Pear & Hazelnut Bircher Muesli

Wake up to wholesome, bircher muesli! This seasonal twist on a traditional Swiss breakfast is the perfect way to start your day.

 

Prep: 20 mins | Fridge: 8 hours | Serves: 

We often hear that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day!’, yet almost half of us choose to skip breakfast during the week. We get it. Life is busy, and hunger is far from your mind when you’re tucked up in bed, all warm and cosy. And what’s the harm in skipping breakfast, anyway?  

Well, aside from the lethargy, emotional outbursts and difficulty concentrating, skipping breakfast often leads to unhealthy mid-morning snacking and overeating later in the day. Not to worry—start your day off on the right foot with this nourishing bircher muesli. It’s the perfect grab-and-go breakfast that you can quickly prepare the night before.

With rolled oats, fruit, nuts and seeds, this bircher is brimming with starch resistant fibre to help nourish and restore good gut bacteria. These friendly microbes, known collectively as our gut microbiome, help maximise the absorption of nutrients in our gut and strengthen the integrity of our intestinal barrier. Keeping this barrier intact helps to prevent harmful pathogens and allergens in your food from triggering an inflammatory immune response that can cause damage and digestive issues. Let’s just say, we could all do with a little more starch resistant fibre! 

The addition of chia seeds creates a rich creaminess. But if you don’t want to add chia, use slightly less milk. These remarkable little seeds give the bircher a nutritional boost with high-quality protein and antioxidants. Native to Guatemala and Mexico, they were once the preferred pre-war food of ancient Aztec and Mayan warriors. In fact, the word “chia” means “strength” in Mayan!

If you can’t tolerate rolled oats, buckwheat groats are an excellent alternative. They’re naturally gluten-free and brimming with starch-resistant fibre. Simply bring a pot of water to boil and cook gently 10-12 minutes before soaking overnight with all the other goodies.

Tip: Spruce up your bircher by soaking the oats in your favourite flavour from the Almo Naturals range —Mango, Chocolate or Caramel!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
  • 1 1/3 cups 330ml Almo Milk
  • 2 pears, granted
  • 1/2 cup (70g) roasted hazelnuts 
  • 2 tbsp white chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Maple syrup, to taste
  • Dash of vanilla extract

Method

  1. Place the oats, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds into a large mixing bowl or container, and cover with Almo Milk. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract, and mix well to combine. Then cover and pop in the fridge overnight. 
  2. In the norming, grate one pear, sprinkle with cinnamon and fold through the muesli. Slice the other pear and layer on top with a handful of hazelnuts and a drizzle of optional Almo Creme.