In partnership with Vilda Gonzalez (@vildasaskiagonzalez).

Bircher muesli, named after the Swiss physician Dr. Maximillian Bircher-Benner, is overnight oats' lesser-known counterpart. While quite similar, Bircher muesli almost always includes grated apple in addition to oats and milk. Dr. Bircher believed in the healing powers of raw food, especially apples–the dish’s original name was actually "apple diet meal!" While this muesli likely won’t cure you of illness, it is a lovely, wholesome and delicious dish to add to your breakfast repertoire.

Best For: Breakfast
Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour chill time
Bake Time: 10 minutes (hazelnuts)
Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

Bircher Muesli

• 1 tsp chai mix or 1 chai tea bag
• 1 medium apple (we like EverCrisp®, Fuji, and Gala), plus extra for topping
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• ¾ cup milk of choice
• 1 cup full-fat yogurt
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped (sub ½ tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp flax meal
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt

Candied Hazelnuts

• ½ cup hazelnuts
• ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• Pinch of fine sea salt

Directions

Bircher Muesli

1. Heat a small pot of water to 205º F. Remove from heat and steep the chai in ½ cup of hot water for 5 minutes. This is your chai concentrate.
2. Grate the apple on the largest holes of a box grater. One medium apple will yield about ⅔ cup grated.
3. Add grated apple to a mixing bowl with ginger, milk, yogurt, and chai concentrate. Stir to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to the bowl (oats, chia, flax, cinnamon, and sea salt). Mix well to combine.
5. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Candied Hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Add hazelnuts to a sheet pan and roast until they're barely golden brown, just starting to smell aromatic. This will take about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean cloth. Fold the cloth over the hazelnuts and rub vigorously to create friction and loosen the skin on the nuts.
3. Heat a pan over medium-low and add butter. When butter is melted, add hazelnuts and toss.
4. Add a pinch of salt and maple syrup. Stir consistently for about 1 minute, or until the hazelnuts are golden brown and lacquered.
5. Set aside to cool completely, then roughly chop.

Assembly

1. Serve chilled muesli with additional diced apple and candied hazelnuts.