Start your day off on the right foot with a bowl of Quinoa Porridge. This nutritious breakfast porridge is packed with protein, calcium, fiber, and nutrients and is both satisfying and delicious.
When looking for a healthy, warming gluten-free breakfast, Instant Pot Oatmeal, Banana Baked Oatmeal, and Slow Cooker Oatmeal seem like obvious choices. And while absolutely delicious, if you are in the mood for something other than oats, you are going to love Quinoa Porridge!
While you may think of quinoa being reserved for salads like, Spinach Quinoa Salad, Mexican Quinoa Salad, or Greek Quinoa Salad, it also makes a surprisingly delicious option for breakfast.
Cooked until tender and creamy, quinoa porridge is filled with a texture similar to that of Instant Pot steel-cut oats, and is a powerhouse in terms of nutrition.
why you will love quinoa porridge
- Filling. Each serving of quinoa has 8 grams of plant-based protein and is a great source of dietary fiber, keeping you full and satisfied for hours.
- Perfect for Meal Prep. Prepare a large batch of quinoa porridge on the weekend and simply reheat it and enjoy it for a simple, healthy breakfast all week long.
- Allergy-Friendly. Quinoa porridge is gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, and can easily be made nut-free.
- Versatile. Start off with a creamy bowl of quinoa and top it any way you like. Berries, bananas, yogurt, maple syrup--the options are endless.
Notes on Ingredients
- Quinoa: Use any variety of dried quinoa you like. White quinoa, red quinoa, or tri-color quinoa.
- Almond or Coconut Milk: This recipe works best using non-dairy milk like almond milk or canned coconut milk, as it is less apt to burn when cooking than traditional dairy milk.
- Sweetener: You can opt to sweeten the porridge while cooking with maple syrup or honey, or you can omit the sweetener to keep this breakfast porridge sugar-free.
- Cinnamon: I love to add in cinnamon to help flavor the porridge, but feel free to omit it.
- Toppings: Top this quinoa porridge with anything you like. I personally love sliced bananas, pecans, and additional maple syrup. Other delicious options would be a dollop of yogurt, chia seeds, fresh berries, homemade granola, or dried fruit.
How to Make Quinoa Porridge
- Place the dry quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under water for at least 2 minutes. This will help to remove the natural coating on the quinoa and will remove the bitter taste.
- Add the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon salt, and vanilla to the pan and stir to combine.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often, to prevent the milk from scalding.
- Once boiling, turn the heat to low, place the lid on the pan, and simmer for 15-17 minutes, or until the milk has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- Remove the quinoa porridge from the heat and fluff it with a fork.
- Serve the quinoa porridge with toppings of your choice.
FAQs on Quinoa Porridge
Yes! Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which can cause quinoa to taste bitter if not well rinsed. Even if your quinoa package says it was pre-rinsed, it is best to rinse again.
It is best to use water when cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot to prevent a burn notice. Instead of cooking the quinoa with milk, use water and top it with milk and additional toppings after pressure cooking.
Yes! But keep in mind dairy can scald easily when cooked. It is best to use 1 cup of dairy milk mixed with 1 cup of water to lessen the chance of this occurring.
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes
If you tried this easy recipe for Quinoa Porridge, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Quinoa Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 2 cups non-dairy milk such as almond, soy, or coconut
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- sliced banana, berries, nuts, granola, etc for serving
Instructions
- Place the dry quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under water for at least 2 minutes. This will help to remove the natural coating on the quinoa and will remove the bitter taste.
- Combine the milk, rinsed quinoa, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-17 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Once tender remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
- Serve warm with toppings of your choice.
Cathy
Oh yumm! I love this whole bowl, what a great hearty start to the day!
Cathy
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Cathy!
Autumn @Mamachallenge
That sounds like a great breakfast! I love that it is gluten free too!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, it is a great gluten free option.
Jeffrey Lammers
I eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning and always add cooked quinoa and teff that I prepare at the start of the week. I always make it with milk and add some kind of nut, usually walnuts or pecans. My favorite combination lately has been pears, pecans, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of maple syrup and a drizzle of honey.
Kristen Chidsey
Jeffrey, that sounds fabulous. I love adding dates to oatmeal as well.
Vicky @ Avocado Pesto
Woah never knew you should be getting 25 grams of protein in the morning! Highly doubt I'm getting anywhere even near that. Definitely need to start working on that. Love the idea of a quinoa porridge, I'm normally not an oatmeal person but just recently started making hot oatmeal bowls with all sorts of mix ins and its starting to grow on me!
Kristen Chidsey
25 grams is a lot! I hope you give this a try--it will help you reach those goals and I bet you will love it!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
I usually start my day with oats that have nuts mixed and almond milk to get a good dose of protein, but I'm going to have to give this porridge a try! It looks so good!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Jessica! I hope you love it!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
You, sister, have packed the protein into this yummy breakfast bowl. I am truly amazed. I'm just discovering the wonderful benefits of quinoa and it sounds perfect for a healthy and delicious breakfast!
Kristen Chidsey
Allie, if you are looking for protein--this is the breakfast for you! Enjoy!
Eva
I get most of my proteins from greek yogurt and eggs in the morning! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Eva, I love using Greek yogurt to get protein!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
I love quinoa but have yet to make it at breakfast, this sounds delicious, I will have to give it a try!
Kristen Chidsey
If you love quinoa, this is a must try!
Faye Wilkerson
A great recipe to start your morning with. Tasty.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Faye!
Denise Wright
I love that this does not include oatmeal. I have a problem with oatmeal and I crave it. This will be the perfect substitute! Great recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes Denise, this will be the perfect solution for you!
Analida's Ethnic Spoon
I love a nice warm breakfast everyday. I am going to try your recipe. Pinned!
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you enjoy!
Caroline | carolinescooking
We have quinoa for breakfast sometimes too and I agree it's great. Your version here looks delicious! Definitely pinned to try.
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you love this version!
Melissa Falk
Great anytime of day!
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, in fact, I think I may have it for lunch today.
Tarah Chieffi
I don't always pay a lot of attention and actually track my protein, but I am starting to focus more on tracking my pre- and post-workout protein so I've been having a smoothie with banana, water and one scoop of protein powder that has 25grams protein. Between that and my breakfast, I am hitting my 30 grams no problem!
Kristen Chidsey
I don't think you have to track your protein as long as you know that you are hitting close to the needed amount 🙂 I always say to caluculate out a few recipes and then you can have a vague idea each day of what you are getting. That way you aren't always tracking protein.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Quinoa for breakfast is a must!
Just this morning I had my favorite mix of quinoa flakes, super oat mix and of course topped with a glob of pb!
Kristen Chidsey
That sounds fabulous Rebecca!!
Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor
I try to make oatmeal or some form of porridge at least once a week. I like this recipe because it is different than what I usually make so I will definitely have to try it soon!
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you give it a try and love it!