Traditional Swiss muesli is a mix of whole grains that typically contains rolled oats, rye, wheat, and bran flakes. Popular in Western Europe and North America, muesli may be eaten as a hot or cold cereal when mixed with milk, juice, tea, coffee, or water. Those that want to grab breakfast on the go, or simply enjoy whole grain snacks, may even make muesli muffins. Muesli muffins are muffins made with muesli, dried fruit, and low-fat dairy as their primary ingredients.
Most muesli muffins start with a mixture of muesli whole grains and some kind of flour. White flour usually produces light, fluffy muffins, but wheat, oat, and nut flours usually provide more nutrients. Other dry ingredients, like sugar or sugar substitute, dried fruit, baking soda, and a pinch of salt are also added to this whole grain mixture.
All kinds of dried fruit, from traditional raisins and currants to apples, berries and dates, may be added to muesli muffins. Cooks looking for inspiration might look at a few muesli recipes. Almost any fruits or grains in those recipes should work well as part of a muffin. Freeze-dried wheat germ, ground flax, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg also work well in muesli muffins. Respectively, these ingredients add fiber, healthy fats, and a touch of extra sweetness.
Many muesli muffin recipes come together much like traditional muffins. The liquid is added to the dry ingredients, along with fats like yogurt, butter, or oil. The batter is then poured into muffin tins and baked until the pastries are set in the center. Some cooks like to change up this recipe by soaking the muesli mixture first, much as they would if eating it as a cereal. Muesli is most often soaked in milk or fruit juice, but cooks may create exotic flavors by using cooled herbal tea or coffee.
The muesli muffin mixture should typically soak for 12 to 24 hours, until the liquid is completely absorbed. After that, the cook need only add in the flour, baking soda, sweetener, and fresh or dried fruit. Soaked muesli may not require fats to keep them moist and tasty, since the starches brought out by soaking may be enough.
Cooks should gauge whether or not fats are necessary by gently stirring the batter. Batter that is smooth and thick, but not gummy or runny, should make very tasty muffins. Gummy batter can generally be thinned with additional soaking liquid. Using additional liquid, rather than fat, helps keep muesli muffins figure-friendly and healthy. Once baked, these muffins should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep them moist.
