This delicious chocolate brownie baked oatmeal recipe is ultra rich, gooey, fudgy, easy to make, super filling, and secretly healthy at the same time!
Table of Contents
- Healthy chocolate breakfast oatmeal
- Recipe flavor variations
- Brownie oatmeal recipe video
- Ingredients for brownie baked oatmeal
- How to make brownie baked oats
- Brownie baked oatmeal with no banana
- Chocolate brownie baked oatmeal toppings
- Recipe tips and tricks
- Health benefits of brownie baked oats
- More Brownie Recipes
- Brownie Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Healthy chocolate breakfast oatmeal
Cook just once, and you get an indulgent, healthy breakfast for the entire week!
The recipe can easily be prepared the night before, giving you an instant morning meal any time you are craving a sweet and chocolatey breakfast.
It’s perfect for taking on the go and yields a large number of servings. So it’s a great option for feeding a large family or serving to overnight guests.
And leftovers freeze well too!
Also try this popular Protein Banana Bread
Recipe flavor variations
Mocha baked oats: Substitute half the water or milk of choice with brewed coffee or espresso. Alternatively, you can stir a teaspoon of instant coffee (regular or decaf) in with the dry ingredients.
Protein brownie oatmeal: Swap the cocoa powder with your favorite chocolate protein powder. Use peanut butter or another high protein nut butter.
Mint chocolate chip: Add half a teaspoon of pure peppermint extract and a handful of mini chocolate chips. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if you wish.
Chocolate coconut: Stir in half a cup of shredded coconut. Use canned coconut milk as your milk of choice in the recipe.
You may also add in a handful of peanut butter chips, chia seeds or hemp seeds, raisins, dried dates, chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Still craving brownies? Make Sweet Potato Brownies
Brownie oatmeal recipe video
Above, watch the step by step video showing how to make the recipe
Ingredients for brownie baked oatmeal
The chocolate peanut butter baked oatmeal can be low fat, low calorie, gluten free, soy free, egg free, refined sugar free, nondairy, and vegan, with just eight ingredients.
Here’s everything you need to make it:
Gather together rolled oats, unsweetened cocoa powder, milk of choice or water, peanut butter (or your favorite nut or seed butter), pure vanilla extract, liquid sweetener of choice, salt, banana, and optional chocolate chips.
There is also a version without banana included below.
If you prefer to use quick oats instead of rolled oats, that is perfectly fine. Spelt flakes, kamut flakes, or quinoa flakes work as well. I do not recommend using steel cut oats here and have not tried oat flour.
Liquid sweetener options include pure maple syrup, honey, agave, date syrup, or sugar free maple syrup. Using granulated sugar will result in a more crumbly texture.
I like to use half unsweetened cocoa powder and half Dutch cocoa powder. Feel free to substitute raw cacao powder, hot chocolate powder, chocolate protein powder, or sweetened cocoa powder for the unsweetened cocoa if desired.
If using peanut butter, the recipe will taste like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, with a strong peanut butter flavor. Almond butter, cashew butter, Coconut Butter, pecan butter, or sunflower butter are all great alternatives to peanut butter if you prefer a more neutral flavor.
Frozen bananas or roasted sweet potato or kabocha squash puree can be substituted in an equal amount for the ripe bananas.
How to make brownie baked oats
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line the bottom of a nine by thirteen inch baking dish with parchment paper, or grease the bottom and sides of the pan with oil spray or oil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, milk of choice, pure vanilla extract, mashed overripe bananas, and sweetener. Whisk until well mixed.
Stir in the rolled oats, cocoa powder, salt, and any optional add ins.
Smooth the oatmeal brownie batter into the prepared pan with a spoon or spatula.
Place the baking pan on the oven’s center rack, and bake for thirty five minutes without ever opening the oven door.
Once time is up, remove the pan from the oven using pot holders. Let the baked oatmeal cool on the counter before slicing and serving.
To serve, garnish with additional peanut butter, maple syrup or pancake syrup, and chocolate chips if desired. Serve hot or cold.
If you can wait, I like to very loosely cover the cooled pan with a towel and refrigerate overnight, because the flavors develop and the rich chocolate taste becomes more pronounced by the next morning!
Leftovers should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be sliced and frozen for up to three months. Thaw frozen brownie baked oatmeal in the microwave or on the stovetop or a warm oven before serving.
Brownie baked oatmeal with no banana
Whether you do not like banana or simply do not want a banana flavor in your brownie baked oats, the following recipe without banana is just as tasty as the original!
In a large bowl, whisk together half a cup of peanut butter, two cups of plain or Greek yogurt (dairy free yogurt works too), one cup milk of choice, half a cup of pure maple syrup, and two and a half teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
Add three cups of rolled oats, half a cup of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of salt, and a generous handful of chocolate chips.
Follow the same preparation and baking instructions as the instructions for the banana brownie baked oatmeal version in the recipe box below.
Chocolate brownie baked oatmeal toppings
The baked oats are wonderful on their own or topped with sliced strawberries or raspberries, bananas, and Coconut Whipped Cream.
My favorite way to top the recipe is with a swirl of melted peanut butter and sprinkle of chocolate chips. Chocolate peanut butter brownie baked oatmeal for the win.
Or slice and serve the bars with Coconut Butter or Homemade Nutella.
Other topping ideas include fresh or frozen blueberries, sliced apples, roasted hazelnuts, blackberries, cacao nibs, granola, mini marshmallows…
Have fun creating your perfect chocolate oatmeal breakfast. The sky is the limit!
Recipe tips and tricks
If you’d like to use a food scale, here are the amounts to measure:
80 grams peanut butter, 360 grams mashed banana, 270 grams rolled oats, 40 grams cocoa powder, 240 grams milk of choice, 60 grams pure maple syrup, 10 grams pure vanilla extract, 6 grams salt, and there’s no need to measure the chocolate chips.
If you are making the banana version of the recipe, make sure your bananas are ripe. The peels should be at least partially brown and spotted before peeling.
The recipe can easily be made dairy free. For vegan brownie baked oatmeal, simply use your favorite nondairy milk (such as almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk). Choose plant based chocolate chips if you will be adding those. And go with pure maple syrup or agave instead of honey.
To save time in the morning, you may either bake the recipe the night before or prepare the batter and spread it into the pan, then refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning so the chocolate brownie oats are hot for breakfast.
Health benefits of brownie baked oats
The healthy recipe is packed with protein, iron, fiber, and potassium.
It is naturally sweetened and low in sugar and saturated fat, with no eggs, no cholesterol, and no dairy required.
And at just 100 calories per square, the baked oats are great for Weight Watcher’s or a weight loss diet. Or the low calorie base can be bulked up with extra chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and additional toppings for those who are not counting calories.
More Brownie Recipes
The recipe was inspired by my Chocolate Baked Oats and Chocolate Overnight Oats.
Brownie Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
- 3 cups mashed banana (there's a banana free version above!)
- 1 cup milk of choice or water
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey or agave
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or grease a 9×13 inch pan. Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl to form a batter. Smooth into the pan, and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool, then serve hot or cold. If you can wait, the flavor is even richer the next day!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Breakfast Recipes With Chocolate
Yes!! I have servers cartons of shelf stable almond milk in my pantry right now. It has saved the day many times. Most recently when my toddler wanted to make cupcakes. “Mommy where’s the milk” ummmmm uh oh we do t have any. Oh but wait yes we do. Almond milk for the win.
I always buy the Blue Diamond shelf-stable almond milk when I travel, because I’ve walked into peoples8 kitchens multiple times expecting them to have plant milk for me.. And they didn’t. So now it’s a travel prep staple!
Such a great giveaway! I have to be honest though, that I never run out of almond milk. I always have at least three half gallons in my fridge because I use it every morning in my oatmeal (with pumpkin and tahini.) I would love to win!
I NEVER run out of Blue Diamond Almond milk. I always have shelf stable cartons on hand. Newer cartons go in the back of the cabinet and older ones move to the front. If I’m down to 3 cartons, it’s time to buy! My favorite is the unsweetened chocolate. Drink it every day with some instant espresso, bit of sweetner and ice-YUMMY! And by the way, love the one pan method of this baked oatmeal. Love your muffins but will be fun to try doing it this way instead.
I love this post. I agree having shelf stable milk available makes sense when coming back from a vacation. I need milk for my morning coffee and having a container at home means I do not have to stop at the store.
Yum! This looks SO good! I ran out of almond milk once when i went to pour a bottle of milk for my toddler and only 2 ounces came out! He normally drinks 6 ounces at a time. I had to make my husband run to the store and get some more! It would be so nice to have some ready in the pantry for emergencies like this! Everyone in our family drinks almond milk, so it goes FAST.
Wow, Katie! Looks like you’ve hit another one out of the park! Can’t wait to sink my teeth into those! But, guess what. I just looked, and there’s only about half a cup of Almond Breeze almond milk left in my fridge! I’ve made a lot of chia pudding with it, in the last few days, and don’t have any of the shelf stable variety in my cupboard, so I’ll have to wait on making them, until I can get to the store, tomorrow. 🙁 The sad thing is that it’s not the first time this has happened. Of our 5 ‘kids’ and 2 kids-in-law, a whopping 4 of them are lactose intolerant! When they come to visit, I almost always run out. But, I’d forgotten about the shelf stable product. (No grandkids yet, & when that happens, I might just have to have it shipped by the pallet!)
Come to think of it, I think it would be a great idea to have some in ore 72hour emergency kits, too.
Having a carton of shelf-stable milk is always a life savor for when I need something quick and fast for either a recipe or a quick serving of cereal in the morning. I constantly run out of milk and I always keep 2-3 boxes of almond milk in the pantry. I tend to use both refrigerated and shelf almond milk because I probably tend to go through about 3 boxes per week between my boyfriend and I!
I ran out one time on a hot summer day when I really wanted a vanilla egg cream (sugar, milk and carbonated water; a NYC classic) for a cool refreshing drink.
I love Almond Breeze Almond Milk, I use it in my coffee and all of my recipes including making mashed potatoes. One time I was going to make macaroni and Cheese and didn’t have any milk and so I used a little bit of sour cream and ended up burning it. I have a picture of it burnt. I was terrible and funny at the same time. I can’t wait to make this tho and not burn it 🙂