This healthy chocolate porridge is so delicious that you might think that you are eating dessert at breakfast time! Yet it's a nutritious combination of oatmeal with antioxidant-rich cocoa and a teaspoon of honey (no refined sugar!).
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Healthy chocolate porridge is a filling and satisfying breakfast that is nutritious good for you
- High in vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy soluble fibre. Oats are a slow release wholegrain carbohydrate, and there's plenty of protein in the recipe. This healthy chocolate porridge recipe is made with no refined sugar
- Easy to make with just a few simple everyday ingredients, chocolate oatmeal is ready to eat in 10 minutes
- This creamy chocolate breakfast bowl makes a quick and easy gluten free breakfast
Ingredients
Oats. You'll need porridge or rolled oats for this chocolate oatmeal recipe. Avoid steel cut oats as they take much longer to cook.
If you want gluten free chocolate porridge, make sure that the oats are labelled gluten free which means that they have been processed separately from other grains.
If you like, you could also add the combination of cocoa and honey to this oat bran porridge recipe. Oat bran is even quicker to cook, and naturally very creamy.
Milk. I used skimmed dairy milk. Use whole milk if you prefer a creamier porridge, or you can also use non-dairy milk for vegan chocolate porridge (see this dairy free porridge recipe).
I use half milk, half water to make chocolate oats, but you can vary that to suit your taste. Using all milk will add an extra 3g of protein per portion.
Cocoa - this should be unsweetened cocoa powder, not drinking chocolate. I think cocoa makes the best chocolate porridge but you can also make cacao porridge if you prefer. Use just 3 teaspoons of cacao powder as it's a little stronger and more bitter than cocoa powder.
Honey - you'll just need a teaspoon of honey per serving for a subtle sweetness to balance the cocoa powder. You could also use maple syrup or another sweetener if you prefer.
Salt - this is optional, but a small pinch of salt enhances the chocolate flavour.
Variations
Cinnamon and chocolate go together very well, so why not try a pinch of ground cinnamon in your chocolate oatmeal? You could also make chocolate orange porridge by adding the grated zest of a clementine.
For an alternative, try this spiced porridge recipe which is based on the spices in golden milk. You can also add peanut butter to oatmeal.
How to make healthy chocolate porridge
Add the oats, milk, water, cocoa, honey and a pinch of salt if using to a pan and whisk well until mixed.
Place the pan on a medium heat and bring the mixture up to the boil whilst stirring. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until thickened. If you want your porridge slightly thinner, add a splash more milk.
Recipe tips
It's easy to make chocolate porridge for one - just half the quantities in the recipe. You can also easily scale the recipe up for a larger family.
Serving and toppings
Serve your healthy chocolate porridge hot.
I like to add some berries as a topping - not only are they colourful, but they also add extra goodness. I often use frozen fruit as it helps to cool the oatmeal when I'm in a rush!
Sliced banana also goes well. Or try this healthy Nutella for even more chocolatey-ness.
You could also add extra crunch and protein with a topping of nuts or seeds. Almonds or hazelnuts would be perfect. Or stir in a spoonful of peanut butter for a creamy, fudgy texture and flavour.
Frequently asked questions
A generous sized bowl of this healthy chocolate porridge has 262 calories. It's satisfying and delicious and will keep you feeling full for the morning.
Porridge is a very healthy choice for breakfast, provided that you don't add a lot of sugar or saturated fat to the recipe. Many chocolate flavoured instant oats are high in sugar. This healthy chocolate porridge recipe has just 1 teaspoon of honey per serving, with no refined sugar and it's flavoured with antioxidant rich cocoa.
Cacao powder is made from un-roasted beans, and as it's less processed it's also slightly higher in nutrients. You can use this recipe to make cacao porridge, but it will taste a little more bitter than if you use cocoa.
Other healthy breakfasts you might like
All the recipes below are low in added sugar, gluten free and made without flour. They are all a nutritious way to start your day.
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Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Porridge
Ingredients
- 100 g porridge oats
- 240 ml milk skimmed, whole milk or oat milk
- 240 ml water
- 4 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 2 tsp honey
- pinch salt optional
Instructions
- Add the oats, milk, water, cocoa, honey and salt if using to a pan and whisk to mix.
- Place the pan on a medium heat and bring up to the boil. Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Stir regularly.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Cat says
Can you freeze this?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, yes you can freeze porridge, and this chocolate porridge is no exception.