Despite having to work around their stubborn pits, cherries are one of my favorite summer treats.
Their juicy, sweet appeal makes it more than easy to down a big bowl in one lawn chair sitting.
My BF’s mom generously dropped off a nice haul recently, along with other glorious summer fruits, homemade vegan ice cream, and fresh garden lettuce, plus pretty edible flowers.
Thank you thank you!
I’ve been enjoying the cherries as is but knew I had to whip up an actual recipe at some point.
Since variety is the spice of life, after all.
So cozy oats with rich dark chocolate and nutty almonds happened!
It has been a little gray and chilly here in Seattle, despite the fact that it’s apparently July…
Anyway.
The sweet, tart combo is really quite divine, if I do say so myself.
Anddd the flavors paired with a creamy + crunchy textural aspect really makes for a winning recipe.
All you have to do is simmer quick cooking oats in H2O with a handful of pitted Bing cherries, a few dashes of ground cinnamon, and a good pinch of sea salt. Stir in a splash of toasted coconut almond milk along with pure vanilla extract, then top your steaming bowl off with decadent chopped dark chocolate, toasted almond slices, and more fresh, juicy cherries.
Wowza.
P.S. For a slightly richer flavor and texture, stir in luxurious canned coconut milk in place of the coconut almond milk blend.
P.P.S. If you want to introduce a bit more sweetness into the actual oats, incorporate a splash of pure maple syrup before spooning your breakfast (or snack orrr dessert) into a bowl.
P.P.P.S. I don’t have a cherry pitter in my possession, so I simply sliced the softest, ripest cherries in half, then twisted one half off of the pits. I used a combo of my fingers and a small, sharp knife to work the pits out of the other halves. Slightly labor intensive, but worth the work for sure.
Cherry Oatmeal with Dark Chocolate & Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- Sea salt, to taste
- 4 dashes ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pitted, halved fresh sweet Bing cherries; divided
- 1 tablespoon toasted coconut almond milk blend (I use Califia) or chilled canned coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 scant tablespoons chopped dark chocolate
- 1 heaping tablespoon toasted almond slices
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
- Stir in the oats, salt, cinnamon, and half of the cherries.
- Simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 4 minutes, stir in the milk and vanilla.
- Simmer for one more minute.
- Spoon the oatmeal into a bowl, then top with the remaining cherries, chocolate, and almonds.