Bircher muesli: how to make oats soak liquid

Recently I've been making bircher muesli for breakfast, but oat flakes never seem to soak much liquid. They remain mostly a separate layer in a milk soup (separate from milk and from each other). And I'm looking to achieve more of a rice pudding consistency I've seen in a few cafes serving their own bircher muesli.

I use 1:1 liquid/oats ration (by volume), which seems to be the recommended one in most online recipes, whole milk, standard rolled oats and leave the mixture covered in the fridge for 12 hours. Is there anything I'm not doing right? (I'll give quick oats a try next, perhaps that will help)

Best Answer

I've never made this, but have seen it on display in Switzerland breakfast buffets. I would think you may get a more absorbent oat flake if you were to try the par-cooked variety (quick oats).

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Do oats soak up liquid?

The oats absorb the liquid during the night, softening them in the same way cooking them softens them, except without the work! You can soak pretty much any variety of oats, although quick cook or rolled oats are often preferred because they absorb the liquid faster than, say, steel cut oats.

What is the liquid to oat ratio for overnight oats?

The only ratio you need to remember when making overnight oats is 1:1. You'll soak one part rolled oats with one part liquid overnight. Use less liquid if you want thicker oatmeal, more if you like it runny. You can use water or any type of milk (like almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.)

What do you do with the water after soaking oats?

Now that you have some oats soaked and ready to go you can prepare them a couple of ways.

Cook them quick. Place in a saucepan, add 1/3 cup or so of water or milk and cook until creamy (4-6 minutes). ...

Add them to a recipe. ...

Dry them in a dehydrator and use later.

Make homemade granola.

Should oats be soaked in water or milk?

Yes, you can soak oats in water overnight instead of milk. Soaking oats for a longer period of time makes them more easily digestible as well as taste better. To still achieve a creamy consistency even without milk, we make overnight oats with water and yogurt as well as chia seeds.

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