Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa
You're about to discover the best way to power up your mornings! Our cinnamon toast breakfast quinoa is not only delicious, but it's packed with protein and fiber to keep you feeling full till lunch.
Ingredients
Breakfast quinoa
- Heaping 2 tablespoons chopped raw pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for sprinkling on top
- Tiny pinch of salt
- 1 cup pre-cooked quinoa* either chilled or warm from cooking—both will work
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup more if desired
Toppings and optional accompaniments
- 1 tablespoon chopped dried cherries or dried cranberries
- Hemp seeds chia seeds or flax seeds (optional), for serving
- Milk or yogurt of choice totally optional, for serving
Instructions
- First, toast the pecans before we add the remaining ingredients. To do so, warm the pecans in a small saucepan (use a larger saucepan if you are making multiple servings) over medium heat, shimmying the pan often, until the pecans smell fragrant and toasty, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add the coconut oil, cinnamon and salt to the pot. While stirring constantly, cook until the cinnamon is fragrant, about 15 seconds.
- Add the quinoa to the pot and stir to combine. Cook, while stirring constantly, just until the quinoa is warmed through, about a minute or so. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the maple syrup.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and top with dried fruit and a hefty sprinkle of hemp seeds, if using. Top with a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve promptly, with additional maple syrup and milk or yogurt on the side, if you’d like.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Yum Universe by Heather Crosby.
CHANGE IT UP: Try honey instead of maple syrup, use your favorite nuts or seeds, toast unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut with the nuts, top with fresh fruit or instead of dried, add a big dollop of applesauce, etc.
MAKE IT NUT FREE: Omit the nuts or replace them with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds).
*HOW TO COOK QUINOA: Check out my preferred cooking method here. You’ll need to cook about ⅓ cup dry quinoa with ⅔ cup water to yield 1 cup quinoa, but I recommend making more than that so you have leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast.
CHANGE IT UP: Try honey instead of maple syrup, use your favorite nuts or seeds, toast unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut with the nuts, top with fresh fruit or instead of dried, add a big dollop of applesauce, etc.
MAKE IT NUT FREE: Omit the nuts or replace them with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds).
*HOW TO COOK QUINOA: Check out my preferred cooking method here. You’ll need to cook about ⅓ cup dry quinoa with ⅔ cup water to yield 1 cup quinoa, but I recommend making more than that so you have leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast.