Name: Black Forest Overnight Oats (Chocolate and Cherries)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup rolled oats; 1 tablespoon cacao powder; 1 teaspoon chia seeds; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or any milk you choose); 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (extra for drizzling); 1/2 cup frozen dark sweet pitted cherries (preferably organic); 1 teaspoon cacao nibs

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Black Forest Overnight Oats is a delicious dairy-free and gluten-free breakfast made with rich chocolate and juicy cherries. It’s like dessert first thing in the morning but without any guilt. You can make a few jars on Sunday to have a healthy breakfast all week.

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One of my favorite things about overnight oats is they can curb any sweet tooth craving while keeping their wholesome, healthy reputation. In the mood for something chocolatey, make chocolate overnight oats with yogurt, chocolate peanut butter overnight oats, or chocolate banana overnight oats. Or, if you want a sweet fruity morning treat, put strawberry cheesecake overnight oats, blueberry overnight oats, or strawberry banana overnight oats on the menu.

Black Forrest Overnight Oats will satisfy your chocolate and fruit craving! It’s the best way to start the day!

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

It’s delicious – I had to put this first because the combination of chocolate and cherries is outstanding. If you love black forest cake, then this will be your new favorite breakfast.
It uses pantry ingredients – I bet you have everything in your kitchen right now to make this chocolate cherry overnight oats recipe.
It’s gluten-free – All of the ingredients in this overnight oats recipe are naturally gluten-free. You can also keep this recipe vegan by using non-dairy milk.
It’s so easy to make – In less than 5 minutes, you can have all the ingredients in a jar. All you need to do is what for the morning to eat it.
It’s a meal prep breakfast superstar – Make a few jars on Sunday to have a portable healthy breakfast recipe all week.

Ingredients

Rolled oats – these oats are sometimes called old-fashioned oats and can be found in the grocery store’s cereal aisle.

Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free, but there can be some cross-contamination during the packaging process; if you’re gluten intolerant, check the package before purchasing to certify it is certified gluten-free.

Cacao powder – this is one of my favorite superfoods for adding chocolate to a recipe. It’s a touch more bitter than cocoa powder, but it provides fiber, flavonoids, and potassium.

Cinnamon – this warm spice is delicious when you mix it with chocolate and cherries.

Chia seeds – this is another superfood I often use in overnight oats recipes. It creates a creamy pudding-like consistency while adding fiber, protein, and omega-3’s.

Unsweetened Coconut milk – You can use any milk in this recipe, but use your favorite non-dairy milk to keep it vegan. I like unsweetened coconut or almond milk.

Pure vanilla extract – this adds another layer of flavor to the oatmeal.

Dark sweet cherries – Frozen or fresh cherries will work in the recipe. I make Black Forest Overnight Oats year-round, so I mostly use frozen cherries. I can purchase large bags of organic dark cherries from BJ’s Wholesale.

If you acquire many fresh cherries during the summer, you can freeze cherries to use throughout the year. I strongly recommend investing in a cherry pitter to make it easier to remove the pits before freezing and using them in recipes.

Pure maple syrup – this is to add a little extra sweetness to the recipe.

Cacao nibs – These are small pieces of crushed cacao beans. The flavor is more bitter, like dark chocolate, but you can use it the same way as chocolate chips. Cacao nibs have the same health benefits as cacao powder.

Thrive Market is one of my favorite places to purchase organic gluten-free ingredients for overnight oats. They have everything you need at great prices. You can check out my Thrive Market Review for more information.

rich chocolate and cherry overnight oats in a bowl with a side of cherries.

Cooking Tips

Check for pits – Don’t assume that because you purchase pitted cherries that there won’t be any pits. Often there are stragglers, so make sure you check the cherries before adding them into the jar. I do this by cutting the cherries in half or feeling the cherries with my hands. Like I said earlier, invest in a cherry pitter if you plan to eat many fresh cherries.

Enjoy cold or warm it up – Overnight oats are meant to eat cold, but you can heat it if you prefer a warm bowl of oatmeal. In the morning, take the jar of oats and pour the ingredients into a small pot and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes or until hot. You can also put the oats into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it on high for 1-2 minutes.

Stir the dry ingredients together first – I have it written this way in the instructions, but I just want to point it out. Mixing the cacao powder and rolled oats together before adding the liquid ensures that there won’t be any clumps and the ingredients will be evenly distributed.

Add in other superfoods – Flaxseeds, hemp hearts, collagen, coconut oil are all superfoods to add into your overnight oats.

Add more protein – Stir in a couple of tablespoons of Greek yogurt or some nut butter for extra protein.

Any air-tight container will work – I prefer to use 16-ounce mason jars when making overnight oats recipe. They are great for putting together a portion-controlled recipe that’s portable. I also find glass containers to keep ingredients fresh longer. However, you can use any airtight for this recipe.

Supplies

How to Make Black Forest Overnight Oats (chocolate and cherries)

step by step collage showing how to make Black Forest overnight oats

Add the rolled oats, cacao powder, cinnamon, and chia seeds to a 16-ounce mason jar. Give the ingredients a couple of stirs, so everything is evenly distributed.
Then stir in the unsweetened coconut milk and vanilla extract. The milk should be completely covering the oats.
Add the cherries to the top of the oats, tightly place the lid on, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.
In the morning, stir all the ingredients together. If you’re using frozen cherries, then it’s likely they released extra juices while thawing, so you won’t need to add any additional liquid to loosen up the oats. However, if the oats seem thick, then add a splash of coconut milk until you get the consistency you want.
Sprinkle with cacao nibs.
Give the oatmeal a taste. If you need extra sweetness, then stir in 1-2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup.
You can eat This Black Forest Overnight Oats recipe out of the mason jar or pour it into a bowl.

How to Store the Recipe

After you put the jars together then store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep in mind the longer the oatmeal is in the fridge, the thicker it will be. Just add some coconut milk to loosen it up.

You can also freeze packets of overnight oat ingredients to have ready ahead of time. The night before you plan to eat for breakfast, pour the ingredients into a jar, add your milk of choice, and refrigerate. In the morning, breakfast is ready!