A healthy breakfast in minutes? Yes, please! This adaptable Bircher muesli recipe is my morning go-to. It’s very easy to make ahead — often I mix the muesli with milk and yogurt before going to bed and stash it in the fridge so it’s ready when I wake up. It makes mornings a breeze!
I learned how to make Bircher muesli many years ago from a tired, talented French man named Chef Pasche, who was working a second job as an instructor at the culinary program I was attending in South Philly. Named after a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Brenner, Bircher muesli essentially is a mix of raw oats, nuts, seeds, and dried or fresh fruit soaked in milk.
It’s one of the healthiest, easiest breakfast recipes you could make, especially if you load it with fruit. Chef Pasche always added a grated apple and whatever fresh fruit was in season — oranges in the winter, berries in the summer — as well as grapes (which he peeled!) and a handful of sugar. He always soaked the muesli mix for at least 15 minutes in milk. Sometimes he stirred in yogurt, too.
For a while I would make the Bircher muesli in small batches, throwing handfuls of oats, almonds and coconut into a bowl, dicing up dates and grating apples, letting it all soak with milk and yogurt until the oats softened. But with mornings getting busier and busier — lunches to pack! coffee to brew! — gathering ingredients, cutting and grating became such a chore.
How to Make Homemade Muesli
To make things easier, I make a big mix of muesli; then I simply use a 1/2 cup of this mix for my morning Bircher muesli. As noted above, often I mix the muesli mix with milk, yogurt, and grated apple, and stash it in the fridge overnight.
To make the muesli mix, combine:
- rolled oats
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
- sliced almonds
- golden raisins
- date pellets (an amazing discovery — so much easier than cutting dates; plus they don’t clump).
Transfer to an airtight storage vessel; then store at room temperature.
Use the recipe below as a guide. Add more oats, use other nuts, omit the chia, etc. It’s so nice having an enormous vat of muesli sitting on my counter — truly, I feel lost in the morning when we are out.
The Joys of Bulk Food Shopping
Thanks to an amazing co-op in Albany, I’ve discovered the joys of bulk food shopping. A quarter (wild guess) of the 31,000 square feet that is the Honest Weight Food Co-op is lined with tubes, bins, and barrels holding every nut, seed, grain, flour, pasta, oil, butter, extract, paste you could imagine.
It’s an astonishing site — really, I’ve never seen anything like it: whole aisles dedicated to unpackaged food, which you can cart home in your own vessels or in an array of glass jugs and jars sold at the store.
I’m stating the obvious here, but bulk shopping is way more economical for these sorts of ingredients, and while I am by no means suggesting that shopping at HW will save you money, shopping their bulk section (or your store’s) will.
One Tip for Bulk Shopping
I love bulk shopping, but bulk shopping with children is not ideal/maddening/impossible. What is so nice about the HW co-op is that you can bring in your own vessels. When you arrive, someone will weigh/tare your containers so you’re not charged for the weight of the vessels. And then off you go.
I now arrive with a 4-qt Cambro, which I fill with oats, a dozen or so quart containers (the same ones I use for soup and stock ), and a glass jug or two, all of which I have marked with the correct PLU numbers/names, which makes shopping the bulk section a breeze. I know all stores don’t allow you to bring in your own vessels, but it might be worth asking/requesting because it is a serious time/headache saver.
Bulk storage containers:
Date pellet thief:
To make the muesli mix, gather your ingredients: oats, almonds, chia, flax, coconut, date pellets, and golden raisins.
Combine in a large bowl:
Toss to combine:
Transfer to a large storage container, and store at room temperature.
This recipe yields at least 3 quarts of muesli mix:
To make a bowl of Bircher muesli , stir together 1/2 cup of the muesli mix, 1/2 cup milk of choice, 1/4 cup yogurt (optional), and 1/2 grated apple.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving:
Or: combine the muesli mix with the milk, yogurt, and apple, and stash in the fridge overnight. It’s such a treat to rise to these overnight oats:
Description
As I mentioned above, adapt the recipe to your liking. Any number of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. will work. Also, wheat flakes, oat flakes, etc. can be added.
If you haven’t made the muesli mix , just use 1/2 cup oats and a pinch of any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. you have on hand. Before I discovered date pellets, I would just chop up a date — one date per serving/person.
To simplify: Sometimes I just soak the muesli in milk for about 15 minutes — no apple, no yogurt. For me, I’ll soak 1/2 cup of muesli with 1/2 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes. Sometimes I add more milk if it has gotten too thick. It is delicious on its own just like that, though the apple provides a nice sweetness and the yogurt, a nice creaminess.
For the muesli mix:
- 5 cups ( 556 g ) rolled oats
- 2 cups ( 180 g ) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups ( 200 g ) sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup ( 86 g ) flax seed
- 1 cup ( 176 g ) date pellets
- 1/2 cup ( 90 g ) chia seeds
- 1 cup ( 126 g ) golden or brown raisins
For 1 serving of Bircher muesli:
- 1/2 cup muesli mix, see notes above
- 1/2 cup milk of choice — I love using almond or cashew milk
- 1/2 grated apple
- any other fresh fruit you feel like adding
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- To make the muesli mix: Mix oats, coconut, almonds, flax seed, date pellets, chia, and raisins in a large bowl; then transfer to a storage container.
- To make an individual serving of Bircher muesli: Mix together the 1/2 cup muesli mix with the 1/2 cup milk, grated apple, fruit (if using), and yogurt. Let sit for 15 minutes at least before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American, French
A healthy breakfast in minutes? Yes, please! This adaptable Bircher muesli recipe is my morning go-to. It’s very easy to make ahead — often I mix the muesli with milk and yogurt before going to bed and stash it in the fridge so it’s ready when I wake up. It makes mornings a breeze!
I learned how to make Bircher muesli many years ago from a tired, talented French man named Chef Pasche, who was working a second job as an instructor at the culinary program I was attending in South Philly. Named after a Swiss doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Brenner, Bircher muesli essentially is a mix of raw oats, nuts, seeds, and dried or fresh fruit soaked in milk.
It’s one of the healthiest, easiest breakfast recipes you could make, especially if you load it with fruit. Chef Pasche always added a grated apple and whatever fresh fruit was in season — oranges in the winter, berries in the summer — as well as grapes (which he peeled!) and a handful of sugar. He always soaked the muesli mix for at least 15 minutes in milk. Sometimes he stirred in yogurt, too.
For a while I would make the Bircher muesli in small batches, throwing handfuls of oats, almonds and coconut into a bowl, dicing up dates and grating apples, letting it all soak with milk and yogurt until the oats softened. But with mornings getting busier and busier — lunches to pack! coffee to brew! — gathering ingredients, cutting and grating became such a chore.
How to Make Homemade Muesli
To make things easier, I make a big mix of muesli; then I simply use a 1/2 cup of this mix for my morning Bircher muesli. As noted above, often I mix the muesli mix with milk, yogurt, and grated apple, and stash it in the fridge overnight.
To make the muesli mix, combine:
- rolled oats
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
- sliced almonds
- golden raisins
- date pellets (an amazing discovery — so much easier than cutting dates; plus they don’t clump).
Transfer to an airtight storage vessel; then store at room temperature.
Use the recipe below as a guide. Add more oats, use other nuts, omit the chia, etc. It’s so nice having an enormous vat of muesli sitting on my counter — truly, I feel lost in the morning when we are out.
The Joys of Bulk Food Shopping
Thanks to an amazing co-op in Albany, I’ve discovered the joys of bulk food shopping. A quarter (wild guess) of the 31,000 square feet that is the Honest Weight Food Co-op is lined with tubes, bins, and barrels holding every nut, seed, grain, flour, pasta, oil, butter, extract, paste you could imagine.
It’s an astonishing site — really, I’ve never seen anything like it: whole aisles dedicated to unpackaged food, which you can cart home in your own vessels or in an array of glass jugs and jars sold at the store.
I’m stating the obvious here, but bulk shopping is way more economical for these sorts of ingredients, and while I am by no means suggesting that shopping at HW will save you money, shopping their bulk section (or your store’s) will.
One Tip for Bulk Shopping
I love bulk shopping, but bulk shopping with children is not ideal/maddening/impossible. What is so nice about the HW co-op is that you can bring in your own vessels. When you arrive, someone will weigh/tare your containers so you’re not charged for the weight of the vessels. And then off you go.
I now arrive with a 4-qt Cambro, which I fill with oats, a dozen or so quart containers (the same ones I use for soup and stock ), and a glass jug or two, all of which I have marked with the correct PLU numbers/names, which makes shopping the bulk section a breeze. I know all stores don’t allow you to bring in your own vessels, but it might be worth asking/requesting because it is a serious time/headache saver.
Bulk storage containers:
Date pellet thief:
To make the muesli mix, gather your ingredients: oats, almonds, chia, flax, coconut, date pellets, and golden raisins.
Combine in a large bowl:
Toss to combine:
Transfer to a large storage container, and store at room temperature.
This recipe yields at least 3 quarts of muesli mix:
To make a bowl of Bircher muesli , stir together 1/2 cup of the muesli mix, 1/2 cup milk of choice, 1/4 cup yogurt (optional), and 1/2 grated apple.
Let stand 15 minutes before serving:
Or: combine the muesli mix with the milk, yogurt, and apple, and stash in the fridge overnight. It’s such a treat to rise to these overnight oats:
Description
As I mentioned above, adapt the recipe to your liking. Any number of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. will work. Also, wheat flakes, oat flakes, etc. can be added.
If you haven’t made the muesli mix , just use 1/2 cup oats and a pinch of any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. you have on hand. Before I discovered date pellets, I would just chop up a date — one date per serving/person.
To simplify: Sometimes I just soak the muesli in milk for about 15 minutes — no apple, no yogurt. For me, I’ll soak 1/2 cup of muesli with 1/2 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes. Sometimes I add more milk if it has gotten too thick. It is delicious on its own just like that, though the apple provides a nice sweetness and the yogurt, a nice creaminess.
For the muesli mix:
- 5 cups ( 556 g ) rolled oats
- 2 cups ( 180 g ) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups ( 200 g ) sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup ( 86 g ) flax seed
- 1 cup ( 176 g ) date pellets
- 1/2 cup ( 90 g ) chia seeds
- 1 cup ( 126 g ) golden or brown raisins
For 1 serving of Bircher muesli:
- 1/2 cup muesli mix, see notes above
- 1/2 cup milk of choice — I love using almond or cashew milk
- 1/2 grated apple
- any other fresh fruit you feel like adding
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- To make the muesli mix: Mix oats, coconut, almonds, flax seed, date pellets, chia, and raisins in a large bowl; then transfer to a storage container.
- To make an individual serving of Bircher muesli: Mix together the 1/2 cup muesli mix with the 1/2 cup milk, grated apple, fruit (if using), and yogurt. Let sit for 15 minutes at least before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American, French
Description
As I mentioned above, adapt the recipe to your liking. Any number of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. will work. Also, wheat flakes, oat flakes, etc. can be added.
If you haven’t made the muesli mix , just use 1/2 cup oats and a pinch of any nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. you have on hand. Before I discovered date pellets, I would just chop up a date — one date per serving/person.
To simplify: Sometimes I just soak the muesli in milk for about 15 minutes — no apple, no yogurt. For me, I’ll soak 1/2 cup of muesli with 1/2 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes. Sometimes I add more milk if it has gotten too thick. It is delicious on its own just like that, though the apple provides a nice sweetness and the yogurt, a nice creaminess.
For the muesli mix:
- 5 cups ( 556 g ) rolled oats
- 2 cups ( 180 g ) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups ( 200 g ) sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup ( 86 g ) flax seed
- 1 cup ( 176 g ) date pellets
- 1/2 cup ( 90 g ) chia seeds
- 1 cup ( 126 g ) golden or brown raisins
For 1 serving of Bircher muesli:
- 1/2 cup muesli mix, see notes above
- 1/2 cup milk of choice — I love using almond or cashew milk
- 1/2 grated apple
- any other fresh fruit you feel like adding
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- To make the muesli mix: Mix oats, coconut, almonds, flax seed, date pellets, chia, and raisins in a large bowl; then transfer to a storage container.
- To make an individual serving of Bircher muesli: Mix together the 1/2 cup muesli mix with the 1/2 cup milk, grated apple, fruit (if using), and yogurt. Let sit for 15 minutes at least before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American, French
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2015/02/26/bircher-muesli-homemade-muesli-bulk-food-shopping/
Flavored with orange zest and swirled with chocolate, this babka is heaven and so much fun to make. Slicing into the coiled bread feels like magic, and while it is delicious on its own, a pad of butter makes it completely irresistible!
This chocolate babka recipe, in short, combines two recipes: my friend Holly’s Challah and the chocolate filling from the chocolate krantz cake recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem . Additionally, I’ve added some orange zest and vanilla to the dough, both of which so nicely complement the chocolate-swirl filling. To finish, in place of the water traditionally used in the sugar syrup that babkas get soaked in, I use freshly squeezed orange juice.
Friends, this babka is heaven! Irresistible freshly baked, heavenly day-old, toasted with a pad of butter. Find step-by-step instructions below 🍞🍞 🍫🍫🍊🍊
How to Make Babka, Step by Step
First, you’ll make the dough, which is the same dough as Holly’s Challah with the addition of orange zest and vanilla:
After you mix the dough, let it rise till it doubles in volume:
Once doubled, divide the dough into two equal portions; then roll each portion out into a 12X15-inch rectangle.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling by melting butter with chocolate; then adding cocoa and confectioners’ sugar:
Spread half of the filling over each rectangle half; then…
… roll up into a coil.
When ready to shape, cut each coil in half; then cut off an inch or so of each end.
Coil the two halves into a spiral and transfer to prepared loaf pans ( see video for better guidance at this step.) Let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pan and feels soft and spring to the touch.
Bake at 375ºF until golden, about 25 minutes.
While the babka bakes, make a glaze with sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Brush the glaze over the freshly baked babka loaves.
Admire your masterpiece…
… then slice and serve.
Day old babka, toasted… heaven!
Mini loaf made with dough ends:
Description
Flavored with orange zest and swirled with chocolate, this babka is heaven and so much fun to make. Slicing into the coiled bread feels like magic, and while it is delicious on its own, a pad of butter makes it completely irresistible!
Notes:
This recipe is a combination of two: Holly’s Challah with the addition of vanilla and orange zest to the dough, and the chocolate filling from the Chocolate Krantz Cakes in Jerusalem .
A few notes:
If you want more guidance making the dough, check out the Holly’s Challah post first.
To create lukewarm water: use ¼ cup boiling water and ¾ cup cold water, which will give you perfect lukewarm water.
To create a warm place for your bread to rise: Heat your oven for 1 minute, then shut it off. It doesn’t matter what temperature you set it to when you heat it; the key is to only allow it to heat for 1 minute. This brief blast of heat will create a cozy, draft-free spot for your bread to rise.
To break up the process a bit, you can stop after you roll the dough into coils or when you place the shaped loaves into the loaf pans, cover the pans with plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge. The following morning, if your dough is in coils, simply proceed with the recipe; if your dough is in the pans, bring it to room temperature — make sure the dough feels soft to the touch and is filling the pan — before proceeding.
4 to 5 cups ( 486 g to 614 g ) bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 package or 2 teaspoons ( 8 g ) instant yeast
1 cup ( 227 g ) lukewarm water, see notes above
1 tablespoon ( 18 g ) kosher salt
¼ cup ( 85 g ) honey or sugar
½ cup ( 112 g ) safflower, canola, grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 eggs
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons ( 4 g ) vanilla extract
Filling:
- ¾ cup ( 130 grams ) dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- ½ cup (1 stick | 120 grams ) unsalted butter
- ½ cup ( 50 grams ) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup ( 30 grams ) cocoa powder
Syrup:
- ⅓ fresh-squeezed orange juice ( 83 g ), or the juice of one orange plus enough water to make ⅓ cup
- 6 tablespoons ( 75 grams ) sugar
- Whisk one cup (128 g) of the flour with the yeast and stir in the lukewarm water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let rise about 45 minutes or until puffy and bubbly.
- Directly into the bowl, add the salt, honey (or sugar), oil, eggs, zest and vanilla. Stir with a spatula or spoon until well mixed, then add the remaining four cups (486 g) of flour. Stir with a spoon until dough forms a sticky mass. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead for just a few minutes, until dough becomes smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with dish towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, one to two hours or longer depending on the temperature of your kitchen. (To create a warm place to rise, see notes above.)
- Make the filling: Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth — you can do this in the microwave at 30 second intervals or in a saucepan. Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa until smooth.
- Punch down dough and divide into two equal parts, about 600 g each. Using a rolling pin, roll one half into a rectangle about 10- to 11-inches in width by 14- to 16-inches in length. Spread half of filling over top leaving ½-inch border all the way around. Starting from the short end, roll into a tight coil. To help keep coil bound, I wrap it in parchment paper and transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. ( Note: you can make the recipe up until this point and put it in the refrigerator overnight — this works really well ).
- If you are not refrigerating rolled dough overnight, transfer loaves to freezer to chill for 15 minutes — this was a Smitten Kitchen tip, which makes cutting and shaping the rolls easier. Meanwhile, coat two 9-by-4-inch loaf pans and one small vessel — I use a mini loaf pan — with butter.
- Place logs onto a large cutting board and remove parchment paper. Line each loaf pan with the parchment paper, folding as needed to make it fit the pan. Trim last inch (or less) off each log. Cut the logs in half lengthwise and lay them next to each other cut sides up. Lift one half over the other and twist each around the other — see photos for guidance. Transfer the twist as best as you can into the prepared loaf pan. Repeat with remaining two halves. Nestle trimmed ends into small vessel. Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise 1 to 1½ hours at room temperature or until dough has risen and is filling the pan.
- Heat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap, place loaf pans on a sheetpan and bake on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check the mini pan around 20 minutes — it will be done before the others. If the loaves are browning too quickly, cover them with foil.
- While babkas are baking, make syrup: Place orange juice/water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove babkas from oven, brush some of the syrup over the small pan, then pour half of the remaining syrup evenly over each of the loaves. Let loaves cool completely in loaf pan if you are able to refrain, otherwise 15 minutes or so should do it.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Yeast
- Cuisine: Jewish
