Double Chocolate Zucchini Baked Oatmeal
If you’ve ever wanted your breakfast to taste like a brownie but also have those feel-good vibes, this double chocolate zucchini baked oatmeal is it. Rich, chocolatey, and just sweet enough thanks to ripe banana and *just enough* maple syrup. A whole mediumish zucchini is finely grated up and basically disappears into the oats (my family had no idea!), and the texture is soft, sliceable and seriously satisfying. It’s easy to mix, perfect for meal prep, and somehow always the first thing gone.
The easiest way to eat zucchini before 9 a.m.
I get inspired by the seasons. I mean, I’m a veggie-focused blogger… so rolling with what’s growing is kind of the whole thing. But zucchini? It’s one of my forever veggie go-to’s (summer or not!). I grate it into meat sauce, blend it into chocolatey muffins, and basically tuck it into anything I think I can make it work. Zucchini is kind of a magic ingredient. It’s mild in flavor, soft in texture, and totally disappears into baked goods when grated!
This zucchini-loaded baked oats recipe was inspired by my oh-so-popular zucchini blueberry baked oatmeal. Except this version leans hard into that classic chocolate + zucchini combo that just feels right always. Think rich, brownie vibes you can totally eat for breakfast. Lots of feel-good oats, naturally sweetened with some maple syrup or honey (and not too much!), totally meal-prep friendly, and perfect for a weekday veggie-loaded breakfast that no one will fight you on. It mixes up fast, bakes in 30ish minutes, stores well, and tastes just as good cold from the fridge as it does warm with a little peanut butter or a scoop of Greek yogurt on top.
And by request, this version keeps the zucchini very low-profile. I use the tiny grate side of the box grater so it blends in completely—no strands, pretty much no visible green bits, just a whole medium zucchini doing its quiet thing in the background.
Let’s make this baked oatmeal together. Just you and me…
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Double Chocolate Zucchini Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup ground flax
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180 g) finely grated zucchini, Do not squeeze out liquid
- ½ cup mashed banana, about 1 medium. Can sub 1/2 cup applesauce, but it might not make it as sweet
- ⅔ cup milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 large eggs,
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil, or melted butter or another neutral tasting oil
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, cocoa powder, ground flax, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add the grated zucchini, banana, eggs, milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and oil to bowl with the oats. Stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to let the oats and flax soak up some of the liquid.
- Spread into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the oatmeal is firm to the touch.
- Slice into 9 portions and enjoy warm topped with yogurt, a splash of milk, sliced bananas, berries, a little peanut butter, or simply on its own. Let cool completely and store in fridge for up to 4 days.
Sounds so good! Could I double recipe for a 9×13 pan?
While I haven’t tried, I’m sure you can. It would likely take longer to bake, I’m guessing 40-45 minutes.
Thank you!
Hello! Is there anything I can substitute for the ground flax? Maybe chia seeds?
Chia seeds should work!
Ok! Should I soak them or grind them or both maybe? I’ve looked it up but I’m not sure what to do for this recipe specifically.
I don’t think you need to grind them up! I would just *be sure* to let the mixture sit for a few minutes as instructed in Step 3 so that the chia seeds have a few minutes to soak up some of the liquid before going into the oven. I would say 5ish minutes should be fine!
Ok, sounds good! Thank you so much!!
This is fantastic! I made a batch for a friend who just had a baby, thought it would be the perfect warm and nourishing breakfast. My 18 month old also loved it and wanted a second helping!
I skipped the chocolate chips and used a 2nd banana because it was too pathetic to leave on my counter. Thanks so much for the healthy and flexible recipe!
Hi Liz! I so love the first review on a new recipe…and of course it is extra special to hear that its as much of a hit with you as it is in my house! What a thoughtful idea for a new mama. We all need friends like you in our parenting village. Thanks so much for making it and for taking the time to share! 💚
Maybe I overbaked mine a bit but it turned out dry and really tasteless.
Well that stinks that you didn’t love it as much as we have. It’s definitely lightly sweetened but I’m surprised it seemed tasteless to you. Did you make any changes? As for it being dry, over baking is might be it. I’ve also found from other baked oatmeal recipe that people seem to be looking for firmer bakes vs soft, so that’s what I went for with this one. Thanks for making it and your honest feedback
Maybe the type of oatmeal I used (sprouted rolled oats?) plus overbaking it slightly. I ran out of flax so I just skipped it. I will try it again.
Umm basically a brownie for dessert?! But with veggies and almost no refined sugar! Huge win. My kiddos (and the rest of my family) loved it. They’re already asking me to make it again. I subbed flax eggs and oat milk for my allergy kiddo and it was perfect.
Oh thats awesome to hear it was such a hit, Taylor! A veggie-loaded brownie for breakfast is absolutely something I think many of us can get down with. And I also am so glad to hear this worked great worked flax eggs, I know other readers will appreciate you sharing that!
This recipe is so delicious and wholesome. It’s a hearty breakfast or a great midday sweet snack that you can feel good about. My husband and I both love it.
Okay this is just the best. Cozy breakfast and wholesome snack? That’s the dream. I’m so glad it’s a hit for you both—thank you for making it and for taking the time to leave such a kind note. 💛
Loved these. We’ve had this for breakfast the past two days heated up, with Greek yogurt and strawberries. It looks like a brownie sundae! Delicious and nutritious. Will be adding it to the breakfast/snack rotation.
Okay, that sounds like the breakfast of actual dreams. Brownie sundae vibes but veggie loaded with good stuff? Yes please. So glad it’s earned a spot in the rotation—and thank you for taking the time to share this little visual treat of a comment! 💛
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Your Healthy Chocolate muffins with hidden veggies and the Blended Cottage Cheese Zucchini chocolate muffins are favorites in this house, we make them every few weeks! Wondering about adding some protein powder to this recipe – any thoughts or suggestions?
Hi Chrissy! I thought long and hard about adding protein powder to this recipe but decided not to because (in my experience) every protein powder bakes wildly differently. Some absorb more liquid than others and some burn quicker than others in the oven. So, with that in mind, I have not tried this with protein powder AND I think your results will vary based on what protein powder you use. However, if I was to do it with my preferred powder, I’d probably replace the ground flax with a scoop of powder and maybe up the milk a bit to balance it out. I’d also start checking it being done at the 25 minute mark to make sure it didn’t burn.
I wound up making this today – I subbed the ground flax for chocolate protein powder as suggested (1:1 switch) and it turned out perfect! So delicious, my husband and picky 6 year old devoured it as well! I used a glass 8×8 dish, so cooked a little longer (35-40min) but amazing! Will definitely be making again
Yay! I so love that it worked so well!!
I used chia seeds instead of ground flax as I didn’t have the flax seeds at home. I used the same amount (1/4 cup) and increased the milk to 2/3 cup per Taesha’s recommendation. It worked great. I used a slightly bigger container to bake in and it baked just right in 30 min. I ate it with crumbled in greek yogurt and some peach pieces.
So glad the chia seeds worked so well!! Thanks for coming and sharing!
I love this recipe! When my zucchini runs out, could I use carrots with this?
Yay!! And yes! That’s my plan too!
I’m sorta new to cooking (slow learner), and never tried baking before, mainly due to living in a high altitude area (4,500+) and math isn’t my strong suit. Is there anything I need to do differently if I want to make something like this? Like adjusting the temp/time? Or the amount of baking soda or eggs?
By the way I’m new to your website and I love it so much! There’s so many recipes I want to try and make!
Hi, Mariah! First off, welcome! It makes me so happy to hear you are loving what you are seeing here on TNN 💛.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never personally baked at high altitude, so I don’t have first-hand experience with the adjustments. But I do know some of the common adjustments bakers often use at higher elevations (like 4,500 ft):
-Increase oven temp by about 15–25°F to help things set before they dry out.
-Shorten baking time a little, since things can cook faster. I’d say start checking this recipe after about 20 minutes.
-Slightly decrease sugar and baking soda or powder (too much apparently can cause baked goods to collapse).
-Add a tablespoon or two of extra liquid (like milk or water) if batters seem dry. I have process shots of most of my recipes, so you can always look up in the blog post for how a recipe should look at each stage.
Again, those are just general rules of thumb, and the exact adjustments can vary by recipe, so I’d recommend cross-checking with a high-altitude baking resource as you go.
And please don’t feel intimidated! You can totally do this, and I’m cheering you on! Can’t wait to hear which recipe you try first.
LOVE this one!! We added some chia seed, flaxseed, and hemp seed and only did 1/4 cup of maple syrup (just trying to lessen the sugar intake anyway we can…but also keeping it super yummy!) and we devoured the whole pan! My 3 year old daughter just asked if we could make more again today…I think we will 🙂
Aw yay! I love that you loved it but I ESPECIALLY adore that your little girl enjoyed it so much!
If we don’t have flax, chia, or protein powder, will it still turn out well? Or is there another good sub? Thanks!
This recipe doesn’t call for protein powder so no worries there. If you want to make them without the flax, just up the oats but know that it might not hold together quite as well as the OG recipe since the flax absorbs some of the moisture and acts as a binder in this recipe! But it will still taste great
Loved it!
Do you think I could double the amount of zucchini? Would I need to make any other adjustments?
So glad you loved it! However, zucchini adds a lot of moisture to the baked oats so if you double the zucchini, add more oats or be prepared for the baked to be much softer and wetter than the OG recipe!
Dessert for breakfast – yum! With a sprinkle of almond butter and honey it’s just so delightful!
Though, I have been wondering, why do you add oil to the mix? I’ve been making your different baked oatmeals in rotation but never added that Tbs of oil. I am using whole milk and hence figured it has fat enough. And I am usually adding some nut butter when eating, again, more whole fat. Just curious if you’ve tested it without the oil and how it’d be different
So glad you love it, Jennifer! I just find the oil adds a lovely touch of richness and moisture to the oats that I miss when I skip it. Since you use full fat milk, you likely get that richness there and are all good!
Yummy!! Feels like a treat for breakfast!! My girls and I lovvved it 🙂
Yay1 So glad you enjoyed it!
Used yellow summer squash from my garden and this was so good! It had a great texture. I would suggest adding a lot more chocolate chips to the top to make it more sweet (;
Always more chocolate chips, IMO! Especially if you want to have it double as a healthier dessert with some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just sayin….
Another great recipe. Made it today for mid day snack, used sugar free chocolate chips.
The recipe looks great, thank you for sharing it.
Wanted to check the ingredients because I couldn’t get the protein in the ingredients list to match the nutritional facts (31 g per serving x 8 servings = 248 grams). Is something missing from the ingredients, do the nutritional facts need to be adjusted, or is my math wrong?
2 cups rolled oats ~22 g
¼ cup ground flax ~5 g
¼ cup cocoa powder ~4 g
2 large eggs ~13 g
⅔ cup milk ~5 g
1 cup zucchini ~2 g
½ cup banana ~1 g
3 Tbsp chocolate chips ~2 g
Maple syrup/honey ~0 g
Total ~54 g
Hi CN. I think you are looking at the carbs. There are 31g of carbs and 6g of protein in each serving of this one.
Delicious!
I had leftover veg from prepping your Turkey Zucchini Meatballs so I whipped up this breakfast treat. The only changes I made were adding 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder (decidedly not for kids, haha!) and using my 9×9 pan so they baked thinner/faster.
Cut into six slices for me and my husband; we love reheating in the air fryer to get lightly crispy edges and melt the chocolate chips nicely 🙂
Oh I bet that espresso really deepened the chocolate flavor! Solid move, Claire! Love it and so glad you both enjoyed it!
My new favorite way to use up my ripe bananas! This is sooo tasty! Topped it with walnuts (and chocolate chips). I could eat the whole pan in one sitting but am trying to enjoy it over the next few days!