Double Blueberry Bircher Muesli with Chia Jam – Three Ways

If youโ€™ve never heard of bircher muesli, just know that it was basically the first rendition of overnight oats, developed by a Swiss physician in 1900. Iโ€™m sure it wasnโ€™t as cool then as overnight oats are now (no Instagram in 1900), but itโ€™s an important piece of trivia to note that Maximilian Bircher-Benner, the inventor of bircher muesli, was one of the first proponents of the raw diet. Now, Iโ€™m not really a fan of that diet, but Iโ€™m a big fan of bircher muesliโ€ฆso I think I can overlook Dr Bircher Bennerโ€™s pseudoscientific views on raw food in order to promote this yummy breakfast dish of oats and fruit.

Iโ€™m a very nostalgic person, especially with food. My mom used to take me to Movenpick, a Swiss restaurant in downtown Toronto to get their bircher muesli. It was full of oats, of course, but also blueberries and probably cream, which made it rich and absolutely delicious. I haven’t had it in forever, but it’s something I’ve always remembered.

While I find overnight oats sometimes grossly slimy, bircher muesli seems to have a drier texture because it has a higher ratio of fruit to oats than overnight oats tend to. Thereโ€™s a million ways to make bircher muesli, of course, but I wanted to replicate those Movenpick ones using a delicious new twist – blueberry jam. To be specific, blueberry chia jam that I made myself, since I didnโ€™t want to use regular jam. Chia jam is so simple and quick to make, itโ€™s well worth the effort. You can actually use whichever fruit you want in this jam (and these bircher recipes) so donโ€™t feel limited by blueberries.

After making the jam, layer in underneath the oats for a parfait.

Some bircher muesli recipes (more traditional ones) get you to soak the oats overnight. Eh, don’t bother. I found the result without soaking to be very good. I used large flake oats in my version. I tried steel cut oats, and they were far too hard (maybe I should have soaked them, lol). I figured that quick oats would yield mush. The large flake oats gave me that rough texture I really wanted. As far as the dairy part, you’ll see that I did add Greek yogurt to the two non-vegan versions, but I didn’t overdo it. Nothing is more gross than slimy oats, but over-yogurted oats that are as thick as concrete aren’t so great either. I stayed pretty true to my formula of 2 cups of fruit + 2 cups of liquid/dairy + 2 cups of oats, plus mix-ins. If you like your oats runnier, then simply add more liquid. You’ll notice that for the oats, I used frozen blueberries. I like the way they yield liquid when they’re thawed, which further enriches the finished oats with sweetness and a beautiful color.

blueberry oats

If you hate coconut, take the coconut out. If you’d like to use cashews instead of almonds, go right ahead. You can certainly tweak my recipes.

I was actually going to add lavender to the chia jam but decided that that might be a little out there for some people so I left it plain. Don’t count it out for a future post, though!

 

 

 

I made this recipe SO MANY TIMES that I had exactly zero clean spoons left in my kitchen from all that mixing and tasting. It was a labor of love to get it exactly right in three different renditions: traditional (with coconut and pepitas); dairy-free (made with coconut milk and almonds); and with juice (made with pomegranate juice and almonds). All three are delish and I just actually ate the dairy free ones for dinner! OMG SO GOOD.

Here are the three recipes plus the chia jam recipe. Enjoy! XO Abby

5 from 4 votes
Blueberry Chia Jam

Super fast and easy, this jam can be made with any fruit you want. If you like a runnier jam, just use less chia seed.

Ingredients
  • 4 cups fresh blueberries
  • 4-6 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Place blueberries in a small pot and cook on low heat until they begin to break down and release their juices. While they're cooking, use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break them up a bit.
  2. Once the blueberries begin to soften, add the lemon juice and maple syrup and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until desired texture is reached.
  3. Remove from heat, stir in chia seeds, and let stand for 5-10 minutes until gelled.
  4. Cool and place into refrigerator in sealed container.

 

5 from 4 votes
Double Blueberry Bircher Muesli with Pumpkin Seeds and Coconut

This oat and fruit dish is a delicious way to start your day!

Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups large flake oats
  • 2 cups frozen blueberries thawed with juice reserved
  • 2 cups 2% or whole milk
  • 1/2 cup 2% or higher-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate in a covered bowl overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
  2. Place a layer of chia jam in a glass jar or container, then layer the oat mixture on top. Refrigerate, covered, until you're ready to eat it!

5 from 4 votes
Double Blueberry Pomegranate Bircher Muesli with Almonds

Blueberries and pomegranate combine to make a sweeter, delicious breakfast dish!

Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen blueberries thawed with liquid reserved
  • 1 cup 2% or whole milk
  • 1 cup pomegranate juice
  • 1/2 cup sliced or cracked almonds
  • 1 cup plain 2% or higher-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Optional: pomegranate seeds
Instructions
  1. Combine all of the above ingredients and refrigerate in a covered bowl overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
  2. Place a layer of chia jam in a glass jar or container, then layer the oat mixture on top. Refrigerate until you're ready to eat it.

5 from 4 votes
Dairy Free Double Blueberry Bircher Muesli with Almonds

This vegan breakfast combines oats, fruit, and chia jam for a delicious start to your day!

Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen blueberries thawed with liquid reserved
  • 2 cups large flake oats
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup almonds cracked
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Combine all of the above ingredients.
  2. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
  3. Place a layer of chia jam in a glass jar or container, then layer the oat mixture on top.
  4. Store covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat!

 

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3 Comments

  1. How much of the blueberry chia jam would go on the bottom? The oats say 4 servings, but the jam sounds like a lot to be only 4 servings! Sounds yummy and make ahead is great!

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