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A little sweet, a little spice, and tons of cozy goodness, this Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal will warm your soul on the coldest of mornings. It comes together in just minutes, and it’s almost like eating chocolate pudding or with a little trick, even a brownie for breakfast. Plus, you can make it gluten free and dairy free.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Mexican-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal
Sometimes you just want chocolate for breakfast. Well, this chocolate oatmeal lets you indulge that craving in a way that satisfies you through a busy day. Add a bit of spice inspired by Mexican Hot Chocolate, and you have a flavor that knocks your socks off (but still keeps your toes and entire body warm). Here’s why you’ll be making this part of your morning routine:
- Customizable. You can use regular or dark cocoa depending on the chocolaty intensity you want. Use any sugar you have on hand or swap it for an unrefined or sugar free sweetener like coconut sugar or stevia. And adjust the level of spice to your preference.
- No gluten or dairy. Use certified gluten free oats and a non-dairy milk like almondmilk and you have a completely gluten- and dairy-free breakfast. You can even omit the egg whites and still have a tasty result that can even be thickened a little with some chia or flax seeds.
Want more chocolate oatmeal ideas? Use up some of the summer harvest with Zucchini Brownie Batter Oatmeal, get the fall vibes with Chocolate Pumpkin Oatmeal, or keep it timeless with Almond Butter Chocolate Oatmeal.
I very rarely think to come back and leave a comment on recipes I try but I quite literally just ate this and it was the best breakfast I have had in AGES! 🙂 This recipe is going in collection and will be used for ages. I’m also so excited to make it for my little chocoholic nephews. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe! – Allison
Mexican Oatmeal Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this sweet, spiced chocolate oatmeal. Be sure to scroll to the recipes card for the full amounts and detailed instructions.
- Old-fashioned oats. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats, if needed. You can also make this with quick oats, but adjust the amount of liquid and cooking time accordingly, based on the package directions.
- Cocoa powder. For a deeper chocolate flavor, you can use dark cocoa powder, but a basic unsweetened cocoa powder is fine. Or use a little of each.
- Spices. I like to use my premade Mexican Chocolate Spice Blend, but you can also stir in a combination of cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper. You’ll also need a pinch of salt to enhance the flavors.
- Sweetener. I prefer to use coconut or turbinado sugar, but regular granulated or brown sugar is fine. Also feel free to substitute honey, agave, or even a sugar-free sweetener such as stevia or Swerve.
- Milk and water. Dairy or non-dairy milk are both fine.
- Coconut oil or butter. This is optional but adds a little richness.
- Egg whites. As mentioned, the whites make the oatmeal thicker. It can be omitted if you prefer. You can use lightly beaten egg whites or pasteurized ones from a carton. One lightly beaten egg works fine too, but the whites have a more neutral flavor.
- Optional toppings. Chopped chocolate, nuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of milk, or more butter or coconut oil.
How to Make Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal
You can whip up this satisfying breakfast in no time on a chilly morning. Here’s a summary of how to do it.
- Cook the oatmeal. Combine the oats, cocoa powder, spices, sweetener, milk, and water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer, cooking until the oatmeal has reached desired doneness, but still has a little excess liquid.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Stir in the coconut oil or butter, if using, then slowly pour in egg whites while stirring constantly. Cook for another 1-3 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly.
- Finish cooking and serve. Pour the finished Mexican chocolate oatmeal into a bowl, add any desired toppings, and enjoy right away.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Oatmeal
- Use whatever eggs you have. A carton of pasteurized egg whites works great, or separate a couple of eggs. One whole egg is also fine, but you do get a slightly eggy flavor from the yolk.
- Or skip them altogether. If you need an egg-free option or don’t want it quite as thick and prefer regular oatmeal texture, then just omit the egg whites.
- Just keep stirring. As you add the egg whites, make sure the heat is very low, and you stir continuously or you could end up with pockets of scrambled egg whites.
- Make it like a warm brownie. The consistency of the stove-cooked oatmeal is a lot like pudding, but you can make it almost like a fudgy brownie by popping your bowl of chocolate oatmeal in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Keep the spice blend on hand. Instead of measuring individual spices each time, I like to make a jar of Mexican chocolate spice so I always have it to stir into this oatmeal, or make Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies or Mexican Chocolate Popcorn.
Make it a Meal
This Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal recipe is a meal all on its own. You can simply grab a cup of coffee, some juice or milk for the kiddos, and maybe a piece of fruit, then you are good to go. But if you want to add something more, especially if you decide to split on batch between a couple of people, here are a few ideas.
- Have a drink. No, not that kind of drink. Keep the cozy theme going with Mexican Hot Chocolate or balance it out with something cool like a Cold Brew Coffee Smoothie.
- Make something savory. Balance the sweet oatmeal with a savory option like Breakfast Tostadas or Egg Tacos.
- Add a fruity option. Have some Mango Berry Fruit Salad or a nice Chocolate Orange Yogurt Parfait.
Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup old fashioned oats, certified gluten-free, if needed
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, regular, dark, or a combination
- 1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or equivalent of sugar-free sweetener such as stevia or Swerve
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Chocolate Spice OR 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/16-1/8 teaspon cayenne pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy milk)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter, optional
- 2 egg whites lightly beaten or 1/3 c pasteurized egg white from a carton (can also use one lightly beaten egg, but I prefer the more neutral taste of just the whites).
- Optional toppings: chopped chocolate or nuts, more cinnamon, Mexican Chocolate Spice, milk, coconut oil, or butter
Instructions
- Combine oats, cocoa powder, sugar, spices, salt, milk, and water in a saucepan, and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat slightly to keep mixture at a simmer.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on it to make sure the mixture doesn't boil over, or until the oatmeal is cooked to desired doneness, but a little excess moisture remains (you can add more water if the liquid evaporated before the oats were as soft as you like).
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in the coconut oil or butter, if using, then slowly pour in egg whites while stirring constantly.
- Stirring constantly, cook for another 1-3 minutes, or until mixture slightly thickens. Pour into a bowl and add any desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.
- Optional step for “brownie” oatmeal: Pour oatmeal mixture into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring every 20-30 seconds.
Did you make this?
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This looks delicious! Do you think I could make a batch and freeze it into individual cups? (Like your make ahead freezer oatmeal cups).
Many thanks!
Gemma
I haven’t tried it but I think it would work. Since it has the egg white for protein, I am not sure how those would thaw so it might affect the texture a bit. Or you could omit that.