Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Quinoa

This is undoubtedly my favorite breakfast to make at home. Not only does it taste like a decadent serving of pie first thing in the morning, but also because you can make it a few days in advance, it takes less than two minutes to prepare in the morning!

I know that pumpkin season is over, but numerous studies have shown that canned produce, while much cheaper, has essentially the same level of nutrients as its fresh or frozen counter parts. And let’s be real for a second, even if it was pumpkin season, I’d still probably be using a super convenient can. It’s so worth it to take a few minor short cuts when it comes to cooking in order to avoid the cost and preservatives of  preserved food.

Prepare the quinoa with water and cinnamon sticks

Put 1/4 of the pumpkin in each jar

Pile the quinoa on top of the pumpkin

Pour milk atop the quinoa

Top the quinoa with flax seeds

Finish it off with a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves

Enjoy!

I developed this recipe when I got tired of my simple peanut butter quinoa or quinoa with milk and spices. I wanted something that was a bit more fun and that felt a bit more luxurious. Cue the pumpkin pie breakfast concoction.

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Quinoa 

Serves 4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cinnamon sticks (optional)
• 1 can of pumpkin (make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/2 cup skim milk, soy milk, or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon flax seeds
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon (splurge on a good brand, not McCormick’s….I promise that the quality makes a huge difference)
• 1/4 heaping teaspoon fresh ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Fill a small sauce pan with the water, quinoa, and cinnamon sticks. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot. Leave the pot covered for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa absorbs all of the water. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the quinoa. In the mean time, combine the spice mixture in a small ramekin.
2. Divide the can of pumpkin even among four glass jars. Top the pumpkin in each jar with 1/4 of the quinoa.
3. Add slightly less than half a cup of milk to each of the jar. Then add the 1/4 teaspoon of flax seeds and finally 1/4 teaspoon of the spice mixture to each jar.
4. Stir the quinoa mixture together until combined.
5. Enjoy right away or refrigerate it for up to five days. For warm quinoa in the morning, microwave the glass jar for 90 seconds.

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