Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Name: Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
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)

By Brittany Mullins

4.03

Published May 11, 2020, Updated Sep 27, 2023

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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.

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.

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.

Ingredients in This Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

milk – 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 – 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

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.

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.

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4.03 from 49 votes