Make Muesli

Originating in Switzerland at the beginning of the 20th century, when Dr Bircher-Benner invented it as a part of ensuring that his patients had a healthy diet,[1] muesli has lasted the test of time and has grown into many different variations in the past century. At its most basic, muesli consists of rolled (flaked) oats, grain(s), nuts, seeds, and dried fruit; it differs from granola in that it is less sweet (in North America, granola tends to have rice or maple syrup added to it) and is not roasted (although muesli can be toasted if wished).[2]

Eating a healthy breakfast is very important to give you the best possible start into a busy day. If you want to increase your fiber intake and save money at the same time, muesli makes the perfect breakfast food. It's easy to make your own at home, allowing you to skip undesirable additives often found in pre-packaged muesli. Moreover, you can vary the ingredients as much as wished to suit your own preferences. In this article, you'll learn the basics of preparing muesli.

Ingredients

The basics:

  • Grain flakes, for example rolled (flaked) oats, wheat flakes, rye flakes, etc.
  • Dried fruit, to taste, preferably organic and unsulphured
  • Nuts and seeds, whole or chopped, to taste
  • Milk
  • Yogurt
  • Fresh fruit, if desired

Dr Bircher-Benner's "real" muesli:[3]

  • 3 tbsp medium oatmeal or 4 tbsp rolled oats
  • 135ml (4 1/4 fl oz) water
  • 180ml (6 fl oz) live, natural yoghurt
  • 4 tsp (20 ml) lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp (60 ml) honey
  • 800g (1 lb 12 oz) dessert apples, well scrubbed
  • 4 tbsp (60 grams) unblanched almonds or hazelnuts, finely chopped

Basic muesli:[4]

  • 4 cups rolled (flaked) grain (barley, oats, rice, rye, or spelt)
  • 1/2 cup (65 grams) sunflower seeds (hulled)
  • 1/2 cup (32 grams) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 cup (72 grams) sesame seeds
  • 1 cup (95 grams) almonds, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup (230 grams) dried fruit, chopped
  • 1 tsp (2.6 grams) cinnamon, ground
  • Fresh fruit, to serve
  • Plain yogurt, to serve

Swiss style muesli:[5]

  • 1 cup (60 grams) rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup barley flakes
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) low fat milk
  • 1 large apple, cored and finely chopped
  • 1 punnet blueberries (or add another finely chopped apple)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey
  • 1 cup non-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup toasted almond flakes
  • 1/4 tsp (1 gram) cinnamon, ground

Toasted muesli:[5]

  • 750g rolled oats
  • 250g barley flakes
  • 1/2 cup roasted buckwheat
  • 1 cup wheatgerm
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • 1/3 cup (48 grams) sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup flaked almonds
  • 250g dried fruit medley
  • 250g sultanas
  • 1/2 cup (32 grams) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/2 cup (72 grams) sunflower seeds

Steps

  1. Decide on the type of muesli you want to create. Muesli can closely follow traditional muesli varieties, or you can depart from the basics and build on it make the exact type of muesli that you enjoy the most. This article presents a few choices but feel free to experiment beyond the recipes to find your own style.
    • Basic muesli (wheat free)
    • Bircher-Benner's "real" muesli
    • Make Swiss Style Muesli (a variation on the Make Bircher Muesli with Pear and Berries)
    • Toasted muesli
    • Flavored muesli
    • Stylized muesli (for example, sultana-nut or raisin-nut muesli, tropical muesli, apricot muesli, chocolate muesli, etc.)

The Basics

  1. Buy the ingredients. When purchasing the ingredients, look for the best quality. Go to a health food store or market that you can trust has a rapid turnover in its bulk goods. Ask about the origin and quality of the items if this is not evident to you.
    • Purchase organic grain where possible. The possibilities include: oat flakes (traditional), rye flakes, barley flakes, rice flakes, and spelt flakes.
    • Look for organic and/or unsulfured dried fruits. These will be better for you and the lack of sulfur is good for people who have a reaction to sulfur, such as asthmatics.
    • Prefer organic nuts and seeds where possible. It is even better if you can purchase the nuts and seeds in their shells, as this guarantees their freshness. Note that peanuts and Make Cashew Cream are not nuts but still make a great addition if liked.
    • For the milk and yogurt additions, again organic makes a good choice. If you don't use dairy products, look for alternatives such as soy, oat, and nut-based milks and yogurts.
    • Don't buy too much. It is best to buy enough ingredients to make enough muesli to last a few weeks, and then to stock up again. This will ensure freshness and enable you to consume the muesli within a short period of time.
  2. Prepare the storage. Muesli needs to be stored in an airtight container to maintain its freshness. Find a suitable airtight container (for example, a plastic cereal container with lid, an extra large resealable freezer bag, or a Sterilize Glass Jars for Cosmetic Products with a close-fitting lid, etc.). Store in a cool, dark place.
  3. Mix the muesli ingredients. It is easiest to mix the ingredients in a large bowl and then transfer it to the container. However, if your container is large enough to shake the ingredients around, you can add direct (see following step). If you're making muesli intuitively, ensure that the bulk of the muesli is grain, with the other ingredients added in quantities that suit your needs. Remember that dried fruit is high in calories and fructose, so keep these to a minimum. Alternatively, follow the more precise amounts outlined in the recipes provided with this article.
    • Cut larger dried fruit, such as dried apricots or apples, into smaller pieces to make it go further. Smaller dried fruit, like raisins and dried cherries, can go in whole. Dried fruits can also be expensive, and you only need a little piece to flavor a bite of muesli.
  4. Mix well. A good method is to leave some space at the top of your container, then close it tightly and slowly turn it upside down. Turn it right side up again and repeat until well mixed.
  5. Enjoy your homemade muesli. You can add milk to it or enjoy it with some yogurt and fresh fruit (prepare those separately). See the following recipes for additional ideas on eating muesli with yogurt and fruit.

Dr Bircher-Benner's "Real" Muesli

This version is frequently referred to as "Bircher muesli" for short. Originally it was an "apple dish" and not a breakfast cereal. Even today you can enjoy this as a dessert as well as eating it for breakfast.

  1. Pour the water into a suitable bowl. Add the oats. Leave to soak overnight.
  2. Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice. Stir into the soaked oats, along with the honey.
  3. Grate unpeeled apple straight into the muesli. Mix through to avoid discoloration.
  4. Sprinkle the nuts over the top. The muesli is now ready to serve.

Variation on Soaking

  1. Try this alternative. In this variation, the muesli is soaked overnight and the lactic acid helps to break down the grain. The benefit of doing this is easier digestion and maximum digestion of the nutrients.[6]
    • Soak the muesli overnight with 1 cup of water, yogurt and apple. Cover the bowl with a plate and refrigerate.

Basic Muesli

  1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. The muesli is now ready for storage or serving. Add toppings of fruit and yogurt.
  2. Vary the basic muesli. Suitable variations include roasting the seeds and nuts, adding a 1/2 cup of flaked coconut, or adding flax-seed. If you like vanilla, store the muesli with a vanilla pod, which will flavor the muesli.

Swiss Style Muesli

  1. In a small bowl, mix the oats and barley flakes with the milk. Refrigerate overnight.
  2. Remove from the refrigerator at breakfast time and mix through the remaining ingredients. It is now ready to serve.

Toasted Muesli

  1. Preheat the oven to a moderate heat (180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4).
  2. Cover a baking sheet or tray with baking paper (parchment paper).
  3. Spread the oats across the tray. Place them into the oven and bake for around 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, as they burn easily, and stir them frequently.
  4. Using a dry frying pan, toast the coconut, sesame seeds, and almonds. Toss frequently to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  5. Once cooled, combine all the ingredients and pour into an airtight container. Provided the container is airtight and is shut promptly after use, the toasted muesli will keep well for at least 2 weeks after making it.



Tips

  • If you like variety, use smaller containers and make different kinds of muesli, such as bit of chocolate muesli in one, some dried-berry muesli in the next, etc.
  • Try different kinds of plain yoghurt, until you find one you like. Some will be very tangy; others, very mild. You can mix the yogurt with some plain milk if the taste is too strong.
  • Or, make muesli with a base of just the oats and nuts and store that. For variety, sprinkle on different fresh and dried fruits when you pour your muesli into a bowl. If you do this, you can even continue to use the base as a hot cereal on alternate days.
  • Rolled oats are very common and may be used alone or in a mixture with other grains. Check the bulk bins at your nearest natural foods store for other rolled grains to add variety and texture.
  • If raw oats are too chewy, let it sit for a time in milk, yoghurt, or a mixture, as outlined in some of the recipes here.
  • Muesli makes a great dessert on its own, or serves as an excellent crumble topping for dessert fruit, muffins, biscuits (cookies), slices, muesli/granola bars, etc.
  • You will find that yogurt "handles" better on muesli if you can get it without added thickeners (typically gelatin, pectin, or starch).
  • Keep the muesli in a cool, dry place.

Warnings

  • Don't add sticky or moist foods or fresh fruit to your mix. They typically contain a lot of water, which makes them mould very quickly. Instead, add them to the bowl when you serve the muesli.

Things You'll Need

  • Mixing bowl
  • Mixing implement
  • Airtight container
  • Cutting board and knife for cutting fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
  • Baking tray for toasted muesli (cookie or baking sheet)
  • Baking paper (parchment paper)
  • Frying pan

Related Articles

  • Make Bircher Muesli with Pear and Berries
  • Make Swiss Style Muesli
  • Make Warm Muesli
  • Eat Muesli
  • Make Sunflower Seed Muesli Bars

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Wisegeek, What is muesli?, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-muesli.htm
  2. ↑ Jude Blereau, Wholefood, p. 60, (2007), ISBN 978-0-7624-3074-1
  3. ↑ Adapted from Miriam Polunin, Healing Foods, p. 131, (1997), ISBN 1-8718-5427-X
  4. ↑ Adapted from Jude Blereau, Wholefood, (2007), p. 60, ISBN 978-0-7624-3074-1
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Adapted from Family Circle (Australia), Rosemary Stanton's Healthy Cooking, (1998), p. 28, ISBN 0-86411-666-7
  6. ↑ Jude Blereau, Wholefood, (2007), p. 61, ISBN 978-0-7624-3074-1

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