Black Forest Overnight Oats

You might feel like you are breaking breakfast rules by eating Black Forest Overnight Oats, but it's packed with fiber, fruit, and flavor!

Chocolate and Cherry Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are the perfect solution for busy mornings. Cherries and a surprising chocolate ingredient hint at eating Black Forest cake for breakfast, but without too much sugar!

Any time I can sneak a fruit or veggie in my breakfast lineup, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! Using canned cherries makes this breakfast treat possible year-round.

Add a little instant chocolate pudding to your mix and your breakfast will taste indulgent.

Ingredients

With a little fridge time these simple ingredients will give you a reason to get out of bed tomorrow.

• Old Fashioned Oats--these provide the best texture.
• Milk--I use cow milk, but feel free to use the milk that makes your tummy happy
• Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix-Make sure you get instant and not cook and serve pudding.
• Chocolate Chips--I used semi-sweet, but any chocolate chip would be delicious.
• Canned Cherries--I used jarred cherries, but cherry pie filling can work too. Just note that pie filling is often sweeter and contains a bit less fruit.
• Almond Extract-highlights the cherry flavor

Top Tips

If you prefer hot oatmeal (or on cold and frosty mornings), microwave for 30 seconds to a minute until your desired temperature is achieved.

Instructions

1. In a wide-mouth canning jar combine the old-fashioned oats, chocolate pudding mix, and milk. Stir well to combine.
2. In a small bowl combine cherries and almond extract.
3. Spoon cherry mixture over oats. Top with chocolate chips.

Put a lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours or overnight.

Container for Overnight Oats

Use wide-mouth pint canning jars to stir this breakfast together and eat it straight out of the jar. And I love these lids! They allow us to color-code the flavors. Red for strawberry. Blue for blueberry.

Variations

Use any kind of soft fruit that you enjoy in place of the cherries--I love strawberry and chocolate together!

I have other iterations of overnight oats that use cheesecake and vanilla pudding mixes. Check them out for some variety.

Substitutions

Oats Substitutions--Old-fashioned oats give a great texture to this breakfast without breaking down too much. You can use quick oats, but I find it best to use half as much milk.

Dairy Free Overnight Oats--I use cow milk at my house, but alternative milk would certainly work just fine here. So go on, use your oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, goat milk, or almond milk for Black Forest Overnight Oats.

Sugar-Free Overnight Oats--Look for sugar-free pudding mixes to make this recipe lower in calories.

Frozen Fruit in Overnight Oats

Frozen fruits work nicely in overnight oats of any flavor. They release their juices and create a more flavor throughout. Plus, they thaw out overnight in the fridge.

Try some different techniques and see what you like. That's kind of the fun of overnight oats--mixing it up!

Storing Overnight Oats

Keep overnight oats in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Related Recipes

Check out our other Overnight Oats Recipes:

• Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
• Overnight Oats with Frozen Fruit
• Blended Overnight Oats

Help Me Out

Lastly, if you tried Black Forest Overnight Oats following this recipe, please let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and/or giving a rating!

I love hearing from you! I'll do my best to respond to each comment.

And of course, if you do make this recipe, tag me on Instagram! Seeing your photos is my favorite thing!

Food Safety

• Wash hands before cooking
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended