And just like that, it’s July. Which means, next month is August. Which means, summer is passing by way too fast and I’ve not yet fully maximized the summer berry recipe potential on this blog.
For this recipe, we’re bringing quinoa to the breakfast table just like I did for this banana hazelnut quinoa and these carrot cake quinoa bowls. For those new to this breakfast quinoa phenomenon, we’re talking about quinoa as a sweet, not savory, dish.
Sure, quinoa is a great rice substitute, and it’s wonderful in burgers and salads. But when sweetened with maple syrup and mixed with creamy almond milk, the result is a super satisfying and hearty porridge.
This time around, I experimented with baked quinoa. I took the concept of baked oatmeal, and simply replaced the oats with quinoa. To the quinoa and milk base, I added mashed banana, which acts as a thickener and gives this dish a wonderfully familiar banana bread taste, and plenty of sweet and juicy berries. All berries are welcome. Pick your favorites!
Once all is mashed, mixed, and added, pour the mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 20-30 minutes. I suggest checking the dish at the 20-minute mark. You’ll want to pay attention to the texture of the quinoa. According to The Kitchn, once the quinoa is cooked, “you should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds.” In other words, the quinoa should have expanded and developed a fluffy texture.
Once cooked, let the dish sit for 5-10 minutes to firm up. Unlike a lot of baked oatmeal dishes, you won’t be able to slice this baked quinoa. Instead, grab a large spoon and scoop a heaping portion into a bowl or plate. Top with more berries, coconut whipped cream, and some nut or seed butter if you so desire.
This dish will serve a crowd if you have guests this summer. Or if making just for your family, there will be plenty of leftovers to reheat for a quick, on-the-go breakfast later in the week.
Take advantage of berry season with this wholesome Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bake!
- 1 ½ cups uncooked quinoa
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 mashed bananas
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries) plus more for topping
- Prepare the mixture: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the quinoa, cinnamon, and stir. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts, mashed bananas, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in the fruit. Add the mixture to a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
- Bake the dish: Place in the oven to bake. Check at 50 minutes. If the quinoa is still crunchy, place back in the oven and check in 10-minute increments until the quinoa is tender.
Calories: 228.2 Fat: 3.2g Carb: 45.4g Fiber: 6.8g Protein: 5.7g Sugar 14.5g Sodium: 83.2mg
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
The amount for cinnamon says 1 teaspoon tablespoon. Is it actually one or the other? or 1T+1tsp?
P.S. All your Quinoa Breakfast dishes sound delicious, I’m looking forward to trying them all!
oops! Sorry for the typo. It should be 1 teaspoon.
You need to boil the quinoa first always, and then use it as explained.
Thanks for the tip!
Do you boil the quinoa first? Or put in raw? Please explain
Hello, I don’t boil the quinoa first. I put it in raw and it cooks in the oven.
Honestly pretty upset with the amount of money put into buying these ingredients for the recipe to not work. Even after baking the recipe for more than double the amount of time listed in the recipe, the quinoa did not completely cook.
While I do think that the flavors can work, I would recommend starting with cooking to quinoa on the stove, but maybe swapping the water for the milk, then mix the remaining ingredients together and bake it from there.
Sorry to hear that Elizabeth. I appreciate the feedback!
I have no idea what happened but this did not work at all. After 30mins it was still super watery and not even close. I’m not even sure how it cooks enough to solidify? I followed the directions exactly and reread it many times thinking I must have done something wrong. Such a bummer.
I apologize for that, Ash. The quinoa needs quite a bit of time in the oven, so I’m not sure why I implied that it’d be cooked shortly after 20 minutes. I’ve updated the recipe with a longer cook time. I appreciate that you took the time to comment.