Before I made this chocolate chai breakfast quinoa, I had literally never eaten sweet quinoa, or had quinoa for breakfast. No good reason, it had just never occurred to me to do either. Have you tried it?
Having eaten plenty of savory quinoa for lunch and dinner, after I saw a couple of round-ups featuring breakfast quinoa, I decided to give it a try.
Basically, anything you add to oatmeal, you can add to quinoa instead. Which seems kind of obvious now that I think about it, but I had never thought about it.
When I came across separate recipes for chocolate quinoa and chai quinoa, I realized that they needed to be combined. If you’ve ever had a chocolate chai tea or latte, you’ll know that was a good idea.
Chocolate Chai Breakfast Quinoa
1 cup uncooked white quinoa
2 cups unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving
pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp maple syrup
Toppings:
Berries
Coconut flakes
Almond slivers
Additional almond milk
Rinse quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer, being sure to pick out any discolored pieces or pebbles that may remain.
Add drained quinoa to a small-to-medium saucepan and heat over medium heat while stirring for 2 minutes, to dry up water and slightly toast.
Add almond milk and a pinch of salt, and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. If it stops simmering, increase heat to medium-low. Add vanilla extract and spices, and continue simmering for another 2-5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Once the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, remove from heat and add cocoa powder and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add a bit more almond milk if you prefer the texture thinner.
Serve topped with coconut flakes, slivered almonds, berries, and additional almond milk (if desired).
