How To Make Muesli

What is Muesli?

Muesli is a healthy breakfast dish made from a rolled oats base mixed in with other ingredients, such as nuts, fruits, and seeds, and served right away with milk (or juice) or soaked overnight.

This nutritious dish—sometimes mistyped as “museli,” “meusli,” “muselix,” and “muslie”—was created by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner in the 20th century to serve as a healthy breakfast for hospital patients as a part of their treatment. (source – Wikipedia Muesli article)

The original Bircher muesli recipe was a bit different than what it is today. It was made by using raw oats, grated apples, and chopped nuts mixed with water, lemon juice, and sweetened condensed milk.

Needless to say, it took off after its creation, and muesli breakfasts spread quickly throughout Switzerland. The recipe became so widespread in the country that many still refer to it as “Swiss muesli” or “Swiss-style muesli.”

Despite its European origins, muesli has also become a favorite breakfast food in the U.S., with successful brands like Alpen Muesli and Bob’s Red Mills appearing in health food stores across the country.

Other Grain Cereals

Adding breakfast muesli cereals to your mixture is an excellent way to give your recipe a delectable crunch. Some of my favorite brands include Brown Rice Crisps, Rice Puffs, Kamut Khorasan Wheat Puffs (not gluten-free), Bran Flakes (not gluten-free), and Quinoa Flakes—all of which should be available in the health section of your local grocery store. Of course, you can order them online as well. Be sure to use a gluten-free cereal brand if you want to keep this recipe gluten-free.

Superfoods

If you’re wondering how to make muesli extra nutritious, superfoods are just what your recipe needs. Heart-healthy hemp seeds and antioxidant-packed chia seeds are two of my favorite health-conscious add-ins. 

You could also add ground flax seeds to your muesli to increase its omega-3 fatty acids. However, don’t add them to the cereal mixture until just before you eat it, as they must be refrigerated until use.

Other Optional Add-Ins & Topping Suggestions

Give your muesli a healthy crunch by filling it with unsweetened coconut flakes. Or, add ½ cup of wheat germ for a power food with tons of healthy fats. Sesame seeds, fresh berries, apricots, and bananas also add a bright taste to your muesli breakfast. 

I also enjoy adding ground warm spices for additional flavor, stirring in a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, or ground cardamom. Just remember that a small amount goes a long way!

How to Serve?

There are several ways to serve this DIY muesli recipe. From homemade muesli cereal to fruity almond milk oatmeal, these tasty suggestions will have you craving a muesli breakfast daily.

• Serve it as cereal with milk: Prepare your muesli as a breakfast cereal by mixing it with an equal amount of cold milk (I recommend one cup for every cup of muesli). You can use cow or plant-based milk, such as oat or almond milk (which you can even make at home using my effortless recipes for Almond Butter Milk or DIY Almond Milk!). Then, top off your cereal muesli with fresh fruit (strawberries and blueberries are my faves) for extra juicy and sweet flavors.
• With yogurt: Give your muesli an irresistibly creamy texture by soaking it overnight in plain Greek yogurt. If you don’t want your muesli quite as soft, you could make a yogurt bowl by topping off your mixture with Homemade Vanilla Yogurt or your favorite store-bought brand. Or, make your muesli part of your favorite yogurt parfait with recipes like my fresh and flavorful Greek Yogurt Parfait. Alternatively, you can use this muesli to make my Overnight Oats with Yogurt by simply using this muesli mixture instead of rolled oats.
• With juice: Enjoy your muesli in European style by serving it with fruit juice, such as orange juice.
• Make oatmeal: To make muesli oatmeal, mix 1 cup of water or milk for every ½ cup of muesli. Then, bring the mixture to a quick boil on the stovetop or in the microwave, give it a quick stir, and serve. This simple oatmeal comes together in just 5-10 minutes. If you need further instructions, check out my Almond Milk Oatmeal recipe.
• With fruit on top or on the side: Top it off with a handful of fruit, or better yet, make a batch of my Fruit Breakfast Salad and serve it on the side.
• Optional sweeteners: If you have a sweet tooth, in my opinion, the best muesli recipe is one that has delicious natural sweeteners, like Pureed Blueberries, Unsweetened Applesauce, or Cranberry Maple Sauce. Alternatively, a drizzle of honey is yet another way of adding some sweetness to your morning bowl.

Expert Tips

Learning to make muesli at home is one of my favorite beginner-level recipes. With these pro suggestions, your dream breakfast will come together in seconds.

• Use a large bowl to mix: I highly recommend using a large bowl to combine your ingredients, as this recipe results in 16 cups of muesli, and you need enough space to distribute your ingredients evenly. When I made muesli on Instagram, I mixed all the ingredients in a large, 1-gallon glass jar, and as you can see, it is best to do it in a big bowl and then transfer it to the container.
• Use organic and gluten-free certified ingredients: Reduce your gluten intake, cut unhealthy chemicals from your diet, and support all-natural farms by using organic and gluten-free ingredients in this muesli dish.
• Halve or multiply the recipe as you please: You can prepare as many or as few servings of this breakfast dish as you’d like. Refer to the formula to increase or decrease your ingredients accordingly.
• Get creative: There are countless different ways to customize this easy homemade muesli recipe, and trying out new combinations is the best way to vary your diet without the hassle of everyday prep time. Whether you try this dish using an overnight oats-style, mix in some peanut butter, or top it with additional fresh fruits, don’t be afraid to have fun with it!
• Eat smaller portions for weight loss: If you’re trying to shed some pounds, I recommend consuming it in smaller portions (perhaps, ½ cup per serving.) Though it is made using healthy and nutritious ingredients, consuming muesli in smaller portions is ideal for weight loss.