A lot of people buy ready made mueslis that boast a variety of flavours and that look healthy at face value. However, usually the ingredients in these mueslis include refined sugars and high levels of simple carbohydrates. Of course, some of these products are genuinely healthy (make sure to read the ingredients) and are great for a quick, healthy breakfast (blog post on which ones are genuinely healthy to come soon). However, muesli is so easy to make and it’s usually a lot more cost effective to make at home. It’s also more reliably healthy; after all, you know exactly what goes into your muesli when you make it yourself.

My basic muesli recipe covers the foundation of what you need – feel free to add whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices etc you like! Get creative!

Cooking time 30 minutes, makes big batch

Ingredients:

• 2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup mixed seeds (pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds)
• 1/4 cup crushed/whole nuts (any nuts, I like almonds and cashew nuts)
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut/shredded coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup raisins/sultanas/dates
• 1-2 tbsp cinnamon (depending on your preference, add another other spices you like)
• 1-2 tsp vanilla essence (try a tsp of rose water for something different)
• 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• OPTIONAL: 1-2 tbsp honey/maple syrup OR a few stevia drops
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup buckwheat/millet/puffed brown rice (or a combination)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the open to 180 degrees.
2. Line your baking tray with a baking sheet.
3. Mix all your ingredients, except any dried fruit, together.
4. Lin the mix on the baking sheet, spreading evenly across the tray.
5. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to ensure it does not burn, moving the ingredients around to ensure they all brown evenly.
6. If its not brown enough after 15 minutes, leave it in a few minutes longer but do not leave it unattended as it can burn easily.
7. Take the ingredients out of the oven and allow it to cool.
8. Once cool, add dried fruits.
9. Enjoy your homemade muesli with some your favourite milk and/or yogurt (dairy-free is best)!

This will make a good amount of muesli for the week. I recommend doubling the ingredients and making your muesli on a Sunday to have it ready to go for a few weeks, as this recipe has a good shelf life. Note: you can have this muesli raw! Rolled oats are complex carbohydrates which are great for slow releasing, sustained energy whether cooked or raw.