There’s rarely a day I don’t start with some form of oaty breakfast; oats keep me full all morning and provide a great source of fibre. In fact, there is research showing that the fibre found in oats, beta-glucan, can lower cholesterol and help fight heart disease.

However, one bowl of muesli can start to taste a lot like another, so I like to mix it up with different ingredients and toppings. I hit on a winner today; using a 50/50 milk and coconut cream mix to soak my Bircher muesli overnight resulted in a thick, creamy muesli that tasted more like a dessert!

My muesli ingredients and ratios tend to change depending on what I have to hand, but always include wholegrain rolled oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. Here is a general idea of how I made this bowl of deliciousness. Feel free to use it as a guide and change it up to suit you. The important thing is to get organised the night before so the muesli has a chance to soak up all the liquid and get good and creamy.

Handful wholegrain rolled oats

Handful sunflower seeds

Handful pumpkin seeds

Handful macadamia nuts (or walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts etc)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut or coconut flakes

4 dates, chopped (or a handful of sultanas)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup milk (dairy, soy, almond, whatever you like)

1/4 cup full cream coconut cream (I used Kara)

Fresh fruit for topping

Get this prepared before going to bed. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, combine the milk and coconut cream and pour over the top. It should just cover the dry stuff, so you might need slightly more or less. Stir until well mixed and leave in the fridge.

In the morning, get the muesli out a few minutes before you want to eat, so it comes up closer to room temperature. If it looks a bit dry, stir through a bit more milk to loosen it. Top with your choice of topping: yogurt, sliced banana, fresh fruit, chopped nuts, dried fruit…I used fresh berries and an extra drizzle of coconut cream.