Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa

This recipe ;s photo shoot was going swimmingly until the very end. Ingredients, sunlight, dog not on table—check, check, check. Then I told myself to quit being lazy and pull out the tripod to be sure I got some crystal-clear photos of the final dish.I tripped over Cookie, the tripod arm bumped the foam board reflector, the reflector knocked over the mini milk pitcher and then both bowls. It was like watching a stack of dominoes fall.It was Cookie ;s lucky day. She helped clean up the spilled milk and I gladly called it a day. I ;m excited to share this recipe today. I mean, if that recipe title didn ;t do it for you, I don ;t know what will. Cinnamon toast! This breakfast quinoa really tastes like cinnamon toast.I haven ;t even been terribly excited about quinoa for breakfast, but this recipe is a definite game changer. Cooking it with freshly toasted pecans (you ;ll toast them in the saucepan before adding the rest), coconut oil, cinnamon, and a few dashes of salt makes it legitimately crave-worthy. Do try it and let me know if you agree.I found the recipe concept in an Amazon impulse purchase, a vegan and gluten-free cookbook called Yum Universe by Heather Crosby, who also runs a blog by the same name. I tweaked the method and ingredients, like I do.This recipe is the perfect use for leftover quinoa, although I like it so much that I ;ve started cooking up quinoa just for breakfast. Here ;s how to cook perfect quinoa, which never fails me.Watch How to Make Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa Print.tasty-recipes-image{float:right}.tasty-recipes-yield-scale{border:1px solid #979599;border-radius:2px;color:#979599;margin-left:3px;padding:0 4px;font-size:.7rem}.tasty-recipes-scale-container{float:right;padding:0 0 1rem}.tasty-recipes-scale-container .tasty-recipes-scale-label{text-transform:uppercase;font-size:.6rem;color:#979599}.tasty-recipes-scale-container button{background:transparent;border:1px solid #979599;border-radius:2px;color:#979599;margin-left:5px;padding:2px 4px}.tasty-recipes-scale-container button.tasty-recipes-scale-button-active{color:#353547;border-color:#353547}.tasty-recipes-scale-container button:focus{outline:none}.tasty-recipes-print-button{background-color:#667;display:inline-block;padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;padding-top:.5em;padding-bottom:.5em;text-decoration:none}a.tasty-recipes-print-button{color:#fff}a.tasty-recipes-print-button:hover{color:#fff}.tasty-recipes-equipment{display:-webkit-box;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:space-evenly;justify-content:space-evenly}.tasty-recipes-equipment>h3{-webkit-box-flex:0;flex:0 0 100%}.tasty-recipes-equipment .tasty-link-card{-webkit-box-flex:0;flex:0 0 50%;padding:1.5rem 1rem;text-align:center}@media screen and (min-width:500px){.tasty-recipes-equipment .tasty-link-card{-webkit-box-flex:0;flex:0 0 33%}}.tasty-recipes-equipment .tasty-link-card p{font-weight:700;font-size:1em;margin-bottom:0}.tasty-recipes-equipment .tasty-link-card p a{color:initial}.tasty-recipes-equipment .tasty-link-card span{font-size:.9em}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-10{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,10% 0%,10% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,10% 0%,10% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-20{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,20% 0%,20% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,20% 0%,20% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-30{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,30% 0%,30% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,30% 0%,30% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-40{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,40% 0%,40% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,40% 0%,40% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-50{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,50% 0%,50% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,50% 0%,50% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-60{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,60% 0%,60% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,60% 0%,60% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-70{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,70% 0%,70% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,70% 0%,70% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-80{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,80% 0%,80% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,80% 0%,80% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-rating.tasty-recipes-clip-90{-webkit-clip-path:polygon(0 0,90% 0%,90% 100%,0% 100%);clip-path:polygon(0 0,90% 0%,90% 100%,0% 100%)}.tasty-recipes-nutrition ul{list-style-type:none;margin:0;padding:0}.tasty-recipes-nutrition ul:after{display:block;content:’ ‘;clear:both}.tasty-recipes-nutrition li{float:left;margin-right:1em}.tasty-recipes-plug{text-align:center;margin-bottom:1em;display:-webkit-box;display:flex;-webkit-box-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;justify-content:center}.tasty-recipes-plug a{text-decoration:none;box-shadow:none}.tasty-recipes-plug a img{width:150px;height:auto;margin:5px 0 0 8px;display:inline-block}@media print{.tasty-recipes-no-print,.tasty-recipes-no-print *{display:none!important}}.tasty-recipes-image{padding:0 0 10px 10px}.tasty-recipes-details ul{list-style-type:none;margin:0;color:#666;font-family:Function,’Trebuchet MS’,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;text-align:left;padding-left:0}.tasty-recipes-details ul li{display:inline-block;margin-right:15px;padding:0!important}.tasty-recipes-print-button{float:right;background-color:#f7f7f7!important;padding:2px 12px 0;margin-top:12px;font-size:19px;text-decoration:none!important;border-top-right-radius:2px!important;border-top-left-radius:2px!important;border-bottom-right-radius:2px!important;border-bottom-left-radius:2px!important}a.tasty-recipes-print-button{color:#222!important}a.tasty-recipes-print-button:hover{color:#31ab9d!important}a.tasty-recipes-print-button::before{font-family:’cksocialfont’!important;content:’n’;margin-right:6px;text-transform:none}.tasty-recipes h2{font-family:’Playfair Display’,Georgia,serif!important;font-size:24px;margin-bottom:3px;margin-top:0;border-bottom:2px solid #F7F7F7;padding-bottom:4px}.tasty-recipes h3{font-family:’Playfair Display’,Georgia,serif!important;font-size:20px;text-transform:uppercase;margin-bottom:18px;padding-top:5px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.5px}.tasty-recipes-notes h3{margin-bottom:8px}.tasty-recipes-notes{padding-bottom:20px}.comment-respond .tasty-recipes-ratings{width:100%;font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16px;color:#000}.tasty-recipes ul li{padding-bottom:6px}.tasty-recipes ol li{padding-bottom:12px}.tasty-recipes-ratings{font-family:Function,’Trebuchet MS’,Arial,sans-serif;text-transform:none;font-size:13px;color:#666;width:20%;float:right;margin-top:5px}.tasty-recipes-ratings-inner{display:inline;float:right}.tasty-recipes-rating{font-size:15px}.tasty-recipes-ratings p{text-align:center;margin-bottom:0}.tasty-recipes-details{text-align:center;width:80%;display:inline-block;margin-top:8px}.tasty-recipes-description{margin-top:24px;clear:both}.tasty-recipes-notes strong{font-family:Function,’Trebuchet MS’,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal!important;padding-top:18px;line-height:1;display:inline-block;text-transform:uppercase}.tasty-recipe-instructions strong{font-style:italic}.tasty-recipe-nut{color:#222;margin-top:24px}.tasty-recipe-nut:hover{color:#31ab9d}.tasty-recipes-nutrition ul{text-align:left}.tasty-recipes-nutrition ul li{list-style-type:none;margin-left:0;width:45%;font-family:Georgia,serif}strong.tasty-recipes-label{font-weight:400}.nutrition-disclaimer{font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:15px;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 40px}.tasty-recipes-nutrifox{margin-bottom:120px}.tasty-recipe-ingredients h4{font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:16px;font-style:italic;font-weight:400;text-transform:none}.recipe-footer-intro{font-family:’Playfair Display’,Georgia,serif;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-size:18px;color:#222;line-height:1.6;padding-bottom:6px;margin-top:20px}.tasty-recipes-notes p{margin-bottom:0!important;-webkit-margin-before:0;-webkit-margin-after:0}.tasty-recipes-print ul{font-size:14px!important}.tasty-recipes-print tasty-recipes-rating{font-size:14px!important}.tasty-recipes-print .tooltip{display:none}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipe-nut:hover{color:#222}.tasty-recipes-print{font-family:Georgia,serif;line-height:1.6;font-size:14px!important}.tasty-recipes-print h3{font-size:16px!important}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipes-details ul{color:#000;font-family:Georgia,serif}.tasty-recipes-print-view .tasty-recipes-print-button{float:left;display:block;padding:10px 10px 10px 5px;margin:20px 100% 5px 30px;font-family:’Playfair Display’,Georgia,serif}.tasty-recipes-print-view a.tasty-recipes-print-button::before{font-family:’cksocialfont’!important;content:”;margin-right:6px;text-transform:none}.tasty-recipes-print .tasty-recipes-ratings p{text-align:center;margin:2px 0 0 0;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:#000}Cinnamon Toast Breakfast QuinoaAuthor: Cookie and KatePrep Time: 3 minsCook Time: 7 minsTotal Time: 10 minutesYield: 1 serving 1xCategory: BreakfastMethod: StovetopCuisine: Vegan★★★★★5 from 45 reviewsEpic breakfast quinoa recipe featuring toasted pecans, coconut oil, cinnamon and dried cherries or cranberries. It tastes like cinnamon toast! Recipe as written yields 1 serving; you can multiply it as necessary, as long as you use a suitably sized pot. Scale 1x2x3x IngredientsBreakfast quinoaHeaping 2 tablespoons chopped raw pecans1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on topTiny pinch of salt1 cup pre-cooked quinoa* (either chilled or warm from cooking—both will work)1 tablespoon maple syrup, more if desiredToppings and optional accompaniments1 tablespoon chopped dried cherries or dried cranberriesHemp seeds, chia seeds or flax seeds (optional), for servingMilk or yogurt of choice (totally optional), for servingInstructionsFirst, toast the pecans before we add the remaining ingredients. To do so, warm the pecans in a small saucepan (use a larger saucepan if you are making multiple servings) over medium heat, shimmying the pan often, until the pecans smell fragrant and toasty, about 4 to 6 minutes.Add the coconut oil, cinnamon and salt to the pot. While stirring constantly, cook until the cinnamon is fragrant, about 15 seconds.Add the quinoa to the pot and stir to combine. Cook, while stirring constantly, just until the quinoa is warmed through, about a minute or so. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the maple syrup.Transfer the mixture to a bowl and top with dried fruit and a hefty sprinkle of hemp seeds, if using. Top with a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve promptly, with additional maple syrup and milk or yogurt on the side, if you ;d like.