I am yet to find a muesli that doesn’t cost the earth and meets my approval (though I admit I’m fairly hard to please here!). So I just make my own every month or so. It’s very simple and you can play around to suit your taste and pantry stores.
I don’t think I’ve ever made two batches the same as I tend to improvise with this recipe. I personally just throw it all in. You can’t go wrong and each batch will be different – keeping it interesting. Just make as much as you like and store in an airtight container for a month or more.
Also check out the gluten, nut, fructose, dairy and grain-free variations. Prefer untoasted muesli? I’ve got a variation for that too.
Why is it a healthy start to the day?
A good quality, low sugar muesli is a very sustaining, truly nourishing start to the day. Oats are a high fibre, very nutritious grain, boasting an impressive mineral profile. In herbal medicine, oats are restorative to the nervous system. I don’t know about you, but I’m up for any extra nervous system support!
The addition of nuts and seeds adds protein, essential fats and more nutrition. The coconut contributes immune boosting fatty acids and the cinnamon stabilises blood sugar levels. All in all – you’ll feel great and survive until lunchtime without the need to reach for that mid-morning snack.
So here’s a guideline for your first batch:
Also
A great, nutritious snack
Makes about 2-3 kgs
Ingredients
2 boxes rolled oats (approximately 1 kg)
1 cup shredded coconut
½ to 1 cup sesame seeds
½ to 1 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds (or both)
½ to 1 cup almonds: slivered, flaked or chopped raw
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder (or to taste)
125ml (½ cup) macadamia nut oil
80 – 120 grams (¼-½ cup) sweetener (raw honey, real maple syrup or brown rice syrup) – the amount you add will depend upon how sweet you like your muesli
Optional extras
1 cup of rolled spelt, rolled quinoa, rolled millet, buckwheat kernels, rye flakes or any other grain or seed
½ to 1 cup of any desired nut or seed (I like walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 150° C.
- In a large baking tray mix all of the dry ingredients together. In a small pot place the oil and sweetener, heat gently (do not boil).
- Drizzle over the dry ingredients to coat evenly. Toss through the mixture to coat as evenly as possible. Place in a pre-heated oven, stirring every 15 minutes or so until evenly browned or toasted as much as you want it to be.
Remove from the oven and if you like you can add:
Sultanas, raisins, currents, craisens, gogi berries or any other dried fruit desired (optional)
Variations
Nut-Free
Replace the nuts with seeds and extra grains (I really like buckwheat kernels and quinoa flakes). Replace the macadamia nut oil with coconut oil.
Gluten-free
Use rolled quinoa, rolled millet and buckwheat kernels (activated is best) and add extra nuts and seeds.
Grain -free
Remove all grains and use rolled quinoa and buckwheat kernels (activated is best) and add extra nuts and seeds.
Fructose-free
Use the brown rice syrup to sweeten and don’t add in any dried fruit.
Dairy-free
Serve with cashew nut cream, coconut yogurt, coconut milk, unsweetened nut milk or your preferred dairy-free alternative.
Untoasted or natural muesli
Simply combine all of your dry ingredients and omit the sweetener and oil.
To serve
Muesli in our house is always served with a good dollop of full-fat natural yoghurt, a splash of milk and fresh fruit (my preference is passionfruit or berries).
Store
Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.
