As you have probably noticed from my numerous Instagram posts, is that I’ve been eating copious amounts of cherries over a 21 day period in support of the Seasonal Cherries 21 Day Cherry Challenge. The campaign is based around the notion that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. The 3 key areas of the campaign supported maintaining a balanced diet, aiding sports recovery, and fine tuning your sleep-wake cycle so you wake up feeling uber refreshed. I’m almost at the end of my campaign but if you’d like to hear more about it please click here.
This yummy Cherry Chia Breakfast Parfait is certainly special with layer upon layer of deliciousness – almond chia pudding, cherry chia jam, almond coconut whipped cream, and a raw chocolate magic shell. It might sound a little complicated to make but it’s actually ridiculously easy!
Now, eating cherries for 21 days isn’t as easy as it sounds, if like me you bore easily then just eating something in one particular way becomes, well, a little tedious – so naturally I found some creative ways to eat them. From Healthy Maraschino Cherries to Black Forest Smoothie Bowls, it’s safe to say that there has been nothing boring about this challenge. And as breakfast is the most important meal of the day it makes a whole lot of sense to eat something super special – right? This yummy Cherry Chia Breakfast Parfait is certainly special with layer upon layer of deliciousness – almond chia pudding, cherry chia jam, almond coconut whipped cream, and a raw chocolate magic shell. It might sound a little complicated to make but it’s actually ridiculously easy!
This breakfast parfait is literally something that dreams are made of – you just make your chia pudding the night before, blitz up the chia jam in a blender and then layer it all together. The almond and cherry flavours marry together perfectly and the whipped coconut cream adds a beautiful airy texture that makes this feel more like a dessert than a nutrient dense breakfast.
I’ve always been a little obsessed with chia seeds – if they’re good enough for the Tarahumara (the Mexican tribe of superathletes that run ultra marathons on a daily basis just for the craic) then they are certainly good enough for me. Still not convinced? Just check out some of their amazing properties below:
- Chia seeds love water, so much so that they are able to hold up to 12 times their weight in water! This is the perfect way to not only hydrate yourself but keep you feeling fuller for longer, thus being a great aid to weight loss and an amazing breakfast food.
- Chia seeds were also used by the ancient Aztecs as a running fuel because they helped to keep them hydrated for long periods of time. It also fueled them to run harder, faster, and longer.
- Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibre, high quality protein, and antioxidants.
- Chia seeds can help to lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) and raise your HDL cholesterol (the good stuff).
- Chia seeds are known to improve symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes and reduce inflammation within the body.
But enough of that science and nutrition mumbo jumbo… here is the amazingly simple recipe…
Love cherries? Why not try out the recipe for my Raw Maraschino Cherry Cheesecake Brownies?
- 200ml cashew milk (or other nut milk of choice)
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp maple syrup/light agave/raw honey
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g pitted fresh cherries
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (preferably white)
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup/light agave/raw honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- The hard layer of cream from 1 tin of coconut milk that has been chilled overnight.
- 1-2 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup/raw honey
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup/light agave/raw honey
- Fresh cherries
- Chopped pistachios
- Cacao nibs
- Stir all of the ingredients together for your chia pudding and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
- Next Blend all of the ingredients for your cherry jam in a blender until smooth. Place in an airtight container and leave in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning layer up your chia pudding and jam in 2-4 glasses or mason jars. Place to one side.
- Begin to whip together the ingredients for your coconut whipped cream. Pile your cream on top of the glasses.
- Next stir together your ingredients for your chocolate sauce and drizzle over. Sprinkle over your toppings and enjoy!
**Please note that all cup measurements used are British cups and thus equal to 250ml.
15 Comments
Renee Kohley
13th June 2017 at 12:26 amOhh this is so fun! What a great summer morning breakfast (that I don’t have to cook!)
Irena Macri
13th June 2017 at 11:15 pmThat challenge sounds awesome! Plus, I love that it inspired this. Obsessed with that magic shell drip… omg!
Jean
14th June 2017 at 12:54 amOh wow, this is amazing! You and your desserts. I’m always drooling over here! I need a bucket of that chocolate sauce.
michelespring2014
14th June 2017 at 1:30 amYay! After you teased the pic of this last week I was crossing my fingers you’d post the recipe!! Sooooo gorgeous!
Katja
14th June 2017 at 4:43 amYour desserts are UH-MAY-ZING! YUM!!!
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday!
14th June 2017 at 5:06 pmCould breakfast look any more decadent!?! I would definitely be up for a 21 day challenge, I never get tired of cherries!
Chihyu
15th June 2017 at 3:27 amWow ! This is totally amazing ! perfect for hot summer days !
Jessica
16th June 2017 at 6:14 pmThis look like such a great breakfast! That cherry jam sounds great on it’s own as well! 🙂
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
18th June 2017 at 6:36 amSwoon! Oh my goodness this is bliss in every bite. I would LOVE to enjoy this for breakfast!
thecastawaykitchen
19th June 2017 at 3:06 amIf you need help cleaning up, I volunteer to lick up all the chocolate, just sayin 🙂
taeshabutler
19th June 2017 at 4:04 amOh, I love a nice and easy no-cook breakfast recipe for summer!
Holley Marth
19th June 2017 at 5:44 amI am waiting patiently for local cherries to be ready… then I’m eating all of these amazing looking cherry recipes
edwarddb
19th June 2017 at 8:00 amWhat a superb dessert idea, looks tasty too!
Jo Romero
19th June 2017 at 10:00 amI have become so addicted to cherries lately – I’ve been buying big frozen bags of them and tumbling them into smoothies or ice cream. This looks fabulous, I totally love the photo, too.
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk)
19th June 2017 at 5:28 pmWow, what a fabulous idea for breakfast!