Name: Healthy Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 485 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats; 1 Tablespoon chia seeds; 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter; 2 teaspoons cocoa powder; 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup; 1/2 cup almond milk

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Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats are your answer to satisfying your sweet tooth while keeping it healthy. A perfect vegan breakfast for your busy life.

These Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats are a dream come true for anyone with a major sweet tooth (like me!) who still wants to keep it healthy.

I mean, who doesn't love the chocolate peanut butter combo?! Some of my most popular posts have this combo and you guys are all over them. For example, my PEANUT BUTTER CUP SMOOTHIE and CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BAR BITES are two of my most favorite healthy treats, and I know y'all agree when you try them out.

Or for a not AS healthy chocolate peanut butter treat, you should check out my Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs recipe!

So - I'm really not a breakfast kind of girl. I know, I know. It's the most important meal of the day. I get it. And don't get me wrong. I LOVE breakfast foods. I would just rather eat them at least 4-5 hours after I've woken up and had a couple cups of coffee. Or even better, breakfast for dinner! That is the best!

(mmmm, it's 6pm as I'm writing this and I could totally go for some french toast...)

No but really. So about 4 years ago, I, along with the rest of the internet was testing the waters on this weird new breakfast option - Overnight Oats. Let me tell you, we were obsessed! I think my wife and I ate them every single day for the entire summer. Berry overnight oats. Pumpkin overnight oats. Coffee overnight oats. Rocky Road Overnight Oats. All.The.Overnight.Oats.

Check out my Overnight Oats 4 Ways post for even more ideas!

How do you do overnight oats?

Overnight oats are really very simple. If you aren't sure what the heck these overnight oats are all about, here's the run-down:

You take your oats, put them in a super trendy mason jar, top it with all your amazing toppings, like chia seeds, protein powder, honey or maple syrup, berries, nuts, etc. The options are really endless. And then you just pour your milk of choice over the top of it all, put a lid on it, and let sit in the fridge overnight, as the name suggests. In the morning, they'll be all mixed, soft, and ready to devour.

What specific ingredients do I need for the Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats?

old-fashioned oats (although you could use other oats in a pinch, old-fashioned rolled oats really are the best option for overnight oats success)
chia seeds - these are both for health and for creating a thick consistency, as chia seeds go kind of gelatinous once in liquid.
natural peanut butter - although I use natural peanut butter, you could use whatever nut butter you have on hand. Creamy. Crunchy. It's up to you!
cocoa powder - make sure you're using an unsweetened cocoa, as you'll be sweetening the oats naturally.
pure maple syrup - and here's the sweet! If you don't have maple syrup, there are plenty of other options. Agave. Brown Rice Syrup. And honey, if that's not an issue for you.
almond milk - really any milk that you have will do here. Cashew. Soy. Coconut. Cow's if you'd like. I just always have plain almond milk on hand, so that's what I use.

The question I get the most though:

Do you eat overnight oats hot or cold?

The standard way of eating overnight oats is cold, right from the fridge, but it's really up to you. If you'd rather eat them warm, pop your jar in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until it's as warm as you'd like, and you'll be good to go.

I know, totally weird, right? I felt the same way before trying my first jar of overnight oats. You don't actually cook the oats. You just let them soak and meld with all the deliciousness you put in the jar. And strangely, even without heating it up, it tastes delicious and refreshing!

But let me tell you, when your jar is full of chocolate and peanut butter, you won't care what temperature your oats are at all. You'll just be reveling in the fact that you feel like you're eating dessert for breakfast and don't feel the slightest bit guilty.

All those Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs (trees, hearts, pumpkins, etc) you can't stop thinking about are up against this treat. They will no longer have power over you because you now know that you can make something that tastes even better than the artificial (but yummy) peanut butter chocolate combination by mixing up this jar of yum.

What oats are best for overnight oats?

You could really use any oats, but I much prefer old-fashioned rolled oats. I've tried overnight oats with steel cut oats, and while it works, it's definitely a bit more chewy than I'd like. And instant oats end up softer and mushier than I'd like, but if that's all you have on hand, it would work in a pinch.

Do overnight oats need in be in a jar?

Thank you Pinterest for that theory, right? No, you can totally put your ingredients in a bowl, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. For some reason, food just looks cuter and trendy in a jar, am I right?

LET'S COMPLETE THE MEAL:

VEGAN BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
VEGAN PINEAPPLE CARROT CAKE SMOOTHIE
GREEN GODDESS SMOOTHIE
MAKE-AHEAD FREEZER SMOOTHIES
COCONUT CLUSTERS

LOOKING FOR MORE VEGAN BREAKFAST RECIPES?

VEGAN FRENCH TOAST
VEGAN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
VEGAN EGG OMELETTE
VEGAN BREAKFAST SANDWICH

NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP OVERNIGHT OATS, IT’S TIME TO SNAP A PIC AND LOAD IT ONTO INSTAGRAM (TAGGING ME OF COURSE @HAPPYFOODHOLLY) SO I CAN SHARE YOUR CREATION!