Gluten Free Muesli w/ Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, & Chai Spices

This Gluten Free Muesli w/ Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, & Chai Spices is a healthy and delicious way to start the day! Bonus-it’s super easy to make and suitable for vegan and low FODMAP diets.

If you’ve never tried making gluten free muesli before, you’re in for a real treat! And, even if you have made it, my super nourishing twist with chai spices is sure to warm your heart! Insert heart emoji here 🙂

Why You Should Make This Gluten Free Chai Spiced Muesli (AKA Health & Nutrition Benefits of Chai Spices)

• Cinnamon has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any spice. (1) Just one teaspoon provides the same antioxidant power as 1/2 cup of blueberries or 1 cup of pomegranate juice, and in addition, it may help regulate blood sugar levels.
• Ginger is an anti-inflammatory spice (2) that may provide pain relief for multiple ailments including arthritis, nausea, and migraines.  One teaspoon provides the same amount of antioxidants as 1 cup of spinach!
• Cloves contain eugenol, an essential oil with antimicrobial activity. (3) In addition, cloves contain flavonoids which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.  Just 2 teaspoons of cloves provide over 60 % of the recommended daily value for manganese!
• Cardamom may help lower blood pressure. (4) In addition, cardamom is high in both manganese and iron.

Is muesli naturally gluten free?

While there are a lot of delicious gluten free muesli brands you can buy, why not try making your own? Not only will you save money, but you’ll also be assured your muesli truly is gluten free. Plus, did I mention it’s SUPER EASY to make???

Per Wikipedia, “muesli is a cold breakfast cereal based on rolled oats and other ingredients including grains, nuts, seeds, and fresh or dried fruits.” So, muesli may OR may not be 100% gluten free depending on what types of oats (are they certified gluten free?) and other grains are used to make it. When in doubt, read labels!

Important! If you have celiac disease, I highly recommend using purity protocol oats to make this gluten free muesli. If you’re not sure what purity protocol oats are, here’s a great resource from Gluten Free Watchdog, along with a listing of purity protocol oats suppliers and manufacturers.

Serve this Chai Spice Pumpkin Seed Almond Muesli COLD for extra health benefits!

Have you heard of resistant starch before?

It’s similar to soluble fiber, and provides food for the good bacteria in the gut. When the friendly bacteria in our guts feed on resistant starch and fermentable fiber, they produce short chain fatty acids {SCFAs} that are beneficial for digestive health, and overall health.

In addition, resistant starch has been found to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels, plus it helps increase satiety which can help with weight loss.

Foods that are high in resistant starch include: green/underripe bananas (including green banana flour), lentils, white beans, cooked and cooled potatoes (like in potato salad), as uncooked rolled gluten free oats.

That’s where this yummy Chai Spice Pumpkin Seed Muesli comes into play!

Related: These Green Banana Flour Brownie Bites pack a nourishing dose of resistant starch for gut health. Plus, they are super chocolaty and delicious!

What can I add to muesli?

The best thing about this gluten free muesli recipe, is that you can 100% adapt it to your own tastes and food tolerances.

You can eat it straight out of the bowl w/ your favorite milk or plant based milk, heat it up (although cooking oats lowers the amount of resistant starch), or, put the muesli in a mason jar with milk of choice and (optional) yogurt overnight, and wake up to the yummiest bowl of overnight oats!

Choose a variety of milks, nuts, seeds, and fruit to add to your muesli as you wish. Here are just a few ideas using my basic chai spice muesli to get you started.

• Milks: Almond, flax, pea, cow’s, goat, etc.
• Yogurt: Greek, Skyr style, goat, coconut milk, soy milk, cashew milk
• Sweeteners: Maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, date syrup, liquid stevia
• Nuts: More almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts
• Seeds: More pumpkin seeds, chia, flax, sunflower, hemp
• Fruit: Dried raisins/cranberries/wild blueberries/golden berries, apples, pears, oranges

It’s so easy to make this muesli ahead of time, and store for a quick and easy breakfast. And, with the holiday’s upon us, this gluten free muesli is a lovely gift to give to friends and family!

Want more Chai Spice deliciousness in you life? Me too! Check out these other delicious ways to reap the health benefits of chai spices!

Let’s chat!

Are you in love w/ chai spices too? What are your favorite edible gifts to give? And to receive??