Add a little magic to your breakfast with this recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal! Creamy, rich, and satisfying, this chocolate oatmeal recipe is reminiscent of hot chocolate--in oatmeal form.

I love oatmeal! From slow cooker oatmeal to instant pot oatmeal, to overnight oats, oatmeal is my go-to for breakfast. But this Chocolate Oatmeal is just downright fun, especially when topped with marshmallows.

While not as decadent as my recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate, this Hot Chocolate Oatmeal still feels like an indulgent way to start the day and is a guaranteed way to get kids out of bed and excited for breakfast even on early school mornings!

This oatmeal is rich and decadent and filled with chocolate, but is also packed full of fiber, calcium, whole grains, and antioxidants. Chocolate oatmeal is seriously a win-win. Wholesome and decadent!

Notes On Ingredients

• Oats: This recipe for chocolate oatmeal works using quick-cooking and old-fashioned oats, but do not use steel-cut oats.
• Milk: Use any milk you like for this chocolate oatmeal. I have used regular milk, coconut milk, and almond milk with great success.
• Water: I recommend using a combination of milk and water, rather than all milk for this chocolate oatmeal recipe. The addition of water will help prevent the milk from scalding when simmered.
• Cocoa Powder: Use pure cocoa powder, not hot chocolate powder.
• Sweetener: You can opt to use granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey to sweeten this recipe for oatmeal.
• Vanilla + Salt: Enhances the chocolatey taste of the oatmeal.
• Marshmallows (optional): Hot chocolate and marshmallows are a match made in heaven and certainly make breakfast a bit more fun.

How to Make Chocolate Oatmeal

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Dissolve Cocoa. To help the cocoa powder fully dissolve into the oatmeal, mix the cocoa powder with a bit of water until smooth. This will prevent the chocolate oatmeal from having a gritty texture.

Step Two: Bring the Mixture to a Boil. In a medium saucepan, combine the dissolved cocoa powder, milk, water, salt, and maple syrup to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent the milk from scalding.

Step Three: Add Oats and Simmer. After adding the oats to the bubbling saucepan, reduce the heat to low and stir frequently. Cook until the oats are tender. For regular rolled oats, this will be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. For quick-cooking oats, this is anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.

Step Four: Add Vanilla and Serve. Once the oatmeal has thickened and the oats are softened, turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, dish out the chocolate oats, and top with marshmallows if desired.

Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate: Store leftover cooled oatmeal in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Reheat: Add a splash of milk to thin and then heat the oatmeal in a heat-safe bowl in 30-second intervals in the microwave until warmed through.

More Favorite Oatmeal Recipes

• Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal
• Instant Pot Oatmeal
• Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
• Baked Banana Oatmeal
• Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
• Spiced Vanilla Chai Oatmeal