Yummy Quinoa Breakfast Bake

Don’t we all get a little tired of the same old same old for breakfast? I have a solution for those doldrums! Quinoa for breakfast, this time baked. It’s super easy to put together quickly and then bake, freeing your time up to get other things done in the morning. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup – so good! The result is a soft, hearty, delicious, super nutritious and different breakfast dish that will please and delight your palate and your belly! Trust me, you will enjoy this! And the variations make this breakfast dish so versatile. Keep any leftovers in the fridge and reheat the next day, in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes until heated through. It’s good cold too!

Quinoa is a superfood ancient whole grain – a plant-based complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids, high in fibre, a rich source of magnesium, zinc, folate, manganese, thiamine and iron. Quinoa is naturally gluten free.

Bananas are an antioxidant and a rich source of fiber, VitB6, VitC and potassium. Bananas are relatively low on the glycemic index based on their ripeness – the sugar content increases with the ripeness of the banana as the starch in the banana turns to natural glucose, fructose and sucrose. Bananas contain the antioxidant flavonoid catechin is beneficial for heart health.

Chia seeds – they are the seeds from the flowering version in the mint family of plants. They are an antioxidant removing free radicals from the body, they contain quercetin – an antioxidant that supports heart health, and anti-inflammatory, a good source of soluble fiber to help with digestion, are mucilaginous to help with elimination, contain magnesium and phosphorous for bone health, a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids and are a rich source of plant-based calcium – gram for gram contain more calcium than dairy products!

Hemp Hearts are rich in essential fatty acids, are a high-quality protein source, contain VitB, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.

Oat Milk is a great alternative plant-based milk when wanting to reduce your dairy intake. It is thicker in consistency than almond milk (a popular plant-based milk alternative) and acts like milk for frothing and in baked goods. It is vegan, and being made from oats, is nut free. Commercial oat milk is often fortified with riboflavin (VitB2) and VitB12. Oat milk (and oats) is high in beta glucan, a soluble fiber. When ingested, beta glucan creates a gel-like substance within the gut that binds to cholesterol to reduce its absorption and this in turn supports the lowering of blood cholesterol levels, especially levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which has been linked to heart disease.

Blueberries – berries are a superfood, loaded with antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory, do not spike blood sugar, are a rich source of VitC, Manganese, VitK, contain the mineral folate and are fiber-rich.

Coconut is a rich source of manganese, which supports bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol. Coconuts are also a good source of copper and iron, which help form red blood cells, as well as selenium, an important antioxidant that protects your cells.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Yummy Quinoa Breakfast Bake goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 5 minutes / Cook Time: 40 Minutes / Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Cup Uncooked Quinoa – rinsed well and drained
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoons Hemp Hearts
1½ teaspoons Cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon Vanilla (optional)
1 2/3 Cups Oat Milk – alternate: another plant-based milk of your choice or dairy milk if no sensitivities
1 Cup Blueberries – fresh or frozen – or any other berry
2 Tablespoons Shredded Coconut
Maple Syrup – for serving

How It’s Made

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Grease a casserole baking dish – see photo of the size I used.
Mash the bananas in the baking dish.
Pour the rinsed and drained quinoa over the bananas.
Sprinkle to chia seeds and hemp hearts over the quinoa.
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the chia seeds/hemp hearts and add the vanilla, if using either or both of these.
Pour the oat milk over top and stir, I use a fork, to mix everything together. You want the quinoa to be wet and mixed evenly throughout the dish. Top with the berries and sprinkle the coconut on top. o
Bake for 30 minutes and check for doneness by sticking a sharp knife in the middle. A few grains of quinoa are ok, but gloppy batter needs more time to bake. Check again every 5 minutes until it’s done.
Let the dish cool for 5 minutes and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Enjoy!