Quinoa with Fruit is a nutritious and delicious way to jumpstart your morning with a healthy serving of gluten-free whole grain, fiber, and healthy fats. For breakfast, quinoa is perfect with fruit, nuts, and seeds, but you can easily customize it to your liking.
If you haven’t tried quinoa for breakfast, what are you waiting for?
With meal-prepped or leftover cooked quinoa on hand, this simple breakfast takes less than a minute to make in the morning. Just add milk, top with fruit, nuts, and seeds, and enjoy!
This delicious quinoa breakfast bowl is a great alternative to overnight oats.
I like having quinoa with unsweetened coconut milk, banana, pears, walnuts, and chia seeds, but the possibilities are endless.
In this post, we will discuss the simple formula for a balanced quinoa and fruit breakfast and a few of my favorite fruit, nut, and seed combinations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This quinoa breakfast bowl recipe is made with nutrient-dense ingredients that easily adapt to your dietary needs.
- You’ll love how quick and easy it is to prepare a great-tasting healthy breakfast on busy mornings.
- It’s a great way to use leftover quinoa and never get bored having it for breakfast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Quinoa – This naturally gluten-free ancient grain is a complete protein, so it has all nine essential amino acids and is very filling.
- Milk – You can use regular cow’s milk or any non-dairy alternative you like. Almond, cashew, coconut, and oat milk are excellent options.
- Banana – Enjoying a fiber-rich banana as part of a balanced quinoa breakfast makes it even more filling. Not to mention, bananas contain several important micronutrients, including potassium and vitamin C.
- Pear – Pear varieties range in texture from firm to super soft and juicy. As for flavor, some are much sweeter than others. Anjou and bartlett pears are perfect, and they’re available year-round.
- Walnuts – Or any nut you like boosts the healthy fats and antioxidants in this quinoa and fruit breakfast.
- Chia seeds – The tiny seeds add a palatable crunch to complement the fluffy, chewy quinoa, plus MORE essential nutrients to power you through the morning.
- Maple syrup – Adding sweetener is optional. However, this is breakfast quinoa, and maple syrup just screams breakfast!
How to Make Quinoa with Fruit for Breakfast
Step 1. Cook Quinoa
I typically make a big batch of quinoa and store it in single-serving portions, which makes assembling a breakfast quinoa bowl as effortless as pouring a bowl of cereal and milk!
To cook perfect quinoa for breakfast, follow these steps:
- Measure: First, measure the amount of dry quinoa you want to cook and place it in a fine-mesh strainer. Remember, dry quinoa increases in volume by 3 times once cooked.
- Rinse: To properly remove the bitter-tasting saponins, place the fine-mesh strainer under cold running water and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Drain: Set the fine-mesh strainer over an empty bowl, and let the quinoa drain completely before cooking.
- Cook: Combine 2 parts water and 1 part quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the water is fully absorbed (10-20 minutes).
- Store: Cool completely and store cooked quinoa in tightly sealed containers or zip-top bags in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Step 2. Assemble the Bowl
- Prep fruit and nuts: It’s best to prep fruits that oxidize quickly (like apples, bananas, and pears.) immediately before eating. So when you’re ready, peel and cut the bananas into ¼”-thick slices, core and dice the pear, and roughly chop the walnut halves.
- Combine quinoa with milk: If you prefer hot cereal for breakfast, heat the milk first. The easiest way is in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until hot. Likewise, you can warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cooked quinoa to your favorite cereal bowl and equal parts warm or cold milk and stir.
- Add toppings and serve: Finally, add the banana, pear, and walnuts to the bowl and sprinkle the chia seeds on top. Finish with a nice drizzle of maple syrup, if you like, and enjoy!
Make It Your Own
You will never get bored having breakfast quinoa as you can top it with any of your favorite seasonal fruits, nuts, seeds, and other healthy toppings:
- Fresh fruits & berries: Apples, peaches, nectarines, oranges, mango, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.!
- Nuts: Try nuts like almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, or macadamia.
- Seeds: Top with sunflower, pumpkin, chia, or flaxseeds.
Sweetener: If desired, make your breakfast quinoa sweeter with maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar. Or add a handful of raisins or chopped dates.
Variations
Apple pie quinoa – Mix cooked quinoa with 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce. Add milk, and top with diced apples, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and allspice (or other warm spices).
Raspberry chocolate quinoa – Dissolve 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder in 3 tablespoons of warm milk. Combine the mixture with cooked quinoa. Top with remaining milk, raspberries, cacao nibs, and a pinch of salt.
Berries (or peaches) & cream quinoa – Combine quinoa with vanilla-flavored milk (store-bought or add a dash of vanilla extract to plain milk) and top with sliced strawberry (or peaches), chia seeds, and a scoop of Greek yogurt.
Tropical quinoa – Mix with coconut milk (refrigerated coconut milk, NOT canned) and top with tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, kiwi, and guava. Top with unsweetened shredded coconut and a scoop of coconut cream.
Storing & Freezing
If you don’t finish your breakfast bowl, store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, and enjoy within 1-2 days, as the toppings will turn soggy quickly.
Plain, cooked quinoa keeps very well in the fridge for 5 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let cool and store in freezer-safe meal prep containers or zip-top bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight and assemble your breakfast in the morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook quinoa in milk for breakfast?
Cooking quinoa in milk instead of water is a great idea. You can use the same amount of milk as water and cook it the same way. Just make sure the milk doesn’t get too hot and boil over.
What type of quinoa is best with fruit?
Nutritionally, white, red, and black quinoa are nearly identical. As for taste and texture, white quinoa is less chewy and more nutty than red and black, but the differences are subtle. Feel free to use a tri-color quinoa blend and try all three!
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes for You to Try
- Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- Raspberry Oatmeal with Steel-Cut Oats
- Blueberry Kale Smoothie
- Whole Wheat Waffles
- Applesauce Oatmeal
- Egg Avocado Toast
- Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
Quinoa with Fruit for Breakfast
This breakfast quinoa recipe is very easy to make. If you have leftover quinoa in your fridge, you can mix it with milk, fruits, and nuts and have a delicious breakfast ready in just a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
- 2/3 cup your favorite non-dairy or cow's milk
- ½ banana, sliced
- ½ pear, cubed
- 6 walnut halves, chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
- ½ tsp maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the quinoa with milk. You can warm up the milk if you prefer your breakfast to be warm.
- Add the banana, pear, walnuts, and chia. Add maple syrup if using.
Notes
Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving made with almond milk.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1 serving with almond milkAmount Per Serving Calories 387.7Total Fat 13.9gSaturated Fat 1.3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12.6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 125.2mgCarbohydrates 60.3gFiber 10.3gSugar 19.4gProtein 10g
Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.