I’m always on the hunt for plastic-free alternatives to my favourite packaged foods.
When it comes to muesli, there are plenty of zero waste options at the bulk food stores, but to be honest, I’m not a fan of most of them and I find the oat-based ones to be a bit bland.
There’s a packaged muesli I get at the health food store that I love but it’s seriously expensive ($33.50 for 1kg bag) and obviously I’m trying to create less waste. So I decided to flex my limited cooking skills and make my own plastic-free muesli and save some dollars.
This recipe is healthy, so delicious and also gluten-free so safe for coeliacs and gluten intolerant.
These pictures are missing the shredded coconut because I had none in the cupboard it could not justify a trip to the shops ( you know with the whole global pandemic thing) for one ingredient so you’ll have to use your imagination. I also got distracted and left in too long so the muesli burnt a little, it should be a light golden brown. this is a little dark. When it’s cooked too long the fruit will harden making it a little too crunchy for my taste. Moral of the story, watch your muesli while it’s cooking!
This makes approx. 1.2kg and depending on how large your portions sizes are about 10-15 servings.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Macadamias
- ½ cup Cranberries
- 1 cup Honey
- ½ cup Sultanas
- ½ cup Coconut oil
- ½ cup Shredded coconut
- ½ cup Pumpkin seeds
- 2 cups Buckwheat
- 2 cups Puffed rice
Method
Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly, make sure all the dry ingredients are coated with honey and coconut oil.
Spead out on a baking tray and cook for approx. 15 minutes on 180 degrees until it’s slightly brown – cook longer if you like yours crunchy keeping in mind that the mixture will harden slightly once cooled. If your tray is smaller like mine you’ll need to turn and mix the muesli halfway through cooking.
You can definitely substitute the macadamias with a cheaper nut, swap out the fruit for more seeds or if you’re vegan use coconut nectar instead of honey. The base is the puffed rice and buckwheat – what you use from there is up to you!
Serve
Serve with your favourite plant-based milk – I love to use Oatley as it’s rich and creamy, it feels a bit like having dessert for breakfast. This also makes a great (if a little sticky) snack, pop a few spoonfuls into a bowl or container to take to work or pack for school lunches.
To store
Pop into an airtight jar or container and this will stay fresh for about two weeks, it might keep longer but mine doesn’t last long enough to test that out.
So was it cheaper than my packaged fave?
Costing breakdown based on prices from The Source.
- ½ cup Macadamias $3.80
- ½ cup Cranberries $2.70
- 1 cup Honey $1.90
- ½ cup Sultanas $1.20
- ½ cup Coconut oil $.80
- ½ cup Shredded coconut $1.30
- ½ cup Pumpkin seeds $1.50
- 2 cups Buckwheat $1
- 2 cups Puffed rice $1
Total: $15.20 for 1.2kg– The packaged brand that I love is $33.50 for 1kg so winning for savings! It’s also healthy, no processed ingredients and I feel like it’s comparable price-wise to the better quality mueslis you can find in Coles or Woolies. I’ve made this half a dozen times now and it’s become a breakfast favourite.
