Black Forest in oatmeal form, oh Yes! This Black Forest Oatmeal is a different kind of “health-ish” version of a traditional Black Forest Cake. Made with rolled oats, and cocoa powder topped homemade fresh Cherry Sauce, whipped cream and shaved chocolate. It’s like a breakfast dessert, a two in one treat.

Oatmeal Flavor of the Month

The Oatmeal flavor of the month is one decadent Black Forest in the form of an oatmeal. Meet my Black Forest Oatmeal, the new variation that I am so crazy about. I know it’s not a cake and cannot be compared to a Black Forest cake, but I have to say it was one good oatmeal nonetheless. It’s my healthier version of Black Forest cake in form of an oatmeal. A decadent chocolate oatmeal topped with homemade Fresh Cherry Sauce and drizzled with coconut milk on top. It may not be the Black Forest that you have in your mind, but do give it a try and maybe you’ll fall in love with it too. I was actually surprise how good this turned out, I enjoyed every spoonful of it and I finished all of it which was a surprise to me. Initially I thought it was too much, I’ll just eat whatever I can and save the leftover for later. There was no leftover, it was a clean bowl.

Homemade Cherry Sauce

This Homemade Cherry Sauce is what made this variation amazing, plus the fact that it worked well with the chocolate oatmeal. Using Cherry Sauce instead of fresh Cherry made a huge difference. The juice of the Cherry and the way the Cherry was softened from the cooking made this oatmeal different. Since this is a small batch recipe, I only made what I needed for one serving, but I do encourage you to make a large batch of this Cherry Sauce so that you have something on hand when you want to make this. Besides, Cherry seasons doesn’t last that long, so stock-up and make some for future use. You can use this Cherry Sauce for ice cream, sundae, pancakes, waffles and even for cake toppings. It’s so delicious, you won’t regret it.

Types of Oatmeal

Steel Cut Oats (Irish Oats) – This type of oats has a finer texture but is chewier than traditional oats, they are digested more slowly and it makes you feel full easily. This type is perfect for breakfast cereals as they make you feel full longer.

Rolled Oats (Old Fashioned) – This type of oats are flat, thin and have bigger pieces than Steel Cut Oats. It cooks faster, about 10 minutes for 1/3 cup (depending on how chewy you like it). Although filling, it is not as filling as using Steel Cut Oats, but if your recipe requires minimal cooking time or you do not have much time on hand, this is the perfect type of oats to use. I find that this type is also the one perfect for baking cookies, bars, bread or pancakes.

Quick Oats – This type of oats have flat, light and even thinner pieces as compared to Rolled Oats. This cooks in about 1-2 minutes and are perfect for recipes that calls for a very minimal cooking time. Although it is also a good option for breakfast, it is not as filling as using Steel Cut Oats and Rolled Oats.

Instant Oats – This type of oatmeal has been pre-cooked and dried, because of this, it require no cooking time at all. You just need to add boiling water and let sit for few minutes to soften. This type of oatmeal doesn’t have chewiness and texture and can get mushy at times. This if perfect option when you are traveling and you need something on the go. Simply add hot water and you have an instant breakfast with you.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Rolled Oats
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 3/4 cup Milk (Can be substituted with a mix of water and milk in any proportion)
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (can be substituted with other sweetener of your choice)
• 1 tsp Chia Seed – optional

For the Cherry Sauce

• 1/2 cup Cherry – pitted
• 1 tbsp Honey

For Garnishing (optional)

• 1 tbsp Whipped Cream
• 1 tsp shaved Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Make the Cherry Sauce:  Remove the seed and cut the Cherry in quarter. Transfer in a pan then add honey. Simmer for 5 minutes in medium heat. You can simmer it longer if you prefer a really soft mushed Cherry. For a big batch of Cherry Sauce, get the FULL RECIPE HERE
2. Make the Base Oatmeal: Pour milk in a pan. Add rolled oats and simmer in medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir from time to time to avoid sticking at the bottom and from forming a “film”  or “skin” on top. Add brown sugar and chia seed. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. In a small bowl, transfer the cocoa powder and add 2 tbsp of cooked oatmeal. Stir until the cocoa powder is fully melted. Mix with the rest of the oatmeal and stir until fully combined. Cook for 1 more minute. You can serve it at this stage but if you want a smoother creamier consistency, cover and cook in low heat for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. The consistency of the oats will thicken as it cools, if you are serving it immediately, you can cook it a little bit longer to get a thick consistency. Cooking time is flexible, cook less or more time to adjust to the texture and consistency that you prefer.
3. Serve: Transfer oatmeal in a bowl and top with Cherry Sauce and more fresh Cherry and a doll-up of whipped cream and sprinkle of shaved chocolate.

Re-heating

One tip when reheating it, add few spoonful of water or milk to thin out the consistency. The oatmeal with or  without chia seed will thicken as it cools, even more when refrigerated. So to bring it back to nice consistency, you need to add a little bit of liquid. For single serving, add 1-2 tbsp of liquid and stir then simply pop it in the microwave for 1 minute. take it out and stir again, adding more liquid as  necessary to achieve the consistency that you like. Add the Caramelized Banana on top and return to microwave for another minute. Remove and add more toppings as desired. Easy breezy! Enjoy

Recipe Notes

I am using quite a lot of liquid here because I like my Oatmeal consistency to be not too thick and also because I like to cook it longer than 15 minutes for a smoother creamier texture. Also, chia seed absorbs liquid and makes a jelly like consistency. If you like a thick oatmeal, use 1 1/4 cup of liquid but bear in mind that the oatmeal thickens as it cools. If you are making it ahead of time (overnight), I suggest use 1 3/4 cups of liquid so that it wouldn’t be too thick the following day.

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