Make Your Own Muesli

This post comes courtesy of Jennifer Farley, blogger, recipe developer and food photographer at Savory Simple. 

I’ve always had a bit of a cereal addiction. I find it to be a great comfort food, no matter what time of day. In fact, I love it so much that I had to stop buying it!  I’ve recently come up with a way to bring cereal back into my life in a healthy way: muesli, which is a homemade cereal made with oats, fruit and nuts. I love how all of the ingredients are fresh and not processed. I feel good about eating it.

The recipe (below) is very forgiving and adaptable. I typically use sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds would work perfectly (try using both!). You can get additional fiber by adding a tablespoon of flax seed.

My favorite dried fruits to use are cherries and dates, but raisins also work perfectly well. The goji berries and cacao nibs are optional if you’re not one for fancy ingredients. You can find them at most health food stores, and they’re both considered superfoods. I say “yes” to superfoods! Might as well sneak a bit of extra nutrition in there, right? They’re both very tasty; the cacao nibs add a lovely hint of chocolate crunch, while goji berries are sweet and chewy. If you leave these out, add more nuts and dried fruit.

Because I find cereal to be such a tempting snack, I prefer to make this one serving at a time. But to save time you can easily multiply the recipe and store it in an airtight container in the pantry. It will stay fresh for weeks, if not months.  Instant, healthy cereal!

Muesli

1/3 cup oats

1 Tbs. sunflower seeds, shelled

1 Tbs. nuts of your choice (I prefer slivered almonds or cashews)

1 Tbs. dried fruit of your choice (raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dates, etc.)

1 Tbs. goji berries

1 Tbs. cacao nibs

Optional: 2 Tbs. of fresh fruit (try blueberries!)

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with milk or yogurt. Serves 1.

About the author: Jennifer Farley is the owner, recipe developer and food photographer of Savory Simple. She graduated from the Culinary Arts program at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD where she trained in classic French technique. Jennifer currently works as a recreational cooking instructor and social media marketer. She resides in the Washington DC metropolitan area and can often be found exploring the local culinary scene in search of new inspiration.