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).