This Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bake is a gluten-free and healthy recipe that’s so easy to assemble ahead of time. Just bake an hour before serving and you’ve got a delicious and nutritious breakfast!
Filled with lots of protein and tasty banana and cinnamon flavors, this is great for any special occasion breakfast or brunch. A perfect alternative to oatmeal, you can serve this breakfast bake with lots of yummy fresh fruit for a full meal.
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This gluten-free quinoa breakfast casserole is a perfect option for a filling and healthy breakfast. With natural sweetness from maple syrup and warm spices, this is a comforting and nutritious way to start off your day!
Best of all, this baked quinoa breakfast has the nutritional benefits of the complete protein that is quinoa! It's packed with healthy amino acids, which makes yummy breakfast bake a great way to eat a tasty morning meal that will keep you full all day!
And if you love a nice hearty breakfast, make these yummy Slow Cooker Breakfast Burritos!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- bananas - a classic breakfast fruit that provides a nice sweet flavor.
- quinoa - makes this breakfast bake nice and filling and provides lots of nutritional benefits.
- maple syrup - adds some natural sweetness.
- almond milk - can also be replaced with other kinds of non-dairy milk, or even dairy milk.
- vanilla extract - for a distinct vanilla flavor.
- cinnamon, all spice, & cloves - this delicious blend of spices gives your quinoa breakfast bake a warm and comforting flavor.
- salt - helps balance out the sweetness and brings out the other flavors.
🔪 Instructions
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
- Add quinoa, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, all spice, cloves, and salt.
- Whisk until everything is combined well.
- Transfer to a large baking dish and refrigerate 4 hours (or overnight). Then bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes and serve.
❔ FAQs
Absolutely! Quinoa is loaded with healthy protein and fiber, and because it's a complex carbohydrate it takes longer to digest and therefore will keep you full for longer.
Yes, and in fact there's a product called quinoa flour that can be used in a wide variety of baked goods. It's also good to use whole in recipes like this breakfast quinoa bake.
Overall there are a lot of similarities, but quinoa tends to be richer in dietary fiber and could be considered slightly healthier than oatmeal.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to rinse your quinoa thoroughly if you don't purchase pre-rinsed quinoa.
- To make this even healthier, omit the maple syrup. You can add an extra banana for more sweetness.
📌 You'll love making this quinoa breakfast casserole the night before, then popping it in the oven the next morning for a super easy and healthy breakfast!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Just about any milk product can be substituted for the almond milk, non-dairy or otherwise.
- Serve with fresh fruit, an additional drizzle of maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, sliced bananas, or more milk.
- For more flavor, add additional ingredients like chia seeds, fresh berries, apples, peanut butter, and more!
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Store quinoa breakfast bake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be enjoyed cold, or you can pop it in the microwave to heat it up.
Pack into smaller containers for individual servings that are great for on-the-go breakfasts.
⏲️ Make Ahead Instructions
While I recommend at least 4 hours in the fridge for the casserole to come together before baking, you can also make it the night before so you can easily pop it in the oven the next morning for a zero-prep breakfast!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
For a full and yummy breakfast, pair your quinoa breakfast bake with another delicious breakfast dish. Try it with Oatmeal Banana Cookies or Orange Muffins, or make a Healthy Acai Smoothie and take them on the go. For a super filling meal, make Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes!
✔️ More Quinoa Recipes You'll Love
- Instant Pot Quinoa - This foolproof recipe is an easy way to make simple quinoa as a base for other dishes or as a yummy side.
- Quinoa Chickpea Salad - Perfect for a satisfying side or meatless entree!
- Slow Cooker Chorizo and Quinoa - Super flavorful, this slow cooker meal includes healthy spinach.
- One Skillet Mexican Quinoa - You'll love this one-skillet meal from Cotter Crunch that will combine your favorite Mexican inspired ingredients into a single dish!
Quinoa Breakfast Casserole
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📋 Recipe Card
Quinoa Breakfast Bake With Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 cup quinoa
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 ¼ cups almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground all spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, peel and mash the bananas using a fork or whisk.3 ripe bananas
- Add all the remaining ingredients and whisk until well combined.1 cup quinoa, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 ¼ cups almond milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground all spice, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon salt
- Pour the mixture into a 9x9 inch baking dish and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator, lightly whisk the mixture in the baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 55-65 min.
- Serve with fresh fruit, additional maple syrup, and/or milk of choice.
Notes
- If you didn't buy pre-rinsed quinoa, make sure to rinse it thoroughly.
- You can substitute any milk product for the almond milk.
- Add other ingredients like fruit, berries, peanut butter, chia seeds, and more to customize your breakfast bake to your liking!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Sandy counts
Only thing is when I made this, I cooked it time it said but it was like soup so I put it back in for 30 minutes more and then it was done, I was thinking that maybe the Quinoa should have been cooked already? Is really good otherwise.
Kristin King
The quinoa doesn't need to be cooked first, but it sounds like you might not have let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours before baking? I'm glad it turned out for you regardless! I am going to fix the recipe card to be more clear about the fridge step. Thanks!
Tayler
I made this breakfast bake this morning and it was amazing! Definitely making again for Christmas!
Jen
This is a nice break from oatmeal and has just the right amount of sweetness. I'm so happy when I have leftovers in the fridge that I can warm up for an easy, healthy breakfast!
Jessie
I love this recipe! I've never been an oatmeal fan but am always so jealous of the ease and overnight prep-ability of it. This is so much more up my alley! Love how easy it is to throw together and that it feels very dessert-y.
Charles
Kristi,
This is gonna be great in January when I go back to plant based. Lol!
Thank you for sharing!
dana
This is such a treat! Tastes more like a dessert than a nourishing breakfast, which is a-okay by everyone in this house!