Homemade Muesli turned out to be so easy and much for full of nuts than the store bought version! Muesli is European and more common in the Indian markets, but you can say it is the cousin of granola, which is more popular in America.
I love granola! And granola bars – both the chewy and crunchy kind. They have been my vending machine go-to food for years. Well, along with salty pretzels and sweet candy to balance it out. But, let what happens at the vending machine stay at the vending machine! 😉
We are starting to see some granola bars in specialty stores in Pune in recent years. But there is not much variety.
Both granola or muesli have a base of oats – and we all know that whole grains, especially fiber rich oats are good for us. If you’ve had your fill of flavored Quaker Oats sachets or cups, and regular oatmeal, and let’s not forget Cheerios, this is one fine alternative.
Why homemade? Hard to find, expensive, lack of variety, too much salt, too much sugar, HFCS, additives, chemicals, things you cannot pronounce or remember etc.
And you get to make it any flavor you want. (Chili lovers, pay attention!)
I have stuck with a pretty conventional flavor combination this time, but I am really itching to try things like chili/lime, Cajun, soy/wasabi etc. A savory mix will liven up the taste buds and make it easy to stay away from sugar!
The recipe for my homemade muesli or honey nut granola is as follows –
homemade Muesli or honey nut granola is full of fiber rich oats and nuts and seeds that will give you a big dose of vitamins, minerals and energy! Indulge!
Ingredients
- 4 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup black raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/4 cup natural honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
Method
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the flax seeds. We don't really get old fashioned or slow cooking oats here in Pune ( not easily at least). I used Bagry's white oats which seem to be better than Quaker.
- Mix the dressing in another bowl. We are using very little honey and oil to make this healthier. If you want clusters of the oats, you can add more honey and add some brown sugar too.
- Spread evenly on a foil lined sheet pan. Heat oven to 325F or 180C. Heat for 5 minutes. Remove pan, stir the mixture around and place inside again for 5-10 minutes.
- I did about 7-10 minutes in my oven and that was enough. Oven temperatures vary so be very careful not to burn the oats.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before transferring to an air tight jar. Add flax seeds after removing from oven. This is because the oven can make them rancid and they also lose their benefits if heated too much.
- Enjoy with milk or just on its own as a snack.
This mix contains a good amount of fibre from the oats and good fats from the nuts and seeds. You can use any combination of nuts you like. Dried fruit like cranberries or apricots can also be added. So can chocolate chips.
Serve with yogurt and fruit or with milk or just as a snack.
How about trying this out with your favorite flavors?
