Fresh cherries might not be the most affordable fruit, but they sure are worth every penny! They are SO fresh and juicy at this period of the year! The first thing that "popped" into my head when I bought my first bag of organic cherries at my local farmer's market is a black forest cake. Not that I ever particularly enjoyed this cake... It's usually made with cherry pie filling (most brands are made with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial colours and other ingredients I can't even name), white flour and refined sugar... But I kind of liked the idea of the combo "chocolate and cherry"!

If you're not familiar with the black forest cake, it typically consist of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, cherries and shaved chocolate. I was going to work on a healthier version of this famous cake... but since I don't ALWAYS feel like putting my apron on and baking a complicated cake with my two energetic kids running all over the kitchen, I decided to go with a breakfast instead. And since I also couldn't decide if I was going to post a chia pudding, overnight oat or smoothie recipe, I'm sharing three different "breakfast in a jar" variations that uses the same ingredients that are used in the cake.

My three breakfasts are all vegan, refined-sugar free, rich, satisfying and incredibly nutritious! As I said before, when you use real ingredients in your recipes, the boundaries between breakfast, snack or dessert are harder to define... Which is not a problem in my opinion! If my breakfasts can taste like a cake or a dessert and still be healthy and help me get through my day by giving me all the nutrients and energy my body needs... I'm definitely not the one who's going to feel an ounce of guilt!

My first version of a "black forest in a jar" is a chocolate chia pudding, layered with a homemade cherry chia jam and topped with coconut whip, shaved dark chocolate, sliced almonds and fresh cherries. It sure sounds like a dessert to me... and I've served it as a dessert in the past, but since this chia pudding is not too sweet, we enjoy this recipe in the morning as well.

The cherry chia jam is adapted from my Strawberry chia jam. I love chia fruit jams because they take only a few minutes to cook and don't require any "jam maker" skill at all! If you can't find good affordable cherries, you can use frozen cherries without a problem! It's also a good way to enjoy this fruit all year long!

My second version is a "black forest overnight oats". I adapted my Matcha overnight oats recipe by adding raw cacao powder instead of matcha tea powder. I served these soaked oats with coconut yogurt (or you can use sheep's yogurt), fresh cherries (or unsulfuried dried cherries), shredded coconut, cacao nibs and bee pollen. It might be one of my favourite overnight oat recipe (and I tried a lot of them!). This breakfast is just slightly sweeten with mashed bananas, decadent enough and as all the flavours that remind me of the famous black forest cake!

I finally wanted to share a "black forest smoothie" (or "milkshake" as my son likes to call it). Sometimes I blend frozen cherries right into the chocolate smoothie and at other times I like to serve it as a layered smoothie.

This basic and sugar-free chocolate smoothie is made with bananas, almond butter, hemp seeds, avocado, dates, almond milk and cacao powder. It's probably my son's favourite smoothie and one of the most "toddler friendly" smoothie recipe I make (along with the Strawberry, banana & hemp smoothie). It tastes like a chocolate milkshake, but it provides good fats, protein and fiber... not what you would expect in a regular milkshake right?

"Black forest" overnight oats

Yield : 4 servings

1,5 cup almond milk (or your favourite milk)
3/4 cup oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons cacao powder (I use raw cacao powder)
1 tablespoon raw honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar)
1 banana, mashed
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Toppings : coconut yogurt (or your favourite yogurt), sliced cherries, cacao nibs, bee pollen, unsweetened shredded coconut

"Black forest" smoothie OR THE BEST CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE

Yield : 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 banana
1,5-2 cups almond milk (depending if your serving a layered smoothie or not) - see note
3 tablespoons cacao powder (I use raw cacao powder)
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon almond butter (optional - you can use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter)
3-4 dates (to taste)
2 cups frozen cherries (optional)

"Black forest chia pudding"

Yield : 2-4 servings

Ingredients for the chia pudding :

2 cups almond milk (or your favourite milk)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar)
2 tablespoons cacao powder (I use raw cacao powder)
Toppings : coconut whip (recipe here), sliced almonds, fresh cherry, shaved chocolate or cacao nibs

Ingredients for the cherry chia jam :

3 cups fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey or agave nectar)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
2 tablespoons chia seeds

For the overnight oats :

To make the overnight oats, mix together the almond milk, chia seeds, oats, cacao powder, honey, vanilla and mashed banana . Stir well to combine.
Refrigerate overnight.
Serve with your favourite yogurt, sliced cherries, shredded coconut, cacao nibs and bee pollen.

For the smoothie :

If your making a single layer black forest smoothie : Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add a little more almond milk or water if needed (the amount of liquid may vary depending if you are using frozen or fresh cherries).
If your making a layered smoothie : blend all the ingredients together except for the frozen cherries. Pour into glasses. Rinse your blender and blend the frozen cherries with about 1,5 cups-2 cups water until smooth. Gently pour on top of the chocolate smoothie (you can use a spoon if you really don't want the two layers to blend together). You can add coconut whip, a cherry and shaved chocolate if you want that "milkshake" look :)

For the chia pudding :

Mix every ingredient together in a jar. Mix well to combine.
Refrigerate overnight (or at least 1 hour). You can shake it again after 30 minutes and one more time, after 15 minutes. If you run out of time and have to skip that part, you might discover big chunks of agglomerated chia seeds in the morning in your pudding. Brake down the chunks with a fork and pour back into the jar. You can serve this chia pudding with layers of cherry chia jam (recipe below), coconut whip (find the recipe and tutorial here), sliced almonds, shaved dark chocolate or cacao nibs and a fresh cherry on top!

For the cherry chia jam :

In a medium sized pot, add the cherries, vanilla, lemon juice, maple syrup. Heat over medium for about 5 minutes. Add the chia seeds and simmer at low heat for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Mix the cherries with a hand mixer or food processor until the desired texture.
Store the jam in the fridge for about one week.