Chocolate Oatmeal

Chocolate first thing in the morning!? Yes, please!  This summer I discovered overnight oats (like this Mango Almond and this Strawberry Banana).  It is so easy to prepare the oatmeal (raw) the night before and enjoy the next morning cold (or hot, if preferred).  Great to just grab and go!  I have been eating my oatmeal cold since it has been so hot outside and I can enjoy hot oatmeal in the winter.

I recently saw this recipe for chocolate oatmeal, where you cook the oatmeal first, then place it in the fridge to absorb all the flavor and really add volume to the oats, and the next morning serve it hot or cold.  I decided to give it a try and even though the oatmeal was a different consistency (softer and less chewy) than the raw oats, it was still very tasty and adds another way to enjoy oatmeal!

I love the endless ways you can enjoy oatmeal.  Hot, cold, cooked, raw, and of course the variety of flavors just by adding in different fruits, extracts, powders, etc.

This recipe was adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup gf rolled oats
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional: handful of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Heat for 2 minutes (watching carefully to make sure it does not spill over).
2. Stir and heat for another 1-2 minutes (watching carefully).
3. Stir and let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir and place uncovered in the fridge overnight.
5. The next morning stir in the optional handful of chocolate chips (if using) and eat cold or reheat and eat hot!

I loved how this took 10 minutes to prepare the night before and the next morning breakfast was already waiting for me to enjoy!