Coffee, chocolate, and coconut combine to create a quick and easy breakfast full of delicious flavors!

When I first started drinking coffee in college, I was OBSESSED with the coconut mocha k-cups. Now that I appreciate more quality coffee (thanks Italy) and care more about the environment, I avoid the Keurig and make my coffee in a French press or buy it from local coffee shops. I still absolutely love the combination of coffee, chocolate, and coconut, though.

I’m a huge fan of the Blissful Bites Podcast by Nicole Culver and joined her Facebook group a while ago, and when Nicole posted about a contest Kohana Coffee was holding, I was all about it. Because, first, FREE coffee. And also, I’m all about taking new products and ingredients and coming up with recipes.

The rules were simple–take the cold brew coffee I received in the mail, make a recipe, and submit it. I was already thinking of making overnight oats with coffee, so this was the perfect opportunity! I went back to my coconut mocha coffee drinking days and recreated those flavors into a healthy breakfast.

You probably already know I’m in love with overnight oats–they take just a few minutes to make at night, then breakfast is ready for you to grab as you head out the door in the morning. In these coconut mocha overnight oats, the coffee and cacao are both super strong flavors, which combine with the subtle, sweet flavor of the coconut.

Let’s chat a little bit more about the ingredients! If you need to purchase any of these, I share links to my favorite brands at the bottom of this post.

Coffee

The organic cold brew coffee concentrate from Kohana used in this recipe actually serves 6-8 people per each 16 ounce bottle. They suggest adding one part cold brew to two parts milk or water, for iced coffee, hot coffee, or recipes like these overnight oats.

Have you tried cold brew coffee? It’s actually made by brewing coffee for a longer period of time in room temperature or cold water. It ends up being smoother and less acidic, which I prefer because I get acid reflux, and many people think it tastes better than traditional brewed. You can easily make it in a French press (this is the one I have), or buy a concentrated version like this Kohana brand.

There’s been discussion about whether coffee is healthy or not (I talk about my own love/hate relationship with it here). Some of the health benefits of coffee include reducing risk of cancer, improving blood sugar, increasing metabolism, reducing inflammation, and improving mental and active performance. Coffee, though, can negatively affect stress, hormonal health, sleep, and nutrient absorption, and you can actually become addicted to it, too. My advice? Enjoy coffee in moderation, maybe a quality cup or two a day, or in a recipe like these overnight oats. Check out this article to learn more about the health of coffee.

Cacao

Raw cacao is full of all kinds of nutrients, including antioxidants, magnesium, and iron. It is known to provide many benefits, including boosting your mood, protecting your heart, and lowering blood sugar, and it comes in many forms, including powder, nibs, and butter.

You may wonder–what is the difference between “cacao” and “cocoa”? Well, cacao is basically the rawest form of chocolate. Cocoa and traditional chocolate bars are processed and often have added sugars, whereas cacao provides more health benefits because of less processing. As I talk about in my dark chocolate covered strawberries and dark chocolate bark recipes, the higher the cacao percentage in dark chocolate bars, the better they are for you.

Coconut

These overnight oats have two forms of coconut–coconut milk and shredded coconut. Coconut milk comes in both a carton and a can, but I highly suggest going for the full-fat canned version. It has more healthy fats and less added ingredients than the carton. Plus, the carton kind always seems to be watered down.

If it gets cold, canned coconut milk separates, leaving you with coconut cream at the top and water at the bottom. All you have to do is heat up the milk a bit and mix, then problem solved! You can also use the coconut cream in different ways, such as whipped cream.

For the shredded coconut, I make sure to get a bag that is unsweetened. Companies like to sneak sugar into products, so make sure to always read your labels! You could also use coconut flakes, which are bigger than shredded and great for snacking. As far as the health benefits of coconut, it is full of fiber, healthy fats, protein, and more! Learn more about coconut here.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds don’t provide any extra flavor to these oats, but they do provide a lot of nutrients and texture! Chia seeds are a superfood and full of Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, and protein. Learn more about chia seeds here.

I prefer to grind my chia seeds in a coffee grinder. I don’t like the texture of the seeds whole, plus they always get stuck in my teeth. Grinding the seeds turns them more powdery, which still mixes well with the other ingredients, but have a more smooth texture. When you grind them and break them apart like this, they also seem to form a gel-consistency faster, like in my Christmas Chia Seed Pudding recipe.

That was quite a bit of information about all these ingredients, but it’s so important to know the health benefits of the food you eat! This recipe may seem more like a dessert, but it’s actually packed with awesome nutrients and flavors.

Voting for the Kohana Coffee recipe contest starts on Saturday, April 1, and I would love you forever if you headed over to their website and voted for these coconut mocha overnight oats! And, of course, you NEED to try this recipe for yourself 🙂

VOTE HERE!

Coconut Mocha Overnight Oats

From The Small Town Foodie at https://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/coconut-mocha-overnight-oats/

https://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CoconutMochaOvernightOats4small.png

Prep: 5m

Yield: Serves 1 person

Total: 0h 5m

Coffee, chocolate, and coconut combine to create a quick and easy breakfast full of delicious flavors!

You'll Need...

• 1/2 cup oats, old-fashioned or quick*
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup cold brew coffee concentrate**
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a pint sized jar and mix well.
2. Let sit in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 2 hours.
3. Stir, top with more shredded coconut, and enjoy!

Additional Notes

*Quick oats soak up the liquid more than the old-fashioned. If you use quick oats, you may want to add another splash of milk right before eating.
**You could use regular coffee instead, but you may want to add more coffee and less milk, since coffee brewed normally is less concentrated than cold brew coffee concentrate.

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I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, meaning some links in this post are affiliate links and bring you to Amazon.com. I will get compensated if you click the links and purchase products and I will never link a product that I don’t genuinely like. I’m excited to start monetizing my blog and I always appreciate your support of The Small Town Foodie!

I received free product from Kohana for the Kohana Recipe Contest.