Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats

Cherries + Chocolate make for such an incredibly indulgent and delicious combo!

If you {LOVE} chocolate-covered cherries this is the oatmeal for you!

I REALLY prefer to use frozen cherries for this recipe. Not only are they more affordable and easier since they’re already washed, but as they melt into the oatmeal, they create the most amazing flavor!

“Soaked” oats save a lot of time in the morning, but they’re also much easier to digest than unsoaked oats.

As the oats soak overnight, their digestibility greatly improves, here’s how:

Overnight as they soak, the starches break down which improves digestibility, and the natural phytic acid (which all plants contain) is greatly reduced which makes them more easily absorbed by your body!

Yes. These oats are meant to be eaten cold like pudding.

Use ANY unsweetened/plain milk of your choice.

My personal favorite for this oatmeal is unsweetened coconut milk or cashew milk. Any unsweetened nut milk, coconut milk, or high-quality grass-fed cow’s milk all work really well here.

Use what you personally like and have on hand.

Cacao vs. Cocoa

Although they are both completely interchangeable in recipes, they are each processed differently.

Cacao is the purest form of chocolate. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and has a high amount of flavonoids. Cacao is higher in protein, fiber, magnesium, and iron than its cousin cocoa.

If all you have on hand is cocoa powder, then that’s fine to use.

When you have a choice at the grocery store, reach for the less processed raw cacao to take advantage of its awesome health benefits in all of your homemade treats!

What’s the difference between cocoa and cacao?

Sweetness factor is a very personal taste preference, so you may want to use more or less pure maple syrup or raw honey, depending on YOUR family’s specific taste preferences.

I often add protein powder or collagen powder to my overnight oats. I highly recommend adding a few scoops of chocolate protein powder to these. Here is the brand I’ve been loving recently:  Just Ingredients!

Everything You Need To Know About Oats:

Here are a few more favorite CFC overnight oats recipes:

Breakfast Prep Four Ways

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Overnight Oat Pie

Meal Prep Bowls

Banana Bread Oats

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened milk of choice

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 4 Tbsps cacao powder

• 2 Tbsps maple syrup or raw honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted, plus a few extra for serving (optional)

• 4 Tbsps cacao nibs

Instructions:

Place the milk, oats, cacao powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a bowl or large container with a lid.

Stir well until everything is mixed together. If using frozen cherries, stir them in now.

Seal your container well/cover with a lid or plastic wrap, Place in your fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, fold in your fresh cherries if using those instead of frozen.

Spoon your overnight oats equally into four separate bowls and top with the cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips and extra cherries, if desired.

Stays good in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!

Rachel

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