Sugar free cocoa, banana and buckwheat Bircher Muesli

It’s been said many times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – it literally ‘breaks the fast’ of sleeping through the night, sets you up with the energy needed to start your day well, kick starts the metabolism and improves concentration.
If you’re not one for eating breakfast, be it that you’re indecisive, short on time or just not hungry, preparing your breakfast in advance can really help to get you into the habit of morning eating and reap its benefits. This sugar free cocoa, banana and buckwheat bircher muesli is the perfect fit for you classic breakfast phobes.

If you’ve ever thought that cereal or muesli with milk is boring, bircher muesli is its incredibly more delicious older sister. The basic concept of this dish involves soaking grains, dried fruit seeds and nuts in some kind of liquid – usually milk, apple juice or yoghurt, or a combination of two. The grains and dried fruit soak up the liquid, plump up and resemble a porridge-like consistency. Perhaps the best part of bircher muesli is the toppings! Your imagination can really run wild here; fresh fruit, nuts, honey, toasted coconut, cinnamon, choose your own adventure!

In this recipe, we’ve taken the classic, sweet and rich combination of banana and chocolate and topped it with tangy grapefruit and crushed pistachio nuts. The grapefruit rounds out the sweetness of the banana and pistachio nuts add depth and crunch.

Double or triple this recipe to make enough for a few breakfasts, then, to keep yourself interested, try changing up the toppings. Extra yoghurt, toasted coconut and fresh blueberries would be a treat here too!

Sugar free cocoa, banana and buckwheat Bircher Muesli

Ingredients

• 2 whole bananas, mashed
• 3 heaped tbsp. cocoa powder
• 100g whole buckwheat
• 100g oats
• 100ml almond milk
• 150ml plain soya yoghurt
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 handful crushed pistachios

Instructions:

1. Boil the buckwheat on medium high heat for 20 minutes (until it is cooked through). Strain and allow to cool.
2. Mix together the almond milk, soya yoghurt and cocoa powder in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. Then add the mashed banana and stir well.
3. Add the uncooked oats and the cooked, cooled buckwheat to a bowl and add the cocoa mixture. Stir in thoroughly.
4. Leave to chill and absorb overnight in the fridge.
5. In the morning, serve into two bowls and peel and slice the grapefruit to put on top. Sprinkle on your crushed pistachios.
6. Enjoy!