Muesli is basically an un-toasted granola, made with raw rolled oats and other rolled grains (if you wish) along with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. It’s not doused in any sweeteners or oils to aid in the baking process – because there is no baking process! So it tends to be a lighter, healthier option than granola.
That’s not to say I don’t love my granola! But in the summer months especially, muesli is my go-to. It’s cool, it’s quick, and it’s hearty.
Like many of us, I grew up on boxed cereal for breakfast. Pour out the the dry deliciousness, douse in milk of choice, and go! But as I’ve moved toward a healthier, whole-foods-based diet, I’ve turned away from most processed foods – and cereal in a box is a casualty. But I still missed the convenience. Not anymore, though. Helloooo, muesli!
Homemade Muesli vs. Store-Bought
You can buy muesli at the store – I find it in the bulk section or among the boxed cereals. But why would you? It is SO easy to make muesli at home! Okay, I admit to buying it now and then when life gets crazy. But I really prefer making muesli because I can customize it exactly how I like it. My version has lots of nuts and seeds for added healthy fats and protein. And a lighter hand with the dried fruit to help cut down on sugar.
Here’s how to make muesli so you, too, can enjoy your own super-duper easy and healthy plant-based breakfast at home!
How to Make Muesli
Making muesli is ridiculously easy. Step 1: Stir together a few ingredients – oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit. Step 2: Um, well, eat!
My personal formula for homemade muesli:
- 2 parts rolled oats
- 2 parts other rolled grains (or another 2 parts rolled oats)
- 4 parts nuts and seeds
- 1 part dried fruit
Then I just stir it all together in a big bowl, store it in an airtight container, and scoop out 1/2 cup or so for each breakfast or snack.
Here’s the formula broken down with options:
2 parts rolled oats
This is pretty straightforward. I buy my rolled oats out of the bulk bin at my local grocery store. If you are gluten-free, you’ll want to look for certified gluten-free oats.
2 parts other rolled grains
Choose grains such as:
- Rye
- Barley
- Triticale (a cross of rye and wheat)
- Spelt flakes
- Quinoa flakes (quinoa is actually a seed that performs like a grain!)
- Or just another 2 parts rolled oats!
If you’re gluten-free, you’ll likely want to stick with quinoa flakes – or simply add more gluten-free rolled oats.
4 parts nuts and seeds
This is where it gets good! Throw in one or more of the following. Chop up the bigger stuff first!
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Cashews
- Sunflower seeds
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Sesame seeds
For an extra healthy punch of goodness, you might also include a small amount of the following:
- Chia seeds
- Hemp hearts
- Flaxseeds
1 part dried fruit
Choose from these delicious dried fruits:
- Raisins
- Golden raisins
- Apples
- Currants
- Coconut flakes or chips
- Blueberries
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- Apricots
- Cherries
Mix and match however you want – make your muesli your own!
How to Serve and Eat Muesli
To serve, scoop about 1/2 cup into a bowl, pour on some milk (I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk), and enjoy it right away or let it soak for 30 minutes or so to soften. I love to go crazy with fresh fruit on top so that I can feel virtuous about my breakfast (well, and also because it’s tasty).
Some folks like to mix it with yogurt. Others like to go the overnight oats route and let it soak all night – then just grab it out of the fridge in the morning and dig in! (There might also be health benefits to the overnight method, as described here).
A squeeze of lemon, some grated fresh apple, or perhaps a drizzle of pure maple syrup can also be nice (the lemon and apple are actually both pretty traditional in muesli).
However you like it, there’s no question that homemade muesli an ideal breakfast or snack food for summer. Cool, refreshing, nourishing – and no cereal boxes in sight!
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!
How to Make Muesli
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups other rolled grains such as: rye (barley, triticale, spelt flakes, and/or quinoa flakes (or another 2 cups rolled oats))
- 4 cups nuts and seeds such as: almonds (pecans, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, and/or pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and/or 1/4 cup or less each of sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and/or flaxseeds)
- 1 cup dried fruit such as: raisins (golden raisins, apples, currants, coconut flakes or chips, blueberries, freeze-dried strawberries, apricots, and/or cherries)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine. Store at room temperature a large airtight container. Keeps for weeks or even months!
- To serve, scoop out 1/2 cup and add to a bowl. Add yogurt or milk of choice and fresh fruit if desired. Eat right away, or let soak for about 30 minutes to soften. Or, if you prefer, you can soak it overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
This is great — thanks! I used 1/2 cup as my “part” (1 part this, 2 parts that….) and made at least 3x as much muesli as there is in a store-bought bag at about 1/2 the cost of the ready-to-eat. And with WAY more seeds, nuts and dried fruit than the store-bought version as well. I think it took me all of 10 minutes, at most. Awesome!
So easy right?! And you can make it exactly how you like it! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! Muesli is my go-to meal before a bike ride. I like that this recipe has a bunch of slow release carbs and fibre.
Can you give an estimate on how much milk (or yogurt) to use to soften? I plan to soak overnight and am looking for an amount to start with. SIngle serving. Thank you!
I have found this basic method of making muesli iworks every time, with additives of fresh fruit and yoghurt it makes my morning every time!
As a member of Weight Watchers (married to a wife who lost 110 lbs – I’ve lost 30 of 90 lbs – our doctors mandated weight loss, so we are serious), I have to count lots of points for dried fruit, but fresh fruit is free on the diet, so I’m going to try your recipe with fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, and some other grain. I’ll put it in yogurt overnight and add fresh fruit in the morning. I’ve actually tried a vegetarian diet – although my wife likes her meat. But who cares? We’re happy!
That’s a great idea. I’ve just started Weight Watchers myself, and those points sure can add up!
I tried what I suggested with a twist: I got the ingredients I needed from a grocery store – all organic of course – including steel cut oatmeal, raw almonds, raw pecans, flax seed (which happened to be roasted – kind of reminds me of sesame seed), and nonfat Greek yogurt (a little too thick – will try thinner yogurt next time). I measure out my ingredients and put them in a bowl the night before along with yogurt (so I can count points), cover with a plate, refrigerate overnight, add fresh fruit in the morning and enjoy! I can customize breakfast for anyone who wants to join me. My wife who lost 110 lbs. on Weight Watchers prefers a smaller portion and doesn’t care for flax seed. We can add cut up apple, blueberries, grapes, or whatever in the morning. If the mixture is too thick, a little milk will help. There is no added sugar in this. I love it!
As the weather gets cold, I’ll just make hot steel cut oatmeal with all the ingredients and enjoy first thing in the morning!
My doctor wants me to get away from any kind of sweetener – the sweetness of fruit is fine – fruits have so many good things and they are free in Weight Watchers! It is really frustrating that I cannot find any ready to eat cereal in the grocery without added sugar. No wonder we’re in trouble!
Do you suggest toasting all ingredients – oats, flaxseeds, nuts – before mixing and storing them?
I don’t, though I’m sure that would add a lovely element of flavor!
thank you! Is it possible to use the same mixture to make healthy snack bars and how?
You could bind them with a combo of nut butter and brown rice syrup (questionable whether or not the latter is healthy, but maybe in moderation?) An example of something similar can be found here: https://www.kitchentreaty.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-granola-bars-with-dried-cranberries-pepitas/ 🙂
Best recipe ever! Was searching to find how to make your own muesli others were so confusing this is the only article which was very straight forward. Thank you so much
Thank you so much NAz! 🙂
Can I please find out if I can add 2 dried fruits instead 1?
Cannot see why not! The recipe is pretty free form.
Dried apricots? Cranberries?
In your years of homemade making it what dried fruits just don’t work well?
Much thx!!
So I fell in love with Muesli when I visited New Zealand–not only is it a staple there and you can purchase just about every mix imaginable, I also saw that most people there made their own–at least, all our Air BNB hosts did :-).
One thing that really amped-up the flavor was baking it for 8-12 minutes to toast the grains and the nuts, and in many people’s case, desiccated coconut. For some reason, just a little of those tasty coconut flakes went a long way, maybe 1 c coconut for this recipe. Oh my, it’s so good!
Was looking for a recipe which gives easy to shop for ingredients as well as in the right proportion…thank you
Thanks for the recipe. I played a bit, using Quinoa and buckwheat flakes, a half cup less nuts, more dried fruit and added flaxseed and hemp seed. As a tip: on a cycling tour of Austria I learnt to eat my morning muesli with fresh fruit juice instead of milk as there was seldom any plant-based milk available and I enjoyed it so much that I have kept it up. Especially using power juices makes for a good feeling as well as taste!
Would you have the nutrition facts?
This recipe is really good, and offers avenues for “improvement.” Among the changes, I added a cup of Uncle Sam cereal, and a half cup of shaved coconut to the mix. It’s amazing how this meusli is so satisfying – only half a cup of meusli, a half cup of milk, and a smattering of strawberries and blueberries. This is so much more satisfying and healthful than most granola variants, at a fraction of the cost.
Wow this looks so awesome I’m gonna start trying this in the mornings. I have a rigorous job that goes about 14 hours a day on average and at least 10 of those hours is cardio. It’s hard to balance my diet because if I eat to much I get chunky, but if I don’t eat enough I’ll pass out at work.
It is a very good proportion of grains and seeds to sweet dried fruit, exactly what I was looking for. It is much more economical to make your own muesli and you can always adjust the taste and crunch (or lack thereof). I am a recent muesli addict, although when I lived in Europe, I could care less for it, gimme the honey bunches of oats and keep the milk. Lol. Thank you for the recipe!
Yes, it saves a ton of money to make your own! And yes – Honey Bunches of Oats is really delicious! 😀
As a type 1 diabetic I was most pleased to se the addition of nutrition facts, however I could not see the weight to which they apply. As I live in England, and always weigh my ingredients (which is important as a diabetic) could you please tell me the size of cup you use and if it is always a level cup of the same cup used for all ingredients. Thanking you in anticipation.
Thank you from Japan and a scrumptious breakfast with yoghurt. Jack.
Looks great – I love that the sugar level appears to be not too high. I will probably modify with dates and macadamias. Can you publish the weight that your nutritional info is based on, though? Amounts per 100 g would be helpful.
What a quick way to make it. I am so happy you showed me this.