Chocolate Overnight Oats w/ Warm Vanilla Strawberry Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free) + My Favorite Heart Healthy Foods

These Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Sauce{gluten free, vegan, low FODMAP} are the ultimate healthy “dessert for breakfast” treat!

You can thank my Aunt Judy, my daughter SiSi, and Raymond Reddington for these scrumptious, heart healthy Vegan Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Sauce. Mmmm….

First my Aunt Judy. She’s the best! And, she’s also one of my biggest Spicy RD fans who shares my newsletter with all of her friends. Thank You Aunt Judy!!! She recently emailed me asking if I had any recommendations for heart healthy foods to help lower cholesterol…

Hi EA,

Do you have any recommendations on how to lower cholesterol via food intake versus medication? Or do you know a good website I can visit that addresses this?

THANKS

PS  Glad you had fun skiing.  And we loved the thank you notes from the kids. ♥

So, for you, Aunt Judy, here’s a list of some of my favorite heart healthy foods to help lower cholesterol…

No. 1 | OATS

They’re a good source of beta-glucans, a type of soluble fiber which helps lower LDL cholesterol. As a bonus, oats are a prebiotic food with resistant starch {like in my Happy Belly Brownie Bites with Green Banana Flour}, to help feed a healthy gut microbiome!

Try It!–> Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chia Breakfast Cookies

No. 2 | BEANS, LENTILS, & LEGUMES

Another great source of soluble fiber, and microbiome friendly to boot! Tip–> Eating 5-10 grams of soluble fiber each day can reduce LDL Cholesterol by ~5%.

Try It!–> Black Bean Walnut Brownies

No. 3 | CHIA SEEDS

Although studies on lowering cholesterol with chia seeds are mixed, they are a good plant-source of omega-3 fatty acids which may help lower triglycerides, decrease the risk of arrhythmias {abnormal heartbeats}, & lower blood pressure.

Try It!–> Ginger Matcha Green Tea Infused Chia Pudding

No. 4 | NUTS

They contain antioxidant rich vitamin E and phytochemicals, along with arginine, a nonessetial amino acid that helps keep arterial walls nice and pliable. Aim for 5+ ounces of nuts per week-an amount that has been linked to a 35-50 % decrease in heart disease incidence and death.

Try It–> Mexican Chocolate Almond Butter

 No. 5 | STRAWBERRIES, CITRUS, APPLES

Rich in pectins, another type of soluble fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol, strawberries, citrus fruits, and apples are all on my list of favorite heart healthy foods!

Try It!–> Sunshine Chocolate Covered Orange Slices

 For more heart healthy foods, check out this list of 11 foods that lower cholesterol + a list of foods to cut back on too!

Second, my sweet daughter Sisi. She just finished her week long experiment following a vegan diet, based on a bet she made with her Grandpa Gil, who didn’t think she would stick to it. Grandpa Gil, if you’re reading this, it’s time to pay up!

And, while she doesn’t plan on staying on a vegan diet at this time, {she’s been following a vegetarian diet for the past year}, she did discover some new vegan foods she really enjoys, including veggie burgers, almond milk, Hail Merry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites {who can blame her!}, and this dairy-free, probiotic rich So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt that I incorporated deliciously into these Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds, along with one of her all-time favorite fruits-strawberries!

And, last but not least, Raymond Reddington. If you have NO CLUE whatsoever who Raymond Reddington is, you clearly have never watched The Blacklist, one of my current binge shows on Netflix. And he’s also the inspiration for these Vegan Chocolate Overnight Oats, simply because I was watching The Blacklist last night, right before bed, when I suddenly had the urge to run to the kitchen and make them.

I am SO glad that I did.

So, here’s my heart healthy vegan Chocolate Overnight Oats recipe for you Aunt Judy, SiSi, and Raymond.

And, for the rest of you too. Enjoy!

Chocolate Overnight Oats w/ Strawberry Vanilla Sauce

These Chocolate Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds & Warm Strawberry Vanilla Sauce {gluten free, vegan, low FODMAP} are the ultimate healthy "dessert for breakfast" treat!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup gluten free oats
• 1 container So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Yogurt or 5 ounces of your favorite chocolate yogurt
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup strawberries frozen & thawed or fresh
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 pinch salt
• Cacao Nibs optional, for serving

Instructions

Make The Oats

• Place oats, yogurt, milk, chia seeds, and salt in a glass jar or bowl. Set in refrigerator overnight, or for 3-4 hours, until oats are softened. If using frozen strawberries, place them in the refrigerator too, and allow to thaw overnight, or defrost them in the microwave before making the compote.

Make the Warm Strawberry Vanilla Sauce

• Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add thawed strawberries and saute for ~ 1minute, then mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

To Serve

• Top the overnight oats with the strawberry compote, and sprinkle cacao nibs on top if desired.

Notes

Meal Prep Tips

You can make several jars of oats ahead of time, and keep them in the refrigerator, well covered, for up to 3 days before serving. In addition, you can make the strawberry compote ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and heat it up in the microwave before serving.

Make it Low FODMAP: Per Monash app (as of 2/8/20) coconut yogurt is low FODMAP, however always read labels as ingredients may change. You can also use lactose free yogurt (i.e. Green Valley or Siggi’s) + cocoa powder as an alternative to the chocolate coconut yogurt.

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 533mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 123.2mg | Calcium: 577mg | Iron: 3.2mg

EA Stewart, RD | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, Gluten Free, Low FODMAP, Mediterranean, MIND Diet, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword healthy breakfast, oatmeal, overnight oats

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Tried this recipe?Mention @thespicyrd or tag #thespicyrd ~ I love seeing my recipes that you recreate!

Here are a few more recipes with strawberries, oats, and chocolate I think you’ll love!

The Best Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Chai Spice Pumpkin Seed Almond Muesli

Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Sundae | High Protein Breakfast Idea

Let’s chat! What are your favorite heart healthy foods? Have you tried chocolate overnight oats before? If so, what are your favorite toppings to put on them? Have you watched The Blacklist? Any favorite “binge worthy shows” you recommend???

EA Stewart

Hi There! I’m EA, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in sunny San Diego. I create easy, DELICIOUS gluten free recipes & low FODMAP recipes for a wide variety of diets: anti-inflammatory, low carb, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, & more. I offer nutrition coaching for wellness nutrition, digestive health (celiac disease, IBS, IBD, SIBO), autoimmune disease, & healthy aging. Learn more about my nutrition philosophy and my nutrition coaching services, sign up for my newsletter, or get in touch~I’d love to connect with you!