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This easy overnight oatmeal tastes like chocolate pudding and will keep you full until lunch! It’s perfect for children – after all, who doesn’t like chocolate pudding for breakfast?
THM E, sugar free, low fat
Do I need to add extra protein to my overnight oatmeal on THM?
Oats have some protein of their own, so it’s not necessary to add extra protein if you don’t want to. However, a few tablespoons of collagen are a great addition to bump up the protein content and keep you full longer. The glucomannan in the recipe (a natural thickening agent) helps keep you full too!
Sometimes people complain that THM E meals don’t satisfy them, but the magic of extra protein + glucomannan + a teaspoon of added fat (like peanut butter) will ensure that you stay full until lunchtime.
Need more help navigating THM E meals? I have a post all about that RIGHT HERE.
Jazz it up!
Feel free to top this chocolate pudding overnight oatmeal with your favorite additions.
Some sliced banana, a teaspoon of natural peanut butter, a few tablespoons of defatted peanut flour (in place of or in addition to the collagen), a sprinkling of sugar free chocolate chips – these are all great! Just keep your added fats to 5g or less to stay in THM E territory.
Some cherries and almond extract would also be good for a chocolate-covered cherry vibe!
As always, check out the recipe notes section for additional helpful info and answers to FAQs!
Check out these other breakfast faves!
- 5 Ingredient Waffles & Pancakes
- Briana’s Homemade Granola
- Fiber Porridge Bulk Mix
- Overnight Oatmeal Survival Packets (great for trips)
- Scrumptious Overnight Oatmeal 5 Ways
My Fave Chocolate Pudding Overnight Oatmeal
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
Description
My children LOVE when I make this easy overnight oatmeal for breakfast – after all, who doesn’t like chocolate pudding?? I happen to love having a breakfast to feed everyone that I don’t have to think about. 🙂
The glucomannan (a natural thickening agent) and additional protein from collagen will help keep you full until lunch!
THM E, sugar free, low fat. See notes below for allergy options.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 2 tablespoons collagen (optional for added protein)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon glucomannan (xanthan gum should also work)
- 1/8 teaspoon THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (or your favorite sweetener, to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups liquid of choice (I use a combination of unsweetened almond milk and water)
Instructions
Whisk the dry ingredients together in some kind of container with a lid, then add the liquid and mix well to make sure there are no clumps of dry ingredients left at the bottom. Sweeten to taste! Refrigerate overnight to thicken and enjoy cold in the morning.
Feel free to top with your favorite additions. Some sliced banana, a teaspoon of natural peanut butter, a few tablespoons of defatted peanut flour (in place of or in addition to the collagen), a sprinkling of sugar free chocolate chips – these are all great! Just keep your added fats to 5g or less to stay in THM E territory. Some cherries and almond extract would also be good!
Notes
Feel free to use regular milk instead of almond milk if you aren’t strictly following THM and don’t need a dairy free option.
You can heat this up if you like, but it gets a little gloopy because of all the glucomannan (which activates even more with heat).
If you want a thicker result, decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup.
ALLERGY (toppings not included): gluten free (use gluten free oats), egg free, dairy free, nut free if using dairy milk or your favorite nut free milk alternative
This recipe was first published to my website in September 2015. You can also find it in my first cookbook, Necessary Food. The recipe was updated slightly and republished in April 2024.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: THM E, low fat, sugar free
Check out my cookbooks for tons of family friendly recipes!
Joyous K. says
I have to rave about this!
Was digging deep to find different E meals to try. I found this overnight oats recipe and made it up last night for my breakfast this morning…
I used Cashew Milk, and a different THM approved sweetener I had on hand, as well as added half a Banana cut into little chunks.
Listen to me… Besides the texture of the oatmeal in it, this tastes just like those kids pudding cups with the red foil tops. 😳 I am pretty sure I am eating a pudding dessert not a soaked oatmeal breakfast.
Thank you so much Briana Thomas, this is amazing! 💟
Julie says
Hi Briana, love your recipes!
I’m curious with the fav overnight oatmeal I know that you’re not using an acid to soak it overnight, but even still soaking it as such, would there be phytic acid residue and would you be eating that then the next day?
I have often wondered that with overnight oatmeal soaks that do have an acid that don’t rinse it before eating it..
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
I’m sorry – I’m afraid I don’t know much about that.
Kate says
This is definitely one of the best ways to eat oatmeal! Soo amazing! I’ve made it countless times and I’ve tried other variations of it but the chocolate is always the best! (of course😜)
Sarina says
My sister and I really enjoyed this fast and filling breakfast! I give this a big thumbs up!
I wrote the recipe down on a three-by-five card so I can whip it out in no time when ever I need to.
Caitlyn says
I recently started eating alone the THM guidelines and your blog is amazing, with so many awesome recipes to try!
I tried this recipe this morning & added a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and unfortunately, it was GROSS. Unfortunately this was due to me adding the powder; it gave it a gross mineral-y too much stevia flavor. 😝 I’m excited to try it again without the protein powder, haha! Just a recommendation to others, to know that the protein powder gives it a more grainy consistency and mineral-y flavor …so maybe don’t use it or use less than I did. Ya live & learn, right? 😉💕
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
Good tip! You might want to try collagen in stuff like this – I use the Great Lakes brand and it dissolves really well with no taste! I much prefer it to whey protein powder and stir a scoop into my hot chocolate oatmeal after cooking every morning!
Easy Chocolate Oatmeal recipe >> https://www.briana-thomas.com/easy-chocolate-oatmeal/
Great Lakes Collagen (affiliate link) >> https://www.briana-thomas.com/recommends/great-lakes-collagen-single-can-gl/
Carrie says
Have your ever tried this with pressed peanut flour added? I thought it might give it a lovely no bake cookie taste! I’m pretty sure I’d have to add liquid, would you have any idea how much?
Briana Thomas says
I’m pretty sure I have somewhere along the line, but I can’t remember the details. 😛 An extra dash of liquid should do the trick, and if it’s too thick in the morning you can always add more almond milk then.
Cheryl says
Finally made this last night and had it this morning . . . yum! Like dessert for breakfast. 🙂 Thanks, Briana!
Briana Thomas says
Woohoo! So glad you liked it, Cheryl!
Penelope says
I found that the recipe didn’t thicken up all the way, but I added a 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, and it not only fixed the problem, but the oats were sooo creamy! I like to top it withe 1/3-1/2 a banana, yum!!!!
Jessica says
Do you happen to know how much sugar and fat grams are in this? Thank you so much!
Briana Thomas says
I don’t usually calculate nutrition info on my recipes since the healthy eating lifestyle I follow doesn’t require it (Trim Healthy Mama), but MyFitnessPal is a super easy way to find nutrition facts!
JMartin says
HI. I’m new to THM, but would like to start as I’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism (I think i have that right ?!) I am curious as to why you can’t use whole milk or 2% milk with THM ??
Briana Thomas says
In general, carbs in liquid form without fiber (milk and juice being examples) tend to spike your blood sugar because fiber is one thing that really helps blunt an insulin spike. In addition, whole milk would be a big crossover because it combines so many carbs with so much fat. Children’s metabolisms often run a little faster and can handle these higher-glycemic drinks better than adults’ can. A small amount of skim milk is OK in an E setting (like a splash in your oatmeal, for example), but other than that, it’s discouraged if you’re interested in losing weight.
Carolyn Kurtz says
When I was at Hochstetler’s Country Store the other day, I bought some dark cocoa powder. It is fabulous!! If you enjoy dark chocolate, this is a game changer and it’s become my go-to breakfast!
Briana Thomas says
Mmm…I’ll have to get some!
Allison says
Could you mix in some protein powder and in what stage would you do it in? Thanks!
Briana Thomas says
Sure – just add it in with the rest of the dry ingredients.
sweetoholic says
Hi Briana, I love overnight oatmeals and used to make them often prior to THM. I’m new to THM and when I plugged in this recipe to my Fitnesspal app the fat content was higher than a 5 g allowed for an ‘E’ meal. Do you include the 4 g of fat from the unsweetened almond milk if adding the full cup, plus my brand of Raw cacao has 1 g of fat. Including all those plus the 3 g of fat in the oatmeal would bring this to 8 grams of fat. I’m sure I’m not doing this right and I know we are not supposed to get into the calculations so much but I still need to be aware. Thanks and will be definitely trying your recipe. It looks so yummy.
Briana Thomas says
In THM, ingredients trump numbers, and all of the ingredients used in this recipe are considered E or FP ingredients. 🙂 You don’t need to count the fat in the almond milk (mine actually only has 3 g in a cup, and as I said in the recipe, I always use part water and part almond milk), the cocoa powder, or the oats. Where you would need to be aware of the numbers would be if you were adding a source of fats to this, like peanut butter or butter. In that case, you’d need to stick with a teaspoon as the recommended limit to added fats. Good question!
sweetoholic says
Thanks so much for you quick response. Your response was very AWESOME for a newbie THM’er. This totally made sense to me. This THM plan is definitely a learning curve for me. Before I started this plan one more ago, I didn’t even know what a starchy and non-starchy veggie was or a good carb from a bad carb. I’m slowly learning. I LOVE your recipes and tried quite a few already. Looking forward to trying more. This one is scheduled on my next week’s menu planner. Thanks for your sharing your postings.
Briana Thomas says
Good – I’m glad it made sense! 🙂 Don’t worry – this will become second nature to you before you know it!
sweetoholic says
Well I couldn’t wait for next week to come along to make this so I ended up making it last night and had it for breakfast this morning. I LOVE THIS!!!!! Creamy smooth texture and soooo yummy. This will be on my weekly planner often and can easily be made with slight different variations like adding banana extract, or caramel extract or adding Peanut Butter flour. Endless options and a great reason to keep this recipe close by. 10 stars. Thanks again for another great recipe Briana. 🙂
Briana Thomas says
I’m so glad you liked it! And you are so right about the many possibilities!
Rachel says
I’m just starting out here and don’t have my pantry of supplies built up yet . . . can I make this without glucomannan? And I planned to start out with a blend like Truvia rather than straight stevia. Would that work here?
Briana Thomas says
Glucomannan is a thickener, so it’s integral to this recipe. Here are some overnight oatmeal recipes that don’t need glucomannan: https://www.briana-thomas.com/scrumptious-overnight-oatmeal-5-ways-e/
You can substitute xanthan gum (which can be found locally, even at Walmart with the Bob’s Red Mill products) 1:1 for glucomannan in most recipes.
You can feel free to use whatever sweetener you like, to taste. 🙂
Rachel says
Awesome. Thanks for the extra recipes. I’m not a huge oatmeal fan but I’m hoping this will change my mind!
Pattt says
I was wondering if for the thickening agent I could use arrowroot? Any idea how much?
Briana Thomas says
I’m afraid I’m not familiar with arrowroot so I’m not sure if it would work in this or not.
Geneva says
Does your oatmeal count as your protein or would I have to add something else to this meal? Thanks!
Briana Thomas says
Oatmeal does have some protein of its own so you’re not required to add more protein. However, more protein is always a good idea, especially if you find that oatmeal on its own doesn’t hold you over until your next meal. 🙂
Mandy says
What would this be like warmed up in the microwave?
Briana Thomas says
I’ve never tried it because I love it cold, but I’m sure it would be fine. 🙂 You might need to add a little liquid to thin it down.
Adrienne says
I had to warm it up because mine was very soupy in the morning; I used xanthan gum since I don’t have glucomannan, maybe that’s why? I had tasted it before warming though and did like it better cold.
Briana Thomas says
I’m guessing the xanthan gum is what made the difference. 🙂 Usually they’re a 1:1 substitution, but not always.
Teri says
Can you use quick oats instead of old fashioned?
Briana Thomas says
Quick oats did not used to be acceptable on the THM plan because they are more processed, but recently I heard that they’re OK to eat on plan in an E setting with plenty of protein. 🙂 I think you’d probably be able to use the same amount as the old fashioned oats called for in the recipe.
Michelle says
Just wanted to let you know and the previous poster that I made this last night using 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum and it turned out perfectly 🙂
Briana Thomas says
Awesome! Thank you!
Gina says
Thanks for your response. I like the idea of mixing the dry ingredients. I’ll try that. ?
Gina says
I often do meal prep on the weekend for the week ahead. If I put these together, would they still be good 3-4 days later?
Briana Thomas says
I imagine the oats would get a little soggy by then. You’re welcome to try, though! What I would do is make baggies with the dry ingredients, then mix the dry and wet ingredients the night before and refrigerate.
Diana says
Thank you for sharing this tip!!
Amy says
What makes this an E? It looks like fp to me.
Briana Thomas says
A full serving of oats has 22 net carbs.
Linda Bossle says
So glad you decided to post this recipe. I’ve been rotating through the THM recipes and some I like some not so much, but this one is a breakfast keeper. Sometimes you just want something sweet in the morning and this fits the yummy bill. Thanks!!