Recipe: Best Homemade Toasted Muesli - Step-by-Step with Pictures

Developed by a Swiss nutritionist around the turn of the century, muesli has become a staple on breakfast tables around the world. It's an undeniably tasty way to start the day but the real beauty of this recipe for homemade toasted muesli is that it can be varied in a number of ways to suit both your mood and tastebuds!

The muesli mixture can also be made ahead, stored and used to make tempting slices and cookies that are good to munch on at any time of day. I have included the recipes for my two childrens' best-loved lunchbox treats (Muesli Slice and Muesli Cookies) below.

Makes 8 cups

This muesli will keep for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container out of direct sunlight.

You will need:

• Melted butter, to lightly grease

• 3 cups rolled oats

• 2 cups bran cereal

• 2 cups bran flakes

• 1 cup sultanas

• ½ cup sunflower kernels

• ½ cup flaked almonds

• ½ cup flaked coconut

• ¼ cup linseeds

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¾ cup honey

• 3 ounces (80g) butter, coarsely chopped

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Brush a large roasting pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Combine the oats, bran cereal and flakes, sultanas, sunflower kernels, almonds, coconut, linseeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Step 2: Drizzle prepared pan with honey and sprinkle with butter. Cook in oven for 5 minutes or until butter foams and honey begins to bubble (make sure butter can be evenly coated in the honey mixture).

Step 3: Add oat mixture to the pan. Stir to coat in honey mixture. Spread evenly over base of pan (make sure the mixture is even so it cooks at the same rate).

Step 4: Cook in oven, stirring every 5 minutes with a flat-edged wooden spoon, for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

Apple and Cinnamon: Increase the rolled oats to 5 cups. Omit the bran flakes and linseeds. Replace the sultanas with 1 cup finely chopped dried apple. Increase the cinnamon to 2 teaspoons.

Cashew and Date: Replace the sultanas with 1 cup coarsely chopped dried dates, replace the sunflower kernels and almonds with 1 cup whole unroasted cashews.

Maple and Hazelnut: Replace the almonds and coconut with 1 cup whole hazelnuts. Replace the honey with maple syrup.

Now for some of the best ways to use the muesli mixture ...

Makes about 16 rectangles

You will need:

• Melted butter, to grease

• 4 cups toasted muesli (see recipe above)

• 1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup dark choc bits

• 1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Brush a 8" x 12" (20 x 30cm) (base measurement) lamington pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.

2. Combine the muesli, condensed milk, choc bits and walnuts in a large bowl. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and set. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Cut into rectangles to serve.

Makes 30

You will need:

• 1 ½ cups toasted muesli (see recipe above)

• 1 cup plain flour

• 1 cup desiccated coconut

• ½ cup craisins

• ½ cup caster sugar

• ¼ cup, firmly packed, brown sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

• 4 ounces (125g) butter, chopped

• ¼ cup golden syrup

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

2. Combine the muesli, flour, coconut, craisins, caster and brown sugar, and ginger in a large bowl.

3. Combine the butter, golden syrup and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is well combined. Remove from heat. Add bicarbonate of soda and stir until just combined. Add to muesli mixture and stir until combined.

4. Use your hands to roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. Use your fingers to flatten to 1/3" (1cm) thick. Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.