Imagine all the flavors of pumpkin pie in a big hot bowl of goodness… That’s what this breakfast is! It might as well be a dessert because it tastes that good! Fortunately, this breakfast will give you staying power, a nice dose of healthy fiber and disease-busting nutrients without the sugar high. This Pumpkin Quinoa Porridge will be perfect for the holidays ahead – make a big batch for your family and friends for a warm delicious organic treat!
For a limited time, you can stock up at 15% off on my favorite brand of Quinoa and other healthy eats at Alter Eco with code “FOODBABE15” at checkout right here.
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 and ½ cups almond milk, divided (nut allergy: use coconut milk)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 2-3 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup, more as desired
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Optional:
- 2 tablespoons coconut flakes
- In a pot, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of almond milk. Bring to a boil and add the quinoa, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
- Once the liquid has evaporated, take off the heat and stir in the ground flaxseeds. To serve, place some of the porridge in a bowl and add about ¼ cup almond milk or desired amount. Top with the walnuts, honey or maple syrup and coconut if using. Enjoy!
Please share this healthy breakfast idea with loved ones – the more people eating organic and healthy breakfasts like these (and not eating Dunkin Donuts & Egg McMuffins!), the better the world will be!
Xo,
Vani
P.S. Do you like recipes like this? You will love my books!
In my #1 best selling book The Food Babe Way – I teach you even more ways you can break free from the hidden toxins in your food, lose weight, look years younger and get healthy in just 21 days. In my 2nd book, Feeding You Lies, I blow the lid off of the lies we’ve been fed about the food we eat – lies about its nutrient value, effects on our health, label information, and even the very science we base our food choices on. And, my first cookbook, Food Babe Kitchen, contains over 100 mouthwatering recipes to show you how delicious and simple it is to eat healthy, easy, real food. Available anywhere books are sold.
This sounds amazing! I keep wanting to try quinoa for breakfast and now I have the perfect recipe! I occasionally make pumpkin oatmeal and it sounds kind of similar, but it’s probably healthier with quinoa! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I’ve been trying to do the same thing, hence the invention of this recipe! Quinoa at breakfast is the best!
I LOVE ANYTHING “PUMPKIN” I EVEN TAKE THE PUMPKIN PIE READY TO GO AND PUT IN IN A CONTAIER AND EAT SOME EACH DAY . I WILL USE THE PUMPKIN PIE SPICES AND AS IT IS COOKING — ADD ONE GREAT EGG– AND STIR IT AROUND AS THE EGG COOKS — I DO THIS WITH OATMEAL—COOKED CREAM OF RICE CERIAL ETC. I USE TO LOVE CREAM OF WHEAT — HOWEVER MY NATURAL DR. TOOK ME OFF WHEAT — BARLEY – RYE . YOU SEE PUTTING THE EGG IN YOU GET YOUR “PROTIEN” WITH THE CERIAL . GREAT FOR THE KIDS AS THEY WILL NOT KNOW THE “EGG” IS IN IT — TRY IT YOU WILL LIKE IT. CAN’T SEE IT OR TASTE THE EGG SEPARATLY >>>>>>>>>>>
I want to make this, but please tell me WHAT IS pumpkin purée, and how do I make that? I used organic pumpkin in a can but that just doesn’t seem right……help…
Vani, I attempted to use the code for the 15% discount at check out and it stated it was expired, you may check it out with company that is selling the Quinoa. Thank you for all the ideas and information. Nina
I want to make this, but please tell me WHAT IS pumpkin purée, and how do I make that? I used organic pumpkin in a can but that just doesn’t seem right……help…
Can you use regular eggs instead of flax eggs?
I don’t think it would be a good idea in this recipe. The flax is more about the fiber 🙂
Thanks for responding. I’ll have to get some flax eggs 🙂
What are flax eggs?
I can’t answer for the Food Babe but I don’t think the Flax is meant to be an egg substitute. I think it is just an ingredient for nutrition sake, you could add it or leave it. I think chia seeds would be another great add in.
Yes, that’s right Wendy. Chia seeds would be great too!
I used chia and hemp seeds in place of the flax just because they were in my cupboard. And rainbow quinoa…it was great!
I don’t think Eggs are called led for in the recipe. Flaxseeds are used.
flax SEEDS, not flax EGGS! LOL (unless this is a joke?)
@susan Flaxseeds, not flax eggs
I’m confused. I don’t see flax eggs anywhere in the list of ingredients.
I used chia eggs instead of flax! 😉
This recipe looks phenomenal! Love the use of quinoa instead of oats. I wouldn’t think to use coconut flakes and walnuts with pumpkin but I can imagine the combination is delectable 🙂 Can’t wait to try as a post-workout breakfast!
I’m always looking for new breakfast recipes and this this is it- love the pumpkin/quinoa combination. Pure deliciousness!!!
This sounds delicious. The other great thing is I can feed this to my one year old son by separating his first before adding the other ingredients. Will make this tomorrow morning
Out of curiosity, what are you separating? The honey? I used to give my one year old all seasoning/spices, but then again I didn’t follow traditional baby food wisdom. 🙂 Was just wondering.
Hello A B,
The only thing he can have from these ingredients are the pumpkin, quinoa, and cinnamon. I will use chia seed instead of the flaxseeds because he hasn’t had flaxseeds yet. I’m also going to use coconut milk instead of the almond milk because he hasn’t had almond milk either. So, my plan is cooking the ingredients that he can have first and then after I separate his food I will then add the rest of the ingredients.
Also, when you said you did not follow the traditional baby food wisdom, exactly what did you do? As of right now, I’ve been feeding my son solids since he was 6 months old and he just does not like to eat solids. So I would love to hear how your little one is doing with the way you feed him/her. Would love to try other option that might work for my little one.
Thank you….
Hi A B,
My little one can only eat the quinoa, pumpkin and cinnamon. My plan is to cook the ingredients that he can have first and then adding the rest after. I’m also going to use coconut milk and chia seeds instead because he can have those too as well.
Also, what do you mean by you didn’t follow the traditional baby food wisdom?
I’ve been feeding my little boy since he was 6 months old and he just does not like to eat. How is your little one doing with the way you feed him/her? And what feeding style are you doing? Just looking for other options that he might like.
Thank you
Alexis
This looks yummy! I love preparing overnight oatmeal. Could I do the same with this recipe?
Can I pin this recipe?
Please do! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/226165212512913944/
Do you think this could be made in a crockpot? Would be great to set out the night before! Sounds delish!
Yes of course!
Do you have to grind up the golden flaxseed and /or is it okay to use ground flaxseed? Also do you know how many calories in this?
Tiffany, the flax seeds should always be ground just before using. If not ground, they don’t digest well, going right through the body whole. I would never buy flax seeds already ground, as they have a short shelf life and become rancid quickly. I get them fresh from our local Health Food Store, bring them home and store in the freezer, grinding them just before use.
Chia Seeds are actually more beneficial as far as I’m concerned and don’t need grinding. Before using, I soak 1/3 cup with 2 cups of pure water, stir for a bit until it gels, and store in the fridge. It’s ready for use.
Do you cover pot while simmering for liquid to evaporate? I usually do with regular Quinoa but this recipe didn’t mention. Been cooking for 15 minutes and no liquid has evaporated??
Yes!
This should be added to the instructions.
This looks great, but your readers need to know that grains and pseudo grains like quinoa need long soaking (12 hours) in warm acidulated water prior to cooking to neutralize the phytic acid which binds minerals and prevents their absorption into the body. Soaking the night before would do this. For more information on this method see “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon. Your grains will be easier to digest and much more nutritious if you follow this rule.
sounds yummy. Can you start posting nutritional info along with your recipes? While organic is good, some people still need to watch fats, sugars, carbs, etc. Tnx
I”m eating this right now. It is pretty yummy. My porridge isn’t as light colored as the bowl in the picture. I felt that it lacked a strong enough pumpkin flavor for me, so I added 1 T. puree to my bowl. Served it with the coconut milk, walnuts and 1-2 T honey. What a power packed breakfast!
Vani I absolutely LOVE your recipes and info and am deeply grateful for your blog, but I wish you had a Pinterest button so I could share and save for later there! Just some feedback to help with your marketing 🙂 (PS: if you’re looking for any marketing or worker interns, I’m an extremely passionate vocal and driven college student on a mission to educate America and replace the GMO sugary junk with local organic real goodness, I would be HONORED To work with you)
I have found that if you hit the share button then you will get a pop up to then click on the Pinterest button. I have all of Vani’s recipes save to my Pinterest boards. At first I didn’t think I could pin them until I played around and figured it out.
Pinterest has an app that you can use to put almost any photo onto Pinterest. I have it on my favorites bar so that anytime I find something I want to save to Pinterest I simply click it, each pinnable photo appears, you choose which you want to pin, and viola, it is pinned.
You can find the app here: https://help.pinterest.com/en/guide/more-resources
Thank you for this recipe my one year old loved it.
And I loved it too. So yummy!!!
This looks great. Although, flax seeds make me break out, so perhaps I will just add some chopped walnuts, almonds, or chia seeds. Thanks!
you have to watch for almond milk, it had lots of bad in it. I prefer to use can coconut milk without metasulphite, but its hard to find. TJ has some without, it seams ok. Or make your own from good dry unsweetened coconut from Tropical Tradition, if you have time.
Could you give me the calorie and nutritional break down of this great sounding recipe? Thanks for all you do to make healthy eating so easy.
Foodbabe, are you big into buying sprouted grains and or sprouted them yourself? I assume I can use my TruRoots sprouted quinoa for this recipe?
Did you know quinoa still has traces of gluten in it? I met with a Naturopath who told me to skip all grains because of my gluten allergy, so bummed because this looks great!
But quinoa is not a grain, it is a seed. how can it have gluten? I would research this some more if I were you.
There are many who would tell you it’s not a seed and that it is a grain. The doctor simply stated there can still be traces of gluten in all grains, so someone with a sensitivity, such as myself, should stop eating it. I was also tested via BioMerdian testing which also told me it is a stress on my body. Please do not assume research has not been done because I did not post it. Eat whatever you want, simply sharing my info.
Amanda, your post got me curious and so I did some research and came across the following article. Please don’t be offended by replies to your comment, we’re all just trying to learn, educate, and grow in knowledge and trying to be helpful. It’s possible your Naturopath is misinformed and passing that misinformation on to his patients. Anyway, I hope you find the article helpful. 🙂
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreegrains/f/Is-Quinoa-Gluten-Free.htm
If you research it or (just Google) you will learn that quinoa is actually a fruit. It has no gluten! It is most definitely NOT a grain.
If you do research it, like I have, you will find that yes, as well as many other opinions. Up to you to decide which you believe. If there is a doctor telling me that it can still have traces in it, from the way it is made (Around other gluten foods) then I will say no thank you to quinoa 🙂
What are flax eggs?
It’s flaxseeds nothing to do with eggs;))
It is a substitute for eggs. 1 T ground flax seeds + 3 T water = 1 egg. You can use chia seeds instead of flax seeds – same proportions.
Flax Seeds CAN be a substitute for eggs, but also used just freshly ground, added to anything you like…..such as the quinoa, smoothies, salads, etc.
This looks wonderful. I have a flax/hemp blend. Would that work as well?
do you have to soak the Quinoa first?
What brand of almond milk do you use? The one I have seen on market have all the additives that I don’t eat.
Sarika dutt –
It’s best to make your own if you have a good blender. I used to make it all the time. However, consider how many almonds you will be consuming. I always soaked them for at least 8 hrs. first, but they still are high in oxalates, which can be harmful with any thyroid condition, or even create problems if consumed too often.
A better option is making fresh coconut milk (quicker actually) and sooo good. We also get raw milk but again, need to be careful there with the sugars.
This looks awesome 🙂 Most definitely have to try it! and also pre-order your book. I am actively switching my diet to organic! 😀 Thanks for a great start to have a healthier breakfast!
This recipe looks delicious. I’m soaking the quinoa overnight, can’t wait to try this tomorrow morning.
Hi Food Babe,
I have a question. Do you receive any sort of compensation for recommending products? I am curious.
Thanks for the transparency,
Mark
I don’t like pumpkin, what purée would you suggest? Apple?
How do you rinse quinoa? I have a fine mesh strainer but the quinoa still escapes :/! Loved the recipe!
I can’t seem to find the little red P anywhere to pin this to Pinterest (where I keep my most favorite recipes:). Am I missing it?
Thanks for all that you do Food Babe!
Almonds are not nuts. They are fruit seeds. So dere fud bebe…hah It took nearly a year to make our local elementary school comfortable with that fact. There was a move in the works to ban all home made , even organic sourced, real food from school lunches. Hot dogs and mass produced chemical laced ,”pizza,” french fries and peanut free imitation chocolate bars with franken glucose fructose, wheat crisps, caramel and its toxic ilk is ok. Juice, GMOcorn or ,”not even close to being wheat cereal, ” toast, and super heated enzyme and vitamin stripped milk somehow fly under the garbage alert radar of, “educators,” and classed as the ideal breakfast or bedtime snack. And all the while the explanation for previously unknown, extremely rare, and formerly adult only degenerative conditions, being now epidemic among our children are attributed to advances in medical diagnosing.
I do use a strainer and have no loss of seeds. I first put the quinoa in a glass pot stir vigorously and pour the rinse water through the strainer. I repeat at least 3 times or until there is no sign of the bittering saponin foam. Millet I rinse in a gallon bottle, agitate and then strain with a piece of cheese cloth covering the mouth. I also perferate plastic storage tops for 2 qt mason jars and that works well for straining rinsed small seeds, including organic sprouting/viable ,seeds. Cheap veggies of the highest nutritional value. The latest wisdom is that even these sprouts should be well rinsed and slightly cooked, just the heat of a stir fry or cooked veggies is deemed sufficient, before consumption.
Saonins have a wealth of health benefits but taste ,”bad,”like Buckleys….. They lower cholesterol,kill fungus over growth, some parasites, bacteria and viruses. Rinse water makes great for alcohol and dangerous chemical free hand sanitation; before and after tooth brushing rinse, endless uses. A tsp of mint and apinch of organic Stevia extract will make it palatable for even those sensitive types, mostly manbabies…..
I do use a strainer and have no loss of seeds. I first put the quinoa in a glass pot stir vigorously and pour the rinse water through the strainer. I repeat at least 3 times or until there is no sign of the bittering saponin foam. Millet I rinse in a gallon bottle, agitate and then strain with a piece of cheese cloth covering the mouth. I also perferate plastic storage tops for 2 qt mason jars and that works well for straining rinsed small seeds, including organic sprouting/viable ,seeds. Cheap veggies of the highest nutritional value. The latest wisdom is that even these sprouts should be well rinsed and slightly cooked, just the heat of a stir fry or cooked veggies is deemed sufficient, before consumption.
Saonins have a wealth of health benefits but taste ,”bad,”like Buckleys….. They lower cholesterol,kill fungus over growth, some parasites, bacteria and viruses. Rinse water makes great for alcohol and dangerous chemical free hand sanitation; before and after tooth brushing rinse, endless uses. A tsp of mint and apinch of organic Stevia extract will make it palatable for even those sensitive types, mostly manbabies…..
Vani, I love your recipes. I have many saved to Pinterest and each month when I get my new months recipes I copy and paste them to my own recipe files so that they are easier to find. I have one for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, smoothie/juices, weekly prep, weekly tips, etc. all I have to print up each week is my weekly menu and shopping list and post it on my fridge. Thank you for all the work you have put into you eating plan.
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was very good.
According to Ayurveda honey should always be taken on its own or used to sweeten herbal teas and becomes toxic when cooked! Prefer agave or maple syrup or other types of sugar for cooked recipes!
Gleaned from the book “Health and Consciousness Through Fasting and Cleansing” by Dr. Nibodhi Haas.
You’re not really cooking the honey, you’re adding it at the very end. Maple syrup is better than agave…..it’s actually worse than high fructose corn syrup.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx
Can you please start adding tabs/links for Pinterest to your recipes so we can pin them??
I make large batches of quinoa to freeze in containers for breakfast, mostly for my husband.
I SOAK it first overnight, as should be done for all grains and seeds. This gets rid of the phytic acid which prevents the grain from being digested. When it doesn’t digest properly, the beneficial nutrients and enzymes aren’t nourishing the body. After I soak it, I then rinse thoroughly to remove all the soaking water, add water for the amount of quinoa, and cook for about 12-15 min.
My husband noticed the big difference in taste and flavor after I started soaking first and likes it much better. I have it now and again and love it too.
Remember, even though quinoa may be safe for those who can’t have gluten, it’s STILL a high carb food.
Vani, this sounds great for fall and winter with the addition of pumpkin and spices. Thanks for all you do…love your recipes and your help in finding the toxic ingredients that so many companies are using.
I make everything from scratch, so no processed foods here, but still have to use caution when purchasing during winter, as most organic produce is shipped across the country and we don’t know how old it is. Also discovered some things are being sprayed anyway! :-((
This is very tasty and makes enough to feed the whole family. I used pumpkin pie spice and a little honey and milk after cooking. You can do the same with oatmeal, too, if you or your kids don’t like the texture of quinoa. They’ll think it’s dessert.
You don’t have to take every word FoodBabe says as gospel, just start reading the labels of the foods you eat and if it makes you wonder “why does _____ have all this other crap in it?” you may want to make some changes.
Very good advice, GinnyB.
I made this with whole milk instead of almond milk, and left over sweet potatoe puree instead of pumpkin. Did not soak the quinoa prior to cooking. Came out delish; eating for lunch today.
what is quinoa is it oat porridge?
I wish when you go to a page on your website for the first time that the like what you see message would not appear because it gets annoying. Also you are not always vegan friendly but otherwise do have good information.
I make quinoa for breakfast all the time. I tried this recipe and honestly, I found it a bit bland, even with the addition of nutmeg. It was good, but not great. I feel like it needs a little more spice. I thought about using canned coconut milk instead of almond milk- I think that might have given it more flavor. Also, this took a lot longer than 15 minutes to cook, covered.
I used chia instead of flax and sliced almonds instead of walnuts.
OMGoodness Vani! You hit it again girl! This is AMAZING!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!! Can’t wait to make more!!!!! Thank you!!!!! <3
Haven’t tried this recipe yet but it sounds delicious. Some people here say soak the quinoa first but other sources say don’t soak it. Very confusing. Here is a ink that says to rinse the quinoa but not soak it. (in the last paragraph)
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03187/How-to-Cook-Quinoa.html
Thank you! I can’t tolerate Gliadin one protein in Gluten. Which leaves me pretty much with brown, black and red rice, rice flour, tapioca, tapioca flour, sweet potatoes, almond meal, But I can tolerate quinoa. Buckwheat, rye,wheat, spelt, barley, millet,and oats, even gluten free oats flare my autoimmune condition badly. I’ve been really missing hot cereal in the Winter and I love pumpkin! Can’t wait to try it.
I made this and it was very nice, but the second time I made it I used 2 cups pumpkin instead and no sweetener – that made it nicer in my opinion!
I tried this today with everything except the walnuts. It was delicious. I used C & F nature’s wild grains quinoa sold at Costco. It is pre-washed so it doesn’t need to be rinsed or soaked. A great time saver! Next time, I’m going to try doubling up on the pumpkin and maybe try coconut milk in place of the almond milk.
How would you suggest storing leftovers and would you even suggest saving them? I’m going to try this in the AM. Hoping my kids love it!!
How long would suggest putting this in a slow cooker?