Homemade Muesli

This Homemade Muesli recipe is a nutritious and delicious breakfast to start your day. Make a huge batch and have quick and easy breakfasts for days.

Breakfast is not one of my favorite meals of the day. I know for a ton of people it is, however, for me, not so much. Regardless, I try to find quick and easy go-to items that I can have that are not only nutritious but also delicious. As we enter the summer months here in Miami, bring on all the cold foods possible. It’s too hot to cook let alone eat something warm. Enter homemade muesli.

Muesli originated in Switzerland by a physician named Maximilian Bircher-Benner. The commonly referred to ‘Bircher muesli’ is his version that consisted of raw oats, grated apples, and chopped nuts that were mixed with lemon juice, and sweetened condensed milk. More commonly seen today is a mix of rolled oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. I like to think of muesli as the raw version of granola. My version adds just a bit of added sugar in the form of honey as I used a freeze-dried fruit vs dried fruit (which would be sweeter). Toasting the oats, nuts, and seeds before mixing all the ingredients is optional. As I’m always pressed for time anymore, I skipped this step and it still tasted great.

Ingredients: Homemade Muesli

A ‘rough recipe’ for you to use and make your own combination for homemade muesli is 4 cups of grains + 1 1/2 cups nuts/seeds + 1/2 cup dried fruit. The beauty is there are so many different combinations, but also, you can make it just the way you like it! Enjoy!

• Rolled Oats: Any grains can be used here. I tend to stick with rolled oats, however, you can also use wheat bran, barley, sorghum flakes, quinoa flakes, millet puffs, brown rice puffs. You get the idea. Use what you have on hand and/or like.
• Nuts: Pistachios and walnuts. Almonds and pecans. Whatever combination you like the best, simply make sure they’re in smaller/bite-sized pieces.
• Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and ground flaxseed were my go-to this time around. However, I love to use sunflower seeds and hemp seeds as well. The idea really is to mix them up as much as you can. Each nut/seed has a different nutrient profile and while we might like some more than others, we tend to start eating the same ones. Make sure to rotate your nutrition!
• Coconut: This might be divisive as I know people love it or hate it, but I find adding just a little gives a different texture in your bites. Simply make sure to use unsweetened coconut flakes.
• Fruit: Original muesli uses dried fruit. I used a freeze-dried option here to try it out. If you don’t have access to the freeze-dried, use dried fruit that doesn’t have added sugar, i.e., raisins, prunes, dates, figs. Had I used dried fruit I wouldn’t have used the honey.
• Honey: Is considered to be added sugar. Once again if you’re using dried fruit you can leave the honey out. It’s funny because I didn’t have any dried fruit to use when I was testing this recipe and only had the freeze-dried fruit (and that was tart!)
• Spices: Opted for cinnamon and vanilla here, however, cardamom, ginger, and/or nutmeg would be great as well. Remember, this is a simple guide, but the flavor profile can be easily changed to your liking!

How To Make Homemade Muesli

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (if you’re going to toast the nuts and seeds. You can definitely omit this step and keep it all raw.)
2. If you prefer a raw muesli, mix the oats, nuts, and seeds in a large bowl. If you prefer a toasted muesli, mix the oats, nuts and seeds, on a rimmed baking sheet and spread so everything is 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. (You may need 2 baking sheets.) Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until everything looks lightly toasted (but not browned) when you stir them with a spoon. Transfer to a plate or another baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. Dump everything in a large bowl.
3. Add in the dried fruit, coconut (if using), cinnamon, vanilla, and honey (if not using dried fruit). Stir so that everything gets evenly coated. You can store the muesli in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a couple of weeks. Additionally you can store in the freezer.
4. When ready to eat, serve in a bowl and pour milk over the muesli, letting it soak for 5-10 minutes. Add fresh fruit if you like.

Other Breakfast Recipes

• Overnight Oats
• Easy Buttermilk Pancakes
• Easy Vegetable Frittata
• Easy French Toast

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