Brownie Oatmeal – Quick and Easy

This brownie oatmeal is a decadent dessert-like breakfast. It’s rich and chocolaty, topped with a peanut butter drizzle and chocolate shavings. It’s naturally sweetened, vegan, and gluten-free.

I’m always on the lookout for new plant-based breakfast ideas, and if I can find an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast, you better believe I will! I’ve made my Chocolate Smoothie Bowl and my Chocolate Chia Pudding, and today, I bring you oats!

This recipe is for one, but it can easily be doubled or tripled to make more than one serving. You can also use it to create chocolatey baked oatmeal!

Oats are a big part of my weekly diet as a plant-based vegan. They are heart-healthy, full of vitamins and nutrients, and naturally gluten-free. They always keep me full and satisfied without the need to snack until lunch!

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Brownie Oatmeal
• Ingredients and Notes
• Substitutions
• How to Make Brownie Oatmeal
• FAQ
• Expert Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• Video
• More Oatmeal Recipes!
• Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Brownie Oatmeal

• Basic Ingredients: You’ll only need a handful of simple ingredients, which can be found in your kitchen or at the grocery store.
• Easy: This recipe is ready in just about 10 minutes!
• Chocolaty: These oats are full of rich, fudgy, chocolaty flavor.
• Healthy: This vegan and gluten-free recipe uses whole-food plant-based ingredients loaded with vitamins and nutrients. There are no eggs, heavy cream, or refined sweetener.

Ingredients and Notes

• Rolled Oats: Rolled oats need a little more cooking time than quick oats but have a better texture.
• Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder: Protein powder adds rich chocolate flavor and protein to the oatmeal. If you don’t have chocolate protein powder, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder to get the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: Brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
• Peanut Butter (optional): I drizzled about one teaspoon of natural peanut butter over my oats to give them that extra creaminess.
• Cacao Nibs: Cacao nibs have a deep, slightly bitter chocolate flavor with a hint of fruitiness and a crunchy texture.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.

Substitutions

• Although it will take longer to cook, you can use steel-cut oats for this recipe.
• Use your favorite natural nut butter for these oats to change up the flavor.
• Add roasted peanuts to the oatmeal before serving for an extra kick of peanut butter flavor and more texture.
• You can use shaved dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs if you prefer.
• Instead of peanut butter, add a drizzle of almond butter and a pinch of salt.
• For a sweeter version, try adding a little maple syrup.

How to Make Brownie Oatmeal

1. Bring the water to a boil. Add the rolled oats and bring them back to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer until the oats begin to thicken.
3. Add the vegan chocolate protein powder and vanilla, then stir. It will look like brownie batter.
4. Transfer the oatmeal to a bowl, then drizzle it with natural peanut butter and sprinkle on cacao nibs or dark chocolate shavings.

FAQ

Expert Tips

• You can use unsweetened dairy-free milk instead of water for an even creamier texture to your oats.
• If the oats haven’t thickened enough, remove them from the heat after 8 minutes and cover. Allow them to sit for 2-3 minutes, and they will continue to thicken.
• To drizzle your peanut butter nicely, heat a tablespoon in the microwave for 10 seconds. This will give it a smoother texture, perfect for drizzling.
• If you want an even more dramatic chocolate flavor, add tablespoon of cacao powder.

Serving Suggestions

You can customize this basic recipe for brownie oatmeal by adding your favorite toppings. Consider topping your brownie oatmeal with sliced banana, strawberries, raspberries, Greek yogurt, or chopped walnuts.

I like to serve this oatmeal alongside a little vegan almond milk yogurt for a sweet and tangy breakfast. A little sugar-free granola adds more flavor and crunch to a morning breakfast with this oatmeal!

Storage

Fridge: Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Reheat: Microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through.

Video

More Oatmeal Recipes!

Recipe