Bananas, walnuts, and chocolate in every delicious bite of creamy oats. You're going to love this chunky monkey overnight oats recipe!
When you think of chunky monkey flavors you may think of ice cream desserts but now you can get those same flavors for breakfast with this chunky monkey recipe.
Surprisingly this is my daughter's favorite overnight oats recipe (probably because of the chocolate). But all of the ingredients just work so well together to create a sweet and savory combination of flavors in every bite.
For a nuttier oatmeal breakfast, check out these Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's easy to make! You don't need much to make these chunky monkey oats and the prep time is less than 10 minutes, making them incredibly quick to stir together. The hardest part is the patience.
- It's an affordable breakfast option. This recipe costs about $1 to make and can be divided into 2 smaller servings if desired.
- It's ready when you are. Making this overnight chunky monkey recipe means that a few minutes spent at night will give you a breakfast that's ready to eat when you wake up. Just add some toppings and a spoon.
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
Old fashioned oats- This is the base of the recipe. These oats will soak up liquid overnight to soften without the need to cook them.
Milk- Use dairy milk or nondairy milk based on what your preferences are.
Greek yogurt- Adding greek yogurt will make the oatmeal thicker, creamier, and a bit healthier too.
Vanilla extract- This is a great flavor enhancer.
Maple syrup- Use maple syrup as a natural sweetener.
Chia seeds- This is optional, but adding chia seeds will help to get your oatmeal some more nutritional benefits.
Salt- A natural flavor enhancer.
Chocolate chips- We like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips to help keep this oatmeal from feeling too sweet, but you can just as easily use milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on what you'd prefer.
Chopped walnuts- Buy them prechopped or chop them yourself. Walnuts add a nice earthy touch and crunch.
Banana- Use a ripe banana. But wait to add it to the oatmeal so it doesn't brown overnight.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Storage containers
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make chunky monkey overnight oats with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Whisk together the milk, yogurt, vanilla, salt, and maple syrup in a bowl until blended.
Stir in the chia seeds, if using.
Stir in the oats and mix until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts until combined.
Pour the oat mixture into a sealed container and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
In the morning, add more milk to adjust the thick oat mixture to your liking (or eat it thick).
Top with walnuts, chocolate chips, and sliced banana. Enjoy!
🧾 Substitutions
Oats. I have had great success using old fashioned oats and steel cut oats as well as quick cook steel cut oats (the kind that are chopped into smaller pieces). The difference in texture is pretty minimal.
Milk. You can use whole milk, low fat milk, almond milk, coconut milk or any other milk of choice. Even water or coffee creamer can work well in a pinch. Unsweetened almond milk is our favorite.
Sweetener. Healthier sweetener options include honey and maple syrup but you can also choose to use agave or a low-carb liquid sugar substitute.
Yogurt. You can use any plain or flavored yogurt of choice. Our go-to is Greek Yogurt because it's healthier but regular yogurts can be used too. We really enjoy Honey flavored Greek yogurt (it's our favorite). You can also omit the yogurt and just add in another ¼ cup of milk.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Do not add the sliced banana to your oats until ready to serve, otherwise, your bananas may turn brown before you get to eat your oats. Dipping sliced banana in pineapple juice, or lemon juice can prevent the browning for several hours, but will give the bananas a more acidic flavor.
Chia seeds are optional
Adding chia seeds is optional but can be a great way to get additional health benefits from your meal. They help to reduce your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Chia seeds will absorb some of the liquid in the oats, so in the morning they will be pretty thick. You can thin down your oats to your desired consistency by stirring in additional milk.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Your overnight oats are good for 5 days in the fridge so if desired, you can meal prep for the week on Sunday and not have to worry about breakfast again until Saturday.
⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
You can eat your oats right after they've been mixed together, but the oats will be chewy. Letting them sit for at least 4 to 6 hours is ideal for a better texture and consistency as it will take several hours for the oats to absorb the liquid in the oats.
💭 FAQs
Made with Greek yogurt, fresh bananas, and nuts, this recipe is packed with protein, and natural sweeteners, and is much more filling than a bowl of cereal.
Yes, overnight oats are mostly served and eaten cold, which is honestly more delicious than you would think. The cold oats are especially inviting on a warm day.
Yes, these oats can go bad after being in the fridge too long. For best results, we recommend eating them within 5 days.
More great breakfast recipes to check out soon
- How to Make Overnight Oats
- Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
- Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
- Muffin Mix Pancakes
- Apple Cider Donut Muffins
📖 Recipe
Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Storage containers
Ingredients
- ¾ cups Old fashioned oats ($0.14)
- ¼ cup Milk ($0.05)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt ($0.46)
- 1-2 Tablespoons Maple syrup ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract ($0.02)
- ½ teaspoon Chia seeds *optional ($0.02)
- 1 pinch Salt ($0.01)
- 1 Tablespoon Chocolate chips ($0.06)
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped walnuts ($0.20)
- ½ Ripe banana ($0.13)
Instructions
- Whisk together the milk, yogurt, vanilla, salt, and maple syrup in a bowl until blended.
- Stir in the chia seeds, if using.
- Stir in the oats and mix until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts until combined.
- Pour the oat mixture into a sealed container and place into the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- In the morning, add more milk to adjust the thick oat mixture to your liking (or eat it thick).
- Top with walnuts, chocolate chips, and sliced banana. Enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions
- Oats. I have had great success using old fashioned oats and steel cut oats as well as quick cook steel cut oats (the kind that are chopped into smaller pieces). The difference in texture is pretty minimal.
- Milk. You can use whole milk, low fat milk, almond milk, coconut milk or any other milk of choice. Even water or coffee creamer can work well in a pinch. Unsweetened almond milk is our favorite.
- Sweetener. Healthier sweetener options include honey and maple syrup but you can also choose to use agave or a low-carb liquid sugar substitute.
- Yogurt. You can use any plain or flavored yogurt of choice. Our go-to is Greek Yogurt because it's healthier but regular yogurts can be used too. We really enjoy Honey flavored Greek yogurt (it's our favorite). You can also omit the yogurt and just add in another ¼ cup of milk.
Recipe Tips
- Do not add the sliced banana to your oats until ready to serve, otherwise, your bananas may turn brown before you get to eat your oats.
- Adding chia seeds is optional but can be a great way to get additional health benefits from your meal. They help to reduce your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Chia seeds will absorb some of the liquid in the oats so in the morning they will be pretty thick. You can thin down your oats to your desired consistency by stirring in additional milk.
- Your overnight oats are good for 5 days in the fridge so if desired, you can meal prep for the week on Sunday and not have to worry about breakfast again until Saturday.
- You can eat your oats right after they've been mixed together but the oats will be chewy. Letting them sit for at least 4 to 6 hours is ideal for a better texture and consistency as it will take several hours for the oats to absorb the liquid in the oats.
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