Bircher Muesli — the Original with Grated Apple
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianSoak the oats in milk in the evening. In the morning, coarsely grate a whole apple with its skin into it, then stir in yoghurt, lemon juice and chopped nuts. Dr Bircher-Benner's original had more apple than oats — that is the difference from shop-bought muesli.
Bircher muesli is the Swiss invention that went around the world, and yet most people eat the version from a pot. The original is astonishingly simple: oats, apple, lemon, nuts — and the apple plays the lead. Grate it only in the morning, skin and all, and it tastes fresh instead of like porridge. That is the whole trick.
Ingredients
- 200 g Rolled oats
- 3 dl Milk
- 3 pieces Apples (tart, e.g. Boskoop)
- 300 g Natural yoghurt
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 60 g Hazelnuts (roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 200 g Berries (optional)
Method
- 1
Soak the oats
Mix the oats with the milk in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. At least 30 minutes if you are in a hurry.
- 2
Grate the apple
In the morning, coarsely grate the apples with their skin on a rösti grater, leaving out the core. Mix with the lemon juice at once or they turn brown.
- 3
Combine
Stir the apple, yoghurt and honey into the soaked oats. Too thick? A splash of milk. It should be creamy and fall off the spoon, not stick.
- 4
Add the nuts
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for 2 minutes until fragrant, then chop roughly. Stir half in, keep the rest for sprinkling.
- 5
Serve
Divide between bowls, sprinkle with nuts and berries. For more sweetness, drizzle honey on top rather than stirring it in — it tastes sweeter for the same amount.
Tips
- Without the apple, the muesli keeps three days in the fridge. Soak a big bowl of oats on Sunday and grate a fresh apple in each morning — it stays crisp and never goes brown.
- The apple goes in with its skin. That is where the flavour and fibre are, and it was never peeled in the original.
- For children: stir the berries in instead of putting them on top — everything turns pink and the argument about the nuts usually goes away.
What can I substitute?
The vegan route, together with soya yoghurt. Oat drink makes it creamiest.
More bite and nuttier. They need the full night to soak; 30 minutes is not enough.
All work. Sunflower seeds are the answer for nut allergies and the cheapest.
Sweetens without sugar and makes the muesli creamier still. Eat it the same day, though.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
What was Dr Bircher-Benner's original Bircher muesli?
Surprisingly apple-heavy: per person, 1 tbsp oats soaked overnight in 3 tbsp water, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk and 2 large apples grated with skin and core, plus chopped nuts. It was an apple dish with a few oats, not an oat dish with a bit of apple.
Do you have to soak Bircher muesli overnight?
Not strictly. Fine oats are soft after 30 minutes, coarse ones after an hour. Overnight it becomes creamier and easier to digest, and in the morning only three minutes of work remain.
How long does Bircher muesli keep in the fridge?
With apple, one day — after that it turns brown and watery. Without apple, three days. So: soak the oats in bulk, always add the apple fresh.
Is Bircher muesli healthy?
Yes, if you make it yourself. Oats, apple with skin and nuts provide fibre, protein and good fats, and the only sugar is the honey you add yourself. Shop-bought muesli pots often carry 15 to 20 g sugar per portion.
Which apples suit Bircher muesli?
Tart, firm varieties: Boskoop, Braeburn, Granny Smith or Jonagold. They give the muesli freshness. Gala and Golden are too sweet and turn mushy quickly when grated.
How you collect recipes
Paste a link
Copy the address of any recipe page — including this one. Ingredients, amounts and steps are recognised automatically.
Photograph a cookbook
Take a photo of a page from your cookbook. Even handwritten recipes from your grandmother get read.
Pull from Cookidoo
Got a Thermomix? Your Cookidoo recipes come into your collection with one click.
