Chocolate oatmeal is healthy and such a breakfast treat! This creamy and delicious stovetop oatmeal is made with oatmeal, cocoa powder, banana, canned pumpkin, and eggs for a protein boost. You’ll love how thick and decadent these healthy chocolate oats are!
Chocolate oatmeal
This warm bowl of chocolate oatmeal has everything going for it!
The best chocolate flavor that a chocolate lover will be excited for.
The sweetness from the banana and canned pumpkin. Yes, a sneaky veggie boost is in here too!
And to add protein to oatmeal that is typically lacking, we’re whisking in a few eggs at the end to give this healthy breakfast more staying power.
Top with your favorite nut butter, fruit, or shredded coconut, and you’re good to go! This a fantastic recipe for the whole family!
Can you make chocolate oatmeal in the microwave?
While I have made custard oatmeal (oatmeal with eggs cooked into it) in the microwave before, it’s not my preferred method.
I find that instead of ending up with creamy oatmeal where the eggs aren’t visible at all, when you microwave it, you can definitely see little specks of eggs.
However, if a microwave is all you have, here’s what to do!
Use a medium microwave-safe bowl and add all the ingredients to it. Whisk well, then cook on high for 30-second increments.
You will want to whisk it every 30 seconds and continue to cook until your oatmeal is cooked to your liking. It should take 1.5-3 minutes, depending on the microwave.
If you try the microwave method, please let us all know in the comments how it turned out for you!
What you need for healthy chocolate oats
For the full ingredients list and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
- rolled oats
- water
- banana
- canned pumpkin
- cocoa powder
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
- eggs
How to make this healthy chocolate oatmeal recipe
- In a small saucepan over medium heat add the oatmeal, water, sliced or mashed banana, pumpkin, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Whisk together and allow the oatmeal to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it’s started to thicken.
- Once the oatmeal is looking almost done cooking, add in the eggs and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Your chocolate oatmeal should bubble as your cook it so that the egg cooks through.
- Pour into bowls and top with your favorite oatmeal toppings!
What are the best toppings for your morning oatmeal
- Nut and seed butter – Options include peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter, or for a nut-free option you can use sunflower seed butter and tahini (sesame) too.
- Fruit – Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sliced banana, diced apple, chopped pear, sliced kiwi, and pomegranates are great additions.
- Shredded coconut – Go for shredded unsweetened coconut here. You can find it in large flakes, or finely shredded coconut. We call these snowflakes in our house!
- Chocolate chips – To bring out even more chocolate flavor, sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips onto your oatmeal. You could also shave chocolate from a chocolate bar.
- Nut butter – Choose from peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter. If you need a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead.
- Granola – We love to add granola onto our oats for a fun crunch! Try this chocolate granola to up the chocolate factor even more.
- Dried fruits – Try adding dried cherries, dried cranberries, raisins, diced dried apricots, diced dates, or diced dried apples on top of your oats.
- Nut and seeds– A sprinkle of chopped nuts or flax seeds offers a nice crunch!
- Chia seeds – An easy way to add more dietary fiber and healthy fats!
- Brown sugar – A classic way to top old-fashioned oats. Real maple syrup and coconut sugar are both sweet and fun options too.
What are your favorite toppings for cooked oatmeal?
Can you meal prep chocolate oatmeal?
Yes, you can!
Making oatmeal in advance saves you time in the morning. Make a big batch, add to mason jars or your favorite storage containers, and then heat as needed.
You can substitute steel-cut oats for rolled oats, and they work really well as a prep-ahead option.
When reheating cooked oatmeal, heat either in the microwave or in a small pot with a little added milk over low heat until warmed to your desired temperature.
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of ingredient swaps that will work well in this chocolate banana oatmeal recipe. If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Rolled oats – You can substitute quick-cooking oats or steel-cut oats for rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats will cook up very quickly, and steel-cut oats will take a lot longer and will require a bit more liquid.
Water – Prefer even creamier oatmeal? Opt for almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk, or your favorite plant-based milk instead of water.
Banana – Want chocolate oatmeal without banana? Try using applesauce instead. For additional sweetness add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup.
Canned pumpkin – Mashed sweet potato or mashed butternut squash are great alternatives for canned pumpkin.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – Cacao powder works as a perfect substitute. To omit chocolate but still have a chocolate-like flavor, try carob!
More oatmeal recipes you’ll love
- Cinnamon roll oatmeal
- Banana custard oatmeal
- Egg white oatmeal
- Zucchini baked oatmeal
- Healthy chocolate baked oatmeal
- Chocolate blended overnight oatmeal
Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 2 cups water
- 1 ripe banana
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat add the oatmeal, water, sliced or mashed banana, pumpkin, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Whisk together and allow the oatmeal to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it’s started to thicken.
- Once the oatmeal is looking almost done cooking, add in the eggs and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Your chocolate oatmeal should bubble as your cook it so that the egg cooks through.
- Pour into bowls and top with your favorite oatmeal toppings!
Nutrition
If you try this chocolate oatmeal recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
Originally posted April 2022. Updated March 2023.
