Toasted Muesli

toasted muesli with milk and sliced fruit

The Spruce / Pete Scherer

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 9 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
94 Calories
6g Fat
10g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 94
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 2g
Calcium 14mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Muesli is a cold oat dish, which—in contrast to its cousin granola—is meant to be softened before consumption. The word "muesli" is from the Swiss-German language and means something akin to "little bowl of mush." Created by a Swiss physician for the patients of his hospital, Muesli may be the only food in history which proved enjoyable enough to make the jump from hospital food to daily life.

Today muesli is usually eaten at breakfast, but this was not always the way. In its early years, muesli played a role in the meal known as Swiss supper, which was, interestingly, the last meal of the day. It's a cross between cereal and granola, and homemade muesli is much better than the stuff that comes in a box. It's also very simple to put together.

Swap out the nuts, seeds, and fruit for your favorites in this easily customizable recipe. Muesli need not even be toasted. If you decided to skip the toasting, simply leave out the honey and oil—you can always sweeten the muesli before serving.

Ingredients

  •  4 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves and pieces
  • 1/2 cup raw pepitas
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
  • 1 cup freeze-dried blueberries
  • Milk or yogurt, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

  2. Combine the oats, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, honey, olive oil, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl and toss well to distribute.

  3. Line two half sheet pans (or a full size sheet pan if your oven is large enough) with parchment paper.

  4. Spread the oat mixture out on the parchment-lined pans. Toast the muesli for 20 to 30 minutes. Check periodically to make sure the nuts and seeds don't scorch.

  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Return to the large bowl and add the freeze-dried berries. Toss to combine.

  6. Serve with milk or yogurt.

Tip

  • For a soft texture, soak the muesli in milk or yogurt in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Store muesli in a sealed container or bag for up to six months.

Recipe Variations

  • The walnuts can be swapped for other nuts like almonds, pecans, and cashews (or a mixture of two or more).
  • Adjust the seeds to your taste as well. Feel free to use all pepitas or all sunflower seeds, or swap some of the seeds for more nuts.
  • You can substitute any freeze-dried or dried fruit you like. Raisins, chopped prunes, chopped Turkish apricots, banana chips, mango, pineapple, cherries...the possibilities are endless. Always add the fruit after toasting the oats, nuts, and seeds.