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This wholesome breakfast quinoa bowl with apple is the perfect energizing morning routine. Top this easy, filling, and fruit-packed breakfast quinoa apple bowl with crunchy apples, creamy bananas, and chewy raisins, then sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.
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Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Breakfast Quinoa Bowl Recipe!
- Ingredients for Breakfast Quinoa Bowl
- Optional Add-Ins & Variations
- How to Make a Breakfast Quinoa Bowl with Apple
- Toni’s Tips for Making a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- FAQ About Quinoa
- How to Store Cooked Quinoa
- More Breakfast Porridge Recipes
- Breakfast Quinoa Bowl with Apple Recipe
- Optional Add-Ins & Variations
Why You’ll Love this Breakfast Quinoa Bowl Recipe!
Hear me out: quinoa for breakfast! Before you shake your head, consider what a superfood quinoa is! It offers a complete and hearty dose of protein, it’s low glycemic, it’s full of important vitamins and minerals, and it’s gluten-free! What better to get you off to the energetic start you need? Plus, this nutty flavored seed gains a fluffy yet creamy texture once cooked. It basically becomes quinoa porridge, with all the customizable options a porridge has!
Plus, this quinoa bowl with apple is easy to prepare in 20 minutes! Or you can cook the quinoa the night before and just add all the goodies in the morning, for a quick breakfast for the whole family! It’s also budget friendly, especially if you can buy quinoa in bulk! And while quinoa may seem more expensive than other grains like oats, once you see how nutrient-dense and protein-packed it is, you’re really getting your bang for your buck!
Ingredients for Breakfast Quinoa Bowl
- Quinoa: I used white quinoa for this recipe because it cooks up fluffier and has a mild nutty taste. If you have other color variations, feel free to use them, but check for package instructions on cook time and liquid ratio.
- Fruits: Crunchy apples and creamy bananas create the perfect texture contrast with the fluffy cooked quinoa!
- Raisins: Adds chewy pops of tart and sweetness to the dish.
- Brown sugar: Provides a caramel sweetness to the quinoa. You can lessen or omit this depending on how sweet the fruits are.
- Cinnamon: Sprinkle it all over for a dash of warm and festive flavor.
- Plant-based milk: You can use oat, almond, soy, or any type of dairy-free milk you have.
- Water: To cook the quinoa with.
Optional Add-Ins & Variations
There’s many amazing and nutritious toppings, you could add!
- Seeds: Feel free to mix in a Tablespoon of heart-healthy seeds, like hemp, flax, or even chia.
- Nuts: For added texture, sprinkle on chopped or crushed almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.
- Nut or Seed Butter: Drizzle over or mix in a dollop of your favorite nut or seed (like almond, cashew, peanut, or sunflower seed) butter for a boost of flavor and energy.
- Fresh Fruit: Try other fresh fruits, depending on what’s in season or even what you have frozen (and can defrost in the warm quinoa): mango, strawberry, blueberry, kiwi, peach, or even orange would taste delicious!
- Dried Fruit: Swap out the raisins (or add to them!) with dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried apricots, or even dates.
- Spices: Add in more warm spices, like ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make a Breakfast Quinoa Bowl with Apple
- Step 1: Cook the Quinoa. First, bring water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Once boiling, add the quinoa, then reduce the heat to low. Then, let it simmer and cover the pot with the lid for 10 minutes, or until all of the water absorbs.
- If you haven’t cooked with quinoa much before, you might want to check out My Complete Guide: How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly.
- Step 2: Fluff it up! Once the quinoa is cooked, use a fork to fluff it up. Then transfer your desired amount to a bowl.
- Step 3: Add the Toppings: Finally, place the banana, apples, and raisins on top, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, then pour the plant-based milk all over. Enjoy!
Toni’s Tips for Making a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- Try mashed banana: If you don’t have apples, you can use an overripe banana and mash it into the quinoa after fluffing.
- Meal prep it!: Make one big batch and divide it into portions. That’s it! Healthy and nutritious breakfast for the entire bunch!
- Enjoy on-the-go!: Anticipating a hectic morning? Turn it into an on-the-go breakfast treat by cooking the quinoa the night before and placing them in a glass jar with all the toppings. Just add the fruits and bring it with you anywhere!
FAQ About Quinoa
It might look like a grain and is mainly used as one, but Quinoa (Keen-wah) are actually edible seeds. It has been in production for a hundred years. Still, it has only been recently placed in the international spotlight as a naturally gluten-free and more nutritious alternative to some grains.
Quinoa is a gold mine of health and nutritional benefits! Quinoa is rich in dietary fiber and high in protein. It is loaded with essential nutrients like folate, magnesium, zinc, and iron. In fact, it contains more fiber than most popular grains like rice. It is also considered a complete protein containing nine essential amino acids that our body needs but cannot produce naturally. Additionally, it is a great source of antioxidants and contains high amounts of anti-inflammatory compounds.
It is super easy to incorporate into our daily diet. I love using it in both sweet and savory dishes. Itcan be used to make salads, soups, casseroles, and desserts! This Complete Guide to Quinoa will let you in on the different types and how to cook them properly.
How to Store Cooked Quinoa
Fridge: Once your quinoa is cooked, fluff it up and let it cool down. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Then, you can make your Breakfast Quinoa Apple Bowl anytime (psst, even for a midday snack or after-dinner treat)!
Dry Quinoa: If you bought a big pack of quinoa for later use, make sure to store it in a cool, dry place and keep it tightly sealed. Uncooked Quinoa will last in your pantry for a year or so if properly stored.
More Breakfast Porridge Recipes
Vegan Breakfasts
Cinnamon Orange Quinoa Porridge
Vegan Breakfasts
Easy Peanut Butter Porridge (+ Add-Ins)
Vegan Breakfasts
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Vegan Breakfasts
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
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Photos by Alfonso Revilla
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Breakfast Quinoa Bowl with Apple
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Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 banana sliced
- 1 apple sliced
- ¼ cup of raisins
- 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ cup of plant-based milk
Instructions
- In a medium pot and over high heat, bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa then reduce heat to low. Cover for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then add to a bowl.
- Top with banana, apples and raisins. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top then pour plant-based milk on top.
Notes
Optional Add-Ins & Variations
- Seeds: Feel free to mix in a Tablespoon of heart-healthy seeds, like hemp, flax, or even chia.
- Nuts: For added texture, add almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.
- Nut or Seed Butter: Mix in a dollop of your favorite nut or seed (like almond, cashew, peanut, or sunflower seed) butter for a boost of flavor and energy.
- Fresh Fruit: Try other fresh fruits, depending on what’s in season or even what you have frozen (and can defrost in the warm quinoa): mango, strawberry, blueberry, kiwi, peach, or even orange would taste delicious!
- Dried Fruit: Swap out the raisins (or add to them!) with dried cranberries, dried cherries, or even dates.
- Spices: Add in more warm spices, like ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice.
Is this best eaten hot or cold?
Looks great!
Either way is delicious, but I enjoy it warm in the fall/winter time. 🙂
Quinoa “oats” as I call it are the best! Tastes so good!
The best breakfast!
It always blows my mind that quinoa can be oatmeal!!
Right?! Such a fun way to mix it up too!
Delicious, simple, and nutritious! Perfect breakfast!
It’s a great one to get you started!
Yum! Apples and grains for breakfast just sounds so filling and satisfying.
Yesss! The best kind of breakfast to give you energy throughout the day!
What a unique and filling breakfast recipe!
It’s soooo wholesome and delicious!
Loving all the cinnamon. This is what breakfast dreams are made of.
Yesssss! So dreamy and full of flavor!
This looks so good, going to make it for breakfast this weekend. Thank you.
Yay! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
So simple and so delicious!
Love the simple ones too!
Such a great breakfast idea!
I was getting tired of oatmeal for breafast and finding I love this recipe for quinoa with all the toppings. It’s super fast to make in the morining and I love all the toppings.
It’s a great way to mix it up! So easy and nutritious too!
the addition of cinnamon wakes me up! healthy and delicous breakfast
So full of yummy flavors!
I’m huge fan of quinoa for breakfast! It’s such a great protein source and the combo with the fruit makes it taste so good! Love it!
It’s such a great option! So good!
I love the idea of quinoa “porridge”. Perfect for when you run out of oats!
Same! It’s a great breakfast idea to have on standby!