Jumpstart your day with this Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl! With fresh fruit, toasted nuts, and warm spices, it's refreshing, healthy, and satisfying.
If you saw what I eat for breakfast every day, you would be so bored. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my daily eggs & avocado, but lately I’ve been trying to switch things up just because I think change is good every once in a while. Especially if that change means another excuse to smother things in peaches.
This quinoa breakfast bowl is inspired by the beautiful bowls of oatmeal that I see all over the internet. You know the ones – they’re chock full of colorful fruit and other various superfoods. They’re so pretty that they make me wish I liked oatmeal… so finally I had the idea to make a sweet non-oat quinoa bowl for breakfast.
How to Make a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
To make the base of this recipe, I cook quinoa in almond milk with a few cinnamon sticks. It’s this simple: Almond Breeze + quinoa + whole cinnamon sticks. You could also get creative with your spices. Nutmeg, cardamom, and/or vanilla bean would all be welcome here.
Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Variations
To your spiced quinoa, add whatever seasonal or dried fruits you like. Obviously, peaches are my thing right now; the raspberries are for Jack because they’re his favorite. For crunch, I topped these with toasted almonds and coconut flakes.
I’m going to give you two options for serving these bowls: my preference and Jack’s preference.
- My way – I’m not a fan of mushy food, so I serve my quinoa breakfast bowl pilaf-style. This way, you cook the quinoa as you would for most other recipes, without too much liquid. It stays fluffy, and you can enjoy it warm off the stove or at room temperature if you make it in advance.
- Jack’s way – Jack likes to eat a porridge-style quinoa breakfast bowl. This way, it’s best served hot with plenty of almond milk to soak into the quinoa.
Sweeten the deal by drizzling a little maple syrup on top.
If you love this quinoa breakfast bowl…
Try Overnight Oats, Many Ways, chia pudding, a smoothie bowl, or these quinoa breakfast cookies next! Or, head to this post for 60+ healthy breakfast ideas!
Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- More spices, such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger, to taste
Toppings
- Toasted sliced almonds
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Fresh peaches, sliced
- Raspberries
- Almond milk, optional
- Maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and place it in a small saucepan. Add the almond milk, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a high simmer, cover, and reduce the heat. Gently simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 more minutes, or until the almond milk is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Taste and add additional spices to your liking.
- Scoop the quinoa into two bowls and top with toasted almonds, toasted coconut, peaches, and raspberries. Enjoy as a fluffy pilaf, or as more a porridge with warm almond milk poured on top. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- Sub in whatever seasonal fruit you like, dried fruits are also delicious here.
Question – I cannot consume almond milk, will any milk do? Cow’s milk or to keep it vegan, oat milk?