Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

4.1

75

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Have quinoa for breakfast with this easy cinnamon quinoa breakfast bowl. It’s vegan, gluten-free and the quinoa packs in a good amount of protein.

I love adding quinoa to savory dishes (this Greek quinoa salad is one of my faves), but lately I’ve been experimenting with having it for breakfast as well. In the past I’ve made a quinoa parfait and this fruity quinoa, but more recently I’ve been trying my hand at making quinoa as a hot breakfast option to replace my go-to bowl of oatmeal.

Bowl of cinnamon breakfast quinoa, topped with raisins, chia seeds, peanut butter, and banana slices. A gold spoon and jar of coffee are to the side.

Quinoa for Breakfast

Today I whipped up this cinnamon raisin quinoa breakfast bowl and it turned out to be quite delicious — almost as good as a cinnamon raisin oatmeal cookie… almost.

And this quinoa breakfast recipe is the perfect way to switch up your normal routine of having oatmeal, overnight oats or cold cereal for breakfast. Plus, it gives you an added boost of protein to get through your morning! I hope you love this breakfast recipe as much as I do.

Bowl of cinnamon breakfast quinoa, topped with raisins, chia seeds, peanut butter, and banana slices.

Is Quinoa Better Than Oatmeal?

If you’ve been reading EBF for a while, you already know that quinoa is one of my favorite grains (even though it’s actually a seed, I think of it as a grain). Not only is it high in protein, but the protein that it supplies is complete, meaning it includes all nine essential amino acids. Plus, it’s gluten free, which is perfect for those avoiding wheat and gluten.

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s “better” than oatmeal because I think both grains are great! If I *had* to tell you what to eat, I’d tell you to eat a healthy mix of both.

Bowl of cinnamon breakfast quinoa, topped with raisins, chia seeds, peanut butter, and banana slices. A glass of iced coffee is beside the bowl.

Ingredients in This Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

  • milk â€“ I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk or oat milk would also be delicious. Regular cow’s milk works too.
  • quinoa – dry, uncooked quinoa that has been rinsed.
  • cinnamon and vanilla â€“ to amp up the flavor!
  • chia seeds – ground flaxseed works great too.
  • raisins – I like the cinnamon raisin combo, but any dried fruit will work.
  • nut butter – either almond or peanut butter is delicious, but if you can’t do nuts sunflower seed butter works too

Bowl of cinnamon breakfast quinoa, topped with raisins, chia seeds, peanut butter, and banana slices. A teaspoon of cinnamon, a gold spoon, and a glass of iced coffee are beside the bowl.

How to Make a Healthy Quinoa Breakfast

Rinse quinoa: First things first, always make sure you rinse your quinoa before cooking. Most store-bought quinoa will have a coating that needs to be rinsed off… or you’ll be left with a bitter breakfast. No thanks!

Cook quinoa: Place your milk and quinoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla, stir to combine. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Don’t set it and forget it! I’ve found, this dish has the tendency to boil over so keep your eye on the pot and stir often.

Add toppings: When all of the liquid is absorbed, place a portion of the cooked quinoa into a bowl, drizzle with maple syrup and top with chia seeds, raisins and nut butter. Feel free to customize the toppings! This breakfast bowl would also be delicious with fresh fruit, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, toasted pecans… the options are endless.

More Delicious Quinoa Recipes to Try:

If you make this cinnamon quinoa breakfast, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe. 

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
4.10 from 53 votes

Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Have quinoa for breakfast with this easy cinnamon quinoa breakfast bowl. It's vegan, gluten-free and the quinoa packs in a good amount of protein. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds, or ground flaxseed
  • 2 Tablespoons raisins
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut or almond butter
  • maple syrup + banana slices for topping, optional

Instructions 

  • Rinse quinoa: Rinse quinoa and drain.
  • Cook quinoa: Place milk and rinsed quinoa into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Combine ingredients: Add cinnamon and vanilla.
  • Reduce heat: Reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Watch the pot carefully and stir often because it has a tendency to want to boil over.
  • Add toppings and serve: When ready to eat, place a portion of the quinoa into a bowl, drizzle with maple syrup and top with chia seeds, raisins and nut butter.

Notes

  • Milk: I prefer unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk or oat milk would also be delicious. Regular cow's milk works too.
  • Chia seeds: Ground flaxseed works great too.
  • Raisins: I like the cinnamon raisin combo, but any dried fruit will work.
  • Nut butter: either almond or peanut butter is delicious, but if you can't do nuts sunflower seed butter works too

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 recipe without toppings | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 95mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast quinoa
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




75 Comments

  1. 2 stars
    I just came here for the recipe but had to scroll past 10+ ads, redundant texts, and 4 pictures of the same breakfast bowl taken at different angles.
    Recipe was delicious, but I almost didnt make it because of how this page is laid out. From a UX stand point, you’d gain more returning readers if you maybe just put the recipe at the top of the page? And then followed that with your personal experience.

    1. 5 stars
      @Daniel you do realize there is a button that says “jump to recipe”?
      Then you could have got their quicker and not have to mansplain it to her.

  2. 5 stars
    This is really good!!! I didn’t add raisins bc I didn’t have any. I added coconut, a T of almond butter and maple syrup. I done measure that. But it was under 2.5 T. And I added milled flaxseed. This will be my go to breakfast a lot. Thanks for sharing this

    1. YUM! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out amazing for you, Amanda. Thanks so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!

See More Comments