Cue the trumpets! I’m pleased to present breakfast quinoa!
I came across Joy’s recipe for breakfast quinoa this week at the perfect moment. Quinoa for breakfast sounded satisfying and delicious, and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand: mango, milk, apple sauce, almonds and coconut. The next morning, I woke up and cooked quinoa for breakfast.
Breakfast quinoa, it turns out, is just as filling as oatmeal and as easy to make, with endless variations. Quinoa has a nutty flavor that goes great with breakfast toppings, plus it’s a highly nutritious way to start the day. Quinoa is a complete protein rich in vitamins and minerals.
Breakfast quinoa is a perfect way to use up leftover quinoa, and you can easily make it a vegan meal if you use almond, coconut or soy milk instead of regular milk. I’m hooked!
Here’s how I like to cook quinoa. Some of the other breakfast quinoa recipes I’ve come across recommend cooking the quinoa with milk instead of water, or a combination of milk and water (e.g. this recipe on 101 Cookbooks). Emma at The Kitchn recommends cooking the quinoa with water, as usual, and then adding a cup of milk at the end and letting it cook down a bit.
Both methods sound delicious, but I like using leftover quinoa for other recipes, so I cooked my quinoa with water. I just poured milk into my bowl when I was ready to eat quinoa for breakfast.
For a milk-free option, try my Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa.
Per Joy’s recommendation, I toasted sliced almonds and unsweetened coconut in the oven. It’s an unnecessary step if you’re in a hurry. Almonds and coconut are good, toasted or not!
On Tuesday, I followed Joy’s recipe. I added warm quinoa, apple sauce (no sugar added) and milk to a bowl, and topped it with fresh mango, coconut and almonds. Yum.
The next day, I reheated some quinoa, added it to a bowl with some milk, and topped it with thawed frozen blackberries, blueberries, coconut, almond and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Also yum.
Today, I heated quinoa, mixed it with applesauce and added milk. I diced a Granny Smith apple and heated it in the microwave with a sliver of butter and a dash of cinnamon until the apples were soft. Then I topped the quinoa with coconut, almonds and a dash of maple syrup.
More flavor combinations to try:
- Almond milk, fresh or dried cherries, chopped dark chocolate, maple syrup
- Almond milk, fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries, toasted almonds
- Coconut milk, pineapple chunks, chopped and toasted macadamia nuts, coconut flakes
- Almond milk, chopped pear, toasted pecans (or walnuts), honey
- Any milk, sliced banana, any toasted nuts
- Almond or cows milk, chopped peaches or nectarine, dash of cinnamon
Basic Breakfast Quinoa Recipe
Start your day off right with breakfast quinoa—a quick, nutritious and filling meal. Enjoy endless variations of fruits, nuts and milks with nutty quinoa.
- ½ cup or more cooked quinoa, warmed
- ½ to 1 cup milk of choice (almond milk, coconut milk, cows milk)
- ⅓ cup or more fruit (berries, chopped apple or pear, tropical fruit)
- Optional add-ons: toasted nuts, apple sauce, coconut flakes, balsamic vinegar, chopped dark chocolate, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg
- Optional sweeteners: honey, real maple syrup, agave nectar, raw sugar, brown sugar
- In a bowl, combine the warmed quinoa and milk.
- Top with fruit, add-ons and your sweetener of choice (if using). Good morning to you!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’m officially a fan of quinoa at all times of the day. How about you?
