As part of cleaning out the fridge before the big move, this quinoa breakfast bake has been waiting for me every morning during the past week. On a paper plate because “paper plate and solo cup life” before the move. Delicious, nutritious and the best part is I didn’t have to cook it. Just place a slice on the plate, top with a dollop of plain yogurt (highly recommended) and dig in. I even didn’t warm it up because we don’t have a microwave.
This breakfast bake is highly customizable. You can use quick or rolled oats, eggs or egg whites, milk of choice and even add a scoop of protein powder. The sweetness of entire dish depends on the fruit you use, also the kind of protein powder, and if using any at all. I used very ripe bananas and a scoop of naturally sweetened VEGA vanilla protein powder one time. No maple syrup was necessary.
You can use any fruit or berries. The other time I didn’t add protein powder and a tablespoon of maple syrup was a nice touch. Just enough to help bring out the natural sweetness of berries. Honey works too.
How to Make Quinoa Breakfast Bake
- Rinse quinoa and oats with cold running water, drain and set aside.
- Preheat small skillet on low-medium heat, add coconut and toast until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray 8 x 8 square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay half of bananas, blueberries and raspberries in a single layer on a bottom. Using a spoon or spatula, spread rinsed quinoa and steel cut oats on top. Top with remaining banana and berries.
- Slowly pour liquid mixture in the corner of the baking dish without disturbing the set up (if you pour the liquid abruptly in the middle of the dish, all fruit might float on top. We are looking for evenly distributed fruits and sweetness in every slice). Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes and bake for 60 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 45 – 60 minutes.
- Cut into 9 slices and serve hot, warm or cold with a dollop of Greek yogurt if desired. You can also dig in with a spoon right away. The bake won’t be completely set but still delicious.
Quinoa Breakfast Bake
Make this Quinoa Breakfast Bake Recipe with berries for a week of healthy and easy breakfasts. Serve warm with creamy yogurt and come back to thank me after.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American Ukrainian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1/2 cup steel cut oats, uncooked
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
- 3 medium very ripe bananas, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 cups any milk (I used almond)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 – 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Dash of salt
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
- Greek yogurt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa and oats with cold running water, drain and set aside.*
- Preheat small skillet on low-medium heat, add coconut and toast until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray 8 x 8 square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay half of bananas, blueberries and raspberries in a single layer on a bottom. Using a spoon or spatula, spread rinsed quinoa and steel cut oats on top. Top with remaining banana and berries.
- Slowly pour liquid mixture in the corner of the baking dish without disturbing the set up (if you pour the liquid abruptly in the middle of the dish, all fruit might float on top. We are looking for evenly distributed fruits and sweetness in every slice). Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes and bake for 60 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 45 – 60 minutes. Cut into 9 slices and serve hot, warm or cold with a dollop of Greek yogurt if desired. You can also dig in with a spoon right away. The bake won’t be completely set but still delicious.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: Assemble, cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Bake as per instructions.
Notes
*It’s best to use a bowl for rinsing grains as quinoa is too small and tends to go through the holes of the mesh strainer (unless you have a very fine one).
A few readers reported to successfully use quick (regular) oats.
Feel free to use any combination of berries (I used all blueberries this time).
Add a scoop of protein powder if you wish.
Replace eggs with 1/2 cup egg whites if you wish.
Recipe inspired/adapted from Greatist
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
I’ve made this several times, and find it quite delicious! Would love to see an instant pot version to speed it up, but otherwise this is a great recipe to make and is good with the fruits listed or with variations.
★★★★★
This one is a keeper!! so sweet without all the added sugar, hearty and healthy! It’s the kind of thing you make this for guests and then hope for leftovers!!
I used regular quick cook oats (b/c that’s all i had int he house) and it came out great. Used a mix of frozen blueberries and raspberries and it’s yummy but i think it would prefer all blueberries. I saw in the comments that someone used apples, which sounds good too! I’ll have to try it!
I wonder if there is a way to skip the eggs and make this in a vegan version??
★★★★★
I couldn’t have said it better.:) Good to know about regular oats, I will add that to the recipe. I think you can use flax eggs. Don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t work.:)
If you don’t eat eggs, I think you could make this recipe without them – add a bit more liquid and it will still cook fine, but it will be less custardy and sliceable – more like a porridge.
If you want to keep the texture more similar, I would try adding ground flax in with the liquid ingredients (probably two scant tablespoons), and I would blend the bananas up along with the liquid ingredients as well.
It also occurs to me that you could try cornstarch as thickening agent – but I do not make pudding often so I am not sure what to suggest.
Hi! I’m excited to make this recipe… I don’t have steal cut oatmeal in my pantry just regular. Would that still work and if so should add extra and if yes how much?
Thanks
I would say yes you can. Use the same proportions, I just think your baking time will be less, more around 40 minutes, and consistency might be a bit more creamy but it’s OK.:)
This is THE breakfast I have been hoping to find. I can make it on Sunday and have breakfast every day of the week. Every bite is good and full of taste and texture.
I made it with bananas the first time but with sliced Honeycrisp apple (unpeeled) the subsequent times. I guess baked bananas just weren’t my thing.
I use 2 cups almond milk, and drizzle agave instead of honey.
This is so good. Thank you!
★★★★★
I made it using frozen fruit and it definitely didn’t turn out the way I expected. I am determined to like this, though. Thinking I might tweak the quinoa/oatmeal ratio and use maple syrup. Also need riper bananas. Best part of this was the fact that it was super easy for my kids to help. After I tasted it I knew they wouldn’t like it, thus my determination to try again!!
My kids keep asking if I’m going to make this for the next day. You got my kids approval and mine. Thank you Olena!
★★★★★
WOW! Absolutely amazing and wonderful!!
★★★★★
This quinoa breakfast bake is our new oatmeal for breakfast!
★★★★★
Hello Olena,
I am looking for a square that I can wrap individually and leave in the fridge for my family to grab as they walk out of the house in the morning. When cooled, do you know if this square will ‘stay together’ and be suitable for this or does it need to be eaten with a plate and fork?
Thanks, Delle
Hi Delle. Yes, it holds together when completely cool. You might also wanna try baked carrot oatmeal bars or banana oat bars.
Delicious! Just made this morning. Anxious to share with my grown kids who love quinoa. Nice time saver in the morning – when already prepared. Thanks for this recipe!
Making this in the morning…so I have a quick question. Is it just as good with coconut milk or would a mix of almond & coconut milks work?
Doesn’t matter. All plant based milks are pretty watery. Just a matter of personal taste. We are not talking about canned coconut milk but from a carton, right?!
Great recipe! I did not rinse my grains and it was totally fine. I used 2 bananas (cause that is all I had) and used raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
I will ty not to rinse quinoa next time.:) Glad you liked it!
Hi, this looks delicious! I make ahead for a few days/ a week at a time. Do you have any idea how long this keeps without going off? Thanks
Like a week in a fridge.:)
This was tasty, easy and healthy….??
Yay! xxx
This was very good. We made it with skim milk and used agave nectar instead of maple syrup. Can strawberry protein powder be used instead of vanilla?
Totally!!!
I really want to try this but two of my three bananas are REALLY ripe. They are pretty mushy. Still think I can use them for this?
Yes, of course. Even sweeter.
Thanks so much for the fast reply! I made it this morning and I love it. I did make a few changes. I used organic butter and coconut oil to grease the bottom of the dish. Used yogurt instead of milk (bc it got frozen in the back of the fridge and needed to be used). Used frozen mixed berries and used the water that came out of them from defrosting to thin out the yogurt. It is so nice and soft but the oats and quinoa give it a nice chew. Thanks for the recipe!
You must have Ukrainian blood in you.:) I would do totally the same just to use up leftovers and what I have on hand.
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker? If so, modifications? How many hours? Thanks!
I haven’t.
Do you recommend modifying/reducing the liquid measurements when using rolled oats instead of steel cut?
Yes, a little bit. Like 1/3 cup.
Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve made it over and over again and it’s honestly really easy to make and cooks well every time. I added chia seed powder also in the middle layer. This makes the work week so easy!
Awesome, Adrianna. 🙂 I should come up with a similar one but new flavours.
I am so glad I found this recipe. I am using Steel Cut Oats — will that work?? We love quinoa so that isn’t a problem. We have been eating oatmeal twice a week every week for twenty years — we are sick of just plain oatmeal. This would be an ideal way to get our oatmeal and have a change.
Yes, that would work. I know, I had to mix almond butter and cinnamon into my oatmeal today. Gets boring.:)
I have this in the oven now – it’s the fourth time I’ve made it since finding this recipe this summer. Just wanted to comment and say I have really loved it! Thanks for posting a fantastic recipe that I can make on Sunday night and have every day for work without much effort. Delicious!
That is awesome, Dawn! I want to make a pecan version of this bake in a few weeks.
This is amazing! Thank you!! I didn’t have enough bananas so I used some left over almond-milk-pulp and it worked great!
Made this for breakfast this morning and it turned out great! I used strawberries and blackberries instead of blueberries and raspberries because that’s what I had on hand. I also used maple syrup, almond milk, and omitted the protein powder. I topped it with some greek yogurt and almond butter. Sooo yummy. I’ll definitely make it again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
Second time making this, I love, love, love it! It tastes great and is healthy! Thanks so much for the recipe
I just made this recipe this morning for breakfast for my grandmother and husband and we ALL really enjoyed this dish! Love the quinoa to add a crunch to it. The blueberries and coconut on top were a hit too. Yummy!! Would you email me the recipe so I can print it out?
Glad to hear that! You can print out the recipe by hitting Print button on it – top right hand corner.
Absolutely delicious! I even got my husband to diverge from his regular breakfast of Honey Nut Cheerios for a few days. He was upset when it was all gone. I will definitely be making this again soon.
Wow, great we beat General Mills cr@p together.:) Glad it worked!
What is the texture of this bake? Is it crunchy or soft? I prefer a soft texture like bread pudding. Is it like that?
It is soft. For soft soft make sure to use quick oats not old fashioned rolled oats.
If I use all oats, should I use less milk? Can I use apples instead of bananas?
I don’t think so. Maybe sweet kind of apples?!
I do not like bananas would it be ok to sub applesauce or something else to replace the bananas? Thanks
Not applesauce. Bananas add sweetness and texture. Maybe some other sweet fruit like mango or more berries although it won’t be the same and not sure how it will work.
All I have in my pantry is quick oats. Would that change the measurement or cooking time at all? Do I still have to rinse them?
You don’t have to rinse oats. I haven’t tried it this way, so hard to say. It will be tasty for sure but no idea what the consistency will be like.
Good! Often our kids do not have an opportunity to learn basic skills. Simply because of the modern comfortable life we live. And thank you for your kind words!
This looks INCREDIBLE! Bookmarked, and can’t wait to try this weekend! I’ve been wanting to experiment with steel cut oats and this is perfect!
Would it be possible to cut into squares and freeze to eat throughout a couple weeks?
I have not tried freezing this bake but I think it should work.
I haven’t but honestly I think it will be fine.
This looks super yummy!
Is it possible to use frozen fruits or stick to fresh?
Frozen should be fine.
Do you used the irish steel cut oats- the kind that takes half an hour to cook, or the irish instant oats?
I have both and I am not sure which one to use for this recipe. it looks awesome and I will try it as you as you tell me the answer 🙂
The ones that take long time to cook.:) Enjoy!
Looks so good! I’m all for easy in the morning since I’m a busy student. Have you ever added nuts either incorporated within or as a topping for this?
You can absolutely do that!:)
This looks amazing!!! I’m making it this week such a nice easy healthy breakfast for a busy mom of 4 🙂 love all your recipes!!!
Thank you!!! I hope your kids like it!!!
This is great! I made it this morning. Is it supposed to turn out almost like a bread pudding consistency? Thanks!
Glad you liked it! Yes, bread or rice pudding. Also depends what kind of oats you used and the longer it sits, the softer it becomes.
Awesome! Thanks!
We topped this with yogurt and peanut butter. So yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this today and it is delicious.
Olena, this looks so delicious and bravo on the pictures.
Thank you!