My favorite part of the day is waking up early in the morning and heading straight to the kitchen to make my coffee and breakfast. I love mixing it up every morning with either something savory (like these creamy scrambled duck eggs) or sweet! I’ve recently found a new love for quinoa and I can’t stop adding it to everything. If you didn’t already know, quinoa is a superfood that provides all nine essential amino acids, gluten-free, and has a great amount of protein!
You can easily add cooked quinoa or dry quinoa (for extra crunch) to almost anything like salads, a side with your meats, pasta, or even as a cereal! The possibilities are endless! Quinoa is so easy to make and will make the most satisfying meal. You could even top this quinoa with Protein Granola if you’re looking for ways to incorporate more protein into your meals.
So for your next breakfast, try this pumpkin quinoa breakfast recipe! It’s one of my favorite healthy breakfast ideas and it is so easy to make. Fall has arrived so you know pumpkin is an essential ingredient to add! This breakfast quinoa recipe has the perfect levels of sweet and will leave you feeling full, happy, and healthy. You’ll even be topping this breakfast treat with lightly sugared pecans to make it the cherry on top!
If you’re looking for some more quick, but delicious, breakfast recipes, check out these healthy pumpkin banana muffins or this Chia Seed Oatmeal. I also love this recipe for egg white wraps which you can customize with whatever fillings you like!
Pumpkin Quinoa Breakfast Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup milk (or dairy-free alternative)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Sea salt
Toasted pecans
Optional: organic cane sugar
STEPS:
Rinse quinoa (it has a natural coating that tastes bitter if not rinsed well).
In a small saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with milk and 1-1/2 cup of water. Then bring combined ingredients to a boil.
Cover saucepan and reduce heat. Simmer until the quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed for about 10-15 minutes.
In a small pot, combine pureed pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and maple syrup over low heat. Whisk together to combine.
Gently fold the quinoa into pumpkin mixture and add salt to taste.
Top mixture with toasted pecans and sprinkle either cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Then add a drizzle of maple syrup or sprinkle cane sugar.
A FEW RECIPE NOTES:
Instead of using regular milk, try adding coconut milk, almond, or cashew milk (really any type of milk can be used).
If this recipe isn’t sweet or creamy enough try adding coconut cream instead of milk.
To make this recipe more savory, you can crumble bacon on top.
You can make a big batch and enjoy it all week. It will last for 3 – 4 days in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you try it!
If you’re looking for another delicious breakfast recipe, I recommend checking out these fluffy blueberry pancakes—yum!
Recipe by guest contributor Lindsay Kinder, of Food La La, your go-to for the hows, whats, and whys of cooking healthy, but delicious food!
Photography by Erica Garlieb.
Did you love this recipe? Check out all my other recipes here!
FAQs
Quinoa is special because it has twice the amount of protein than rice or barley. It is also a great source of calcium, magnesium, and manganese. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids.
The taste and texture of quinoa is a cross between brown rice and oatmeal. It can be fluffy, creamy, and crunchy. So you can easily substitute oatmeal for a healthier alternative like quinoa.
Quinoa has a natural bitter or soapy tasting coating that needs to be rinsed off before cooking or your food could have a strong bitter taste. It is recommended to pre-soak quinoa the night before cooking.
Pumpkins are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants making them very healthy. Pumpkin may boost your immune system, protect eyesight, and promote heart health.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
