Cue the trumpets! I am pleased to present (doot dee doot) breakfast quinoa!
I came across Joy’s recipe for breakfast quinoa this week in perfect timing. 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 that’s packed with 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!
To cook quinoa, measure out one cup of grains, pour into a colandar, and rinse them under water for a few minutes. Rinsing removes the bitter saponins coating the outside of the quinoa. Then, pour the rinsed quinoa into a pot and add two cups water (you’re going for a 1:2 ratio of quinoa and water). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit for a few minutes, and fluff with a fork.
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 is cook down a bit. Both methods sound delicious, but I like using leftover quinoa for other recipes, so I cooked my quinoa with all water. I just poured milk into my bowl when I was ready to eat quinoa for breakfast.
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 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. Yum, yum, yum.
- 1/2 cup or more cooked quinoa, warmed
- 1/2 to 1 cup milk of choice (almond milk, coconut milk, cows milk)
- 1/3 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 warmed quinoa with milk. Top with fruit, add-ons and sweetener of choice. Good morning to you!
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
I’m officially a fan of quinoa at all times of the day. How about you?
22 Comments
so delicious & your photos are wonderful!
Hee hee. When I read “Cue the trumpets”, I saw Cue the Crumpets!! Do you have things you call crumpets for breakfast over there? Must be all this food on the brain. I just made bircher muesli and have sat down to catch up on blogs whilst it’s setting into yumminess.
I’m so glad an Aussie reads my blog. :) No, we don’t eat crumpets around here. I love that word, though. Maybe I’ll name my next dog Crumpet!
hahaha I love the trumpets reference! I also love the brightness of these photos since this dish is for breakfast. Hope you’re enjoying more free time at home. It looks like you are!
I love my newfound free time! My two weeks of funemployment end this weekend, so I’ll have to get more focused starting next week!
Wow, I love, love, LOVE quinoa, but I would have never thought to use it as breakfast! I’ve always been very savory-ish with it..almost like a rice substitute. I think I’ll try the apple one first. :-D
I love quinoa for breakfast, especially cooked in coconut milk. Your photos are lovely and demonstrate the versatility of quinoa. The toasted almonds and coconut are calling me. :-)
I can’t believe I still haven’t even TRIED quinoa! I live in a really small town and I’d have to drive over an hour to get to a place that might sell it, because my small town grocery store doesn’t have it :( These all look sooo yummy! I’m favoriting this post to come back to once I get some!
This looks incredible! I can’t wait to try this out… stunning photography!
New to your blog and I love it!
Mary
Delightful Bitefuls
i love this post! stumbled upon it when i was looking for ideas to use up my bag of quinoa in my pantry! i know what ill be having for brekkie tmr morning~!
I don’t know why, but I always assumed quinoa as a savoury stuff, but this breakfast idea is brilliant and sweet and I like it a lot :-)
had this for brekkie this morning :D its nice but i think im still trying to get used to the texture/flavour of quinoa…its def diff from my usual breakfast oatmeal! think im gonna try out your choc chip banana cookie this weekend! :) thanks for all the lovely recipes!
What kind of quinoa have you tried? I just assumed all colors of quinoa taste the same, but I recently tried the white kind and wasn’t impressed. It seems like the red kind (pictured) has a more nutty flavor, which lends itself well to breakfast foods.
I really like throwing some warm quinoa on salad, too. Have you tried that?
haha guess what – i was just telling my mum that this morning too. yesterday we tried the white kind (which ive always used for breakfast) and this morning the black and we noticed such a difference…def more palatable hahaha. love it! know that ill be buying black/red from now on! :) will have to give the salad idea a go next time too.
Thanks for the ideas. I always cook a big batch of quinoa, and then vacuum seal it 2 cups at a time. I liked everything I read except for the microwave part, there is some research on it’s effects on nutrients. Stove works just as well, and better texture.
This sounds delish!
Oh, regarding crumpets: in Seattle we do! We have a shop in Pike Place Market that sells tea and crumpets. SO TASTY. We have a few stores that market Australians and New Zealanders. :)
This sounds SUPER yummy! I’m always making things like this and experimenting with what will taste scrumptious with my beloved quinoa and steel cut oatmeal. Thanks for sharing :).
Kate,
Thanks for sharing this. I love the options you provide :)
Love this! have been experimenting w/quinoa, & so far have only had it as a side w/dinners – goes great w/grilled chicken & steak! ; ) your breakfast options sound divine — would it be possible to get nutrition info? tracking protein, fiber as well as sugar & fat, total calories. thanks!
Sorry Chris, I don’t do nutritional breakdowns at this time. This is such a basic recipe that the nutrition content would vary depending on the toppings and milk chosen, too.
I just stumbled across your site thanks to pintrest.
So many great recipes here!
Can you suggest any breakfast’s for Type 1 Diabetics? And Quinoa/Coconut/Almond or Soy milk?
ps im another Aussie!
Hi Kurt, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I don’t feel qualified to suggest recipes for diabetes because I am not a registered dietitian, I’m sorry! I’d hate to tell you the wrong thing.
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