I crave all kinds of food but what I crave most often — other than chocolate, of course — is cereal.
Whether it’s morning, afternoon or night I am always game for a big bowl of cereal drenched in almond milk. As a kid I favored sugary cereals like Lucky Charms and Berry Berry Kix, but these days I prefer the hearty, healthy varieties like oatmeal and muesli.
If you’ve never heard of muesli before, it’s like a healthier, lightened-up granola. Before you make your own at home, I would highly recommend trying a store-brand version to see what you think of it! Most muesli recipes us plain, raw oats, but in my experience the toasted muesli varieties taste better.
I love muesli for two main reasons: 1) It tastes delicious and makes me feel good. And 2) Most days, it keeps me full until lunchtime.
The best thing about homemade muesli is you can use pretty much whatever flavors you want to. In this toasted muesli recipe, I use chia seeds, cashews, coconut, cherries and golden raisins. But if you’re not a cherry fan — no worries! Just swap out the cherries for another kind of dried fruit you enjoy. Same thing with the cashews. If you prefer pecans, almonds or hazelnuts, feel free to make this recipe your own. There are no hard-and-fast rules to making muesli — just tasty fun!
Muesli can be enjoyed like granola, over yogurt, or eaten like a bowl of cereal with your choice of milk. Some people even heat it up or soak it overnight for a heartier texture. As for me? I like it how I like all my cereal: cold and drenched in almond milk.
Note: This toasted muesli recipe is paleo, gluten-free and dairy free. It makes about 4 cups, or about a weeks worth of breakfast if you eat a heaping 1/2 cup each morning for breakfast.
- 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3/4 cup cashew halves
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut chips
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, chia seeds and cashew halves and stir until combined. Pour in the maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla and stir until oats are evenly coated. Do NOT add golden raisins, cherries and coconut chips. We’ll add those in a little bit.
- Pour oat mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until the oats are lightly golden, stirring halfway, about 12 minutes.
- Remove muesli from oven and pour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in golden raisins, cherries and toasted coconut.
- Store muesli in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag (no defrosting time required).
I have been purchasing it, but this seems really easy to make. I probably will switch cherries to cranberries, but can’t wait to eat it. #bloggingboost
Hi Karen! Yes, it is SUPER easy to make and more cost-efficient in the long run, too! Cranberries would be an excellent substitution for cherries. Enjoy and have a fabulous Monday! 🙂
WOW. This looks like the ultimate healthy breakfast (or lunch or dinner or snack) 🙂 Great recipe!!
Lauren,
This looks absolutely delicious! I am going to have to give this recipe a shot! Thank you so much for sharing it. It looks very healthy and clean. I love making my own food because most companies are not as worried about using healthy ingredients. I also have a blog where I share healthy recipes with my readers. If you get a chance, I would love for you to stop by and say hello! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Best regards,
Tori
http://www.thesweetlifediaryofahealthnut.blogspot.com
This looks delicious! I just saved it to my Recipe Box on Yummly.
Thanks so much Kim! 😀
This looks delicious, but the cherries take it over the top! Yum!
This looks amazing!! I love love love muesli! Gotta try this 🙂
I have never actually tried Muesli, but this combination of oats cashews and dried fruit looks so good right now! With the weather getting cold now I might need to swap my green smoothie to something like this. Pinned!
Oh man, Meghan, if you’ve never tried muesli you’re in for a real treat! Let me know if you end up making it!
So cereal is your addiction, huh? I love learning new things about my friends! I can just picture you, a big bowl of cereal and your adorable pup at your feet! 🙂 I haven’t tried muesli yet, but it’s been on my list of things to eat. Thanks for posting this, because now I might actually give it a go! Loving this bowl full of heathy yum! All your additions sound fab, especially the cashews and golden raisins- so good!! Cheers, doll- to a beautiful Thankgiving!
Haha it’s hard to get the pup to sit still when I’m eating but we are making progress! Puppies can be so moody! Let me know if you end up trying this muesli! I bet you love it! 😉
Mmm I love this healthy muesli recipe! I am always down for cashews and chia seeds. I really want to start eating yogurt for breakfast but I’m so tired of just having fruits and honey with it. This will definitely keep me full until lunch!
Thanks so much Linda! This is excellent on top of yogurt for sure. Enjoy!
I eat cereal for basically every meal! This looks really beautiful! I love how many things you packed into it! I often forget how good golden raisins are!
Thanks so much Annie! I tend to forget about golden raisins every now and then, too. But once I rediscover them, I inhale them! 🙂
anytime one can save money by making their own healthy tasty meals they should do it 😀
I don’t often crave cereal, but if I made this, I bet I would!
Can’t believe I have never made muesli before. This recipe looks amazing. I am also a huge cereal fan, so I have to try this one! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I really enjoy making my own homemade muesli! I love that you can easily customise the recipe and add your favourite fruits and nuts! This looks delicious! 🙂
This looks so good! I’ve never had muesli before but I’ll pretty much takes oats however I can get them. These flavors sound great, too! Ever since I had a 4-year stint in Michigan, dried cherries have been my absolute favorite dried fruit, they’re everywhere there and I don’t think I had really had them much before moving there. What else I love about this recipe? Aside from the coconut chips, I have everything to make this and it’s SO going to be my breakfast today. Thanks!
I’m a cereal junkie too! Love the idea of making your own. I’m going to try this!
I NEED to make this Lauren! I love the addition of the dried cherries and coconut chips are my absolute favorite! Thanks for sharing!!
Yum! This sound so good. And I love that it’s easy, too. Thanks for sharing with us at the Merry Monday Link Party! Hope to see you again on Sunday night!