Overnight Muesli
/Imagine yourself in the grocery store. You’re walking down the aisles and come across something you’ve never tried and are pretty excited about. You pick it up to throw it in your cart when you look at the price and your jaw drops. You think to yourself, How can such a small amount of something cost so much? I can definitely make the same thing for way cheaper…
This recently happened to me as I was at my all-time favorite store, Trader Joe’s. I love just about everything at this store and usually, I have no problem with the price, but when it comes to a tiny bag of cereal or granola that I can eat in one sitting, I don’t feel like I should spend the money. In this case, it was a small bag of Muesli.
I had been seeing muesli here and there on Instagram but never really thought twice about it. It looked like it was filled with lots of different grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. Many people eat it like cereal or on top of yogurt and use it like granola. It looked like it could be a really filling breakfast that I would love to try, but I honestly couldn’t get past the fact that these grains are not soaked or cooked. Can you picture yourself sticking a spoonful of raw oats and milk in your mouth? The idea of this just wasn’t appealing to me.
Overnight oats have always been a go-to breakfast for me, so I figured, why don’t I make my own Overnight Muesli? I know that the meal is made up of whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and spices. Why don’t I just mix-and-match what I have in my cabinets until I come up with the perfect combination?
Well, I’ve done it, and it’s my new favorite breakfast!
Whole grains not only make you feel full for a long time, but also provide you with a ton of fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients. For my whole grains, I rummaged up some pearl barley, quinoa, and rolled oats. I know from other breakfasts that I’ve made that barley is super filling and so is quinoa and oatmeal when mixed, so imagine how filling the three must be when they’re all together!
Preparing museli
Photo credit: Alyssa Delsoldato
For seeds, I added some ground flaxseed and some chia seeds. Flaxseed is popular among leaders of the plant-based food movement. It is a great source for your omega-3s as well as a ton of other nutrients that may help prevent certain illnesses. I also learned that you can mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water to make an egg-like substance to use in baking. Pretty wild, huh?
I always think of the Aztecs and Mayans when I think of chia seeds. This was their “superfood” that gave them the strength and nutrients to get through the day. It’s actually really similar to flax seeds but does not have to be ground up in order for you to absorb the nutrients from it. Both of these expand, which might help explain why these would help you to stay full longer.
As for the dried fruit aspect of muesli; I try to avoid dried fruit even though I think it’s delicious. As a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, I can’t justify eating it for my own eating style because of its high point value. With that being said, I would LOVE to add some raisins to my recipe, and if it fits your eating style I recommend you try it!
Soaked raisins in overnight oats are delicious, which I learned when I tried making Carrot Cake Overnight Oats for the first time. Although I don’t add dried fruit, I can get always behind some fresh fruit or even pureed fruit. I made a mixture of unsweetened applesauce and unsweetened cashew milk to soak my muesli in and then topped it with some freshly diced apple. This applesauce and cashew milk mixture has changed my overnight oats game.
Lately, I’ve been trying to wean myself off of added sugars. I just finished my second week of not putting sugar in my coffee and realized it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. My next step was to cut brown sugar out of my oats, which meant no sugar in my muesli either. I was kind of struggling with this because I’ve always loved brown sugar in my oatmeal. Then I thought about what my younger brother would do. The kid loves oatmeal of all kinds and makes his own unique flavors. He’s also not a big fan of adding sugar, but he is a HUGE fan of allspice.
I don’t even think I knew what allspice was when he was first telling me about putting it in his oatmeal. It’s a super potent version of cinnamon and clove flavors, and I’d even say it’s a little peppery. Basically, it tastes like it belongs in an apple pie, but is way more intense than the usual flavor. Allspice aids in digestion and is rich in antioxidants, and makes a perfect flavor addition to muesli if you ask me!
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first made this and I felt kind of like I was just emptying my cabinets into a plastic container. I let it soak overnight to allow the grains to soften. In the morning, I finally got to eat it and let me just say, I wasn’t disappointed. I honestly think if I bought it from the store, I’d still prefer my own version. This filling breakfast had a ton of different textures, had a bold flavor, and was really rich in nutrients.
This has now replaced my overnight oat obsession. The great part about overnight muesli is that you can mix-and-match different grains, seeds, and nuts, to mix it up and add some variety to your breakfast. Check out my recipe below and mix and match your own ingredients!
Overnight Muesli (serves 1)
Museli with diced apple
Photo credit: Alyssa DelSoldato
Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp uncooked quinoa
1 tbsp uncooked pearl barley
1/2 tsp dried chia seeds
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup unsweetened original cashew milk*
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce*
1/2 apple, diced
*For a thicker consistency, add a little less of these
Optional add-ins
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Wheat Germ
Pepitas
Sunflower Seeds
Pistachios or other nuts
Coconut
Directions
1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small container.
2. Refrigerate and let soak for several hours or preferably overnight. (You can add the diced apples now for convenience or add in the morning to make it fresh.)
3. Enjoy in the morning!
Let us know what your favorite combinations are by sharing at the bottom of the page!
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