Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa

Breakfasts have always proven to be difficult for me. First, being vegetarian limits all your typical breakfast sausages and stuff. I also dislike eggs, a ton. I really do not like eggs. Sorry not sorry. I’m not a huge fan of baked goods (but I do get into the occasional mood for breakfast muffins), so what am I left with? BAGELS. But I know I can’t eat those every day otherwise I would gain weight. So I try to use bagels as a treat for the occasional weekend breakfast. Smoothies? Meh, I’m really into them in the summer, but it’s hard to enjoy a nice and fruity smoothie when it’s winter. So here we are with an inspired dish that I hope will satisfy anyone!

Welcome to the world of treating quinoa like oatmeal! Sometimes I find that oatmeal is too dense for what I crave in the mornings so I wanted to try quinoa in its place. WOW was I impressed! I had some apples that were screaming to cook since they were getting soft so combining these two concepts is how this dish came to be.

Honestly, I didn’t know how this was going to turn out so I didn’t do a good job of photographing it. I expect more from myself but I didn’t want to bother if I didn’t know how this was going to taste. I just wanted to include the recipe below so you can get to making it! Count on me coming back to re-do the photos later.

Anyone else a fan of cinnamon apple? When I was preparing it, the smell of apple pie filled through the kitchen! And what else? This is done in just ONE POT! I doubled the recipe I’m including below because I like to bulk cook when I can, so feel free to double as well. Not only is this dish packed with fiber, but you are also getting protein from the quinoa! Such a satisfying and healthy breakfast!

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa

This cinnamon apple breakfast quinoa is a healthy and gluten free option to start your day! Fiber rich and protein packed – it will keep you feeling satisfied! 

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Nicola

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 4 large apples
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• Honey
• Peanut Butter

Instructions

• Peel and core apples. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
• Add quinoa, water and apples to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 20 – 25 minutes. The apples will be soft and the quinoa will have absorbed the water.
• Stir in cinnamon and transfer mixture to bowls, or mason jars for meal prep.
• Drizzle with honey and peanut butter, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon (if desired). And enjoy!

Notes

This amount of cinnamon is quite prevalent, so start out with half the cinnamon and continue adding until you find the right balance. For me, 4 tsp was strong but excellent.

Please tag @nommingwithnicola on Facebook or Instagram if you make this! I would love to hear how this turned out for you!