This comforting quinoa breakfast porridge is made with almond milk instead of coconut milk and gets its creamy texture by blending it with an immersion blender after it’s cooked. Ready in about 20 minutes, serve with your favourite toppings or whip up a super easy blueberry vanilla compote as the porridge cooks.

hand holding blue bowl of quinoa porridge with blueberries
This 20 minute creamy quinoa breakfast porridge is made with almond milk, not coconut milk.

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I love a cozy bowl of porridge in the morning when it’s chilly outside! There are few meals as comforting yet super simple to make. Plus, it’s nice to be able to make one thing the whole family can enjoy with their favourite toppings so you’re not a short order cook on a chaotic morning am I right???

And as much as I love my oatmeal – have you tried my apple pie oats? – sometimes I like to switch it up. I’m not one of those people who can just eat the same thing day in and day out and not care. Every couple of weeks, I need a change. And I was looking at that underutilized jar of quinoa in the pantry thinking, maybe quinoa porridge would work? 

Unlike oats or my creamy millet porridge, quinoa doesn’t have a lot of starch or soluble fibre that thickens and gets all porridge-y on its own. So most folks create a creamy quinoa porridge vibe with coconut milk but instead, I like to use almond milk because I’m finding my fussy tummy likes a bit less fat at breakfast these days. 

So, how do I get that creamy texture? Once the quinoa has simmered on the stovetop in plenty of liquid (you’ll use 4 cups of almond milk for each cup of quinoa!), I give it a quick blitz with an immersion blender. And just like magic, it gets all creamy and porridge-like so it doesn’t just feel like you’re eating a bowl of quinoa for breakfast. It’s a proper porridge.

This is such a nourishing vegan breakfast and totally customizable with your favourite toppings; plus, if you’ve got a fussy tummy like me, you should also know that it’s totally gluten free and low FODMAP – including the optional blueberry vanilla compote – so it’s a gentle start to the day. 

As a gut health dietitian, I know that some folks with celiac disease can cross-react to oats so this is a great substitute for oats if your belly doesn’t love them. And for the rest of us? It’s just a dang delicious, super nourishing breakfast. It’s one of those plant-based recipes that makes you feel good.

And if you’re looking for even more simple, flavourful and totally nourishing plant-based recipes, you might want to pick up a copy of my latest cookbook, Plant Magic!

A few tips to help you make this quinoa porridge for breakfast

You’ll need about 20 minutes to make this quinoa breakfast porridge and it makes enough for 4 servings. Mornings too hectic? This reheats BEAUTIFULLY so you could just meal prep on the weekend and reheat in individual portions on the stove or microwave with an extra splash of almond milk or water.

quinoa and almond milk in bowls
Just 4 ingredients – plus salt! – to make a creamy, comforting quinoa porridge.

Hot Tip: Just like oatmeal, once blended, the quinoa porridge continues to absorb liquid, so if yours is looking too thick, just add extra water or almond milk until you hit your desired consistency!

hand pouring quinoa into pot
Just like making oatmeal, you’ll bring your almond milk to a boil and then add quinoa.
hand pouring maple syrup into quinoa
When it’s done, there will still be unabsorbed liquid. You want this!
immersion blender in pot of quinoa
When you blend, it will create the creamy base.

More nourishing vegan breakfast recipes

hand holding blue bowl of quinoa porridge with blueberries

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge with Almond Milk

4 servings
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
This comforting quinoa breakfast porridge is made with almond milk instead of coconut milk and gets its creamy texture by blending it with an immersion blender after it’s cooked. Ready in about 20 minutes, serve it with your favourite toppings, or a super easy blueberry vanilla compote.
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Ingredients

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

  • 4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or your favourite plant-based milk!
  • 1 cup quinoa, any kind
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or your favourite sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Simple Blueberry Vanilla Compote (optional!)

  • 1 ½ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • squeeze fresh lemon
  • tiny pinch salt

Equipment

  • immersion blender

Instructions 

  • In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the almond milk and salt to a boil. Once boiling, add quinoa, stir, reduce heat to medium low and cover with lid ajar.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until quinoa is tender. Take care, as this one has a tendency to bubble over if the heat is too high.
  • Once cooked, remove from heat and add vanilla and maple syrup. Using a handheld immersion blender, blend about ⅓ – ½ of the quinoa to give it a creamy, porridge-like texture.
  • Serve with your favourite toppings!

Making the blueberry compote? Here's how to do it

  • Once the porridge is simmering, place blueberries and water in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, occasionally stirring and mashing the blueberries, until they're hot and a bit broken down, about 10 minutes.
  • Turn off heat, add maple syrup, vanilla, salt and lemon and stir through. Serve with the quinoa porridge.

Notes

One serving of this porridge with compote is low FODMAP.
 
To reheat, add some extra water or almond milk to your porridge portion in a small pot over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming, about 5 minutes. 
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD

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