Easy Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

Try this quick, gluten-free, superfood hot cereal with a delicious topping combination! And there are plenty of ideas here to customize your easy hot quinoa breakfast cereal to your own liking!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Plant-based and healthy-Quinoa is a protein and vitamin rich superfood that is also full of antioxidants and minerals. It has a high nutritional value and is naturally gluten-free. Swap out your traditional boxed cereal with something that is so much better for your body! This is a great way to begin your morning. Your kids will thank you when they can focus throughout their day and won’t be hungry so soon after.

Warm and cozy-There’s something about beginning the day with a warm cereal. It takes me back to eating cracked wheat with brown sugar and cream as a child.

Quick, easy, and customizable-Quinoa cooks up quick! And the flavors can be changed according to your liking. Bump up the protein with nut butter, toasted nuts, ground flax seed, or chia seeds, or go for a fruity option with chopped fruit-fresh or frozen. Or change it according to the season! No matter the time of year, hot quinoa breakfast cereal can be customized depending on the season. Add cinnamon and apples for a yummy fall breakfast, or fresh berries and honey for a summery vibe. There are endless options! I’ll share with you one of my favorite combos. I’d love to hear in the comments what you add to your quinoa to create your own basic breakfast quinoa cereal!

Kid-friendly-my kids love having quinoa for breakfast! I’ll often make extra for a dinner meal and then use the leftovers for breakfast. Our go-to is a quick and very basic quinoa with almond milk and maple syrup bowl. Some of my kids enjoy peanut butter as well.

Ingredients for a berry sweet coconutty quinoa bowl

• Almond milk, or other nut milk
• Coconut oil
• Raw Honey
• Ground flax seed. Buy pre-ground or grind your own using a coffee grinder.
• Blackberries and strawberries
• Toasted coconut
• Toasted chopped pecans

Additional topping ideas for your easy hot quinoa breakfast cereal

Healthy Sweeteners

• Coconut sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Erythritol and Monk fruit sweetener

Protein add-ins

• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Nut butter-peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.

Fruit & berries

• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Apples

Dangers of boxed cereal

I want to include some thoughts here about boxed cereal. Boxed cereal isn’t something I grew up eating on a regular basis. It was an expensive way for my parents to feed our large family and didn’t make a lot of sense. My mom is also very health-conscious so that also had something to do with it. Cold cereal was usually a Christmas treat for us. However, I don’t like cow’s milk, so I wasn’t one to eat much cold cereal anyway. You can only eat so much dry cereal!

All this to say, cold cereal is a rarity in our home, even still. I’ve never felt very good about feeding it to my own kids and have always tried for better-for-you options. This video from Dr. Eric Berg really reinforced my decision to avoid cereal. He highlights many of the red flags associated with boxed cereal and analyzes the sugar/carb content of such cereals. It is really astounding to me that cereals can be labeled as “heart healthy” when there is nothing healthy about them. Instead, consuming these cereals will result in poor bodily function. The sugar overload contributes to lowered brain function and increased anxiety.

So, put the box of cereal back on the shelf, and grab some quinoa that can be made into basic breakfast quinoa cereal. Your body will stay full longer, and you will set up your body to be able to focus by avoiding the cereals that are so convenient but so not healthy.

How to cook quinoa on the stove top

1. Add one cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water to a pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, and simmer quinoa uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat, and cover pot with a lid. Let stand for 5 minutes before using a fork to fluff up the quinoa.
4. Ready for hot quinoa breakfast cereal!

How to cook quinoa in the instant pot

This is my favorite way to make quinoa! It is literally a matter of pouring in some quinoa, water, and pushing a button! Follow these simple steps to make your own instant pot quinoa:

1. Pour 1 cup of rinsed quinoa in instant pot. Unless you buy pre-rinsed, you don’t want to skip this step of rinsing. Quinoa has a substance called saponin on it to prevent birds from eating it, but it is very bitter. Just rinse the quinoa well with cold water in a fine strainer, and you’ll wash away the bitter taste.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water to the instant pot. If any of the quinoa floats to the top, push it down so it’s completely covered with water.
3. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow to natural release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the pressure.
4. Open the instant pot and fluff quinoa with a fork.
5. Now you’re ready to make your hot quinoa breakfast cereal!

How to make quinoa for breakfast

1. Add cooked quinoa to a bowl
2. Stir in coconut oil, honey, and ground flax
3. Top with chopped pecans, toasted coconut, and berries
4. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 serving

Easy Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

Print

Try this quick, gluten-free, superfood hot cereal with a delicious topping combination! And there are plenty of ideas for you to customize your easy hot quinoa breakfast cereal to your own liking!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon raw honey
• 1/2 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1 Tablespoon toasted shredded coconut*
• 1 Tablespoon pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup blackberries and strawberries

Instructions

1. Place shredded coconut and chopped pecans in a frying pan on low heat. Stir frequently and toast for 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
2. In a bowl, combine hot quinoa with coconut oil, raw honey, almond milk, and ground flax. Mix until well combined and coconut oil is melted.
3. Top with toasted shredded coconut, chopped pecans, blackberries, and strawberries.
4. Enjoy!

Notes

*This recipe makes a single serving bowl of breakfast quinoa, but it can be easily doubled, tripled, or more!

Storing and freezing cooked quinoa

How do you store quinoa in the fridge? This recipe is best eaten fresh, but you can refrigerate cooked quinoa without the toppings in an airtight container and use within 5 days.

Can you freeze quinoa? Yes! Cooked quinoa can be frozen in airtight containers or ziploc bags for up to ten months. Allow to thaw before using, or place in a pot with a little water, cover, and thaw on low heat until it reaches the desired temperature and is no longer frozen.