Cherry chocolate chia pudding

Looking for a quick, nutritious breakfast that's a doddle to make? This beautifully rich and tasty cherry chocolate chia pudding will meet and exceed your expectations.

This breakfast jar recipe starts with a delicious chia seed and chocolate pudding base, followed by natural yogurt and swirls of Morello cherry conserve. It's all topped off with fresh cherries, and an extra special bonus wafer.

It takes seconds to whip up the cherry chocolate chia pudding, then leave it in the fridge overnight to set before topping in the morning. Easy!

Put the chia seeds into a 250ml jar.

Followed by the cocoa powder.

And the maple syrup.

Add the cinnamon.

Add the vanilla extract.

Add 4 tbsp of the yogurt.

Mix to a paste, making sure to break down any cocoa lumps.

Place in the fridge overnight to set. The chia seeds should swell and the mixture should feel thickened and more firm.

Remove the jar from the fridge and top with 4 tbsp of yoghurt.

Spoon in the cherry conserve.

Add a final 2 tbsp of yogurt.

Finish with fresh cherries.

Finish with a wafer.

And a dusting of cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

What do you think? Will you be trying this delicious breakfast jar at home?

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect cherry chocolate chia pudding

Are cherry chocolate chia pudding easy to make?

This recipe is such a doddle, there's something so perfect about the combination of creamy yoghurt and cherries.

You’ll need to mix the chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and spices with a bit of the yoghurt the night before, which takes no time at all. Then pop your jar in the fridge for the chia seeds to work their magic.

Finish off your breakfast jar in the morning with a few more spoons of yoghurt, and some delicious Morello cherry conserve. All topped with fresh cherries and the crunchy treat of a Loacher Napolitaner, yum. 

Will I need any special equipment to make cherry chocolate chia pudding?

You should be able to easily find everything you need in most kitchens, no fancy gadgets required for this one. You'll just need a 250ml jar, and some different size measuring spoons. 

Napolitaner is the classic hazelnut flavour, which I find easiest to get hold of. There are lots of different flavours available but the Napolitaner is best for this recipe. You should be able to get Loacher Napolitaner at the supermarket or online, they are available in over 100 countries so hopefully, you can get hold of them. 

How can I tell if  cherries have gone off?

As with most stone fruits cherries can turn from beautifully plump and fresh to watery mush in what seems like no time at all.

You should be able to easily tell if they have gone off, they will be soft and may be discoloured or bruised. If they have mould on them definitely discard them.

Cherries need to be kept in the fridge to help keep them for longer. Don’t be tempted to wash them until just before you're ready to use them. If you wash them and put them back in the fridge, this will speed up the decaying process. 

Cherries are in season in the UK between July and August and can be found in abundance then, you can usually still get hold of them at other times of year too but they are tastiest when they are in season locally. You can also get frozen cherries, or freeze them yourself which would work beautifully on this Black Forest breakfast too. 

Are cherry chocolate chia pudding suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

This breakfast jar recipe is suitable for vegetarians, but not for vegans if the ingredients are followed to the letter. 

I haven’t tested this recipe with vegan alternatives, and unfortunately, the wafer shown usually contains milk so you’d have to miss this off or find a vegan alternative, perhaps in the "free from" aisle. Other than that you should be able to make a lovely vegan version by simply using your favourite yoghurt alternative. Keep in mind the flavour of the yoghurt will affect the flavour of your breakfast jar, so you might want to opt for neutral soya or an oat-based one rather than the more distinct coconut. 

Are cherry chocolate chia pudding gluten-free?

As this Black Forest breakfast jar is topped with a wafer, which has wheat in the wafer layers, this recipe as it is would not be gluten-free. All the other ingredients are gluten-free so you can just miss off the wafer, or use a gluten-free wafer as a treat topper instead.

Are cherry chocolate chia pudding safe to eat while pregnant?

There is nothing in this recipe that would usually pose a risk to pregnant people, make sure to wash the fresh cherries and make this breakfast jar safely and hygienically. 

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice, please speak to a qualified health professional if you have any questions or concerns. 

Are cherry chocolate chia pudding suitable for babies and toddlers?

The NHS recommends not giving sugar to babies and small children so this recipe as it is probably wouldn’t be suitable.

You could try and make a version missing out the maple syrup in the base, and using chopped up fresh cherries instead of the cherry conserve. If you’re making this for young children make sure to cut the cherries in half, or smaller and remove the stones. 

What goes well with cherry chocolate chia pudding?

This breakfast jar is such a delightful treat, why not enjoy this indulgent start to the day with a pot of tea or coffee and a glass of fresh fruit juice. 

Can I make these breakfast jars without chia seeds?

If you leave out the chia seeds these breakfast jars will still be tasty but you won’t have that thicker base that the chia seeds create.

Chia seeds are hydrophilic which means they absorb moisture really well, up to 12 times their weight in liquid! This happens when the mix is in the fridge overnight, creating that lovely thick chocolatey base that you can’t really recreate without chia seeds. 

I haven’t got maple syrup, can I use honey?

If you have runny honey this might work instead, but you will probably need to use a bit less than the recipe states for maple syrup. This would be the same if you wanted to use agave or another plant sugar syrup as they vary in sweetness, so adjust to your tastes. I like to use maple syrup as it brings a lovely richness and flavour as well as the sweetness which goes beautifully with cherry. 

Can I add extra chocolate to my breakfast jar?

I find the amount of chocolate is perfect to give you a chocolate feel without being overpowering for breakfast. If you like you could add a few shavings of chocolate to decorate the top. 

How should I store cherry chocolate chia pudding?

Cherry chocolate chia pudding need to be kept in the fridge as they contain fresh yoghurt. 

How long do cherry chocolate chia pudding keep?

As long as the yoghurt is well in date, and the cherries are fresh this would keep in the fridge for an extra day. Don’t put the wafer in until just before serving as this will probably go soggy in the fridge. 

Can I leave cherry chocolate chia pudding out on the counter?

No, other than when serving these breakfast jars should be kept in the fridge. They are made with mostly fresh yoghurt so need to be kept chilled to stop them from spoiling and bacteria spreading on the food. 

Can I make cherry chocolate chia pudding ahead?

The base for these breakfast jars needs to be made the night before to give the chia seeds time to thicken up the chocolatey base. You can do this the night before, or two nights before if you like, but make sure it's within the Use-by date of the yoghurt if you’re planning to make them ahead.

I prefer to add the final layers just before serving as they only take a few minutes to put in. You can do this ahead as long as the base is set and has had time to thicken or the layers might all mix together.

Add the Loacher wafer and fresh cherries as a final touch before serving so they don’t sink into the yoghurt, or in the case of the wafers, go soft in the fridge. 

Can I freeze cherry chocolate chia pudding?

I haven’t tried freezing these cherry chocolate chia pudding as I think they will split when frozen, and not come back together properly.

As with milk, you can freeze yoghurt on its own if you have too much to get through. The yoghurt will separate and might not mix back together to the same consistency as before you froze it, so it will be ok for cooking with but probably not as appetizing for this recipe.

There are so many different types of yoghurt so it's hard to say how yours will react, if you have the time why not do a bit of an experiment and freeze a bit in a small pot to see what happens, then you’ll know for future reference. Thaw out your frozen yoghurt in the fridge to keep it at a low temperature, and give it a good stir to re-incorporate everything.

Can I make cherry chocolate chia pudding in a different quantity?

At the moment the recipe is set to make just one breakfast jar, if you want to make more you can.

On the recipe card below you’ll see the servings near the top, click on this number, and a little slide bar will pop up. You can move this up or down to get the number of portions you want to make. As you move the slider, you’ll see all the ingredient quantities changing and updating automatically. 

Can I make this Black Forest breakfast jar recipe in smaller portions?

This is a generous breakfast pot, to give you an idea most single portion yoghurt pots are between 100-130ml, and this recipe has 150ml of yoghurt.

If you’d like to make smaller pots that's no problem. Make up the chia chocolate base and leave it to thicken overnight.

In the morning you can divide this into 2 smaller jars and divide the rest of the ingredients between them, layering the yoghurt and cherry conserve.

This will make a more manageable size for the kids to enjoy too. 

Can I make cherry chocolate chia pudding in a different bowl?

If you don’t have a jar the right size you can of course use anything else that will hold 250ml of liquid. I like to use a jar because they look so pretty, it's nice to see the swirling cherry and yoghurt. You could use glasses, or small bowls, or even a mug! 

Can I make this recipe in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

No need to get the stand mixer out for this recipe, the only mixing we need to do is for the base. You can easily mix the chia seeds, cocoa powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and yoghurt with a spoon in the jar you're using to build your Black Forest breakfast in. 

How can I make sure my cherry chocolate chia pudding are perfectly made?

There’s not much to these yummy jars, they look fabulous and are a breeze to make. It’s important to get the ingredient quantities right so the balance is perfect.

Use measuring spoons so you can be accurate, for instance adding too much cinnamon would make the base quite unpleasant. Giving the chia seeds plenty of time to work their magic is also key, so make sure to complete up to step 8 in the instructions the night before. 

Why did my cocoa and chia seed base not thicken?

Time is the main thing that is needed for the cocoa base to thicken. The chia seeds should absorb some of the moisture from the yoghurt and maple syrup, they should plump up and thicken the mixture.

There’s not really a way to speed this up so you need to leave it in the fridge overnight. Don’t expect the mixture to set solid, it will still be a bit soft, but should be thicker than the yoghurt. Don’t worry too much if the mix isn’t super thick, it should all still taste yummy together. 

How can I add/change the flavours in these cherry chocolate chia pudding?

You can easily change the flavours in these breakfast jars by using different fruit and conserves, you can keep the cocoa base the same, or play around with that too if you like. Why not try and make combinations to go with the different wafer flavours, here's some inspiration for you. 

Lemon - lemon curd with fresh raspberries on top

Double Chocolate - strawberry conserve with fresh strawberries on top

Vanilla - apricot conserve with flaked almonds on top

What is the origin of Black Forest desserts?

Black Forest gateau is a chocolate, cherry and cream cake of German origin, though it is thought the name comes from a cherry liqueur from the Black Forest region, which is used to make the cake, rather than the cake being named after the place itself.

For this recipe, we’ve used this winning flavour combination of chocolate, cherry and creamy yoghurt.

Print this Black Forest breakfast jar recipe for later

If you’d like to print this black forest breakfast jar recipe to try later, just hit the grey PRINT button on the recipe card below.

Pin this cherry chocolate chia pudding recipe

For more quick and easy breakfast ideas visit my recipe index!

More breakfast recipes to try