9 Creative Ways To Have Chocolate For Breakfast

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When you think of chocolate, having it as part of your breakfast is probably not the first thing that crosses your mind. That's because people usually associate chocolate with desserts or snack time. Some of us likely also think that chocolate isn't all that healthy for you, given the fact that there are many decadent chocolate cakes to feast on. Of course, it all comes down to moderation, as well as selecting healthier types of chocolate, like dark chocolate. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, there are many benefits to dark chocolate, including helping out your immune system and potentially making you smarter.

So don't feel guilty about having chocolate for breakfast if you make the right choices. Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. Creatively adding chocolate as the star of the show not only livens up your breakfast experience but also can start your day off right with extra protein and energy.

The best part of these recipes is that they're incredibly simple, and most of them use only a handful of ingredients and have just a few straightforward instructions. Wake up your tastebuds first thing in the morning by exposing them to a creative chocolate rush with these one-of-a-kind recipes.

Quinoa has gone mainstream in the last several years. From its roots in South America's Andean region, this edible seed is now found in supermarket aisles all across the world. Treat yourself to chocolate for breakfast but balance it with this superfood to give yourself a hearty, health-conscious start to your day. You'll also be glad to know that this recipe takes just a few steps to make.

Throw quinoa and butter into a pan and set it on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add some coconut milk into the mix, and let the whole thing simmer for up to 20 minutes. Take the pan off the stove and let your mixture cool down for a few minutes.

All that's left is to add the remaining ingredients that give this breakfast dish its delectable taste. Mix in the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, desiccated coconut, and vanilla extract. To garnish your bowl, cut a plumb into several slices and lay them out like a fan on top of your mixture. Add more dark chocolate crumbles and shredded coconut on top of this, and voila. Dig in.

Nutella, the venerable spread of hazelnut goodness, makes quite the impression for breakfast if you know how to roll with it, literally. YouTuber Kyle Istook came up with an inventive spin on incorporating Nutella into your first meal of the day to take care of your morning hunger pangs.

Start with some slices of bread and cut off the edges. Then, place each slice onto a tortilla press to flatten each one out. When they're pancake-thin, liberally spread Nutella onto the slices and roll them up. Set them aside for a second. Now, crack a few eggs into a bowl and add milk and vanilla extract. Whisk this all together until it's a nice, smooth batter. Lay out your previously made Nutella roll ups on a baking sheet, and pour this batter all over them so they're generously coated. Now, the fun part begins.

Fry your roll ups in a pan until they show a beautiful, brown coating on all sides. Remove them from the pan and plate them, giving them a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Finish off your tempting roll-ups by drizzling them with even more Nutella until they're a gooey, decadent treat. If you have any leftovers (which is a big if), you can always save some for a snack later in the day.

Got some unbaked crescent-roll dough hanging out in the back of your fridge that you may have forgotten about? If so, it's time to put this dough to good use and whip yourself up a creative, chocolatey breakfast treat that will make your taste buds come alive.

Take your dough out of the tube, carefully unroll it, and place it onto a baking sheet. Gently, so they don't break, tear, or cut the dough along the perforations to get your individual triangles. On each triangle, spread some cream cheese along the longer edge and sprinkle the cream cheese with chocolate chips. Slowly start rolling the dough from the longer edge down toward the point of the triangle, taking care that your cream cheese/chocolate chip filling stays inside.

Now, follow the baking instructions on the outside of the tube. You'll usually bake your crescent rolls at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. They should only take about 10-15 minutes. Check to see if they're a nice golden brown. If they are, you're done! If you're looking for a bit of a thicker chocolatey feel in your crescent rolls, feel free to use Nutella in place of the chocolate chips. Don't be afraid to experiment and customize your recipe as you see fit.

Now, for something a little different. So far, you've seen a rundown of food-based chocolate meals and treats, but who's to say that you can't have something chocolatey to drink as part of your breakfast? Sure, you can have milk, juice, or tea, but those are all quite standard. To spruce up your breakfast, try something closer to the equator. Caribbean chocolate tea isn't even tea, per se. Rather, it's a thicker, sweet, creamy beverage that will help fill you up — or if you just have to run out the door and need something quick to pour down the hatch.

Prep time for this drink is next to nothing. You start with three ingredients: grated cocoa, milk, and water. In a wide cup, combine a half-milk/half-water mixture with the grated cocoa. Boil this new mixture, taking care that the cocoa merges completely with the half-milk/half-water concoction.

Now, it's time to both sweeten and spice things up. Liberally throw in some nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, or vanilla. If so inclined, feel free to add some coconut milk or even condensed milk to give your Caribbean chocolate tea a thicker, heavier consistency that'll leave you feeling fuller. What's great about this "tea" is that it contains relatively little caffeine, and cocoa is believed to be good for your cardiovascular system, according to studies.

You're thinking what to make for breakfast, and your mind may drift to oatmeal. You say to yourself, "Wait, that's such a boring, common breakfast item!" Actually, when you combine oats with cocoa and peanut butter the way it works in this recipe, you'll get anything but boring.

Peanut butter gets a bad rap sometimes. Most of us likely associate it with added sugar, fat, and extra calories, but it is actually a good source of many vitamins and minerals your body needs, such as vitamin E, niacin, magnesium, and others. If you stick to natural peanut butter made from just peanuts and nothing else, you'll get more of its health benefits and less of the bad stuff. Instead of just having the usual oatmeal with milk for breakfast, spruce it up with cocoa and natural peanut butter.

Get yourself these overnight oats containers, and pour in three-quarters of a cup of milk and half a cup of oats. Add some chia seeds for additional crunch and some omega-3 fatty acids. Then, add 1 tablespoon each of cocoa powder and natural peanut butter. Finish it off with just a dash of salt and some vanilla extract. Cap the lid on your overnight oats jars and put them in the fridge for the night. When you wake up in the morning, not only will your breakfast already be waiting for you, but it'll be this one-of-a-kind treat that's delicious and healthy.

Pancakes don't usually come across as being all that healthy for you. They typically have considerable amounts of fat, calories, and added sugar. Hey, we get it. Sometimes, you just need to treat yourself without worrying about all those extra calories. What if, though, you can satisfy your pancake craving and still come away without adding extra pounds?

Turns out that all it takes is a simple tweak to your pancake recipe and limiting it to just four healthy ingredients. Thanks to YouTuber Fit Foodie Selma, here's a quick recipe for indulging in your chocolate and pancake cravings while still adding more than 30 grams of protein to your breakfast.

Begin by mashing a banana with a fork on a small plate and then adding 2 raw eggs. Mix vigorously. Now, you can turn your attention to the remaining dry ingredients. Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with 1 scoop (about a quarter cup) of vegan chocolate protein powder. Stir this mixture well. Pour the mixture onto a heated, non-stick skillet so that you have four equal pancakes that start to take shape. Cook the pancakes on each side for just a few minutes. Remove from heat, and top off your pancakes with some strawberries (or other toppings) if you want. There you have it. Another quick and creative chocolatey breakfast item.

Satisfy your sweet tooth for breakfast with chocolate peanut butter chia pudding. What makes this recipe unique is you're incorporating chia seeds into your first meal of the day, so it's also nutritious. The use of chia seeds as food goes back to the time of the Aztecs. Today, these seeds of the Salvia hispanica plant, which are a phenomenal source of fiber, can be found in the health or bulk food sections of your local grocery stores.

Remember to prepare this quick recipe overnight because you'll need to cool it in the fridge for several hours. First, mash up 2 bananas in a bowl. Then add in your chia seeds, unsweetened cocoa powder, natural peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix them well. Slowly pour in unsweetened almond milk, whisking it into the mixture gradually until it's been evenly absorbed.

Fill up individual glasses or small jars — such as the overnight oats containers we mentioned above — with this mixture. Leave them in the fridge, covered, to chill out for 4 hours. You can even leave them in there overnight if it's more convenient for you, so they'll be ready first thing in the morning. If you want more of a chocolatey kick while you're enjoying this pudding for breakfast, add some chocolate chips or shaved chocolate as a garnish. Alternately, if you want more potassium or protein in your pudding, top it off with banana slices or peanuts. Either way, this chilled treat will make quite an impression.

Out of all the recipes on this list, chocolate-sprinkled hagelslag is hands down the easiest and quickest to make. All it involves is three simple ingredients. Before we get to the recipe, let's explore what hagelslag is. Hagelslag comes from the Dutch word for hailstorm, and it's been one of the Netherlands' favorite breakfast items for many generations. Americans would know hagelslag better as sprinkles, which the Dutch put on buttered bread to start their day off in a clean, satisfying way. It's important to note that these Dutch sprinkles differ markedly from their American counterpart in an important way: They have much more chocolate content (a minimum of 32% cocoa butter).

To make your own hagelslag treats in the morning, you'll need (obviously) hagelslag, bread, and butter. So you get the richer, more chocolatey version, you can opt for authentic hagelslag made by famous Dutch brand De Ruijter, which you can buy on Amazon. Cut yourself a slice of bread. Any bread will do, but if you want to go the more traditional route, you can always purchase beschuit, which is what they sprinkle hagelslag on in the Netherlands. Buy beschuit online from places like The Dutch Store. Spread a generous amount of butter on your slice of bread. Finally, sprinkle your buttered bread with a lot of hagelslag (cover the entire slice!) and enjoy.

If you're even the least bit skeptical about apple pairing well with chocolate, you will change your mind after trying this creative breakfast food. Don't think of chocolate chunk apple cake as cake in the traditional sense because it doesn't include that much chocolate to begin with — just one cup of chocolate chunks to evenly distribute across the entire cake. With this more subdued flavor profile, it's just right for a breakfast dish.

Set your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a big bowl, mix together 2 cups worth of all-purpose flour, another 2 cups of sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 cup of vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Make sure you don't see any more flour. Add in 4 cups of peeled apples (cubed) and mix them well. Now comes the chocolate: Throw in 1 cup of chocolate chunks. Stir this together thoroughly.

Take this mixture and spoon it into a bundt pan. If you don't have one, that's totally fine; use something like a 9 x 13-inch pan instead. Place your pan into your preheated oven and bake for around 40-50 minutes. You'll know the cake is done when a wooden skewer you stick into the middle emerges clean. Because of the extended cooking time of this dish, make this on a weekend morning (like a Sunday) when you don't have any tight deadline to rush out the door.