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My chocolate zucchini oats recipe (AKA zoats or zoatmeal) is the perfect way to use excess garden zucchini. It packs in the nutrition with veggies, protein from egg whites, and fiber-rich whole grain oatmeal. Though this chocolate oatmeal with zucchini tastes like dessert, this healthy breakfast will keep you going strong! Get tips on making it so you can’t taste the zucchini, oatmeal topping ideas, and more!
I’ve introduced you to proats (protein oatmeal) in a previous recipe. Now I’d like you to meet zoats, zucchini oats. This is a great recipe to have on hand when you have too much zucchini.
I know that adding zucchini to oatmeal may sound strange. However, if you like chocolate zucchini bread or chocolate zucchini pudding, why not try zucchini oats? I think you’ll find that the combination of whole grains, veggies, and chocolate flavor is delicious!
🤔 What are zoats?
“Zoats” is simply another name for zucchini oats. There are many ways to flavor zoats recipes to make them delicious. Here, we’re making chocolate zucchini oatmeal.
🥣 Chocolate Zucchini Oats Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this chocolate zucchini oatmeal recipe. Here’s your shopping list:
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (1 medium zucchini weighing about 8 ounces before trimming and peeling)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- ½ cup egg whites
- Fresh berries and nuts for topping (optional)
Get a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
If you feel apprehensive about putting zucchini in oatmeal, I have a few tips to make it “disappear.” For one, peel your zucchini if you don’t want to see green. Sometimes I use unpeeled zucchini because I don’t mind the green, but IMO this recipe tastes better without it.
Second, make sure to finely grate or shred the zucchini. According to my son, larger pieces of shredded zucchini add a “hairy” texture to the oatmeal (yuck haha). Break the zucchini down in a food processor or hand chop it smaller if the pieces are too large.
I like dark cocoa powder for the extra chocolate flavor that it provides. Feel free to substitute with regular cocoa powder in your chocolate zoats if you’d prefer.
🥒 How to Make Zucchini Oats
Here are the step-by-step instructions for my zoats recipe:
Peel the zucchini, trim, and finely grate it. Put the zucchini, oats, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes.
Add the egg whites to the oat mixture. Whisk constantly an additional 2 minutes until the eggs are cooked.
To serve, top with fresh berries, nuts, or your favorite oatmeal toppings.
This recipe is best prepared and eaten fresh. Though you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 3-4 days, they may deteriorate in texture. If it becomes too thick, stir some additional milk into the leftover zoats while reheating.
Can you taste zucchini in oatmeal?
No, you should not taste zucchini in oats if you follow this chocolate zucchini oatmeal recipe. The cocoa powder does a nice job of covering up the taste of the zucchini.
How to make microwave zucchini oats?
To make zucchini oats in the microwave, make sure to use a very large microwave-safe bowl. Stir the milk, cocoa powder, and oats together and microwave 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the zucchini and brown sugar and microwave 2-4 minutes more. Finally, whisk in the egg white and microwave 1-2 more minutes.
🍓 Zucchini Oatmeal Toppings
The right oatmeal toppings will make your zucchini protein oats look delectable. Here are some of my favorite oatmeal topping ideas:
- Almond butter
- Peanut butter
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Pomegranate arils
- Pistachios
- Sliced almonds
- Chopped walnuts
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
- Coconut flakes
- Chocolate chips
- Cacao nibs
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin spice
- Raisins or dried cranberries
- Fresh or frozen raspberries
- Sliced bananas
- Fresh or frozen strawberries
- Fresh or frozen blueberries
One final suggestion is to make savory zoats topped with a fried egg and wilted spinach. Please keep in mind that any additions will change the nutrition information for the zoats recipe.
Watch How to Make It!
Chocolate Zucchini Oats Recipe (Zoats)
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini (1 medium zucchini weighing about 8 ounces before trimming and peeling)
- 1 cup rolled oatmeal, dry
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- ½ cup egg whites
- fresh berries and nuts (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Peel the zucchini, trim, and finely grate it. Put the zucchini, oats, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the egg whites to the oat mixture. Whisk constantly an additional 2 minutes until the eggs are cooked.
- To serve, top with fresh berries, nuts, or your favorite oatmeal toppings.
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Here are some reasons you’ll want to try this healthy zucchini oats recipe:- Low calorie: With zoatmeal, it’s easy to make a high volume low calorie meal, helping volume eaters to stay full on fewer calories and achieve the calorie deficit needed for a weight loss goal. The protein in this oats recipe will also help fill you up.
- Healthy zucchini oatmeal: The zucchini adds vitamins and minerals to breakfast that you don’t get in plain oatmeal. This includes the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin A. Both zucchini and oatmeal provide small amounts of B complex vitamins, including folate.
- Easy: This basic zoats recipe has only 6 ingredients, and takes only 7-12 minutes to cook. It’s great for mornings when you want to sleep in!
- Special diets: Though oatmeal isn’t low carb or keto, it’s easy to make this recipe fit other special diets. For example, make gluten-free zoats by using oatmeal that is certified gluten free. Make it vegan by using vegan protein powder thinned with water in place of the egg whites.
- Delicious: This recipe is so tasty and easy, you can’t even tell there’s zucchini in there!
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👩🏻🍳 More Ways to Use Zucchini
Don’t miss these other tasty recipes with zucchini:
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
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Well, Summer, to long for a zoats recipe I would’ve had to have heard of them before. I hadn’t, but now that you’ve educated me suitably, the longing part has followed quickly. Fortunately, your entry satisfies both the thirst for knowledge and for creativity.
Once again, what you’re able to accomplish without sugar, corn syrup, etc. amazes. Just goes to show how much we (or, rather, I) depend on them when they’re really not necessary. You’ve inspired some pondering,
All this zucchini is a good “difficulty” to overcome. So many uses for a veg I disliked seriously as a child, but which I savor now. The situation also reminds me of the first cookbook I recall, something my mother had (and still does) titled, “Too Many Tomatoes.” She acquired it not long into the marriage. I’ll have to borrow it to find an entry for some future August.
Of course, you’ve got zucchini covered already.
Oh, tomatoes is another one many end up with too much of! I thought I was going to be one of the lucky ones with an overabundance but the wildlife here had other plans. I get a handful of grape tomatoes each time I check on the garden but not enough to make sauce.
I’d love to see what you end up creating from the book. I am guessing it will be a few Augusts away, knowing how much planning ahead you do!
Indeed, Summer, still years away at this point. Flattered you remembered.
I’m not even sure what I’ll find, as it’s been years since I pulled “Too Many Tomatoes” it from the shelf. I seem to remember lots of stuff about canning, but I think there are general recipes too.
So, the rabbits have been after your tomatoes? When this year’s vine output sustained quite a ding, I figured it was deer and raccoons. Never thought of Wascally Wabbits, though. Makes sense.
I wouldn’t have known it was rabbits until I saw one. With my bird nets, I’ve managed to keep out most animals. The rabbits are tricky!