Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Chocolate for breakfast?!? Yeah! This chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl is loaded with protein, fiber, and other nutrients to treat your body right. 

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m a big fan of routine.  Sure, I’ll get my variety fix within this schedule and vary the type of protein shake or smoothie we have each morning.  But a routine is something I always appreciate.

During the week, our morning routine usually looks pretty much like this:

1. wake up;
2. get the kids off to school;
3. workout;
4. coffee;
5. make a protein shake for Dustin and me;
6. get to work.

Nowhere in my routine was a chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl. Until now.

OMG, you guys — this quinoa breakfast gives me all the feels. It’s chocolatey, slightly sweet, has great creamy texture PLUS it has all sorts of goodness, like fiber, protein, and nutrients my body needs. Then there’s the fresh berries, hemp seed hearts, and shaved dark chocolate on top.

Chocolate for breakfast?

Are you kidding me? Amazing. Because who doesn’t love a chocolate breakfast, am I right?

I am so in love with this new chocolate quinoa breakfast that I don’t even care about my routine.

MAKING CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST WITH QUINOA

To make this chocolatey deliciousness aka breakfast quinoa bowl, you have to follow a few simple steps. So, without further ado, here are the steps for how to make quinoa for breakfast:

1. Cook quinoa (scroll down a bit to read the step by step instructions for how to cook quinoa);
2. Once quinoa is cooked, remove from the heat;
3. Add cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract;
4. Stir to combine;
5. Add toppings;
6. Enjoy!

WHAT IS QUINOA?

You’re probably thinking this is a hot quinoa cereal recipe but… it’s not. Wanna know why? Because, despite what most people think, quinoa is not a cereal. It’s a pseudo-cereal. In fact, quinoa is actually related to spinach. So, if you ever wondered what is quinoa, now you know.

You may also be wondering, is quinoa that healthy? I remember back when I didn’t even know how to pronounce quinoa (KEEN-wah, if that sounds like you) that I wondered the same thing.  So, let’s talk about the health benefits of quinoa.

• 1 cup quinoa contains 5g fiber and 8g protein plus a ton of other minerals, like manganese, zinc, iron, folate, magnesium, and so on;
• contains omega-3 fatty acids;
• is a complete protein (contains all essential amino acids);
• non GMO and gluten-free;
• higher in fiber than most grains;
• low glycemic index (so perfect for people with diabetes);
• very high in antioxidants.

See?  Pretty much awesomeness in a little seed, if you ask me.   To feel well, you’ve got to eat well and quinoa is a great choice.  It’s also why I LOVE using quinoa for this breakfast bowl (and for so many other quinoa breakfast recipes and quinoa recipes in general!) — because the connection between food and health is essential and their organic quinoa is perfect.

HOW TO COOK QUINOA

Making quinoa is super easy and so much faster than many grains out there (looking at you, oats and rice).  Follow these easy steps for how to cook quinoa and you’ll have perfectly cooked quinoa every time:

1. Rinse the quinoa: Measure out 1 cup of quinoa and place into a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes, moving it around with your fingers. Then, drain.
2. Toast quinoa in a saucepan (optional): Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 3-4 minutes to let the water evaporate and to toast the quinoa.
3. Add liquid and boil: Add in 2 cups of your liquid (can be water, broth, milk) and the sea salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
4. Lower heat, cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Turn the heat down to the low, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes. When cooking with milk as the liquid, I check it to make sure it doesn’t boil over, as milk is more prone to doing this.
5. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for about 5 more minutes, covered.
6. Confirm the quinoa is cooked. When cooked, you’ll be able to see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. It will kind of look like they’ve popped.
7. Check for remaining liquid. If any liquid remains in the bottom of the saucepan or if the quinoa is still a bit crunchy, just return the pot to low heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Fluff and serve. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork by lightly tossing it, and serve!

QUINOA VS. OATMEAL

Eating quinoa for breakfast is a great way to start the day. Amazing way, actually. Let’s see what benefits you’ll get from quinoa recipes for breakfast by having a quick quinoa vs oatmeal comparison. While both quinoa and oatmeal are great and healthy breakfast options, let’s take a look at the nutritional profile:

• quinoa has fewer calories than oatmeal – 100 g quinoa = 120 calories, 100 g oatmeal = 389 calories;
• quinoa is low-carb compared to oatmeal – in 100 g quinoa we have 21 grams of carbs vs 66 grams in oatmeal;
• technically, quinoa has less protein when compared to oatmeal, however, quinoa is a complete source of protein since it provides the essential amino acids;
• neither quinoa nor oatmeal is high in sugar;
• quinoa has slightly more sodium than oatmeal;
• quinoa is rich in minerals including calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus, while oatmeal contains all the minerals quinoa does + potassium and zinc. Both breakfast options contain pretty much the same minerals but in different proportions;
• when it comes to vitamins, quinoa provide vitamin E and vitamins B (B1, B2, B3, B6, and B9). Oatmeal contains higher amounts of B vitamins and a trace of vitamin K.

As you can see, quinoa and oatmeal are both amazing. And healthy. So you can try as many breakfast quinoa recipes as you’d like, especially if you want a low-calorie and low-carb breakfast. You’ll get a balanced, healthy breakfast.

And chocolate for breakfast if you make this chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl. YUM!

TOPPINGS FOR QUINOA CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST BOWLS

One of the beauties of a breakfast bowl is you can top it with whatever fun topping you like. You can enjoy it the same way every time or change it up completely for new flavors and textures.  There are plenty of quinoa breakfast ideas you can try.

Here are some ways to top your quinoa breakfast bowl I think you’ll enjoy:

• sliced banana, berries, hemp seed hearts, and chocolate shavings (as in the recipe below);
• sliced banana and a dollop of almond butter;
• toasted coconut
• cinnamon and fresh cherries
• a dollop of coconut whipped cream and fresh strawberries
• sliced almonds and fresh blueberries
• a drizzle of raw honey and almond milk

Any way you try it, the base of the chocolate quinoa is perfect for a hearty, satisfying, and delicious quinoa breakfast bowl. Also, this chocolate quinoa recipe is vegan (if you use dark chocolate, not milk chocolate and vegan milk) so it can be added to your list of vegan quinoa breakfast recipes.

HOW LONG IS CHOCOLATE QUINOA BREAKFAST GOOD FOR?

One thing I’ve learned is that I LOVE to have a chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl waiting for me in the morning, all ready to enjoy. If you’d like to make your quinoa bowl ahead of time, here’s how to do it. First, let’s see how long is quinoa good for – properly stored, quinoa lasts for 3-5 days in the fridge. Let’s see how to store the quinoa breakfast bowl now, shall we?

1. make the chocolate quinoa completely by following the directions in the recipe below;
2. allow the quinoa to cool completely;
3. divide into portions;
4. place into airtight meal prep containers;
5. place the meal prep containers into the refrigerator;
6. in a separate storage container, add any (washed) berries so you can easily add to the bowl when ready (add banana when you’re eating so it doesn’t turn brown);
7. then, when you’re ready to enjoy your chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl from the fridge, just grab it and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Top with your prepped berries, sliced banana, hemp seed hearts, and then enjoy.

3 MORE HEALTHY QUINOA RECIPES

What do you think? Do you love the idea of healthy quinoa breakfast recipes? Great! Because quinoa recipes are simply amazing. And I wanna talk to you about 3 more that are not breakfast quinoa recipes but great lunch and dinner options.

GROUND TURKEY AND QUINOA STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

These Ground Turkey And Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats are easy to make, healthy, and perfect for weeknight dinners because they can be made ahead of time and reheated in time for dinner.

Ground Turkey And Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats are stuffed with quinoa and turkey, of course, seasoned with spices that give amazing flavors to the dish, and topped with cheese for an extra layer of deliciousness. Yummy, right? Get the recipe.

QUINOA LENTIL SALAD WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

If you need a reset, a healthy detox is in order. This Quinoa Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette makes a great lunch or light dinner option.

Packed with protein and fiber, the quinoa salad has an amazing mix of textures – think crunchy, tender, and chewy combined – and a delicious lemon vinaigrette that brings all the flavors together. Get the recipe.

SPICY QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

Another amazing quinoa recipe is this Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas recipe. Because… healthy enchiladas. Woot!

This quinoa recipe is also vegan, rich, savory, and totes delicious. Get the recipe.

Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

This chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl is loaded with protein, fiber, and other nutrients to treat your body right.

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, (plus more for serving)
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• optional: hemp seed hearts, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate shaving

1. Start by heating a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Once hot, add the quinoa and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, to slightly toast.

3. Add unsweetened almond milk and sea salt, and stir.

4. Bring this to a low boil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes.  (You can stir the mixture to make sure it doesn’t boil over.)

5. Once the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, remove from heat and add the unsweetened dark cocoa powder, pure maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
6. Serve your chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl topped with sliced banana and fresh berries. I also add a little hemp seed hearts and dark chocolate shavings to top it off.

Nutrition information does not include optional toppings, just the cooked chocolate quinoa.

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