Here an easy, homemade, healthy breakfast option that can be made the night before and enjoyed for several days: gluten-free breakfast muesli. This delicious, light-as-a-cloud breakfast is similar to yogurt mousse with lots of delicious texture, no added sugar, and the natural sweetness of fresh fruit to make it shine!
This recipe is inspired some muesli I had while I was in Austria, made with fresh apples, fruit juices (such as orange juice), and raw oats. You can make this in so many different ways, and since it can be made the night before, it makes a great hearty, healthy, refreshing, easy breakfast for a busy day. Personally, I think this is the best way to make breakfast for Sunday morning before church: make it Saturday night, and then pull it out of the fridge on Sunday for a delicious breakfast that’s ready-made.
What is muesli?
Muesli is a mixture of raw oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Similar to granola, it is a breakfast cereal that you can eat with milk or yogurt. Unlike granola, a dry muesli mix can be made into a cooked porridge as well.
When I make my own muesli, I like to mix it (the dry oat mixture) with yogurt and fresh fruit, and soak it overnight. This gives the yogurt a wonderful, thick texture and improves the overall health benefits of the oats (source). In this post, this is how my muesli will be prepared – it is my favorite way, and in my opinion, the best experience.
Muesli vs. Granola
The main different between muesli and granola is that muesli is raw and granola is baked. Muesli then has much less sugar content and drier texture. Granola, on the other hand, is mixed with a syrup made with honey or brown sugar, and then it is baked until toasted and crunchy. Either one can yield a tasty breakfast, depending on your preference (and of course, having a good recipe)!
Recipe variations
One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to pull together, and also how versatile it is. You can easily add or substitute so many things into this, and it comes out delightful every time. The main ingredients you must keep are these: yogurt and oats. Everything else is flexible. Here are a few ideas:
For the fruit, try using (any 3 of the following):
- Apples (any variety; I like tart apples best)
- Pears
- Bananas*
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Apricots
- Plums
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Oranges
- Mandarin oranges
- Clementines
*Bananas are absolutely delicious in this recipe, but they don’t tend to last as well. If you don’t expect to eat all of your muesli in one breakfast, set the bananas aside and cut them on top of individual servings.
To the dry (muesli) ingredients, try adding (1/4 c. of any of the following):
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Coconut flakes
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Sunflower seeds
- Chia seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries
- Dried cherries
- Dried blueberries
- Dried currants
- Dried goji berries
For special occasions, do this:
Add 1/2 cup of whipping cream to this recipe (whipped until stiff). Fold the whipped cream into the muesli mixture to make it lighter and richer (similar to a yogurt mousse).
You can also try adding 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon to this recipe. I love it this way!
For extra sweetness, try using:
Honestly, I find that the fruit adds enough sweetness that I don’t like to add anything else to my muesli. If you do enjoy a little bit of a sweeter flavor, however, you can try using any of the following, stirred into the muesli when you make it, or served on top when you eat it. I don’t like to recommend extra sugar as a good option, but of course, if you want to try that, you are welcome to do that as well.
I recommend, for extra sweetness:
- Maple syrup
- Agave nectar
- Honey
- Coconut sugar
How to make gluten-free muesli with yogurt
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of making your own gluten-free breakfast muesli with yogurt! This delicious breakfast is one of the best for making quickly and easily.
Make sure your ingredients are actually gluten-free
This recipe is so simple to make, and I know you’re going to love it! To make sure that your gluten-free muesli recipe comes out actually gluten-free, make sure that you are using oats that are certified gluten-free oats. While it’s true that oats on their own are naturally gluten-free, they are often processed with wheat. So, unless they are marked “Gluten-free,” it is usually safe to assume that the oats are not completely free of gluten.
The other ingredients in this recipe should all be naturally gluten-free. If you aren’t sure about a substitution you want to add, check the full list of ingredients to make sure that it is actually gluten-free.
Preparing the fruit
Wash, core, and finely chop the fruit into the bottom of a large bowl. If you’re using harder fruits like apples, you can grate them into the bowl for a smaller, smoother texture when the muesli is done (personally I like the chunky pieces of fruit in mine, but that’s up to your personal preference).
Add the yogurt (and cream, if desired)
To prevent the fruit from oxidizing, spread the yogurt over top of it. If you are using whipping cream (as suggested above), you can whip the cream and fold it in with the yogurt now.
Add the dry ingredients
Stir in the raw oats, nuts, and dried fruit until the mixture is well combined. Store in a large airtight container in the fridge overnight, serving it fresh the next morning.
Tip: I like to make my muesli in a large bowl with a lid. Once the muesli is combined, just throw a lid on there, and place it into the fridge to rest overnight.
A word about leftover muesli:
Muesli mixed with yogurt that sits longer than 12 hours will begin to separate. If this happens, just gently stir the mixture until it comes together again. Muesli can be enjoyed for a maximum of 2 days after it has been made.
You will need:
- Ingredients (see recipe card)
- Large mixing bowl (with lid if possible)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler (optional)
- Cutting board
- Electric mixer (for whipping the cream, optional)
- Large airtight container (if your mixing bowl doesn’t have a lid)
Easy Breakfast Muesli
My favourite breakfast at the moment – lots of fruit, yogurt, oats, and seeds. This recipe is easy to adapt with different fruits or nuts, and it can be kept for about 3 days in the fridge – making mornings extra delicious, and super simple.
Ingredients
- 3 c. Greek yogurt
- 1 banana* peeled and sliced
- 1 large apple washed and finely chopped
- 1/4 c. raisins
- 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 c. rolled oats
- 1/2 c. whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks (optional)
Instructions
-
Wash, core, and chop the fruit. You can grate the apple if desired. Set aside.
-
If using, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, and set aside. (The whipping cream in this recipe is optional.)
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir to coat everything in the yogurt mixture, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
-
Keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
*Bananas will not be as good after the first day. If you prefer, you can substitute the banana in this recipe for another fruit of choice, and slice the bananas on top of your individual servings on the day that you serve it.
After this muesli has sat overnight, the fruit juices and whey in the yogurt will naturally begin to separate. When this happens, just stir it all back in!
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
- Strawberry Raspberry Smoothie Bowls
- Blueberry blackberry smoothie
- Fruit and Nut Granola
- Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Quiche Tarts
And that’s it! I hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know in the comments how you made yours, what your favorite thing about it was, or what your favorite other recipes for muesli might look like. I’d love to hear about it! You can also share your pictures or comments on Instagram @naomicakesofficial.
Bye for now, and back soon!
–Naomi
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