Recipes / Routines / Original Bircher muesli, the Dr. Bircher way

Original Bircher muesli, the Dr. Bircher way

Name: Original Bircher muesli, the Dr. Bircher way
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Germany
Ingredients: 60 g rolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant); 80 ml cold water; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (or honey + cream); 2 apples, coarsely grated with skin on; 2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly crushed

Rolled oats soaked overnight in water with lemon juice, mixed with grated apple, condensed milk, and hazelnuts. The original recipe from 1900. Quiet and perfect.

Published July 6, 2026 · 2 min read · Braffess Kitchen

Prep

5 min

Cook

10 min

Serves

Level

Easy

Original Bircher muesli, the Dr. Bircher way - Germany breakfast recipe

Method

Soak overnight.

Soak rolled oats in cold water with lemon juice for at least 8 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator. The oats should absorb almost all the liquid and become very soft.

Combine in the morning.

Grate the apples directly into the soaked oats. Add condensed milk and stir well to combine. The apple releases juice that loosens the mixture.

Serve.

Divide into bowls. Scatter toasted hazelnuts on top. Eat cold, immediately.

A note. Dr. Bircher-Benner's original 1900 recipe used sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice — not yogurt. The lemon juice prevents the apple from browning and adds the characteristic subtle tang.

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