Start your day with an energy-dense, homemade breakfast! This easy toasted muesli recipe is packed with flavour and nourishing ingredients, without added sugar or oils.
It's the perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings, giving you a delicious start to your day with minimal effort. Keep reading to see how simple it is to make your own!
I love this toasted muesli recipe because it stays crunchy, even after adding milk or yogurt, and has a deliciously toasty flavour. I often sprinkle some on as a fun topping for my Greek yogurt bowls!
Unlike raw muesli, which can soften quickly, this baked version holds its crisp texture. Toasting allows the muesli to be enjoyable to eat without needing to soak it.
Plus, it's so easy to make! A quick batch on the weekend means you'll have a nutritious, ready-to-eat breakfast all week long.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Tried and Tested: I've made this recipe a few times to get it right, so you can count on it being super tasty and crunchy every time!
- Customizable & Pantry-Friendly: You can easily swap in whatever ingredients you have on hand, making it a great, budget-friendly option for anyone.
- Make-Ahead & Versatile: It's perfect for prepping ahead of time, so you've got a yummy breakfast or snack ready to go!
What is Muesli?
While crunchy granola is a popular, well-known breakfast option, muesli has been gaining popularity over the years.
Muesli in North America is a hearty, oat-based breakfast that usually includes nuts and fruit, but the recipe has changed over the years!
In the late 19th century, Swiss nutritionist Dr. Bircher-Benner created the original version of muesli as a health food.
His recipe was much simpler than the store-bought muesli we see now. He soaked oats in water to soften them, then mixed in condensed milk (or milk sweetened with honey), lemon juice, grated apples, and chopped nuts. This dish is still enjoyed today, but we call it Bircher muesli.
Over time, muesli has evolved into the popular breakfast cereal we know now: a mix of raw or toasted grains, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Whether enjoyed with milk, yogurt, or juice, this Swiss oat cereal has become a staple for those looking for a simple, nourishing start to the day.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The base of my toasted muesli recipe is rolled oats, and everything else can be customized to suit your preferences. This is just my favourite combination of ingredients.
Chances are, you already have most of these dry ingredients in your pantry, making this an easy and budget-friendly recipe to put together!
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut: I prefer sweetened coconut because I enjoy the taste, but you could use unsweetened instead. Coconut flakes will also work, though they may take longer to toast.
- Rolled Oats: This is the best type of oats to use for muesli. Quick oats don't have enough texture, and steel-cut oats are too chewy for this recipe. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but check the packaging to ensure it's not processed in a factory that may have cross-contamination if this is important for you.
- Pumpkin Seeds: I love the crunch of pumpkin seeds, but you could omit them or substitute them with sunflower seeds.
- Sliced Almonds: I use these because they're easy to find at the grocery store and eliminate the need for chopping. Slivered almonds are also nice in this recipe, but you can substitute the almonds for any chopped, toasted nut.
- Ground Spices: These add warm flavour to the muesli, but can be omitted.
- Dried Cranberries: Cranberries add a great tangy flavour to this baked muesli, but any dried fruit will work. Try using dried blueberries, cherries, apricots, bananas, pineapple or mango and discover what you enjoy the most!
- Golden Raisins (Sultanas): I love the bright colour of golden raisins, but regular raisins are a great option. Or, you can try dried black currants, but they will be much smaller than raisins.
This recipe has not been tested with all possible substitutions or variations. Making changes may alter the taste, texture, or overall outcome. If you try a different ingredient, please share in the comments!
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and recipe instructions.
How to Make Toasted Muesli
This toasted muesli recipe comes together quickly and lasts for several weeks.
It's a simple recipe with just a few ingredients and minimal hands-on time, making it perfect for weekend meal prep.
Step 1: Spread shredded coconut on a sheet pan and bake at 325°F until brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 2: Add rolled oats to the sheet pan and toss with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
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Step 3: Add sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds to rolled oats on the sheet pan.
Step 4: Stir ingredients, then spread out into an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting. Allow to cool.
Step 5: Mix the toasted coconut with the toasted oat mixture, and stir in the dried fruit.
Step 6: Once the mixture has cooled completely, store it in an air-tight container.
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and recipe instructions.
Tips for Success
- Keep a close eye on the sweetened shredded coconut while it's toasting. It can burn quickly!
- Stir the oat mixture every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting.
- Don't bother putting the dried fruit in the oven - they don't need to be toasted.
How to Serve It
You can use muesli much like you would use granola; it just has a looser texture.
- Soak this toasted muesli overnight and serve with grated apple for a spin on the classic Bircher muesli.
- Eat it with cold milk as a quick breakfast cereal. Serve with fresh fruit on top.
- Use it as a crunchy topping for a Greek yogurt bowl or on ice cream.
Tip: Using this toasted muesli as a substitute for granola in my granola parfait, maple parfait recipes for a lighter breakfast option!
Frequently Asked Questions
Muesli is a loose mix of grains, nuts, and dried fruit, usually eaten with milk or yogurt. Granola is baked into clumps using sweeteners and oil, giving it a crunchy texture and a slightly sweeter taste.
Muesli is a mixture of oats, nuts and dried fruit that can be eaten as-is or soaked for a softer texture. Overnight oats are always pre-soaked for a soft, porridge-like texture.
I hope you enjoy making and munching on this toasted muesli as much as I do! I love having some quick pantry recipes on hand for busy days.
If you make the recipe, I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating below to let me know how it turned out!
Recipe Card
Toasted Muesli (without added sugar)
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut, (not desiccated coconut)
- 2 cups rolled oats, (not quick oats)
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt, (I use fine sea salt)
- ½ cup sliced almonds, or other chopped nuts
- ⅔ cup pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries, or other dried fruit
- ⅓ cup golden raisins, or other dried fruit
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat over to 325°F (165°C)
- Place shredded coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Bake for 4-5 minutes, or until toasted and brown. Remove coconut from sheet and place in a mixing bowl to cool.
- Add rolled oats to the sheet pan, and toss with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the almonds and seeds, stir to combine.
- Spread ingredients out into an even layer. Bake for about 15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from sheet pan and place in mixing bowl with the coconut.
- Once the toasted ingredients have cooled down, add the dried fruit and stir to combine.
- The muesli must cool completely before storing, or it will become soggy. Transfer cooled muesli to an air-tight container and store at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
- Shredded or flaked coconut works best here! Just keep in mind that flaked coconut takes a little longer to toast. I used sweetened coconut, but feel free to go with unsweetened if you prefer.
- Keep a close eye on your coconut while it's toasting-it can go from golden to burnt in no time!
- If your pumpkin seeds are already toasted, you can simply mix them in with the dried fruit.
- Rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) are the best choice for muesli. Quick oats are too powdery, and steel-cut oats don't have the right texture for this recipe.
- Want a little extra sweetness? Drizzle on some honey or maple syrup when serving!
- If you'd like to cut back on sugar, you can reduce the dried fruit or leave it out altogether.
Please read the full blog post for all of my tips, variations, and recommendations for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on specific ingredients and brands used. Accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Private Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out in the comments!About Shareba
Shareba Abdul is a recipe developer and food photographer with a Culinary Arts certificate from George Brown College and 15+ years of experience creating and testing recipes for home cooks. All recipes are tested in her home kitchen. Learn more →
Peggy says
Delicious recipe. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the ingredients were readily available.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! It's definitely a keeper.
Shareba Abdul says
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! I'm really glad you found the instructions easy to follow — that's always my goal. I'm so happy to hear it's a keeper for you! 😊
Shareba Abdul says
I've been making this recipe for years! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. It's simple, but tasty!