If you’re looking for a new and exciting breakfast, try these thick and creamy overnight oats topped with sliced strawberries and a healthy dark chocolate date sauce! The flavor combination reminds me of chocolate covered strawberries.
I love overnight oats because they’re so easy to prep for a quick and healthy grab-and-go breakfast. This recipe is packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, potassium, calcium and iron!
Both dates and dark chocolate have anti-inflammatory properties and they’re two of my most recommended foods!
Reasons to Try These Overnight Oats:
iNGREDIENTS
This recipe makes 3 servings.
For the overnight oats:
- Old Fashioned Oats (1 1/2 cups): For best results, use old fashioned rolled oats. Using instant oatmeal may be mushy, and steel cut oats result in a chewy texture.
- Non-Fat Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt (1 1/2 cups): My favorite way to make overnight oats is one part Greek yogurt and one part water. This results in a creamy, thick texture and the Greek yogurt adds some additional protein!
- Milk (1 cup): Use almond milk or preferred milk.
- Chia seeds (3 Tbsp.)
- Honey, about one tablespoons or per your sweetness preference. Optional but highly recommended.
- Hemp Hearts (6 tablespoons, optional): Top these overnight oats with hemp hearts for added protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
For the Healthy Dark Chocolate Date Sauce:
- Coconut Milk (1/4 cup): Use light coconut milk for fewer calories. Full fat, Thai Kitchen coconut milk which creates a creamier, more decadent sauce.
- Medjool Pitted Dates (3): Adjust how many dates are used based on their size and your sweetness preference. I used 3 large dates that were already soft. If your dates are hardened, soak in water for 10 minutes prior to blending.
- Hershey’s Special Dark 100% Cacao Powder (1 Tbsp): Just a tablespoon of cacao powder creates a rich, dark flavor.
- Water (1/4 cup): Water keeps the calories lower, but easily sub with preferred milk.
- Pinch of salt!
Step By Step Instructions
The dark chocolate date sauce is to die for, you won’t be able to stop eating it!
- Combine rolled oats, Greek yogurt, honey and milk in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Separate into three separate glass jars or containers.
- Let refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- Make the chocolate date sauce prior to assembly. Pour coconut milk, pitted dates, water, pinch of salt and cacao powder into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate while the oats are.
- Once oats have refrigerated, divide into three servings. Add diced strawberries and hemp hearts. For maximum freshness, drizzle with dark chocolate sauce (or layer) on the day of consumption.
- Store both the date sauce and the oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips for Success
Frozen strawberries can either be thawed prior to topping, or layered into the overnight oats prior to refrigeration. However, this made lead to a thinner overnight oats consistency.
Tips for Success
- Fresh strawberries work best for this recipe because the date sauce adds a lot of liquid and so does frozen fruit.
- If dates feel hard, soften them in water for 10 minutes prior to blending.
- For a thicker consistency, add another date to the sauce or use less liquid – as long as your blender doesn’t get stuck!
- Incorporate chia seeds into the overnight oats mixture for more fiber. You likely won’t need to add more liquid because the date sauce provides a lot of liquid.
- Topped walnuts for some crunch and healthy fats.
Chocolate Strawberry Overnight Oats {with Dark Chocolate Date Sauce}
The creamy, thick overnight oats mixture is topped with diced strawberries and a dark chocolate sauce made with dates. easy and healthy meal prep. This recipe is packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids! Easy and healthy meal prep.
Ingredients
For the Overnight Oats
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups non-fat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup preferred milk
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced (use more if you want)
- 1 tablespoon honey, optional
- 6 tablespoons hemp hearts, optional for topping
For the Healthy Dark Chocolate Date Sauce
- 3 Medjool pitted dates
- 1/4 cup light coconut milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Hershey's special dark 100% cacao powder sub with any cocoa powder, if needed
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine rolled oats, Greek yogurt, honey and milk in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Separate into three separate glass jars or containers. Let refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Make the chocolate date sauce prior to assembly. Pour coconut milk, pitted dates, water, pinch of salt and cacao powder into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate while the oats are refrigerating.
- Once oats have refrigerated, divide into three servings. Add diced strawberries and hemp hearts. For maximum freshness, drizzle with dark chocolate sauce (or layer) on the day of consumption.
- Store both the overnight oats and the date sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If dates have hardened, soak them in water to soften for 10 minutes prior to blending.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of chia seeds to overnight oats mixture to thicken it up. The date sauce will add a lot of moisture to the oats after refrigeration.
- Frozen strawberries can either be thawed prior to topping, or layered into the overnight oats prior to refrigeration. However, this may lead to a thinner overnight oats consistency.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 3 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 421 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 14.7g | 19% |
| Saturated Fat 5.2g | 26% |
| Cholesterol 3mg | 1% |
| Sodium 73mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 48.8g | 18% |
| Dietary Fiber 5.1g | 18% |
| Total Sugars 31.4g | |
| Protein 23.5g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 207mg | 16% |
| Iron 4mg | 24% |
| Potassium 914mg | 19% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
I love chocolate covered strawberries, and these were amazing! I preferred adding the chocolate sauce on top instead of layering it. I felt it had a more chocolatey flavor.