Cacao Nib Goji Berry Muesli

When we travel abroad and find ourselves at a hotel breakfast, one thing I always have my eye out for is muesli. 

Up until food bloggers in the U.S. started recreating it as overnight oats, it had never caught on in the States. And it’s still not something you are going to see out much.

In other places, it’s a continental breakfast standard.  And despite the fact that I’m usually not huge on soaked, mushy things, it has always been a welcomed find. 

I’m not sure what prompted me to make up a batch last week. It was either the hot summer weather, or that I’d made a round of homemade almond milk and wanted to use it up. 

Either way, I found myself inspired to make a new muesli creation. 

It took me a while to come around to goji berries.

I like them baked into things, but eating the dried berries straight always took a bit of effort on my part. Lately, though, something has changed and I really enjoy their chewy texture. I’ve made bars with a goji berry cacao nib combo before so I decided to carry that theme into this muesli. 

Muesli is all about the texture for me so there are a few different things I do to make sure it isn’t mush when I get around to eating it. 

1. Add coconut chips or flakes. Of course, this is only an option if you like coconut. I love it. The bigger the pieces in the muesli, the more pleasant chewiness it adds. 
2. Add nuts right before serving. Otherwise, they get soft in the fridge. 
3. Let it sit for only 2 to 3 hours. So it’s something I would get up early and make, and then eat it mid-morning. This way, the milk has made it soft enough to actually be muesli, but not too soft for my preferences. 

So keeping all these rules in mind, I made what might be my favorite muesli yet. The goji berries held up so much better than raisins and cranberries, which tend to get to plump and soft. And the cacao nibs added a bit of crunch while flavoring the whole bowl with a mild chocolatey flavor. 

I used to honey to sweeten mine a bit, but this is optional. You can eliminate the sweetener or use your favorite kind. 

Eat it well chilled and it makes a great breakfast for a hot summer morning. 

What you’ll need:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup dried goji berries
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut chips or flakes
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
Slivered almonds for serving

How to make it:

Stir together the oats, goji berries, cacao nibs, and coconut in a large bowl. 

Pour in the milk. Then add the honey (if using), cinnamon, and salt. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, up to 24 hours. 

Serve well chilled, sprinkled with slivered almonds.