Try this HOMEMADE MUSELI recipe, or contribute your own.
- 5 cups whole-grain flakes barley, quinoa, kamut, rye, or spelt flakes, or a mixture
- 3 3/4 cups oat flakes or quick-cooking oats
- 2 tablespoons wheat bran (optional)
- 3 tablespoons seeds flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, or a mixture
- up to 5 cups mixed dried fruits (such as chopped a chopped apricots or dates, golden raisins, raisins, apples, coconut shavings, goji berries, or a mixture
- 1 cup chopped mixed nuts brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, or a mixture
- chunks of chocolate or dried banana chips (optiona
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Mix the grain flakes, oats, and bran, if using, on a rimmed baking sheet and spread the muesli so it’s 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. (You may need 2 baking sheets.) Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the grains look lightly toasted (but not browned) when you stir them with a spoon. Transfer the toasted flakes to a plate or another baking sheet and let cool to room temperature. Dump the flakes in a large bowl. (If you prefer raw homemade muesli, just mix the grain flakes, oats, and bran, if using, in a large bowl and skip the oven part.)
- Stir in the seeds, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate or banana chunks, if using, as well as anything else you want to add to the grains. Dump the muesli into an airtight container and store at room temperature.
The Mechanics of Toasting
Briefly passing grain flakes through a 350-degree oven activates surface starches without darkening the interior, developing a toasted aroma that distinguishes homemade blends from raw mixes. Spread the oats and ancient grains between one-quarter and one-half inch deep on a rimmed baking sheet so hot air circulates evenly during the six to eight minute baking window. Stir the mixture halfway through to prevent scorching on the pan's metal contact points, then cool the grains completely before adding heat-sensitive mix-ins like chocolate chunks.
Managing Ingredient Proportions
Balancing dense seeds and dried fruit with lighter flakes requires respecting structural proportions, where soft dried fruits like apricots demand chopping to distribute evenly against rigid nuts like Brazil nuts or almonds. When substituting quinoa or kamut flakes for standard barley, maintain the bulk volume to preserve the correct ratio of mix-ins, ensuring every scoop contains an equitable distribution of fiber and fats. Oil-rich seeds such as flax and chia should remain raw during the baking phase to prevent rancidity from developing in storage.
Storage and Scaling
An airtight container kept at room temperature preserves this dry mixture for months, provided moisture never enters the vessel during scooping. Scaling the batch upward requires simply multiplying the grain and nut volumes equally while utilizing multiple rimmed baking sheets to maintain the shallow layer depth required for even heat penetration.
