Why Not Grate an Apple Into Oatmeal at Night?
Oatmeal at night is one of the best classic breakfast options. You probably already know this . You can make them with almond or real milk, with or without yogurt, with raisins and nuts, or with pumpkin puree and chia seeds. But I have to ask you: have you ever thought about grating a whole apple in it?
You understood me correctly, lattice . I’m not talking about sliced, boiled apples (though those are great too). I mean a fresh apple cut into pieces just before it is mixed with milk and oats. It’s a fantastic way to get an extra serving of fruit into your day, and the texture pairs perfectly with the softness and sweetness of cold oats.
I didn’t discover it myself; I got this idea from someone else who got it from the long-dead Swiss physician and raw food enthusiast Maximilian Bircher-Benner . He ran a sanatorium and published a recipe for a standard breakfast there: fruit porridge, which became known as Bircher Muesli. (He also doesn’t claim to have invented the recipe, but says it was served to him while hiking in the Alps.)
The original recipe called for each serving to contain two to three whole apples (including the core), mixed with a few tablespoons of soaked oatmeal, sweetened condensed milk, nuts of your choice, and lemon juice. It wasn’t oatmeal, it was more like apple flour.
These days, if you google “Bircher muesli,” you’ll find all sorts of recipes that combine grated apple with what we more traditionally call muesli or oatmeal. By the way, a pear works just as well as an apple, and the recipe is great for using apples that are still edible but have become too soft to eat out of hand.
How to make oatmeal overnight like Bircher muesli
Here’s how I do mine:
- Half an apple or pear, grated (I leave the skin on but stop grating when I touch the core).
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup milk or plant based milk of your choice
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup dried fruit of your choice (I use apricots and candied ginger when I feel like it, raisins otherwise)
- a handful of honey
- a generous pinch of nuts (I like chopped almonds or chopped walnuts best)
Combine all ingredients in a 16-ounce jar or plastic soup container and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, ideally overnight. Since the recipe uses half an apple, I usually make a double batch. Feel free to play with ingredients and proportions to taste.