If you can’t tell, the Instant Pot has become one of my favorite kitchen helpers. I love how I can toss a few ingredients inside, seal the lid, and walk away, knowing that I’ll come back to a perfectly cooked dish. In the case of these Make-Ahead Detox Quinoa Breakfast Bowls, the quinoa doesn’t necessarily cook any faster than if you were to cook it on the stovetop, but the preparation is a breeze!
What sets this “breakfast quinoa” apart from a big batch that I’d normally make over the weekend (to use for stir-fries or lunch bowls) is that it’s soaked ahead of time, to help remove any bitterness, then it’s cooked with coconut milk for a rich and creamy flavor, along with a touch of cinnamon and pure maple syrup. I’ll admit that I’m guilty of NOT soaking my quinoa when I’m rushed to make something savory, but with the milder flavor of these breakfast bowls, you’ll want to soak your quinoa first for best results.
Naturally, you can tweak this recipe to suit your needs. It’s more of a general outline for making an oh-so-comforting porridge that happens to be a complete source of plant-based protein. It should help keep you full and satisfied for hours! If you want this recipe to be lower in fat, swap the coconut milk for almond milk or water. If you’d like to swap the maple syrup for stevia, or omit the sweetener entirely, be my guest. (Though you might already know why I stopped using stevia myself.) And by all means, please use as much fresh fruit and non-dairy milk on top as you like! I got a little crazy with adding almond milk to mine this week, to the point that it reminded me of eating traditional cereal.
This recipe makes a big batch for the week, so you can store it as single servings in the fridge for a quick breakfast on-the-go. Pack it up for work or school, along with some fresh fruit to put on top, or eat it at home as a quick no-fuss breakfast with almond milk as a healthier cereal replacement. I actually prefer eating this porridge cold with almond milk, even when it’s cold outside, but you’re welcome to warm it up if you like. The contrast of textures and flavors keep it interesting, and makes a nice change from smoothies or eggs for breakfast. I hope you’ll enjoy it, too!
Instant Pot Make-Ahead Detox Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Ingredients
Quinoa:
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa , soaked in water at least 1 hour
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk, or milk of choice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional toppings:
- Fresh fruit
- Coconut flakes
- Hemp hearts
- Non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Drain the soaked quinoa and rinse well. Place the quinoa in the bowl of your Instant Pot, along with the coconut milk, water, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Seal the lid with the vent shut, and press the button for the "rice" setting. (Low pressure for 12 minutes.)
- Allow the pressure to naturally release, about 10 minutes, then open the vent at the top and remove the lid. Divide the quinoa into 6 individual containers with lids (about 1 cup of quinoa per container), and store them in the fridge until ready to serve. (They should keep well for one week.)
- When you're ready to eat breakfast, top one serving with non-dairy milk, fresh fruit, coconut flakes, hemp hearts, and any other toppings you like.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 197, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 36g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 6g
Don’t have an Instant Pot? You can make this on the stove, too! Simply bring all of the quinoa ingredients to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and cover to cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Reader Feedback: Do you have another favorite make-ahead breakfast?
This looks so good!
Your photos are also stunning. x
How do you do the draining of the quinoa? When I’ve tried to soak my quinoa any kind of save our use either allows the seeds to go through or gets covered in the quinoa seeds which are then Wasted because I can’t get them out without running water through which then of course fill them with water and they have to be drained again and the process continues. So I have stop soaking my quinoa. I’d love to hear how you or other people solve this problem or avoid it altogether if you don’t know what I’m talking about .
I use a fine mesh strainer, like this one: http://amzn.to/2kQSPuf
I’ve never had an issue with it not holding quinoa seeds! 🙂
I’ve tried that but the inside gets coated with lots of the quinoa seeds so I end up wasting a lot. How do you get them all out?
I agree! I don’t have an elegant way of getting them out. I use whatever the cooking liquid is to awkwardly pour it over the mesh strainer to get the majority of the seeds into the pot.
I am thinking about draining thru a cheese cloth…I’ll let you know how it goes.
Use a small silicone spatula to get the seeds out. Then tap the strainer over the pan or instant pot. It should get almost all of them out
To get the quinoa out of the strainer, first I dump in whatever will go… then I run the strainer under water to encourage the remaining seeds to collect in the center of the strainer… then I WHACK! them into the pot. Repeat the process until all of the seeds bend to your will. 🙂
Use as French Press!
I got an oxo rice and grains washer which works perfectly for quinoa.
Looks so yummy and I agree, your photos are gorgeous! I love quinoa for breakfast and I’ve been considering getting an Instant Pot. Thanks for sharing!
I am SO excited you are adding the Instant Pot recipes to your blog! Are there some IP recipes in the new cookbook??
Fellow IP lover….. LOL
There are some slow cooker/pressure cooker friendly recipes in the new cookbook!
Can this recipe also be made in the crockpot? Any special instructions for this?
Looks delicious. Do you recommend still rinsing “pre-rinsed” quinoa? Thanks.
I do, just to be on the safe side. Sometimes it can be a little bitter in flavor.
Good morning. I’m making this recipe and when I push rice, it’s default is low pressure. I tried pushing the adjust button and it would let me change the pressure. Should I just use the Manuel button for 12 minutes? Thank you.
That was a mistake on my part! My rice setting does 12 minutes on low pressure, as well. I will correct my post; thanks for drawing it to my attention.
It would NOT let me change
I do not have an instant pot. Do you make (cook) the quinoa first and then add the liquid ingredients to a make this dish? thanks for clarifying
I have stove top instructions at the bottom of this post– you cook everything together. 🙂
I made this for breakfast today. Followed recipe with the exception that I soaked the quinoa overnight with 2T of kefir. So fabulous. Have 5 jars for breakfast this week. Thanks.
I usually cook my quinoa in a rice cooker, and it works great. I also used my rice cooker for this recipe and there were no issues. I usually don’t rinse the quinoa since it gets caught in the mesh strainer (the quinoa I buy is no rinsing necessary). But I did soak and rinse it in this recipe. After soaking, I stirred the quinoa so it all settles to the bottom, and carefully dumped out the water. You’ll loose some quinoa, but not much. Add all the ingredients in the rice cooker and cook. Thanks for the recipe Megan! It taste good! Can’t wait to eat it cold tomorrow for breakfast with some almond milk and berries!
I have an instant and pot made this over the weekend! It’s delicious! I used Trader Joe’s frozen organic quinoa (because it’s all I had) but I stopped the instant pot before 12 min because TJs frozen quinoa is already cooked.
I didn’t think I would like this because I’m not crazy about quinoa in general but this was delicious and filling! Thanks so much!
I don’t have an instant pot so I made the recipe on the stovetop. I wasn’t sure if I would like it so I made half the recipe and I have been eating it all week for breakfast. This is so delicious! It reminds me of when I used to eat cream of wheat with brown sugar. I usually top it with fresh blueberries, coconut flakes, and sometimes some chopped walnuts and a little bit of almond milk. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing!
I made this a week ago and it was absolutely delightful! I added fresh blueberries and everyone at work was very jealous of my incredibly healthy breakfast that smelled like heaven. I was thinking next time I might add some fresh ginger to give it a little kick. Absolutely thrilled to add this into my rotation. Thanks for the recipe, and super excited that your new cookbook should be waiting for me when I get home from work! Thanks Megan!
Looks incredible! I have missed oatmeal/cereal with fresh fruit in my pursuit of better digestion and to heal leaky gut. I have your cookbooks and noticed you also suggest not combining grains with fruit. Is soaked quinoa an exception? I’d love to know your thoughts! I’m pregnant and fresh fruit is my constant craving! I’m eating it in between meals, but I’d love to have this in the mornings instead of only smoothies 🙂
I don’t think that quinoa is a grain as it is a seed.
Is canned coconut different from cartons of
Coconut milk, sold near almond & soymilk?
I bought a can to make this, but use cartons of
Coconut milk daily with cereal.
Thank you for your help, can’t wait to try this
Recipe.
Per your instructions I soaked the quinoa for an hour. The water was merky. What to use a
as a strainer? I have a fine mesh yogurt strainer that sits in a plastic box. Let it soak in that and
when it was done I just pulled it out and proceeded. Seeds came out very nicely. Looked up on
eBay and the prices were all over the place. Made it up and placed the cereal in pint mason jars
and sealed them with my seal a meal device. Loved the cereal. Added a hand full of chopped walnuts
and some flavored coffee creamer. My new best friend for breakfast. Thank you, Megan.
Great idea. Have you ever tried to use the timer in order to have the quinoa cooked while you are still sleeping but to have it ready and still warm for breakfast? I have just got my Istant Pot yesterday. So I am still pretty excited about it.
Delicious – thank you for the lovely recipe. I have been looking for a Greek yogurt replacement for breakfasts and this is perfect.
I whipped up some cashew milk and use it in place of the coconut milk. I am seed cycling, so topped with ground sunflower and sesame seeds. Added some fresh berries and a splash of cold cashew milk. I ate 4 hours ago and haven’t felt any need for a snack.
Rice setting on instant pot defaults to 10 min. I hope this works. Just put it all to cook!!
When I cook quinoa, I always cook it for 1 minute with 10 minutes NPR and it’s perfect and this is the cooking time recommended by Instant Pot. Isn’t 12 minutes way too long to cook this? What will the texture be like? Thanks for advice.
I’ve always found the quinoa too “al dente” when I cook it like that, but keep in mind that the 12 minutes is at LOW pressure– it would be too long if you did it on high pressure. I find that when I hit the “rice” button the quinoa turns out the same way it does when I cook it on the stove top, but I’m sure there are many ways to do it with good results!
Love the idea of quinoa for breakfast. Sometimes my smoothie just isn’t enough. I bought prewashed quinoa and cooked it with some plain apple juice diluted with water. It was intended for my salad, but I couldn’t stop eating it straight out of the pot. It was delicious and I’m pretty sure my grandkids will like it too!
I don’t have an insta-pot (yet) so I made it on the stove top. It took forever to cook and had way too much liquid. It turned out lumpy and clumpy. Like rice, I’ve cooked cooked quinoa with a 1:2 ratio and it’s always perfect. Like I said, way too much liquid in this recipe.
This recipe does call for a 1:2 ratio, 1.5 cups of quinoa to 3 cups of liquid, but I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work well for you! You can always drain off any excess liquid once it’s tender so you can still eat it.
I made this yesterday (without soaking) and we loved it! The coconut milk is great! I had never used the rice cooker function on the instant pot, but the quinoa turned out just fine with it. Thanks for a nice quinoa breakfast option!
I made this, this morning after soaking the quinoa overnight and cooking in my electric pressure cooker. I didn’t have all the same ingredients but it turned out phenomenal. For the coconut milk I used 8oz of Ripple Vanilla 1/2 and 1/2 and 7 oz of Vanilla Almond milk. I couldn’t find my maple syrup so tossed in approximately 1 tsp of Xylitol. Topped it all off with Bananas and frozen blueberries. I am so happy! This is going to be my new go to, move over oatmeal! I will also use this as a comfort food and dessert. Thank you so very much.
Loved this recipe. Cooked it on stovetop and after it was done – turned the burner off and left cover in for about 30 minutes and all the liquid was absorbed. I take it to work and enjoy I cold with some almond milk and berries.
How may servings is the calorie count calculated for??
Thanks!
I just made this and plugging in all of my ingredients into MyFitnessPal it comes out to 232 cals per serving with 8 servings. However, instead of using just quinoa, I used the super grain mix from wholefoods as well as 1 1/2 servings (45g) of shaved almonds. Here are the macros:
Cal – 232
Fat- 6g
Carbs – 39.4g
Protein – 6.2g
Cholesterol – 0g
Sodium – 8.2 mg
D fiber – 3.4
Sugar – 12.9 (no added sugar or alcohols)
Net Carbs – 36g
I am a little confused. I thought it was being encouraged not to combine food groups , as in quinoa and fruit and nuts. Please help me understand further.
For a properly combined meal, you can top quinoa with avocado, winter squash, or a splash of pure maple syrup and cinnamon. Many of my readers don’t practice food combining, so I like to offer lots of all-natural topping suggestions for variety.
I’m just starting out with this new lifestyle of combining and eating foods. But the recipe confuses me. If quinoa is a starch, why are we allowed to top off with fruit? Please help, I’m still trying to learn this. Thanks
Not all of my recipes on the blog take food combining into account, as sometimes the concept can be overwhelming and prevent people from making healthier changes at all. My main goal here on the blog is to introduce people into more whole-food recipes that taste amazing, regardless of food combining rules.
Both of my cookbooks, however, are clearly labeled for food combining and have complete properly combined menus to help in case you want more guidance. For a properly combined quinoa bowl, you could top this more simply with a splash of maple syrup, cinnamon, and some roasted sweet potato or sliced avocado. Hope that helps!
My IP’s rice cooker setting is stuck at 10 minutes. I hope that is okay! It won’t let me adjust to 12.
I bet that will work!
Have you tried freezing it in portions after you cook, but before the milk/fruit go in? There is no way I can eat this much in 6 days time, it’s probably more like 12 servings for me.
The way to get the quinoa out of the fine mesh strainer is this: If you have a variety that doesn’t require soaking, put your quinoa in the strainer and run cold water through it at somewhat high pressure (you don’t have to get silly about it) until it runs clear. If your quinoa needs soaking, drain it into the strainer, then run the water through it somewhat high pressure. Be sure to cover the whole surface. It works best with an aerator on your faucet. The quinoa will pack together and look like it has a flat surface.. Now turn it over and rap the strainer sharply against the edge of your pot. It will all pop out in blob and you’ll hardly lose a grain.
Do you soak the quinoa if you’re making it on the stove top?
I bought quinoa just to make this. It’s 10:50 on and i just made a batch. When it was cooking on the stovetop the smell wasn’t appealing to me. But once I tried it I thought it was delicious! It tastes like sweet tamales. This is definitely a great substitute for a sweet unhealthy breakfasts. I don’t feel like I’m missing out with this quinoa breakfast.
Thank you!
I notice that many recipes seem to go against the food combining rules or suggestions you described. I was just wondering if there is some difference in the overall dish, preparation or anybother factors that make combining foods more beneficial? Does cooking foods together change the nature of the overall food and thus make it a good or beneficial combination? Thanks!
All of the recipes in my two cookbooks are properly combined and clearly labeled for those who want more food combining guidance and meal ideas. My goal here on the website is to ease people into the idea of simply eating whole foods on a regular basis, so I don’t emphasize the food combining aspect too much, because it can be overwhelming.
I think it’s far better to start eating whole foods on a daily basis, and then move on to the nuances of how certain food combinations can make you feel. I do try to note how to make recipes properly combined, though– in this case you can top the porridge with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and maple syrup for a proper combination. Hope that helps!
This recipe is amazing. Can you tell me if prepared to the listed recipe, is it 197 calories per serving or 197 kcal? Big difference.
Please could you tell me what volume a cuppa Quinoa is? I have different sizes.
Thank you.
Love this recipe! Only change I would make next time is I would add an apple or two.
This is easy, delicious, and so filling! This is my new breakfast staple. I’ve played around with flavor profiles (honey, orange blossom water, pistachio and a take on golden milk with turmeric)- so many possibilities!
cooked beautifully and I didn’t have to stand over it and stir it to make sure it didn’t stick-yay! thankyou 😀
Please could you tell me what volume a cuppa Quinoa is? I have different sizes.
Thank you.
I’ve made this several times now and it’s always delicious. Last time I added ginger and frozen mango before cooking and these went with the coconut flavour well. Amazing how big a difference that long soak makes – the water is so much murkier than with a quick rinse and even foams a little!
I just made this, omg it is so tasty! I’m definitely going to make this again. 😋
Hi,
The quinoa came out and tasted very good. Thanks for posting this recipe.
I made three changes: substituted the 1/4 cup syrup for 1/5 raw honey, subbed the cinnamon for allspice, and left the salt. For toppings, I used hemp hearts and blueberries.
The only downside I would say is the recipe is not a quick breakfast when using the suggested hour soak to remove any bitterness from the quinoa. However, once in the Instant Pot, the food cooks itself.
I will definitely be eating this more often as my breakfast.
What do you recommend for reheating the quinoa when you’re ready to eat? Microwave or stovetop or back in the instant pot?
Any of those options would work, it just depends on what you prefer! I usually heat up quinoa in a skillet on the stove, with an extra splash of water to help prevent it from drying out.