Bircher Muesli
The original health food
If your only experience with muesli is the dry stuff that comes in a box, it’s time to get to know Bircher Muesli, which is essentially what we now call “overnight oats.” That dusty stuff in the box with a picture of the Alps on it had been my only experience with muesli until I had a summer housemate back in the ‘90s who came from a German family. When she whipped up breakfast one evening for the next day, I watched with great interest as she grated an apple into a mixture of oats and I’m not sure what else. As you’ll see below, this summery breakfast is highly customizable, so you can use a variety of things to soak the oats overnight — whatever suits your taste or your diet.
A little history: Back around 1900, a Swiss doctor and nutritionist named Maximilian Bircher-Benner started serving muesli to the patients in his sanatorium, after having a similar “strange dish” while hiking in the Alps. This was just part of a raw food diet that he believed had special healing powers. Though some of the good doctor’s extreme-for-the-time ideas have since been debunked, the muesli (mush) that he made famous stands the test of time.
It’s a great breakfast for right now because it’s easy to mix up a big or small batch the night before (it takes less than 5 minutes) and it lasts for several days, so it’s convenient if you're not the type to fuss with breakfast. If you have houseguests, you can set up a little buffet with all the fixin’s and let people make their own bowls. It’s even good as an afternoon snack. In fact, it was originally served as an appetizer for any meal. Most of all, it’s a terrific vehicle for all of the juicy fresh fruit that’s in season right now. I have been especially loving incorporating the sweetest, juiciest strawberries into my muesli breakfast lately.
If you’re a lover of hot oatmeal in the winter, this is the summer breakfast for you. I especially love the coolness of it, and that it’s an easy grab-and-go option for when I don’t have time for a sit down.
While we’re on the subject…
If it’s crunchy granola you’re after — which is basically a variation on muesli that’s baked with oil and sweeteners — Jessie Sheehan’s version (which I shared here two years ago), will scratch that itch. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re missing out! (You’re also missing out if you aren’t yet a subscriber to her Substack, Snackable Bakes.)
And if you want to read something interesting about how granola became so popular and forever linked to the hippie movement, read this.
I hope you have a great weekend! Peace, love, and granola.
Bircher Muesli
Makes 2 servings