High Protein Overnight Oats without Protein Powder
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This High Protein Overnight Oats recipe is an easy to make healthy breakfast and has 37 grams of natural protein – no protein powder required! It’s ultra creamy and full of rich chocolate and vanilla flavors. Topped with fresh berries, cacao nibs, seeds and peanut butter, this irresistible breakfast will keep you full and fueled for hours!
About This Recipe
Looking for a high-protein breakfast that actually keeps you full without relying on protein powder? Say hello to my new obsession – these High Protein Chocolate Overnight Oats – made without protein powder!
This version brings the flavor with cocoa powder, then levels up the texture and satiability power using high protein vanilla yogurt. Full of healthy fats and fiber thanks to chia seeds, these overnight oats have that classic spoon-coating thickness that’ll make you wonder if you are eating breakfast or an indulgent dessert!
Topped with raspberries, cacao nibs, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and a big drizzle of peanut butter, every bite has crunch, chocolatey bitterness, and creamy comfort all at once.
It’s thick, creamy, tastes like dessert, and has 37 grams of natural protein and 20 grams of fiber. It’ll also keep you full and satisfied and provide you with steady energy throughout the morning.
Perfect for anyone who wants a protein-packed start to their day and loves a fuss-free breakfast that is meal prep friendly!
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to make in 10 minutes.
- High protein. It has 37 grams of natural protein – no protein powder needed!
- Packed with 20 grams of fiber from oats, chia seeds, cocoa and raspberries!
- Rich chocolate, hint of vanilla, and creamy, nutty peanut butter flavors!
- Meal prep friendly.
- Customizable. Use any of your favorite overnight oat toppings!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: I used Red Tractor Creamy Style Rolled Oats which makes these overnight oats extra thick and creamy! Jumbo oats and porridge oats will work. Instant oats can be used but they don’t need to be soaked as long. Avoid steel-cut oats (they won’t soften enough) and quick oats (they will turn into mush).
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I used unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder. It has a richer and more chocolatey flavor than regular unsweetened cocoa powder. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder can be used if that’s what you have on hand. Cacao powder would also work great.
- Black Chia Seeds: Or white chia seeds. They help thicken the oats and add healthy fats and fiber.
- Fine Sea Salt: A small pinch brings out the chocolate flavors.
- High Protein Vanilla Yogurt: I used a small carton of M&S High Protein Vanilla Yogurt which is a strained yogurt with a whopping 22 grams of protein for 200 grams of yogurt! If you’re based in the USA, go for a high protein vanilla Greek yogurt like Oikos Pro, Chobani Protein Yogurt, :ratio Vanilla High Protein Dairy Snack. Or use regular or fat-free Greek yogurt like Fage 0%, thick plain yogurt, or a dairy-free yogurt and add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to yield a similar flavor.
- Sugar-free Maple Syrup: I used Walden Farms Pancake Syrup, a zero-calorie and zero sugar sweetener. You could use a natural sweetener like maple syrup, honey, agave nectar or any other sweetener of your choice.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk but any plant-based milk or regular milk will work
- Raspberries: I used fresh raspberries but blueberries, strawberries, blackberries would be tasty too!
- Seeds: Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are my go-tos but any seeds or nuts will taste great.
- Cacao Nibs: Coconut sweetened cacao nibs are great here but you could also use unsweetened cacao nibs if preferred.
- Peanut Butter: Creamy or crunchy style! Or use almond butter or other nut butter of choice. For more chocolate flavors, try my Chocolate Hazelnut Butter with Almonds or Dark Chocolate Pecan Butter!
High Protein Overnight Oats without Protein Powder
This High Protein Overnight Oats recipe is an easy to make healthy breakfast and has 37 grams of natural protein – no protein powder required! It’s ultra creamy and full of rich chocolate and vanilla flavors. Topped with fresh berries, cacao nibs, seeds and peanut butter, this irresistible breakfast will keep you full and fueled for hours!
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Breakfast and Brunch
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Chocolate Overnight Oats Base:
- ½ cup / 40 grams Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (I used creamy style rolled oats)
- 1 tablespoon / 10 grams Black Chia Seeds (or white chia seeds)
- 2 tablespoons / 12 grams Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 5.3 to 7 ounces (1 small carton) / 150–200 grams Vanilla High Protein Yogurt (vanilla strained Greek yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon / 15ml Sugar-free Maple Syrup or Pancake Syrup (such as Walden Farms Maple Walnut Syrup, or use regular maple syrup or any sweetener of choice), less or more to taste
- ⅓ cup / 79ml Unsweetened Almond Milk (I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or use any other plant-based or regular milk of your choice)
Toppings:
- ½ cup / 67 grams fresh Raspberries (or other berries of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon / 2 grams raw Sunflower Seeds
- ½ teaspoon / 2 grams raw Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon / 4 grams Cacao Nibs (I used coconut sweetened)
- 2.5 teaspoons / 13 grams Smooth Peanut Butter (I used creamy and unsweetened)
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients: Add the oats, chia seeds, cocoa powder and salt to a medium bowl, mason jar, or meal prep container. Mix to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the high protein vanilla yogurt, maple syrup, and unsweetened almond milk. Mix everything to combine until smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate: Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight for the best thick and creamy texture.
- Add toppings: Top the overnight oats with the fresh raspberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs and peanut butter, or any other of your favorite overnight oats toppings. (You can add the toppings the day before or in the morning when ready to eat if preferred.) Then enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is calculated with toppings and using 200 grams strained vanilla yogurt that has 22 grams protein. It is an estimate based on the products and brands I used and will vary with substitutions.
- Be sure to check out the rest of the post for ingredient notes, tips on customizing this recipe for specific dietary needs and more!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 516
- Sugar: 13.7g
- Fat: 19.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 20.3g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
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Cook’s Tips and Variations
- Use chocolate protein yogurt. For a more chocolatey flavor!
- Skip the cocoa powder. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for a vanilla protein overnight oats without protein powder instead.
- Use ground flaxseed meal. Ground flaxseed meal will add an earthier flavor and also healthy fats. However, it won’t thicken the overnight oats as much as chia seeds. You’re welcome to use a combination of both chia seeds and flaxseed meal.
- Adjust consistency to your preference. Add more milk for a looser consistency and use less for a thicker texture. I recommend using anywhere from ⅓ to ½ cup (79-118ml).
- Add your glutamine and creatine to it. They’ll thicken the oats a little more and also help you get your supplements in for the day in a delicious way!
- Use a different sweetener. Other sweetener options besides maple syrup are honey, date syrup, agave nectar (agave syrup), coconut sugar, monk fruit sweetener, allulose, or stevia.
- Use other toppings. Hemp seeds, more chia seeds, chopped almonds (or other nuts of choice), homemade pecan butter, almond butter (or other nut butter of choice), dried fruit, other fresh fruit, unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, etc.
- Cover with foil or cling wrap. If using a bowl or container that doesn’t have a lid, cover the bowl by wrapping a small sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap around the rim. This is fine if eating the next day. However, if making several servings for the week, it’s best to use a container with a lid such as a mason jar or meal prep container. This will ensure that the overnight oats taste fresh even after the first day.
Dietary Modifications
- Dairy-free. Use a plant-based Greek or thick Greek style yogurt. Coconut yogurt by Cocobella, vanilla or plain yogurt by Kite Hill brand (made from almond milk and soy) can also be used.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free certified oats.
- Nut-free. Skip the peanut butter. Or use a nut-free peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter or even tahini (sesame seed butter) instead if desired.
How to Make Protein Overnight Oats without Protein Powder – Step-by-Step
Add the oats, cocoa powder and chia seeds to a bowl, meal prep container or jar with a lid and mix to combine (image 1). Add the high protein vanilla yogurt, sweetener, and almond milk (image 2). Mix again to combine until thick and creamy (image 3).
Cover and refrigerate overnight in the fridge or for 4 hours if doing a quick soak. In the morning, top with raspberries, seeds, cacao nibs and a big drizzle of peanut butter (image 4). Then enjoy!
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: The overnight oats without the berries and toppings will keep for up to 3-4 days in the fridge if stored properly in sealed airtight containers. I personally feel they taste best when consumed within 3 days. After that, the texture starts to change and it doesn’t taste as fresh. The oats will increasingly thicken over time in the fridge so you may need to stir in more milk before eating.
- Reheating: Overnight oats are typically served cold but if you prefer to eat your oats warm, reheat in the microwave on high for 40 seconds or until warmed to your desired preference. Add toppings after reheating.
FAQs
Double or triple the ingredients amounts by clicking the ‘2x’ or ‘3x’ buttons at the top of the recipe card to display the ingredient amounts for 2 or 3 servings respectively. (Or multiply the ingredient amounts by the number of servings you’d like to make.)
Mix all the dry ingredients for the oats base in a large bowl, then stir in the wet ingredients. Divide evenly into bowls with lids, mason jars or meal prep containers. Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Note that the oats will increasingly thicken over the days in the fridge. You can stir in more milk in the morning to achieve your desired consistency if needed before adding toppings. It’s best to add the berries and other toppings just before eating so that they retain their freshness and crunch.
Other options are Skyr (Icelandic high protein cheese that’s like yogurt – Siggi’s and Ísey are two popular brands), blended cottage cheese – check out my Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats, or protein powder. I like using ⅔ scoop (20 grams) of protein powder but you can use a full scoop if desired and add more milk so that it isn’t too thick and mixes easily.
You could also add liquid egg whites but you’ll need to cook the oats in a pot on the stove first, similar to my Savory Oatmeal with egg whites recipe before cooling and chilling in the fridge overnight.
Anywhere from 150-200 grams will be fine recipe wise for thickness and flavor. Note that the protein amount will vary across brands regardless of volume. I recommend using 1 small carton of a high protein strained yogurt or Greek yogurt and you should still yield an overnight oats with over 30 grams of natural protein.
Use protein oats (proats) – Bob’s Red Mill has protein oats as do other brands like Kodiak. Opt for soy milk over almond milk. Stir in a tablespoon of nut butter into the base – this will add more healthy fats and some protein.
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