Chocolate Covered Cherries Oatmeal

For breakfast this morning I played with a new-to-me ingredient, Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Chocolate Nibs. I ground them down in my spice grinder (a coffee grinder) that I use only for grinding small ingredients (such as my chia seeds). The result is a heavy powder that is almost damp to the touch with heavy chocolate liquor smell/taste. It is nowhere as bland as say traditional unsweetened cocoa powder. But use sparingly at first, it can be over powering!

Chocolate Covered Cherries Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 2 cups original almond milk
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup dried tart cherries (preferably soft)
• 4 ounce container unsweetened applesauce
• 2 Tbsp Raw Chocolate Nibs, ground fine (about 3 Tbsp ground)
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds, finely ground

Directions:

Add everything but the chia seeds to a heavy medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Turn to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Take off the heat, add in the chia seeds and mix well.

Serve topped with more cherries and extra brown sugar if desired.

Works well being made with maple syrup as well.

PS: If you are not used to chia seeds you can leave them out of course!

~Sarah