Several years ago I spent a day with Chef Brad, the king of grains. We had a fabulous breakfast and one of the things he made was a hot whole-grain cereal. I looked at the recipe later and it contained like, 9 different grains, half of which I hadn’t heard of before, but it was so good. He served up hot bowls and then we could top it with different types of milk, fresh berries, and almonds. That dish, which I still remember after all this time, was the inspiration here, but I wanted to make it a quick and easy recipe, and with ingredients that were a bit more accessible. I really like steel cut oats, but I hate how long they take to cook, and my kids aren’t too keen on the crunchy texture. Quinoa has a texture much closer to oatmeal, so it works exceptionally well in sweet dishes. As a legitimate “super food” quinoa packs a punch with a higher protein content than any other grain, and it’s complete protein, meaning that it provides 9 essential amino acids. It’s also rich in fiber, and low on the glycemic index. Sounds like a good thing to have for breakfast, right?
Quinoa, like rice and pasta, absorbs liquid as it cooks, allowing you to actually flavor the grain during the cooking process. Just like we sometimes use broth and seasonings to cook rice and pasta, here I’m using coconut milk. For recipes like this, I always use coconut milk from a carton, which you can find in the dairy section of the grocery store. It has a thinner consistency than canned coconut milk. If you’re concerned about buying a whole carton, it’s actually about the same price as a can, and it’s yummy on cereal and in smoothies. You can also use it to make coconut rice or this favorite Thai Coconut Soup.
Just place your rinsed and drained quinoa in a pot and add in the coconut milk in place of water. I recommend using a pot that’s slightly larger than you think you need because the coconut milk bubbles up quite a bit during cooking.
I also add a touch of brown sugar for sweetness and a little almond extract. The extract doesn’t give a huge amount of flavor (you can add more, or add it later in the cooking process for a stronger flavor) but I find it enhances the other flavors in this dish and adds a mellow sweetness.
After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce it to a low simmer and cover the pot. Since coconut milk has a thicker consistency than water, you’ll want to stir it a few times during the cooking process, and if you find that as I mentioned- the coconut milk is bubbling up too much (and out of your pot) you can crack the lid.
You’ll want to cook the quinoa until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft. Because this is a breakfast cereal, it’s okay to play around with it and add more liquid if you need it. Since we stir the mixture during cooking, we’ll lose a little of our moisture and toward the end, I sometimes add a little extra water or coconut milk to keep it nice and soft. I like mine to be a little porridge-like, so you can customize yours the way you like it as well.
When it’s done cooking, serve it up hot. Add fresh berries, some toasted coconut, and a splash of cold coconut milk.
I also like a little drizzle of agave syrup , honey, or maple syrup, and a little brown sugar.
It’s packed with good-for-you nutrients, and disguised as a sweet morning treat.
I love the crunch from large flake coconut. You get nuttiness without putting actual nuts in there. And the fresh berries add a pop of both color and flavor along with all of those healthy anti-oxidants.
Another thing you can do to save time is cook a big batch of the quinoa and keep it in the fridge. You can pull out a single serving in the morning and just heat it up in the microwave and then add all of y our toppings which you can have all ready to go.
I do that for myself so I won’t run straight for the Golden Grahams. Beautiful to look at, delicious to eat, and good for you inside and out.
Coconut-Almond Breakfast Quinoa
Description
This yummy Breakfast Quinoa is sure to please everyone in the morning! Rave reviews on this one!
Ingredients
For the Quinoa
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
- 1 cup light coconut milk (from a carton, such as Silk brand)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For Serving
- fresh berries
- toasted coconut
- additional coconut milk
- honey or agave syrup
- additional brown sugar if desired
Instructions
- Place rinsed and drained quinoa, coconut milk, brown sugar, and almond extract in a medium-sized pot. Stir ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover pot, preferably with a clear lid (so you can see through it and keep an eye on the quinoa). Stir a few times during cooking. If mixture seems to be boiling out, crack the lid to release steam, otherwise, keep covered. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. In the last few minutes of cooking, feel free to add a little more liquid (water is fine, or additional coconut milk) until desired consistency is reached. I prefer my breakfast quinoa on the soft side with enough liquid to make it more of a porridge.
- Divide quinoa into bowls and top with fresh berries, toasted coconut and a splash of additional coconut milk. If desired, add a drizzle of honey or agave or a sprinkle of brown sugar for sweetness.
- Yields, about 4, 1/2 cup servings.
Notes
Important Note
- This recipe is how much I make for myself and 3 kiddos. I get a little more than the 1/2 cup and the littlest guy gets a little less, seems to be the perfect amount for us
Questions & Reviews
Love your site and these recipes and fabulous.. But I did want to mention that to be careful when buying almond milk or coconut milk or the 50/50 some has Carregeenan in it.. Not a good ingredient.. Just a thought 🙂 Can’t wait to try this and many more of your recipes!!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Kathy
Can’t wait to try this. Ever use the ready made 50/50 Coconut-Almond Milk blend? I can’t always find it in the stores, but it is really yummy! I love it in a glass, so I will try it in this, too!
Thank you for this recipe! My previous breakfast quinoa recipe made me dread the morning. Here’s how I adapted it.
You can add a tablespoon of blackstrap unsulphured molasses for extra iron, vitamins and sweetness instead of brown sugar. It is delicious! Also added a little vanilla extract and cinnamon. Made mine with frozen blueberries and peaches added at the very end, which defrost in the pot making it ready to eat.
I couldn’t find Coconut Milk at my local store, so I used Almond Milk instead. I have been looking for a new way to prepare Quinoa, so this is perfect. Kids ate it up just like it was oatmeal. Everyone loved it.
I can’t use the full container of coconut milk–could I freeze portions of the milk in an ice cube tray???
Loved this! I’ve made it twice. Once with Coconut milk. The 2nd time, I made it with almond milk. After cooking, I stirred in a little regular (not light) canned coconut milk, so it was like thick coconut cream in a bowl of yumminess! As for portion size, I must eat a lot more than you do because this recipe made just barely enough for me and my 3 year old. 🙂 I will double it next time so we have leftovers for the next day. Thanks!
My husband ate this all by himself. He’s a muscular guy so he eats a lot to “refuel”. He loved this recipe. I only had a bite, but it was yummy.
I have also added some low sugar Greek Yogurt to use them up before the exp dates. Fresh peaches when in season to us them up too. I fix my Steel Cut oatmeal for the week, in single serving containers. It is fast and easy to have before my early morning workouts.
Made this for breakfast this morning and I will admit I was very nervous at first because I haven’t had much success with quinoa. To my surprise it was delish and a success! It’s a keeper!
Made this for breakfast and everyone loved it. Hubby said it was good!
This was awesome! My two-year-old, who will not eat oatmeal or savory quinoa, devoured this…as did the rest of us. We will double it next time. And I love Chef Brad! It’s nice to have some grain inspiration that uses grains I’ve actually heard of and have in my pantry, though! Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this and loved it. It was so delicious and I felt healthy eating it. 🙂
Oh my gosh! his is soooo awesome! thank you so much for sharing. You guys have an truly inspiring blog I love all of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This looks so freaking lovely! Perfect way to start the morning!
Sounds like a delicious gluten free recipe. Thank you.
This looks wonderful! I’m excited to try it.
We love overnight steel-cut oats. Here is a link to the recipe I use:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-steelcut-oats-for-134185
I don’t use the full amount of butter/olive oil and I use almond milk, but I’m sure coconut milk would taste great too.
Thanks for the gluten free recipe. Sure love that you are integrating some gluten free options for those of us who love your sight, but have special dietary restrictions. I feel loved.
Awe Ellen, You are loved! 🙂
This looks delicious and super healthy! Perfect 🙂
loving this idea. i have been bored with my go to healthy breakfast recipes! can’t wait try this. and…. quinoa for breakfast! genious!
Yum! I am making this soon. I love coconuts and I love quinoa. Good mornin’!
I just read another readers comment that you have a healthy section in your index… I guess I didn’t realize that. Thank you for this. I appreciate the whole grains recipe. I’d love to see you do more of this kind of stuff, including dinner recipes.
Okay, duh. Just read the actual recipe. :{
This looks so yummy! I’ve never cooked quinoa, but I’ve heard you have to rinse it. Is that right?
Just for a reference, what size pot did you end up using? 4 qt? 3 Qt?
Plan on buying some of this grain. Once before I bought it and since my husband didn’t care for it, and I didn’t know what else to use it for, out it went.
Ah, but now this looks like something I would eat. As I love hot oatmeal, this should work just fine.
Thanks.
I make a bunch of steel cut oats then put leftovers in the fridge like you do with this quinoa. Instead od heating the leftovers the next morning I mix them with Greek yogurt in the morning. Add fruit an it’s a huge breakfast for 5 ww pointsplus! Can’t wait to try this quinoa. Looks delicious!
So I make this exact same breakfast, but with oatmeal instead of quinoa. I am not sure why I had never thought of swapping the old fashioned oats for the quinoa, as we always have both. I will be making this tomorrow! Yum! Thanks!
Okay, so this doesn’t entirely relate to this post but I just had to tell you about how you guys have helped me out without even knowing it. :0) During my last pregnancy (baby is 5 weeks old now :0) I used recipes from your healthy meals section along with a few of my own healthy favorites to create the perfect menu. I was determined not to gain too much weight this time and with all of your yummy healthy recipes (sprikled with a few of your not-quite-so healthy-but-freakishly-yummy-recipes) I was able to gain the right amount of weight and now 5 weeks later it is all gone! I still have quite a bit more I need to do to get to where I’d like to be though, so keep those healthy recipes comin’!!! And thank you for being awesome!
Wow – good job losing the baby weight in 5 weeks! I’m in awe of you!
My crew is not such a huge fan of nuts or berries. They like the coconut rice though so I’m thinking they might eat this. I prefer coconut with citrusy flavors. Would there be a problem cooking this with a citrus extract instead of almond?
Nope, go for it!
What a combo. I love quinoa and coconut. Would have never thought to put the two together. Thanks.
America’s Test Kitchen has a recipe for 10 min. steel cut oats. You soak them in boiling water the night before and then in the morning, more liquid is added and the oats are cooked for about 6 min and voila! 10 min steel cut oats.
ooh, I’ve seen that but never tried it. I’ll have to try it out!
I love this, Sara. I eat regular oats almost every day for breakfast, and steel-cut when I have time, so I’m thrilled to have a third option. This looks so yummy; thank you for sharing!
Coconut-almond! I love coconut and this quinoa is calling my name. What a perfect breakfast!