Muesli tends to get a bit of a bad reputation these days. Commercially processed versions are often seen as being high in fats and sugars, however, they do tend to contain nuts (high in fats) and dried fruit (high in sugars) which aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ for you when eaten in a standard portion size as part of a balanced diet with everything in moderation.
If you’re concerned about it, making your own homemade toasted muesli is super easy and doesn’t take too long. Going DIY with it enables you to take control over what’s going into your breakfast food which means you can skip the added sugar, preservatives and other bits and pieces you may find in store bought varieties. I was inspired to start making my own after a friend brought me her homemade muesli when I was on bed rest during my second pregnancy. Now I make this on almost a weekly basis for the husband to take to work.
I’ve kept this recipe the plain version, but as I mention at the end you can add extras for different flavours.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup thread coconut
- 1 cup nuts (I used equal parts almonds and cashews)
- 1/2 cup seeds (I used equal parts sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup rice bran or coconut oil
METHOD
Combine all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Combine honey and oil in a separate bowl, then heat in a saucepan over low heat before mixing all ingredients together (I tend to do this part in a large saucepan, then just tip the dry ingredients straight in and mix it all together; saves on dishes but you may need to keep stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan!).
Spread out mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper. You may need to do this in two batches so that you can spread it thinly enough otherwise it won’t toast properly and will stay soft.
Bake in oven at 150 degrees around 10-15 mins until golden. Watch carefully to ensure it doesn’t burn – if it reaches this time, is beginning to burn and is still underdone, you can turn the oven down to around 60 degrees and keep the oven door ajar until it dries out more.
Allow to cool then store in an airtight container; will last around a week.
TIP: Get creative with it! I like to add 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp chia seeds for extra flavour and an added protein boost. Add them in with the honey and oil when you heat it up. You can also add chopped dried fruit after the mixture has cooled down at the end.
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Image / NZ Real Health