Overnight oats is Swiss muesli, a healthy breakfast that is a nice change from dry cereal and other breakfast foods. Made with safe, gluten free oats, museli is perfect for a gluten free diet.

For more on oat and the gluten free diet read my post, Gluten Free Whole Oats vs Quick Oats.

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Muesli vs Granola

To me granola is a crunchy, dry cereal that has been baked. You can serve it with milk or yogurt but it remains crunchy. Muesli on the other hand is wet. Uncooked oats are soaked overnight and no matter what fruits or nuts you add to the recipe it is different than granola. Of course I am aware that you can purchase a dry cereal labeled ‘muesli’ but that’s all about marketing not cooking.

The Original Overnight Oats

A Swiss doctor is credited for inventing muesli as a healthy breakfast for his malnourished patients. It was made of raw oats soaked overnight in water or juice. Grated apple and nuts were then added and it was served with yogurt. Imagine, in 1900 this doctor was recommending a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables to improve the health of his patients. More than 100 years later the message is still the same…now that is food for thought.

My cousin Laurie submitted this muesli recipe for our family cookbook printed for our family reunion in 1995. That little book has a lot of gems in it from many different families. In my copy the page with this recipe is well spattered…proof it is a recipe that has stood the test of time.

Organize for Success – Muesli

My husband recalls eating muesli in a five star hotel in Geneva, Switzerland many years ago. That memory influenced the photo you see here but in my real world I just serve it in jars.

I make my muesli in a bowl and portion it right into Mason jars with plastic lids. This way I can add different fresh or frozen fruit to each jar. I stack those jars at the front of the fridge so I can grab one for my lunch bag. Fill 1-cup or ½-cup size jars depending on what you like. I fill the 1-cup size about two-thirds full then add fruit.

This muesli lasts in the fridge for up to a week but if you add frozen blueberries it looks slightly less appealing, but it always tastes.

Do you have a muesli story? Did you like this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.

More Breakfast Recipes and Recipes with Oats

• Summer Chia Pudding
• Pistachio Apricot Granola
• Granola Bars
• Fruit and Oat Energy Balls