Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats

Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats are a healthy easy breakfast option you can prepare in advance. This no cook recipe will keep a few days in the fridge, and can be made gluten free and dairy free!

Now that warmer weather is upon us here in London, I feel like I can well and truly (finally!) embrace my summery breakfasts again. Sure, it’s not a tropical island paradise here everyday, but hey! I think it’s definitely warm enough to reach for a cooler brekky jar. And in my brekky jar at the moment I am loving a serve of these chocolate zucchini overnight oats.

Yes, this recipe might seem unusual to some. Grated raw zucchini in the morning?! Guys, if you hated the whole ‘zoats’ porridge, and/or zucchini pasta ‘zoodles’ gave you the heebie jeebies, then perhaps you’re not going to feel the LOVE. But hear me out! What’s bircher muesli? It’s usually grated apple stirred through oats and soaked overnight. All I’m doing here is replacing the apple with zucchini. It’s not THAT different!

Using zucchini in these overnight oats is good delicious fun. You get a serve of veggies in first thing in the morning. Zucchini is in abundance in the summer, so you’re eating seasonally. And for anyone with FODMAPs issues with apples (i.e. me) then zucchini offers a low-FODMAP alternative to grated apple. While I do love my Ginger Spiced Apple Bircher Muesli, it’s not something I can eat every day because apples tend to upset my stomach if I eat them too much. I do better with these zucchini overnight oats, which I also make dairy free with almond or coconut milk.

So, really guys, there are so many great reasons you need and want to give these overnight nights a go. To help you ease into the idea of grating zucchini into your overnight oats, I’ve added a chocolate element. And also, chocolate + zucchini is a pretty ace combo. So even if you’re totally down for raw grated veggies for breakfast, then you still need to get involved with this recipe!

Because the zucchini soaks overnight with the oats, it does become a little softer than when you first grate it, which I think is nice. The end result maintains a pretty similar consistency with plain overnight oats.

Make a few serves of this, stack them up in jars in your fridge, and you’re a meal prep hero. Seriously it’s just such an easy breakfast, and it keeps well for a few days so you can do it in advance. All that’s left to do is choose your topping! My favourite is a spoonful of coconut yoghurt, something crunchy (e.g. pumpkin seeds) and fresh or frozen berries. So good!

Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats

Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats are a healthy easy breakfast option you can prepare in advance. This no cook recipe will keep a few days in the fridge, and can be made gluten free and dairy free!

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: chocolate, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, nut free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 serve

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium zucchini - 80 grams
• 1/2 cup rolled oats - 45 grams (choose certified gluten free if needed)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds or ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup almond milk or coconut, rice or oat milk (for nut free)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown rice syrup, or honey, etc.

Instructions

• Grate the zucchini and place in a small bowl or a jar (a 500-600 mL jar is a good size, so you have some room to stir and add toppings later).
• Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, cacao and cinnamon to the zucchini.
• Pour in the almond milk and the maple syrup and stir everything until well combined.
• Place the the fridge and leave overnight so the mixture thickens and the oats soften. In the morning, top with toppings of your choice.

Notes

*If you'd like to add a little extra protein to this recipe, you can stir a half or full scoop of protein into the mixture before you leave it to soak overnight. Use a neutral, vanilla or mild chocolate flavoured protein. (If you use chocolate, you might be able to reduce the amount of cacao powder you use!)

*The toppings I'd recommend for these overnight oats are: your favourite yoghurt (dairy or non-dairy), nut butter, mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), chopped nuts, coconut flakes, fresh or frozen berries, kiwi fruit, banana.

Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!