Make Ahead

Tahini-Chocolate Chunk Overnight Oats

January  4, 2022
4.4
24 Ratings
Photo by Julia Gartland
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Serves 1
Author Notes

We met tahini and chocolate in cookies years ago. These overnight oats are like that, just breakfast-fied—and much, much quicker to make. Assemble the night before a busy morning, then grab and go as you're scurrying out the door. —Emma Laperruque

Test Kitchen Notes

There really is nothing more convenient than a solid, soul-warming overnight oats recipe, and this one will soon become a go-to. Featuring milk, chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a secret ingredient—okay, fine, it's tahini—these oats hit that delightful balance of savory and sweet. Just keep an eye out for the texture, as you don't want the mixture to get too thick before it soaks. If you don't feel like chopping the chocolate into chunks, you can use bittersweet chips or nibs. Taste as you go, and adjust the ratios to your own liking for that perfect recipe. And you can also pop the oats in the microwave for a few seconds in the morning to take the chill off, which is especially nice if it's cold outside. You'll love how easy it is to grab-and-go a homemade breakfast when you're trying to get yourself and everyone in your household out of the door.

As for toppings and beyond, the possibilities are pretty much endless. Emma, who developed this recipe, has a few suggestions for you: "In the morning, if you want to treat your overnight oats to a quickie garnish, sprinkle on top: any fresh fruit that wouldn’t have wanted to soak (think blackberries, raspberries, strawberries), chopped nuts, or granola (oats on oats!)."

Need some more concrete ideas? A few pairing suggestions:

Almond milk + almond butter + strawberry jam, with freeze-dried strawberries on top.
Soy milk + pumpkin butter + toasted pecans + crumbled graham crackers.
Coffee-milk + chocolate syrup + toasted hazelnuts on top. —The Editors

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Tahini-Chocolate Chunk Overnight Oats
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup whole milk or soy milk, plus more as needed
  • 1 big spoonful well-stirred tahini
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chunks, preferably bittersweet
  • 1 teaspoon (or more) maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch (or more) kosher salt
Directions
  1. In a bowl or jar, stir the oats, milk, tahini, chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Add more milk to reach the desired thickness (keeping in mind that it will get thicker as it “sleeps”!). Taste and adjust the maple syrup and salt accordingly. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Stick in the fridge and let soak for 8 to 12 hours.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

12 Reviews

advansi November 5, 2023
Love this recipe. I add a bit of chia seeds to bulk it up a bit but other than that, follow it to a T. Its not too sweet, the chocolate chunks provide a nice crunch. I love it as a healthy dessert option after dinner!
courtrussell May 28, 2023
I liked this cold. I used chocolate chips, and I like the crunch of them versus warming it and melting them. I also like that it’s only slightly sweet.
ifrahcrystal November 15, 2022
This is my favorite oatmeal recipe.
Susan A. January 15, 2022
Thanks y'all for suggesting less milk. What a treat to have breakfast ready made. I too heated this dish and enjoyed. Getting ready to put it together for the second time.
Remy1234 July 10, 2021
I subbed some chocolate chips for the chunks, since that's what I had on hand, and I didn't include the maple syrup, because I thought it was plenty sweet, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and I thought it was great! I did pop it in the microwave just long enough to take the chill off. Next time, I may be a little light handed with the milk (1/2 cup made for an almost runny version the next morning), but this will be a regular breakfast option.
Elana March 10, 2020
This is delicious and really hearty. I used cocoa nibs, as I was too tired to bother cutting up chocolate. It worked well and made it overall lower in sugar. I'm looking forward to this recipe for many breakfasts. Thank you!
Ashley L. January 13, 2020
This is so delicious. I heated mine up in the microwave and then added sliced banana. It's decadent and so very warming.
ghainskom May 15, 2019
Yummy!
AM February 23, 2018
you eat this cold??
Barb February 22, 2018
Personally, I'd nuke it, just to warm it up.
RW February 22, 2018
How long to cook?
Emma L. February 22, 2018
Hi RW, it’s totally raw!