Best Breakfast Quinoa Bowls 

I love quinoa breakfasts bowls. They’re easy to throw together and only a handful of ingredients, plus toppings you can mix up based on what you have. Also, this is super filling and for a plant-based meal it’s not too shabby on the protein.

Related: 50+ Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Real question: Is it weird that I ate this warm quinoa bowl along with iced coffee? Maybe? What can I say, it’s iced coffee season AND I CAN’T STOP!

Best Breakfast Quinoa Bowls, makes 2

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup milk (dairy or non dairy options, see note)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 banana
2 teaspoons maple syrup
toppings of your choice: berries, sliced fruit, nuts, and seeds are all great here

First, rinse your quinoa really well.

I use a fine mess strainer to do this. Giving quinoa a good rinse before cooking can help to remove that sometimes slightly bitter flavor it can take on.

I especially think it’s good to rinse here because these breakfast bowls are a (naturally) sweet dish, as opposed to savory, so we don’t want any bitterness left on the grains.

In a small to medium pot, heat the milk and salt until very hot, almost boiling. Stir in the quinoa and cinnamon, then cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook for 12-15 minutes (see notes) until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the grains, although it may still look a little soupy (that’s OK for now!)

While that cooks, mash up the banana. Once the 12-15 minutes of cooking is up, remove the lid but keep the heat at a low simmer. Add the banana and the maple syrup and stir to combine.

Keep cooking for another 5 minutes until the majority of the liquid is gone and the quinoa is well cooked, but will seem like porridge (in part from the added, mashed banana). Remove from the heat and divide into two bowls.

Top with berries, sliced fruit (I am sort of feeling like next time I’m gonna buy a mango for this!), applesauce, nuts (love sliced almonds here), and seeds. I had chia and flax seeds available so I added sprinkle of both of those to mine. Yum! xo. Emma

Notes: You can use any kind of milk you prefer here but note that it may change the cook time slightly. If you use something thicker, like whole milk or even 2% you’ll probably want to cook the quinoa covered for closer to the 15 minute mark.

If you use something a bit thinner, like almond milk, you’ll probably be good to go around the 12 minute mark. But just taste a few grains and check for doneness—that’s always the best test.

You can save the second serving for the next day if you like. Just omit the toppings until you’re ready to serve and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.

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Yield 2

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup quinoa
• ▢ 1 cup milk (dairy or non dairy options, see note)
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 banana
• ▢ 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• ▢ toppings of your choice (sliced fruit, nuts, or seeds)

Instructions

• First, rinse your quinoa really well.
• I use a fine mess strainer to do this. Giving quinoa a good rinse before cooking can help to remove that sometimes slightly bitter flavor it can take on.
• In a small to medium pot, heat the milk and salt until very hot, almost boiling. Stir in the quinoa and cinnamon, then cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook for 12-15 minutes (see notes) until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the grains, although it may still look a little soupy (that’s OK for now!)
• Keep cooking for another 5 minutes until the majority of the liquid is gone and the quinoa is well cooked, but will seem like porridge (in part from the added, mashed banana). Remove from the heat and divide into two bowls.
• Top with sliced fruit, nuts, or seeds.

Notes

You can use any kind of milk you prefer here but note that it may change the cook time slightly. If you use something thicker, like whole milk or even 2% you’ll probably want to cook the quinoa covered for closer to the 15 minute mark.

If you use something a bit thinner, like almond milk, you’ll probably be good to go around the 12 minute mark. But just taste a few grains and check for doneness—that’s always the best test.

You can save the second serving for the next day if you like. Just omit the toppings until you’re ready to serve and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two.