Bircher muesli is a clean eating, overnight oats recipe. Made with unprocessed ingredients, including rolled oats, real fruit, and healthy nuts. I started making Bircher Muesli after reading Gayelord Hauser’s, 1963 book, Treasury of Secrets, in college in the early 80s. I was into my super healthy eating phase.

What are the origins of Bircher-Muesli?

Gayelord Hauser was a nutritionist who studied in Switzerland at Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner’s clinic. One of the recipes at the clinic was Bircher-Muesli which is the original recipe for what we know call “overnight oats”. Bircher developed the recipe right around 1900, and it was served in his spa as a healing food. It was a “raw food” before raw foods were hip. But when I first started making this recipe, it was just called “Bircher muesli”. (This post was originally published on October 10th, 2012 and has been updated to contain nutritional information. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)

What is Bircher Muesli?

Bircher muesli is basically rolled oats, which, instead of being cooked, are soaked overnight in either milk or if you’d like a dairy free or vegan option, use a non-dairy beverage like oat, almond or coconut milk. The next morning add diced or shredded fruit, yogurt, spices like ginger or cinnamon, and some nuts or seeds. Now days everyone seems to make it in cute mason jars, which is great for an on-the-go breakfast. I’ve always added shredded apple, chopped toasted walnuts, and cinnamon, but this is a super flexible recipe!

This healthy overnight oats recipe makes a fast breakfast.

After sitting in the fridge all night, stir in some chopped or shredded fruit and chopped nuts, and maybe a drizzle of honey. Then, either eat it at home or take it to work, school or as a healthy afternoon snack.

Are overnight oats gluten free?

While oats are gluten free, if you are celiac and cannot handle any cross-contamination, look for certified gluten free rolled oats like these.

Are overnight oats vegan?

If you use coconut, almond, oat or another non-animal based beverage, overnight oats will be vegan. If you use dairy, it is vegetarian.

How do you make overnight oats?

The recipe below is for two servings. You can double, or quadruple the recipe. The following day you can let everyone add their own fruit and nuts. You can make it in mason jars which makes a great portable meal, but any container will work. When I make more than two servings, I use a large glass bowl with a lid.