German Breakfast Salad with Yogurt and Nuts Recipe
This breakfast bowl with yogurt, flakes and nuts is a German answer to trendy bowls – simple yet filling. In many German offices people bring such mixes in jars instead of classic sandwiches. The taste is a bit like muesli, but with more fresh add-ins.
This is a relaxed German interpretation of classic Bircher muesli, which gradually moved from guesthouses into offices in the form of “breakfast in a jar”. It’s especially popular with people commuting to work by train or subway.
A quick, office-friendly German-style breakfast that combines the convenience of muesli with the freshness of grated fruit and crunchy nuts.
Why this version works
- Grated apple with cinnamon gives you an apple‑pie effect without adding sugar.
- Raisins and banana naturally sweeten the yogurt, so the honey is just a bonus.
- Lightly toasted nuts add aroma and crunch to the soft oats.
- The ratio of oats to yogurt keeps the texture creamy, not dry, even after several hours.
Chef's tips
Grate the apple right before mixing and always coat it with lemon juice to keep the flavour bright and the colour fresh. Adjust the amount of oats to get the consistency you like, from creamy to spoonable and thick.
How to serve
Serve in a bowl or jar, topped with seasonal fruit like berries, grapes or sliced plums. A sprinkle of extra cinnamon on top makes it smell like dessert.
Substitutions
- You can swap part of the plain yogurt for kefir if you prefer a thinner, more drinkable texture.
- Replace the honey with maple syrup, or skip it altogether if your banana is very ripe.
- You can use spelt or rye flakes instead of rolled oats, bearing in mind they’ll need longer to soften.
Ingredients
- plain yogurt - 250 g
- rolled oats - 6 tablespoon
- apple - 1 piece
- banana - 1 piece
- nuts mixed, roughly chopped - 3 tablespoon
- raisins - 2 tablespoon
- honey - 1 tablespoon
- lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- cinnamon ground - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Wash the apple thoroughly, quarter it and remove the core. Grate it together with the skin on a coarse grater, immediately drizzle with lemon juice and mix until all of it is light and slightly moist.
- Peel the banana and slice it or cut into small cubes. Set aside a few of the nicest slices for decoration and keep the rest for mixing with the yogurt so they don’t get mushy.
- Roughly chop the nuts with a knife. For a more intense aroma, toast them in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes, until they smell strong and some pieces turn lightly golden.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the honey and cinnamon until the honey is fully dissolved. The mixture should be uniform, a light beige color with no visible streaks of honey.
- Add the rolled oats, raisins and grated apple. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until the oats are evenly coated in yogurt and you can’t see any dry, powdery spots.
- Finally, gently fold in most of the chopped banana, just until combined, so the pieces keep their shape. Smooth the surface of the salad.
- Decorate the top with the reserved banana slices and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Eat right away while the oats are still slightly springy, or divide into jars.
- If you’re making a to‑go version, pack the salad tightly into a jar, leaving 1–2 cm of headroom at the top, screw on the lid and refrigerate. After a few hours the mixture will thicken and turn creamy, like cold overnight oats.
Storage
This breakfast mix keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 day. Stir before serving and add fresh banana or fruit on top just before eating.
This is my go-to make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings – it feels like a treat but takes only a few minutes to prepare.
