Summer Bircher with Grated Apple, Toasted Hazelnut & Lemon
The original Swiss cold-soak muesli: rolled oats softened overnight, folded with grated apple, yogurt and toasted hazelnut.
Best for A high-fiber, gut-friendly start with barely any added sugar
This is bircher muesli the way it was meant to be — oats soaked cold overnight so they turn creamy on their own, then finished in the morning with a whole apple grated straight into the bowl, skin and all. I keep the added sugar to a single spoon of honey and let ripe summer fruit and toasted hazelnuts do the sweetening instead. It's a genuinely gut-friendly bowl: soaked oats and apple skin bring soluble fiber, and yogurt brings the live cultures, so it sits light but keeps you full to lunch.
Ingredients
- 90 g rolled oats , not instant or steel-cut
- 150 ml whole milk , or unsweetened oat milk for a lighter soak
- 120 g plain whole-milk yogurt , live cultures; Greek-style for extra body
- 15 g Ground flaxseed , about 2 tablespoons, for extra soluble fiber
- 2 crisp sweet-tart apples , such as Gala or Braeburn, unpeeled
- 1 lemon , for zest and juice
- 40 g hazelnuts , raw, to be toasted
- 15 ml honey , about 1 tablespoon; or maple syrup to keep it vegan-adjacent
- 1 g ground cinnamon , a generous pinch (optional – can be omitted)
- 100 g mixed berries , raspberries, blueberries or halved strawberries, to serve (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
The night before, stir the rolled oats, milk, ground flaxseed and half the yogurt together in a bowl or lidded jar until every flake is wet. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours — the oats and flax drink up the liquid and turn creamy with no cooking at all.
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2
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and the skins darken, 4 to 5 minutes. Tip onto a clean kitchen towel, rub off the loose skins, then coarsely chop. This is the one bit of active cooking, and it's what gives the bowl its roasted backbone.
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3
In the morning, coarsely grate the whole apples on the large holes of a box grater, skin and all, stopping at the core; work quickly and toss the shreds with the lemon juice so they stay bright. Fold most of the grated apple into the soaked oats along with the remaining yogurt, the honey, lemon zest and cinnamon. Loosen with a splash more milk if it's thicker than you like.
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4
Spoon into two bowls and top with the reserved grated apple, the toasted hazelnuts and the summer berries. Serve cold, right away, while the apple is still crisp against the soft oats.