Almond Butter Chocolate Oatmeal

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe

This chocolate oatmeal with almond butter is so rich and flavorful that it’s easy to mistake this breakfast recipe for a dessert. Even before you add the toppings, this chocolate oatmeal is a delicious combination of creamy oats, hearty nut butter, and a touch of cocoa that’s really irresistible. It’s the only excuse I need to satisfy a sweet tooth first thing in the morning!

• Rich chocolate flavors. Cocoa powder and chocolate chunks load this chocolate oatmeal with all the decadence of a protein brownie.
• Quick and hearty. While this oatmeal may be packed with chocolatey flavor, it’s sweetened with bananas and packed with hearty oats. Plus, it’s quick to make. All this makes it the perfect breakfast to kick off a busy weekday.
• Customizable. I love a versatile oatmeal recipe, and I’m sure you will, too! My favorite toppings for this breakfast are banana slices, toasted almonds, chocolate chunks, and a drizzle of melted almond butter. But the options are endless!

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy homemade chocolate oatmeal. You’ll find a printable list of ingredients in the recipe card below the post.

• Oats – Make this chocolate oatmeal with any oats you have on hand. I use old-fashioned rolled oats, but you can use quick oats or steel-cut oats. The only thing that changes is the cooking times.
• Almond Milk – Or your preferred dairy-free milk. Coconut milk, oat milk, and soy milk also work here, as does regular milk if you’re not dairy-free.
• Bananas – You’ll need to mash a few bananas to make the oatmeal itself. I also like to save some banana slices to add as a topping.
• Cocoa Powder – Use any cocoa powder you have in the pantry, whether it’s unsweetened, Dutch-processed, or dark cocoa powder.
• Almond Butter – Set some aside to melt and drizzle over your oatmeal as a topping. You can also use another nut butter, such as peanut butter, cashew butter, or even hazelnut spread.
• Sliced Almonds – Optional, for garnish. I recommend toasting the almonds to bring out their flavor.
• Chocolate Chunks – Sprinkle dark chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate over top of the oatmeal for extra indulgence.

What Are Gluten-Free Options for Oatmeal?

If you are gluten free, you’ll need to make sure your oats are certified gluten free. You can read more about this in my article about whether oats are gluten free (spoiler alert: technically they are, but with a huge asterisk). Here are some brands to try:

• Bakery on Main – purity protocol oats
• Bob’s Red Mill – batch tested
• Anthony’s – batch tested

Oatmeal Variation Ideas

The amazing thing about oatmeal is that it’s so easy to personalize, and this chocolate oatmeal is no exception. Here are a few quick ideas to put your own unique spin on it.

• Use another nut butter. I mentioned it before, but try replacing the almond butter with your favorite nut butter. Peanut butter is a great alternative (and goes deliciously with the banana). Another great option is hazelnut butter. It makes this oatmeal taste like Nutella!
• More fruit. Strawberry slices work well with both the banana and chocolate. Cherries or raspberries also have a nice tartness that balances out the sweetness of the oatmeal.
• Spices. Not going to lie, my Mexican chocolate spice mix tastes AMAZING in this recipe. Try this Mexican chocolate oatmeal and see for yourself! You can also play around with seasonal flavors like pumpkin pie spice. Check out my chocolate pumpkin oatmeal for details.
• Add more milk. If the flavors here are a little too rich first thing in the morning, feel free to thin out the oatmeal with extra milk. You can use any kind of milk you want, though almond milk is the best way to compliment the flavors in the almond butter.
• Enjoy cold oatmeal. Make a variation of overnight oats to enjoy this oatmeal recipe cold instead. To make chocolate overnight oats, add the milk, oats, cocoa powder, and mashed banana to a jar or container. Let the mixture rest in the fridge overnight, and add your toppings in the morning.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Keep this chocolate oatmeal airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Try to store leftovers without the toppings if you plan on reheating them.
• Reheat. Whenever you’re ready, pop a serving of leftover oats into the microwave and heat in 30-second intervals until it’s warmed through completely. If the oatmeal is thick, add a drizzle of milk to help loosen it up a little.
• Freeze. It lasts a full 6 months when it’s properly sealed in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to defrost it, just stick it in the fridge overnight, or microwave it with a splash of milk for a few minutes. Just be aware that this method can affect the texture of the oats.