Muesli Breakfast Bowl

This healthy and delicious Muesli breakfast bowl is a perfect way to kick start your day. Made using homemade Muesli with healthy goodness of oats, seeds and nuts, it takes just 5 minutes to make this filling and nutritious breakfast bowl. You can make this muesli breakfast bowl by the overnight-oats method and just top it with fresh fruits and some chia seeds before serving or enjoy the muesli with frozen berries pulsed with yogurt and then topped with fruits, the way i have served here. Either way it is no less than a wholesome flavorful treat ! The recipe is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and can be made vegan by using plant based milk.

What is Muesli? 

Muesli is a mixture of cereals like wheat flakes, oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruits. This mix may be combined with one or more liquids like milk, yogurt, or fruit juice and left to soften the oats before being consumed. The soaked muesli may further be topped with fresh fruits and bits of chocolate for a feeling and nutritious meal. Muesli was not originally intended as a breakfast food, but as an appetizer similar to bread and butter. It was introduced around 1900 by Bircher-Benner (a Swiss doctor) for patients in his hospital, where a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables was an essential part of therapy. source

What is the difference between Muesli and Granola ?

The main difference between muesli and granola is that while both are made up of grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, muesli is unbaked while granola is baked along with a sweetener and oil to bind the ingredients together.

The other difference is that Muesli can be served cold (soaked in a liquid) or hot(cooked in simmering liquid) while Granola is always served cold either with a splash of milk or over yogurt. Granola can also be had as a delicious snack by itself.

                              

What goes into my Homemade Muesli?

Making a batch of Muesli at home is very easy and it does not have a particular recipe either. You just have to mix the rolled oats, dried fruits, nuts and seeds together and store in a jar. Since i do not like the raw taste of oats, i have lightly dry toasted the rolled oats and nuts before adding the dried fruits and raisin to it. I have also flavored my muesli with cinnamon powder and little salt. the preparation of homemade muesli varies according to one's personal tastes and preference, the basic proportions are around 80% grain, 10% nuts and seeds and 10% dried fruits. You may use any nut, seed and dried fruit in making your muesli just chop them to the same size as that of rolled oats. If you add tiny seeds like sesame seeds or chia seeds, they tend to settle to the bottom of the jar. You may however sprinkle such tiny seeds on your muesli breakfast bowl before serving it.

Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They are a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, plant-based protein, fiber and antioxidants. This makes it a powerful meal for gut, heart, and brain health. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits which include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease.

                                              

• Grains : Rolled oats form the base of this muesli. You may use other whole grain flakes like wheat flakes or rye flakes also along with rolled oats. I have used gluten-free rolled oats.
• Dried Fruits: I have used chopped dried apricots and figs along with golden raisin and currants. You may use any dried fruit like goji berry, cranberries, blueberries etc or use chopped dates instead of figs.
• Nuts: I have used cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.You may add any nuts of your choice. 
• Seeds: I have used pumpkin seeds here in my muesli and sprinkle chia seeds on my breakfast bowl just just before serving. You may use sunflower seeds also in your muesli.
• Cinnamon Powder: I have flavored my muesli with cinnamon powder. You may skip it if you wish.
• Salt: I have also added a dash of salt to my muesli. This is also purely optional.

                                

Traditionally all the muesli ingredients are just tossed together and filled in a jar. As i do not like the raw taste of oats, i have simply toasted the ingredients in a pan for few minutes and mixed together after cooling . You may roast the rolled oats , pumpkin seeds and nuts in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 5-7 minutes instead. I have then seasoned my muesli with freshly ground cinnamon powder and dash of salt. Fill the muesli in a clean and dry glass jar with a air-tight lid. Muesli made in such way stays good for 1-2 months at room temperature. I always make smaller batches which last for a month or so.

Ways of serving Muesli:

• Overnight Muesli: You can serve muesli just like the overnight oats. Add muesli to a mason jar. Add milk to it, cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight. Top it with fresh fruits just before serving. You may add little honey or other sweetener if desired.
• With yogurt and berries : Soak the muesli in little milk just for 30 minutes. Pulse frozen berries with yogurt. Add this flavored yogurt to the soaked muesli. Top it with some fresh fruits and berries and serve. You may sprinkle chia seeds as well.

Health benefits of including Muesli in regular diet source

Muesli has been widely promoted as a healthy food. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner or in between your meals. Let's have a look at the health benefits of eating Muesli.

• Rich in Fibre: Oats are a rich source of fibre. The fibre content helps in improving bowel movements and prevents constipation. The rich fibre content also make muesli a heart healthy food as it helps in lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart diseases.
• Store house of Minerals and Vitamins: As muesli is a mixture of nuts and dried fruits, it is rich in minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and selenuim which are essential for well being of the body and for stronger bones and teeth. Muesli is also rich in vitamin A, C, E and K which help in maintaining the overall health.
• Keeps you energetic: Muesli is rich in carbohydrates so keeps one energetic
• Full of Antioxidants: Muesli contains different types of antioxidants which help in protecting the body against free radical damage. Antioxidants also helps in keeping you stress free and prevents ageing.
• Boosts Immunity: The antioxidants in muesli boosts immunity and protect you from common infections and keeps you strong and healthy.
• Controls Blood Pressure and good for Diabetes: Diabetes is known as a diabetic-friendly food and keeps hypertension under check.

Super Nuts and Seeds @Foodie Monday Bloghop

Nuts and seeds are considered to be among the healthiest foods on earth and referred to as super foods. Relatively smaller in size nuts and seeds are heart healthy energy dense food packed in proteins, fatty acids, minerals, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Including them in our daily diet boosts immunity and maintains good health. With this though in mind, our hostess for the 234th week on our Facebook Gourmet group, FoodieMondayBlogHop, Swaty Malik who blogs at foodtrails suggested that we cook any dish with nuts and seeds as our star ingredient. I already have many winter special ladoo and energy bars with seeds and nuts on the blog. So, i thought of making a homemade muesli which makes for an easy yet nutritious meal in a jiffy. Meanwhile, do check out Swaty's blog for healthy and delicious recipes from around the globe. I have bookmarked her Flaxseeds chutney powder and chutneywale aloo to try out soon.

                                                           
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Roasting Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients for Homemade Muesli:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins and currants
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricot and dried figs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2-3 tablespoon unsalted cashew nuts
• 2-3 tablespoon walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Dry roast the rolled oats in a heated pan for 4-5 minutes on low to medium flame for 4-5 minutes while stirring intermittently. Remove the oats in a plate and allow to cool down.

2. To the same pan, add pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds and coconut flakes and roast for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep aside to cool down. Next, add halved cashews and roughly chopped walnuts and toast for 1-2 minutes. Allow them to cool down as well.

3. Alternatively, you can oven roast the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds and nuts. For that, spread rolled oats and nuts in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 7-10 minutes. Once cool, add roasted oats and nuts to a mixing bowl. add raisins, currants and chopped apricots and figs to it. Toss well. Now sprinkle cinnamon powder and salt over it and mix everything well. Fill the homemade muesli mix to a dry and clean glass jar with a close fitting lid and keep it at room temperature until use.

4. Make overnight muesli by adding warm milk to muesli in a jar. Cover and refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight. Top with fresh fruits just before serving. Alternatively, you may soak the muesli in little milk for just 30 minutes. Add flavored or plain yogurt and top with fresh or frozen berries and fruits and serve as a healthy nutritious breakfast bowl. You may sprinkle chia seeds or hemp seeds on your muesli before serving. You may choose to keep the muesli plain or sweeten it with yogurt or other sweetener of your choice. I have pulse yogurt with frozen strawberries and added it to my milk soaked muesli. Sprinkled chia seeds and topped my muesli breakfast bowl with sliced bananas, chopped strawberries and kiwi fruit.

                           

Recipe Notes:

• Traditionally all the muesli ingredients are just tossed together and filled in a jar. As i do not like the raw taste of oats, i have simply toasted the ingredients in a pan for few minutes and mixed together after cooling . You may roast the rolled oats , pumpkin seeds and nuts in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 5-7 minutes instead. 
• You may use any nut, seed and dried fruit in making your muesli just chop them to the same size as that of rolled oats. If you add tiny seeds like sesame seeds or chia seeds, they tend to settle to the bottom of the jar. You may however sprinkle such tiny seeds on your muesli breakfast bowl before serving it.
• To make a vegan muesli breakfast bowl, use a plant based milk like soymilk or alomnd milk to soak the muesli. You may also use coconut water or any fresh fruit juice instead of dairy milk or yogurt.
• You may also top your muesli breakfast bowl with chopped chocolate for variation along with fresh fruits.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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