In the midst of hectic mornings, this breakfast will come to your rescue. Sparing 10 minutes of your evening will result in a delicious and nutritious meal which you can just reach from your fridge while getting the children ready for school or heading out the door to work. It perfectly marries a creamy base soaked with tangy kefir and warming spices of cinnamon and cardamom. I have paired it with succulent plums and fresh figs which seamlessly complement the tart taste of the grated pears. Sweetened with a spoonful of local honey, it creates a dessert like breakfast which myself and my children crave on those days when I leave for the office before everyone wakes up.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
It can be prepared in advance: Mix everything in a jar or bowl the evening before. As you sleep, the grains soften into a velvety, spoonable texture, ready the second you wake up.
The amounts easily multiply: Need breakfast for the whole family or meal-prepping for four days? Double or triple the quantities and divide them into individual Weck or mason jars.
It is highly adaptable: Whether you prefer dairy or plant-based yogurt, stone fruit or berries, or whatever flaked grains sit in your pantry, the basic ratio always works.
Key Ingredients & Swaps
The Grains: When slowly soaked overnight rather than cooked on the stovetop, oats retain a higher proportion of resistant starch, which supports healthy gut flora and keeps energy levels steady all morning. I used a hearty mixture of rye flakes, spelt flakes, and regular rolled oats, but feel free to stick with traditional rolled oats or swap in buckwheat or millet flakes.
Kefir & Quark: The combination of tangy, probiotic-rich kefir and thick Swiss quark creates that signature Alpine Bircher creaminess without feeling heavy. You can substitute Greek yogurt or skyr for the quark, and whole milk, almond milk, or oat milk for the kefir.
Grated Pear: Grating the pear directly into the soak is the traditional Swiss secret—it releases natural juices that infuse the oats with subtle sweetness without needing heaps of refined sugar.
Nut Butter: A spoon of roasted hazelnut butter lends an autumnal, nutty depth, but almond butter or tahini work just as well.
Bircher Style Overnight Oats
Course: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy1
servings10
minutesThis Bircher style overnight oats is a perfect recipe for an autumn breakfast – the creamy base of tangy kefir is mixed together with earthy spices and succulent seasonal fruit of plums and figs.
Ingredients
50g mixed oats (I used rye, spelt and regular oats)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
100-120ml kefir
50g quark
1 tablespoon nut butter (I used hazelnut)
1 teaspoon honey
1 small pear, grated
3 plums, chopped
1 fig, quartered
Handful of chopped hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds
Directions
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a mason jar, combine the oats, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, ground cinnamon, and cardamom.
- Add the base: Pour in the kefir and quark, stirring well to combine.
- Sweeten and enrich: Add the nut butter and honey, stirring until fully incorporated.
- Fold in the fruit: Gently stir the grated pear and chopped plums into the mixture.
- Top and chill: Finish off with the quartered fig and a handful of hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds. Seal with a lid and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
Recipe Video
Notes
- Batch prepping: The listed amounts yield 1 generous portion, but you can easily scale the recipe. Mix everything together in a large bowl, then divide the mixture into individual jars for the week.
- Kids’ portions: For children, reduce the base to 30g oats, ½ tablespoon each of chia and sunflower seeds, 80ml kefir, and 30g quark. Halve all remaining ingredients accordingly.
- Seasonal variations: Customise the fruit and spice profile based on what is in your kitchen. Berries with a pinch of vanilla and lemon zest work wonderfully in summer, as do sliced peaches paired with a hint of ground coriander.