Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bake (Printer-friendly)

A nourishing quinoa breakfast bake with juicy berries and warm cinnamon, perfect for mornings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

→ Dairy & Alternatives

02 - 2 cups milk or non-dairy milk
03 - 2 large eggs

→ Sweeteners & Flavorings

04 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Fruit

08 - 2 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen; e.g., blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries)

→ Toppings (optional)

09 - 1/4 cup chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
02 - Spread rinsed quinoa evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
03 - Scatter half of the mixed berries evenly over the quinoa.
04 - In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
05 - Pour the milk mixture evenly over the quinoa and berries in the baking dish.
06 - Sprinkle remaining berries on top, then add chopped nuts and shredded coconut if using.
07 - Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with extra milk or yogurt.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in ten minutes of actual work, then does its own thing in the oven while you pour coffee and breathe.
  • The nutty quinoa absorbs all that sweet custard-like mixture and somehow becomes creamy without any cream involved.
  • You can use frozen berries without guilt, which means breakfast bake season never really ends.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa; I learned this the hard way when an unrinsed batch tasted vaguely soapy and ruined the whole breakfast experience.
  • Frozen berries work beautifully, but fresh berries distribute more evenly and don't bleed color the way frozen ones do if you prefer a cleaner look.
  • The bake will seem slightly underdone when you pull it out; resist the urge to bake it longer, because it keeps setting as it cools and you want it tender, not rubbery.
03 -
  • If your oven runs hot, tent the bake loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes so the top doesn't brown too aggressively while the center sets.
  • A 9x9-inch dish is the sweet spot; using anything larger dilutes the custard and creates a thinner, drier result, while smaller dishes risk overflowing.
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