Maple Toasted Muesli – Rolled Oats and Flavorful Nuts Toasted with a Touch of Maple Syrup, Tossed with Dried Fruit. Healthy Breakfast or Snack.
I became hooked on muesli several years ago, when my husband and I spent a few months in England working on a project he was involved with. We rented an apartment in the West End, and just down the street there was a little mini-market with gourmet items – large wheels of cheese, charcuterie, jams, honey and milk from local farms. There was a small section for pantry goods, where they stocked various varieties of muesli. It became my favorite breakfast– a bowl of oats, nuts and dried fruit with a splash of cold milk. So satisfying and healthy!
Muesli was popularized by a Swiss doctor named Maximilian Bircher-Benner, who developed the cereal as a healthy fiber-rich diet for his patients. He first encountered a version of the dish while hiking the Swiss alps with his wife. It was served with orange juice rather than milk. In the 1920’s vegetarian diets were gaining a bit of popularity, and muesli became known as a “fringe” health food. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that muesli gained wider popularity. Today it is one of the most popular breakfast cereals in Europe.
Here in the States a few varieties of muesli are available in health food stores, but none are organic that I’ve seen, and only one is certified gluten free (but it contains soy, which I try to avoid). Knowing the basic ingredients, I wanted to create my own variety of muesli from scratch that includes all of my favorite healthy ingredients… organic rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, dates, etc. Raw muesli is lovely, but I thought it might be nice to toast the oats and nuts with a touch of maple syrup. The result is a lightly sweetened, slightly crunchy muesli, a perfect autumn breakfast or snack. Try it with cold milk, or heat it up together with milk to create a hot oat cereal. You can also omit the maple syrup and vanilla and skip the toasting step for a more traditional raw muesli. Add a handful to yogurt, or simply carry it as a dry snack. Each time I make it, my family snacks on it constantly… it’s addictive!
I think this would also make a terrific homemade holiday gift. It makes about the right amount for a quart-sized mason jar. Just place a batch inside a jar, tie a bow on it and give it a pretty label– presto! A gift from the heart that is nourishing and delicious. Enjoy!
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Maple Toasted Muesli
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats (for gluten free use certified GF oats)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (without shells)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (without shells)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup craisins (dried sweetened cranberries)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped pitted dates
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Toss the dry ingredients together with a spoon until well mixed. Drizzle in the maple syrup and vanilla. Using clean hands, mix the dry ingredients with the wet until they are evenly coated with the maple syrup. Spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
- Toast the mixture for 12-15 minutes, stirring once every 4 minutes, until the oats are dry and fragrant and the nuts and coconut flakes begin turning golden. The mixture on the outer edges of the pan will toast faster than the mixture in the middle of the pan, so be sure to stir from the outer edges inward so that everything cooks evenly. While muesli is toasting, clean out your mixing bowl and dry it, you'll need it again soon.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the mixture cool on the hot pan slowly to room temperature. Pour into the large mixing bowl and stir in the dried fruits. Scoop the muesli into a quart-sized mason jar or a plastic zipper bag and seal. Eat within 1 month and keep sealed in an airtight container when not in use for best flavor.
Nutrition
Best muesli recipe I’ve ever used. Five star plus!
Super easy and very yummy – I left out the dried fruit for personal preference but the balance of oats, seeds, nuts and coconut flakes was great. Thanks
Hello! I just made the recipe to give out to my family for Christmas. Smells and tastes great. But I’m not finished yet! My doubt is: should I add the dried fruit now, or keep it like this and add the fruits just a few days before Christmas? There is no risk of mould growing in the fruit? Thank you!!
Adding the fruit now and sealing it in a sealed container will render it slightly less crisp. If you like the texture you have now, you might wait until a few days before giving it out. Glad you like it! What a fun gift idea.
This cereal is full of lactogenic foods, perfect for anyone looking to increase their milk supply!
I have made this three times now. This last time I made some changes and I really like it better than the original recipe. (Sorry!) I reduced the maple syrup to 1/8 cup and added less than 1/8 cup of water to make up for the difference in the liquid. I also only put a level teaspoon of cinnamon in it. We don’t care for our cereal to be as sweet as the original recipe and this change made it perfect and it’s a lot less expensive than Bob’s Red Mill Muesli which I usually eat.
This is fantastic! It makes a perfect healthy breakfast. I make it every week now!
Delicious & healthy! Tried this recipe out and loved it so much, we made 8 batches of this for Christmas to give out to family & friends. Everyone has loved it! We did some variations with some chopped dried apricots, too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Great thank you so much for sharing, we serve this at our hostel as a healthy breakfast, the guests just love it. <3 from Novi Sad. Serbia
I have read and re-read your recipe for the Muesli. When do you add the craisins, raisins and dates?
Geneva, stir in the fruit after the oat mixture has cooled. I apologize for omitting that step, I’ve updated the post.
Hi Tori,
For the dried fruits, did you toast them too or mixed after the oats are done?
Thank you, Christine
Add them after the oats are done, Christine– no need to toast them. Apologies for omitting that step, I’ve corrected the recipe. Enjoy!