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Vegan Chai Breakfast Quinoa

Breakfast Quinoa w/ Chai + Cinnamon | Well and Full | #breakfast #recipe

Being a food blogger is so cool. Seriously, it’s probably one of the best things ever. Food is something that’s so universal; anyone can connect over a shared love of a certain dish or recipe. And as a food blogger, when someone likes your recipes, it is the BEST FEELING EVER.

So the other day, I got a message on my facebook page from a reader, who is a diabetic and a vegetarian trying to go 100% vegan. She wrote that she was having a hard time finding breakfast recipes that were high in protein, but still low-glycemic AND vegan. I couldn’t think of any recipes off the top of my head, but I knew that I really wanted to create something amazing for this reader.

I immediately went on a google rampage to research ingredients (one of my favorite side hobbies) and started to formulate ideas in my head. One of my first thoughts was quinoa – something that is lumped in to the “whole grains” category (thank you, marketing) but is actually the seed of the chenopodium quinoa plant. Quinoa is a very interesting little pseudocereal because it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t synthesize themselves. In addition, it has a very low glycemic load of 18, meaning that it won’t cause a significant spike in blood sugar. Score!!

In this recipe, the quinoa is cooked in unsweetened almond milk steeped with chai tea (yum!), then topped with pecans and coconut for protein and a little cinnamon for flavor. The quinoa can be served with more warmed almond milk, or even this homemade pecan + walnut milk! It’s low-glycemic, nutritious, and a pretty darn delicious breakfast if I do say so myself.

To all of my readers – I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Vegan Chai Breakfast Quinoa | Well and Full | #breakfast #recipe

Breakfast Quinoa w/ Chai-Spiced Almond Milk + Cinnamon

This breakfast quinoa is high in protein but low on the glycemic index!
4.60 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 1 Bowl
Calories 482 kcal

Ingredients
  

Quinoa

  • 1/2 Cup Quinoa rinsed
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 Chai Tea Bag
  • 1/2 Tbs Coconut Palm Sugar optional

Toppings

  • Pecans
  • Coconut
  • Cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Before cooking, be sure to rinse quinoa well. This removes saponin (quinoa's natural coating), which can make quinoa bitter.
  • In a small saucepan, combine almond milk, quinoa, and chai tea bag, and bring to a boil. Once almond milk is boiling, remove the chai tea bag. Add coconut sugar (if desired) and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook quinoa, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
  • When quinoa is done, remove from heat and keep covered for another 5-10 minutes so almond milk can fully absorb.
  • To serve, put quinoa in a bowl with a little more warmed milk. This pecan + walnut milk would work amazingly as well! Garnish with pecans, coconut, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Breakfast Quinoa w/ Chai + Cinnamon | Well and Full | #breakfast #recipe

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72 Comments

  • Reply
    Sophie | The Green Life
    November 5, 2015 at 7:04 pm

    This looks soooo delicious Sarah!! Definitely making this one soon! And I love those photos too! Beautiful. <3 <3 <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 5, 2015 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks girl!! :D

      • Reply
        Kait
        June 7, 2020 at 8:17 am

        You say use a 1/2 cup uncooked quinao. This would make about a cup and a half once cooked. Do you use the entire portion for 1 bowl?

        • Reply
          Sarah
          June 9, 2020 at 10:41 am

          You can if you want! It’s totally up to your preference! :)

  • Reply
    danielle is rooting the sun
    November 5, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    your sentiments here are so perfect sarah! the universal aspect of food is one of the biggest reasons i adore growing it and sharing it. it knows no limits and has no discrimination – everybody eats food and it’s a beautiful common thread. this is a crazy delicious recipe (your taste buds rule lady) – what a stellar idea to spice the almond milk! xo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:23 am

      Thanks Danielle!! :D

    • Reply
      Michael
      August 20, 2019 at 10:08 pm

      looks delicious:) i’m gonna try it this weekend. it would be helpful to include the nutritional values for the your

      • Reply
        Sarah
        August 21, 2019 at 9:09 am

        Hope you like the recipe! :)

  • Reply
    Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
    November 5, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    Beautiful recipe! I love making reader-requested recipes as well — always glad to make people happy :)

    I’m a huge fan of both walnut and pecan milks but never thought of them as protein-packed morning starters — that just made them sound a whole lot more exciting <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:21 am

      Thanks girl! Nut milks are the best, especially when they’re homemade! :D

      • Reply
        Jason
        January 11, 2020 at 6:01 am

        Haven’t made this yet but I entered all the ingredients into MyFitnessPal app to check calories and macronutrients. As I have been finding lately, these healthy internet recipes are frequently off in calorie count and claims of being high in protein.

        Half cup organic quinoa, 1 cup unsweetened Silk vanilla almond milk, 1/4 cup chopped pecans and 1/3 cup Westsoy soymilk (8gm protein per cup) and I get 598 calories, 46% carbs (70gm), 43% fat (29gm), and 11% protein (16gm). If you’re trying to keep a 50/30/20 macronutrient balance, you’re way off with this recipe. And if you’re athletic and need more protein, you’re even more off.

        I’ll make it anyway as I’m sure it’s delicious. I’ll just supplement protein somewhere else.

        • Reply
          Sarah
          January 11, 2020 at 10:39 am

          Hi Jason, thank you for sharing this information! For many people who eat carb-heavy breakfasts like cereal, toast, or potatoes, this quinoa bowl can definitely be a step up in terms of protein. I do agree an athlete would need to supplement protein, regardless of diet. Thanks again for your comment :)

          • Jason
            February 4, 2020 at 10:54 am

            Very tasty but with a few modifications. Here’s what I made. Quarter cup of quinoa, half cup soy milk, teaspoon of cane sugar, one ounce of walnuts and 100 grams of plain, fat-free Chobani Greek yogurt. Random note about almond milk: from what I understand its production is water intensive and magnifies droughts in California, where a large percentage of global almonds comes from.

            MyFitnessPal gives me the following nutrition breakdown: 484 kcal,
            23 gm fat (42% of calories), 48 gm carbs (39% of calories, 5.5 gm fiber), and 23 gm protein (19% of calories).

          • Sarah
            February 5, 2020 at 11:03 am

            Those modifications sound delicious! And thank you for sharing this info about almond milk!

  • Reply
    dixya @ food, pleasure, and health
    November 6, 2015 at 7:36 am

    receiving a feedback from your readers is the best feeling ever and only food blogger who creates their recipes will understand!!! yayy for the chai spiced almond milk.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:21 am

      It IS the best feeling!! :D

  • Reply
    Ines - By the Sea
    November 6, 2015 at 7:57 am

    Another yay for the chai spiced milk…

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:22 am

      Haha yays all around! Thanks Ines :)

  • Reply
    Katrina
    November 6, 2015 at 8:58 am

    This looks like the perfect way to begin the day! Absolutely wonderful!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:22 am

      Thanks Katrina!! :D

  • Reply
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    November 6, 2015 at 9:08 am

    Quinoa is always a wonderful way to wake-up <3 So nourishing!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 11:22 am

      It is super nourishing! Such a great way to start the day :D

  • Reply
    Leah M @ love me, feed me
    November 6, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    I have yet to try quinoa for breakfast, but you’ve convinced me! This loos like the perfect comforting fall breakfast!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2015 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks Leah!! :D

  • Reply
    Alison @Food by Mars
    November 7, 2015 at 5:26 pm

    o-m-g making this… food blogger life is definitely the best, especially when you’re eating this in the morning. KUDOS, boo! xo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 8, 2015 at 12:21 pm

      Thanks girl!! :*

  • Reply
    Rae
    November 8, 2015 at 6:29 am

    Oh my this dish looks absolutely delicious! I will really have to try to make this. So glad to have found your blog- it is full of so many incredible ideas for cooking!

    Rae of Love from Berlin
    Bloglovin’ // instagram

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 8, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Rae!! :D

  • Reply
    Brianne @ Natural Girl Modern World
    November 9, 2015 at 2:17 am

    Sarah, this looks so yummy! It reminds me of something I buy from a local vegan restaurant near my work…on those mornings when I should have made something for myself, but I hit snooze a couple too many times (oops). Your idea about infusing it with chai tea is a splendid one! I definitely need to try this!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 9, 2015 at 10:56 am

      Ooh cool! I wish I had a vegan restaurant near me. ;)

  • Reply
    Aimee / Wallflower Girl
    November 9, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    This is so beautiful I want to plant my face in that bowl!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 9, 2015 at 6:07 pm

      Hahaha thanks Aimee!!

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Emilie @ Emilie Eats
    November 24, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    This is beautiful! I’ve never had quinoa for breakfast, but it’s been on my to-do list! I found that when I went vegan, it was hard for me to find breakfasts that weren’t super carb heavy, but this is perfect. I absolutely love chai and can’t wait to try this! So happy I found your blog :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 24, 2015 at 10:40 pm

      Thank you Emilie!! :D

  • Reply
    Drumles Den Haag
    November 24, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    Of course. Quinoa for breakfast! I used to put it in my home-made granola, but I will try out this recipe very-very soon! Thanks :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 24, 2015 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks for stopping by :)

  • Reply
    Heather Mason
    November 24, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    This looks amazing! Love breakfast quinoa and I will totally recommend this to my diabetic patients!!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 24, 2015 at 10:37 pm

      Thank you Heather!!! :D

  • Reply
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  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Rachel
    December 8, 2015 at 1:14 am

    Your photos are just stunning! Thanks for the wonderful recipe and inspiration.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 13, 2015 at 6:01 pm

      Thank you Rachel!! :D

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Suse
    January 11, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    This looks awesome! I ordered the ingredients in an online shop but they substituted quinoa for bulgar wheat which I hadn’t realised..would that work? :/ bulgar wheat is savoury to my mind!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      January 12, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      Bulgar wheat will be fine! Just be sure to cook it in the chai tea and milk and it will come out nice and sweet :)

  • Reply
    Katy
    January 24, 2016 at 10:54 am

    I might introduce my toddler to quinoa by using this recipe. Since it looks so much like oatmeal, she might be open-minded. Thanks for the good idea!

    -Katy
    http://sundryblog.blogspot.com/

    • Reply
      Sarah
      January 24, 2016 at 2:00 pm

      You’re welcome Katy! :D

  • Reply
    Jen
    February 23, 2016 at 9:49 pm

    Chai and quinoa, two of my favorite things!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      February 24, 2016 at 8:32 am

      Me too! :D

  • Reply
    Eden Passante
    March 15, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    This sounds amazing! What a great breakfast idea!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      March 15, 2016 at 5:22 pm

      Thank you Eden!! :D

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Keren
    April 11, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    This looks delicious! Yum :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      April 11, 2016 at 6:10 pm

      Thanks Keren!! :D

  • Reply
    Cynthia
    April 27, 2016 at 2:48 am

    This looks delicious! I’m excited to try it!!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      April 27, 2016 at 9:10 am

      Thanks Cynthia!

  • Reply
    Ryan
    May 29, 2016 at 7:24 pm

    I made this yesterday and it was delicious! Great suggestion with using chai tea. I used a coconut chai tea bag and used the milk for my overnight oats!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      May 29, 2016 at 8:33 pm

      I’m glad you liked it!! :)

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  • Reply
    Paula
    December 20, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    This was an absolutely delicious way to start my day. I just finished my bowl, and I’ve already passed the recipe on to friends. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 21, 2016 at 7:42 am

      I’m so glad you like the breakfast quinoa, Paula!! I hope you like the other recipes too :) Happy Holidays!!

  • Reply
    Nyms
    September 10, 2017 at 5:05 am

    5 stars
    I tried this today and it was the absolute best. I replaced the pecans by almonds because I didn’t have them and I added a banana instead of coconut, but it was still sooooo good. It was also very filling, which is great beause I’m always ravenous in the morning !
    I know what I’m eating every morning this week haha

    • Reply
      Sarah
      September 10, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      Hey Nyms! I’m so glad to hear you liked the breakfast quinoa! And props to you for experimenting with the recipe and making it your own – I love it when that happens! :D

  • Reply
    Melissa
    October 17, 2017 at 11:43 pm

    3 stars
    Made this today, but definitely did not look as good as yours! haha, i dont usually have quinoa for breakfast so its a nice change. Still love the thickness of my oatmeal in warm milk though :) thanks for sharing the recipe!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 18, 2017 at 12:32 am

      Quinoa is definitely not a traditional breakfast food haha! Thanks for leaving a note :)

  • Reply
    Kate
    May 16, 2018 at 6:48 am

    Hi Sarah, I came across his recipe when searching for a way to make rolled quinoa into a tasty brekkie. I bought rolled quinoa and cooked it like I normally cook my oats (just with milk) and it was inedible!

    I can’t seem to find any brekkie recipes that use rolled quinoa but I’m not ready to give up on it that easily!

    Do you think this would work with rolled quinoa or do you have a suggestion around how to adapt it to work with rolled quinoa?

    Many thanks, Kate

    • Reply
      Sarah
      May 16, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Hi Kate, thanks so much for writing! I’ve never heard of rolled quinoa before, but I just googled it and it says it’s a little like rolled oats. I think this recipe can definitely be adapted to rolled quinoa! I’m not sure what the exact measurements would be, but I think if you started out with 1/2 – 3/4 cup of almond milk to begin with, that would probably work. You can always add in more almond milk later! And the spices and flavorings would all stay the same. Hope this helps! :)

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Tess
    February 8, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious!! I steeped the tea bag a little longer (my milk starting boiling after about a minute and I was worried this wouldn’t be long enough to get the chai flavor). It was awesome and I’ll definitely be making it again!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      February 11, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      I’m so glad you liked it, Tess! Thanks so much for leaving a review :)

  • Reply
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