, berries, or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Add a pinch of salt - Whenever I'm making something sweet, a great way to balance the flavor when it tastes a little too sweet is to add a pinch of salt. I like using sea salt, flaky sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt. I don't recommend table salt.
How to Serve the Oatmeal
Any stovetop oatmeal is best served right away. The longer it sits, the more it thickens up. You can serve it with just caramelized bananas or replace the bananas with other caramelized fruit like Caramelized Apples or Caramelized Peaches!
Other toppings you can add are blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, seeds (hemp hearts, ground flax seeds), nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds), yogurt, nut butter, or an extra splash of milk.
Storing
If you do need to store any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. You can eat the oatmeal cold or reheat it on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of milk or water. I always recommend using the stove, but that's my personal preference.
FAQs
Yes! Just swap the butter used for the bananas for vegan butter and use almond milk for the oatmeal.
I don't recommend storing regular oatmeal because it soaks up a lot of the liquid as it sits. If you want to meal prep it, I recommend making it into overnight oats and just mixing everything in a jar and leaving it in the fridge overnight instead of cooking it.
Other Easy Oatmeal Recipes
Oatmeal is a breakfast classic and there are endless flavor combinations you can try. Below are four oatmeal recipes similar to this one (the mocha one is especially my favorite). To see all the latest ones, head over to the Oatmeal Recipes category!
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Have you tried this Chocolate Oatmeal? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Oatmeal
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chocolate Oatmeal is made with raw cacao and almond milk. It's extra creamy and sweetened with maple syrup. The perfect sweet breakfast for any season! Top it with caramelized bananas to make it taste like a dessert!
Ingredients
Chocolate Oatmeal
- 1 cup almond milk (plus more as needed)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Caramelized Bananas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 banana, sliced
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Other toppings: fresh berries, nut butter, hemp seeds.
Instructions
Chocolate Oatmeal
- Add almond milk and rolled oats to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer stirring often for 5-7 minutes or until creamy. Add more milk or water if needed.
- Stir in cacao powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to serve.
Caramelized Bananas
- While the oatmeal is cooking, heat a medium pan over medium-high heat.
- Add butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
- Add maple syrup, banana slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Arrange the bananas in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Gently flip and cook for a couple of minutes on the other side until soft but not mushy. Lower the heat if it bubbles too vigorously.
- Plate the oatmeal and top with caramelized bananas, berries, or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
I like cooking the bananas while the oats are cooking so that everything is ready at the same time. Oatmeal thickens as it cools so if you cook it too early, it will thicken up quite a bit. Simply add some water or milk to it and stir to make it creamy again.
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can eat the oats cold or reheat them in a saucepan with a splash of water or milk.
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Natalie says
Creamiest oatmeal I've had! Made it with quick cooking oats to save some time.