Berry Breakfast Quinoa

Calling all breakfast rebels! Do I have the dish for you. Peanut butter. Raspberries. Almond milk. Honey. Cinnamon. Vanilla. QUINOA. Whoever decided that quinoa isn’t a breakfast food was seriously misguided, because this Berry Breakfast Quinoa is just begging to make your morning. It’s creamy, it’s cozy, and it’s also dairy, gluten, egg, and soy-free.

Eating with food intolerances can get repetitive at times. Heck, everybody gets stuck in a rut! That go-to meal that slowly slides into a 7-day-a-week meal… We’ve all been there. Berry Breakfast Quinoa can revive even the most tired of breakfast routines. The recipe is simple to prepare and easily doubled (or tripled!) for a ready-to-go breakfast all week.

Breakfast is hands-down my favorite meal of the day. If we ever go out to brunch, I never even look at the lunch offerings. Why on Earth would I do that? If I had to pick a favorite breakfast food, it would probably be a soft poached egg in some type of sandwich situation involving avocado and possibly bacon. YUM. I’m over here drooling on my keyboard on my egg/soy/dairy-free diet, just finished my 200th bowl of granola for the year.

Not that I don’t love granola, but being egg-free at breakfast time is tough! (Read more about my story and why I’ve had to temporarily give up eggs here). Oatmeal and I have been besties for the last year and a half, so I needed another option to rotate in to avoid the gaping darkness of egg withdrawal. Enter, quinoa.

About Quinoa

Quinoa is technically a seed, not a grain. It’s also gluten-free and high in protein – 8 grams of protein per cup, cooked. In fact, quinoa is a “complete protein”, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids (the amino acids your body can’t make, so you need to get them from food). This is rare for a plant food, and makes quinoa a must-have for a vegetarian or vegan diet. Or any type of diet, in my opinion!

Cooking quinoa is fairly similar to cooking rice, only it has one extra step. Quinoa is naturally covered with bitter compounds called saponins, so prior to cooking it needs to be thoroughly rinsed under cold running water to get rid of that bitter taste. Once it’s rinsed, you bring the quinoa and cooking liquid (water, stock, etc) to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes, and that’s it!

Berry Breakfast Quinoa How-To

Normally, you would use a 1: 2 quinoa: liquid ratio to get light and fluffy quinoa. But this ain’t normal quinoa. For our Berry Breakfast Quinoa we’re going to use a 1: 3 ratio instead. The quinoa won’t absorb all the liquid, instead it’ll cook up soft and creamy with an oatmeal-like consistency. Perfect for swirling with peanut butter and berries!

We’re also going to use a combination of water and almond milk (or any other milk or milk substitute) for our cooking liquid, to make the quinoa even creamier. It will absorb all the delicious flavors of honey, vanilla, and cinnamon as it cooks, for a berry fragrant bowl of breakfast! (Sorry…couldn’t resist!).

I’ve tried this recipe with both types of quinoa: the plain (white-colored) quinoa and tri-colored (white, brown, and black) quinoa. While I normally prefer the tri-colored, for this purpose I actually liked the plain white quinoa better. The reason is that it has a creamier, “mushier” texture, perfect for a breakfast bowl. The tri-colored quinoa tends to be a bit sturdier in texture, so is better suited to a side dish or salad. They’re nutritionally identical as far as  I can determine.

Berry Breakfast Quinoa Recipe

Happy breakfast adventuring, friends!

5 from 8 votes

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Berry Breakfast Quinoa

Berry Breakfast Quinoa is a fresh alternative to oatmeal - it's creamy and comforting, yet packs a serious nutrient punch. Full of protein and healthy fats, this bowl will fuel you through even the busiest of mornings!

Course Breakfast

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup milk or milk substitute (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon honey

For topping:

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter)
• 1/2 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
• a splash milk or milk substitute
• a sprinkle/drizzle cinnamon and honey (if desired)

Instructions

1. Combine the quinoa, water, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat on high until it comes to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low. 

2. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is cooked through and creamy. It should have an oatmeal-like consistency. 

3. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the honey, and let cool for a few minutes. The quinoa will thicken as it cools, so if needed stir in an extra few tablespoons of milk/milk substitute to keep it smooth and creamy.

4. To serve, split the cooked quinoa into 2 bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1/4 cup raspberries, and 1/2 tablespoon hemp seeds. Garnish with another splash of milk, sprinkle of cinnamon, and drizzle of honey if desired (highly recommend!).

Recipe Notes

• Make sure to rinse your quinoa well in a mesh strainer, under cold running water, for 1-2 minutes unless the product packaging states it has been pre-rinsed. Otherwise your quinoa will have a bitter aftertaste.
• I love doubling this recipe (to make 4 cups of cooked quinoa/4 servings) to use the leftovers for breakfasts for the rest of the week. The quinoa thickens if you keep it in the fridge, so add a good splash of milk prior to reheating leftovers.
• Customize the toppings: peanut butter could be substituted for almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter. You could use pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or any other nut/seed instead of the hemp seeds as well. Or, swap the raspberries for any berry or fresh fruit. I have a special place in my heart for the PB + berry dream team, but this recipe can be easily adapted for what you have on hand!
• The Nutrition Facts per 1-cup serving (made with unsweetened almond milk, including toppings): 335 calories, 14.5 grams fat, 41 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 12 grams protein.

References

• Suarez-Estrella et al. Quinoa bitterness: causes and solutions for improving product acceptability. J Sci Food Agric. 2018;98(11);4033-4041. Access here.
• USDA National Nutrient Database
• Whole Grains Council