Ready in 10 minutes, this healthy chocolate porridge is a simple and satisfying breakfast that can be enjoyed any day of the week. Made with cacao powder and topped with chocolate-hazelnut spread, sliced bananas and walnuts, it’s the perfect start to your day.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy to make – with basic pantry ingredients. Everything is ready to eat in 10 minutes!
- Customisable – you can make it for one person, or multiply the recipe to feed a hungry family. You can also customise the recipe with your favourite toppings, seeds and fruits.
- Nutritious – oats are great for gut health. And they are full of protein and fibre, keeping you full between meals. Cacao adds magnesium, iron and antioxidants. And you can top it with walnuts, bananas or your favourite healthy toppings.
- Dairy-free.
- No processed sugar – unlike ready-made porridge sachets, this homemade porridge does not contain any refined sugars. Date (or maple) syrup is used to sweeten the porridge to your liking, or can be omitted.
For more speedy breakfasts, you might also like this chocolate chia pudding and banana oat cookies.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Rolled oats – use rolled oats (whole oats), not quick oats or instant oats. Thick, rolled oats are less processed and provide a lovely, chewy texture.
- Cacao powder – raw cacao powder gives the porridge its rich, decadent flavour. Choose a good quality, raw cacao powder. Or, swap for equal quantities of a good quality cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Vanilla – vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, to enhance the flavours.
- Date syrup – provides all-natural sweetness and a warm caramel flavour. Date syrup can be found in supermarkets and health food stores. Alternatively, maple syrup or brown sugar can be used.
- Chocolate-hazelnut spread – adds indulgent chocolate flavour and sweetness to the porridge. Choose a good-quality hazelnut spread with low sugar content. I use Panna Organic hazelnut chocolate. Or, if you prefer, you can make your own. I don’t recommend skipping this ingredient. So, if you need the oatmeal to be nut-free I suggest adding your favourite nut-free chocolate spread.
- Water – the oats are cooked in boiling water. Cooking them in milk tends to make the oatmeal thicker and stickier. If you want it a little creamier, add a splash of milk after the porridge is cooked.
Toppings;
- Sliced bananas
- Additional chocolate hazelnut spread
- Walnuts – crumbled walnuts add texture and healthy fats. You can also use pecans, hazelnuts or almonds.
Step by step instructions
Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;
- Cook the oats – in a medium saucepan, add the oats, boiling water, salt and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to the boil and simmer on low heat for around 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oats have absorbed most of the water and become tender. Turn the heat off.
- Add the cacao powder, chocolate hazelnut spread, date syrup (or preferred sweetener) to the oats and stir to combine. Taste, and add more sweetener if needed.
- Serve – divide the porridge into bowls and top with a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread, sliced bananas and walnuts, or your choice of toppings.
If you are still preparing toppings, place a lid over the cooked oats to prevent them from drying out.
Optional additions
While optional, add-ins make this recipe customisable and allow you to mix things up at breakfast time.
Throw in dried or fresh fruit, nuts or fruit compotes to keep things interesting. Try adding a cup of fresh blueberries or your favourite berries, fresh or canned cherries, poached pears or plums, or stewed berries. Or, add up to ½ cup of cacao nibs, dried fruits, grated dark chocolate or chocolate chips. 2 tablespoons of chia or your choice of seeds can also be added.
The add-in options are endless and almost any combination of fresh or frozen fruit, nut butters or nuts/seeds make it a delicious meal.
Expert tips
- Stir the oats frequently as they cook. Stirring will prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- When the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to low. You want them to bubble a bit, but not too quickly. If you cook them over too high a heat, the bottom will burn.
- The porridge will dry out if left uncovered. So, if you are still preparing bowls/toppings once the oats are cooked, cover the saucepan to prevent drying.
- If you want them a little creamier, add a splash of milk once the porridge is cooked.
- A pinch of salt seasons the porridge and enhances the flavour.
- Don’t skip the chocolate hazelnut spread! It adds sweetness and so much decadent chocolate flavour. If you need it to be nut-free, swap for a nut-free chocolate spread of choice.
FAQs
Yes! You can make a big batch (minus the toppings) and store it in the fridge to reheat and add fresh toppings as needed. Once the porridge has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. The porridge will thicken slightly in the fridge, but it can either be eaten cold or reheated with a splash of milk or water to loosen slightly.
You can reheat leftover porridge on the stovetop. Heat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until steaming hot, stirring occasionally. Cooked oats will continue to thicken and dry out in the fridge, so you may need to add a splash of milk or water to loosen them. They can also be reheated in the microwave.
To freeze, add cooled, leftover porridge to containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight as needed, reheat and top with fresh toppings. I recommend freezing the porridge in individual portions for convenience.
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Chocolate Porridge
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats organic
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder raw
- 2-4 tablespoons date syrup or to taste. You can also use brown sugar or maple syrup.
- 1-2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread if you require a nut-free porridge, choose your favourite healthy, nut-free chocolate spread.
To serve
- extra chocolate hazelnut spread to spoon over the top of the porridge
- 2-3 bananas sliced
- ½ cup walnuts or your favourite nuts or seeds, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place the oats, vanilla, salt and boiling water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the oats from catching on the bottom of the pan.
- Once the oats have softened and absorbed most of the water, turn the heat off.
- Add the cacao powder, date syrup and chocolate hazelnut spread and stir to combine. Taste, and add more date syrup (if needed), to desired sweetness.
- Spoon the porridge into bowls and top with an additional teaspoon of chocolate hazelnut spread, sliced bananas and walnuts, or your preferred toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Date syrup is my preferred sweetener for this recipe, as it provides all-natural sweetness and a warm caramel flavour. Date syrup can be found in supermarkets and health food stores. Alternatively, maple syrup or brown sugar can be used.
- While optional, add-ins make this recipe customisable and allow you to mix things up at breakfast time. Throw in dried or fresh fruit, nuts or fruit compotes to keep things interesting. Try adding a cup of fresh blueberries or your favourite berries, fresh or canned cherries, poached pears or plums, or stewed berries. Or, add up to ½ cup of cacao nibs, dried fruits, grated dark chocolate or chocolate chips. 2 tablespoons of chia or your choice of seeds can also be added.
- Stir the oats frequently as they cook. Stirring will prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- When the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to low. You want them to bubble a bit, but not too quickly. If you cook them over too high a heat, the bottom will burn.
- The porridge will dry out if left uncovered. So, if you are still preparing bowls/toppings once the oats are cooked, cover the saucepan to prevent drying.
- If you want them a little creamier, add a splash of milk once the porridge is cooked.
- A pinch of salt seasons the porridge and enhances the flavour.
- Don’t skip the chocolate hazelnut spread topping! It adds sweetness and so much decadent chocolate flavour. If you need it to be nut-free, swap for a nut-free chocolate spread of choice.
- Meal prep – you can make a big batch (minus the toppings) and store it in the fridge to reheat and add fresh toppings as needed. Once the porridge has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. The porridge will thicken slightly in the fridge, but it can either be eaten cold or reheated with a splash of milk or water to loosen slightly.
- Reheating – you can reheat leftover porridge on the stovetop. Heat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until steaming hot, stirring occasionally. Cooked oats will continue to thicken and dry out in the fridge, so you may need to add a splash of milk or water to loosen them. They can also be reheated in the microwave.
- Freezing – add cooled, leftover porridge to containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight as needed, reheat and top with fresh toppings. I recommend freezing the porridge in individual portions for convenience.
- Please note that the nutrition information is based on the porridge being divided into 4 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the slice.
- This recipe is made using Australian metric cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
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