Get your day started with vegan Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats! This easy overnight oatmeal recipe only takes a few minutes to prepare. Mix everything together in a jar in the evening, and breakfast is ready when you are the next morning!
Overnight Oats
In the cold autumn and winter months, I prefer hot, savory breakfasts like tofu scramble and breakfast sandwiches, but in the warm summer months, I usually go for lighter meals, like smoothies and chia pudding. Overnight oats is a summertime favorite. It only takes a few minutes to throw together in the evening, and it can be enjoyed cold right from the fridge in the morning.
Cherry Season
Cherries are my all-time favorite fruit. I pretty much live for cherry season. The second I see them in the store, I buy them, even when it’s early in the season and they’re super expensive. (K’ching!)
My favorite way to eat them is pitted in a bowl with a big dollop of vanilla cashew cream. I’ve also been known to use them in smoothies and nice cream.
Chocolate is also a favorite, so I find the combination of chocolate and cherries absolutely heavenly. Honestly, I can’t think of a more perfect food than chocolate covered cherries. And I can’t think of a better way to start the day than with Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats.
Making Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats
This Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats recipe is super easy to make!
- Add the non-dairy milk, rolled oats, raw cacao or cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a jar or bowl with a lid and give it a good shake to mix everything together.
- Place the oats in the fridge.
- In the morning when you’re ready for breakfast, fold in the cherries and top with cacao nibs or chocolate chips.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your oats are gluten-free. Bob’s Red Mill has gluten-free rolled oats.
Pitting Cherries for Your Overnight Oats
Make sure your cherries are pitted before you mix them into your oats, otherwise you’ll be in for a big surprise when you chomp down on a pit! I have a handy little pitter from OXO. I’ve gone through a few over the years, and they’ve all broke. I’ve had this one for four years now, and it’s still going strong! Pitting cherries can get messy, so make sure you’re not wearing white!
If you don’t feel like pitting fresh cherries, you can use thawed, frozen cherries instead.
I like to fold the cherries in the oatmeal after it has been chilled. I find that it's easier to mix the ingredients, and the oats absorb the almond milk better. If your looking for a super quick, grab-and-go breakfast, you can place your cherries on top of the oats after everything has been mixed in the jar, and then stir them right before you're ready to eat.
Cacao vs Cocoa
Cacao is considered raw, and it’s made my cold pressing raw cocoa beans. Cocoa powder has been roasted at a high temperature. Cacao is said to have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and lowering insulin resistance. And of course, it’s a mood booster!
Cacao powder can be pricy, although I’ve found it reasonably priced at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find it, dairy-free cocoa powder can be used instead. I like to top my oats with cacao nibs, but vegan chocolate chips can also be used.
Vegan Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cherries pitted (fresh or thawed frozen)
- 1 tablespoon cacao nibs or dairy-free chocolate chips, for serving
Instructions
- Place the almond milk, oats, cacao power, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a jar or container with a lid. Shake until everything is mixed together.. Place in your fridge for at least 5 hours.
- Just before serving, fold in the pitted cherries.
- Spoon into two bowls and top with the cacao nibs or chocolate chips and extra cherries, if using.
Becky Striepe
These are GORGEOUS, Dianne, and I love how easy they are to make. Chocolate covered cherries were my favorite treat before I went vegan, so I love anything with that flavor combo!
Cadry
Yes! I'm all about the cherry love too. As soon as organic cherries become available, I'm grabbing them, because the season is waaaaay too short as it is. (Sure, you can use frozen cherries the rest of the year, but it just isn't the same.) I just bought a huge container of cherries yesterday, so the timing couldn't be more perfect.
Dianne
Cherries are best! I hope you enjoy this!
Dianne
Thanks, Becky! Chocolate covered cherries are the BEST!
Sarah De la Cruz
Ooh, my 5 year old was just asking me if he could help me make overnight oats! I think we'll try your recipe—it's hard to say no to cherries and chocolate for breakfast!!!
Dianne
Yay! I hope he has fun making it! (And eating it, too!)
Susan
Yum! After peanut butter, cherries are my favourite combination with chocolate.
Dianne
I love chocolate and peanut butter, too!
Alison
This was absolutely delicious!! I don’t have a cherry pitter so I just spit the pits out into a napkin as I ate (alone, in my home office ). I’ll definitely be making this again!
Dianne
I'm so glad you liked it, Alison!