This dairy free (optional), fruit sweetened only, swiss muesli recipe is made the night before which makes it great for busy mornings. It’s loaded with healthy fats like omega 3’s, protein and fibre.

I spent a winter instructing skiing in Austria, and this is the breakfast I’d eat after my early monring gondola ride up the mountain. This breakfast is traditionally called Bircher Müsli (though i grew to call it ‘swiss muesli’). A swiss doctor named, Bircher, created this breakfast for his patients and it remains popular throughout Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Traditionally, the apple is grated; though, I often use apple chunks (both options shown in photos). I’ve also added chunks of oranges when they are in season. The juice from the orange takes the muesli to new levels and got me through many years of pregnancy nausea – sometimes three meals a day. (Pregnancy-nausea-omg-I-need-this-now simplified version: chopped apple, orange, yogurt, trail mix – rasisins, seeds, nuts.)

I was forever modifiying this recipe with the one goal of getting my eldest daugther to love it. This meant I had to omit the nuts in the overnight soak and needed to add extra dried and fresh fruit. Today, she’ll eat it as is.

The original bircher muesli recipe called for more fruit then oats. So by all means modify the recipe to your or your families own tastes and it’s sure to be a staple. Who doesn’t want a morning off from preparing breakfast for hungry little goblins. When my son was 8 he said, “Tastes like chocolate!!!”. He still loves this breakfast, today.

Be sure to remove from the fridge to take the chill off, esp in winter. No sweetner added or needed, esp if using a juicy orange. Test in morning and add if necessary.

raw, gluten free, vegan, dairy free optional, nut free optional, soy free

swiss muesli (bircher muesli) 

• 1cup gluten free oats:1 cup non dairy milk (oat milk is my current fav):1/2 cup yogurt (for dairy free, use coconut milk yogurt or substitute yog with 1tbsp chia + 1/4+ cup milk)
• 1/4 c currants (or any other dried fruit dates, figs, apricots, prunes, cranberries, goji berries…) 
• 1/4-1/2 cup nuts, crushed, diced or chopped almonds, cashews or walnuts 
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (or pumpkin, hemp, sesame…) 
• 1 large apple, coarsely grated or chopped with peel
• 1 orange, sliced and chopped (optional)
• cinnamon dashes (optional)

I like to chop up the nuts using a knife then crush in a mortal an pestal; my kids don’t like eating chunks of nuts so i try to hide them as much as possible. They also don’t like chunks of dried fruit so I use currants since they are tiny..

Combine all ingredients in a container and leave in the fridge over night. 

Additional toppings to serve. Sometimes i like to reserve some chopped nuts for the topping or add extra fruit, such as fresh berries, banana slices or frozen berries that have been warmed on low on the stovetop (until an almost syrup is formed)  can be added in the morning. Furthermore, you can make the dry ingredients in advance(or in bulk) and simply add liquid and fruit the night before.

Enjoy!