Quinoa Breakfast Bake
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Last updated on Apr 28, 2025
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Skip the oats and make this quinoa breakfast bake aka quinoa baked “oatmeal” instead. It’s nutty, packed with plant-based protein and studded with fresh berries. It’s vegan, gluten-free and perfect for meal prep.
If you know me you know I’m a huge fan of quinoa! I typically stick to adding it to savory dishes (this easy quinoa salad is one of my faves!), but over the years, many of you have asked if rolled oats can be swapped for anything in my baked oatmeal recipes, so I thought I’d take a stab at creating a quinoa breakfast bake aka quinoa baked “oatmeal”!
In the past I’ve made this cinnamon quinoa breakfast bowl and strawberry quinoa parfait, so I knew quinoa could turn out tasty in breakfast recipes, it was just a matter of figuring out the right measurements to create a breakfast bake that would hold together.
After some trial and error, I finally landed on this recipe I’m sharing with you today. It’s loaded with fresh berries and plant-based protein and has a delicious nutty flavor with a subtle sweetness thanks to the maple syrup. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s made with quinoa instead of rolled oats!
- Packed with plant-based protein. One serving has 6 grams of protein!
- Can easily be customized with your favorite toppings and mix-ins.
- Perfect for meal prep!
- Vegan, dairy-free + gluten-free.
Ingredients Needed
- white quinoa – we’re swapping rolled oats for dry, uncooked quinoa in this recipe. Quinoa packs a nutritional punch and makes this recipe gluten-free and safe for those who can’t consume oats. You can use any type of quinoa you prefer, although white quinoa is generally the most commonly used and readily available, but feel free to experiment with different types of quinoa. My fave brand is the Ancient Harvest organic white quinoa.
- ground flaxseed – helps to bind everything together! I tested this recipe without the flaxseed and the bake didn’t hold together as nicely.
- maple syrup – since the quinoa has such a nutty flavor, I find that it needs some sweetness to balance it out. I found that maple syrup is the perfect sweetener for this recipe. Just make sure to grab pure maple syrup and not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” and made from corn syrup… NOT the same!
- unsweetened almond milk – I prefer to use unsweetened almond milk, but coconut milk, oat milk or any non-dairy milk will work.
- bananas – add some natural sweetness and helps to bind everything together. If you don’t have ripe bananas on hand you can use applesauce instead.
- coconut oil – to add moisture.
- cinnamon – adds a warm, spicy flavor to the baked quinoa and complements the sweetness of the maple syrup.
- baking powder – helps the quinoa bake to rise and gives it an even more fluffy texture.
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer!
- salt – helps bring all the ingredients together.
- fresh berries – I used fresh blueberries and strawberries, but your favorite variety of fresh berries will work just fine.
- toppings – my go-to toppings are maple syrup, fresh berries and nut butter, but feel free to add your favorite toppings!
How to Make
This quinoa breakfast bake recipe is pretty straight-forward and easy to make!
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 8×8 pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except for the berries and toppings. Stir well to combine. Add berries and gently stir everything together once more.
Pour quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until quinoa is golden brown and the center is cooked through. Remove from the oven, let cool, cut into slices and serve with a drizzle of nut butter, maple syrup and fresh berries.
What to Serve With Quinoa Bake
This quinoa breakfast bake is the perfect recipe to serve at brunch or meal prep for a quick and easy breakfast throughout the week.
It’s a hearty dish on its own, but can also be paired with a variety of foods for a more filling breakfast! Here are some ideas:
- Spinach Quiche, Egg White Omelette, Baked Egg Muffins or Hard Boiled Eggs
- Green Protein Smoothie or Blueberry Smoothie
- Easy Fruit Salad or Easy Breakfast Salad
- Cold Brew Coffee, Iced Matcha Latte or Healthy Frappuccino
How to Store And Reheat
This “baked oatmeal” is a great meal prep recipe. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When freezing, I recommend cutting the quinoa bake into portions, wrapping each in plastic wrap and placing the portions in a large freezer bag. The individual servings make it easier to reheat.
To reheat the entire pan: cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until warm.
To reheat individual portions: set oven or toaster oven to 350ºF and bake for 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 1 minute. Once warm, add your toppings and enjoy!
More Breakfast Recipes
- Vegetarian Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Dairy-Free Spinach Quiche
- Egg White Bites (Starbucks Copycat)
- Baked Egg Muffins
- Egg White Omelette
More Quinoa Recipes
- How to Cook Quinoa
- Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
- Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- Easy Quinoa Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Quinoa Parfait
Be sure to check out my full collection of healthy breakfast recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Quinoa Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry uncooked white quinoa
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed, about ½ cup
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh berries, I used blueberries and strawberries
- Toppings: maple syrup, fresh berries and nut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray an 8×8 pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except for the berries and toppings. Stir well to combine.
- Add berries and gently stir everything together once more.
- Pour quinoa mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until quinoa is golden brown and the center is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven, let cool and serve with drizzle of nut butter, maple syrup and fresh berries.
Notes
- Almond milk: Any non-dairy or dairy milk will work as a substitute.
- Bananas: If you don’t have ripe bananas on hand you can use 1/2 cup applesauce instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Any changes to the process if using frozen berries? Would you want to thaw them first or not?
Thanks!
Great question, Borg! You don’t need to thaw the frozen berries first — you can add them straight in. Just know that they might release a bit more moisture and color into the bake, but it should still turn out great. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I actually used less almond milk per the previous comments and baked it for over an hour and unfortunately was still very runny. However, it is tasty and reheating with some butter would probably make it better! Clever recipe since I can’t have oats.
Oh no! I’m so sorry this turned out too runny for you. What brand of quinoa did you use?
This recipe is a soup..careful with the amount of liquid advised by the recipe…
Oh no! So sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Did you change anything about the recipe? What type of quinoa did you use?
Delicious! Enjoyed with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt on top.
YUM! I am happy to hear this recipe turned out great for you, Sarah. Thanks for your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
can this pudding be frozen and how long for please?
Hi Monica – Yes, this breakfast bake can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
I love everything about this recipe! But I am out of flaxseed. is there anything I can substitute? is it to replace an egg?
Hi Tess! Unfortunately, I don’t recommend a sub for the flaxseed, it helps to bind everything together! I tested this recipe without the flaxseed and the bake didn’t hold together as nicely.
Some of my quinoa didn’t get soft and bake after 50 minutes. I even stirred it a few times before baking. It laid on the top uncooked.
Hi Lynn! I am so sorry your quinoa didn’t get soft. What type of quinoa did you use?