This warm pumpkin spice quinoa breakfast bake is a cozy and nutritious start to your morning. To be completely honest, I've eaten this for dessert too! This breakfast (or dessert) is the perfect combination of warm spices, hearty quinoa, and a hint of sweetness, making it taste like fall on a plate. Rich in fiber, omega-3s, and other nutrients, this dish is as healthy as it is delicious. The best part? It’s a meal prep recipe that will streamline your morning routine.
This recipe is gluten-free, no-oil, soy-free, vegan, and delicious! It makes 4 generous servings.
Why Quinoa for Breakfast?
While oats often steal the spotlight for breakfast dishes, quinoa is an excellent alternative that offers unique health benefits. This gluten-free seed is a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids. Additionally, it’s rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium, which help support healthy digestion, maintain energy levels, and contribute to overall wellness. Paired with nutrient-dense pumpkin puree and a medley of warming spices, this breakfast bake is the ultimate morning boost.
What's in this Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake
The ingredients you'll need and their benefits include:
- Quinoa: A versatile and nutrient-packed seed that’s high in protein, fiber, and essential amino acids. By soaking it overnight, you both improve the cooking time and texture of the final dish.
- Pumpkin Puree: Rich in vitamin A and antioxidants, pumpkin helps support vision, immunity, and healthy skin.
- Maple Syrup: A natural sweetener that provides a rich caramel flavor along with trace minerals like manganese and zinc.
- Ground Flaxseeds: A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and lignans, which support heart health and hormone balance.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves that adds warmth and coziness to the dish.
- Fresh Ginger Root: Known for its anti-inflammatory and digestive health properties, ginger adds a fresh zing that enhances the spice blend.
- Chopped Pecans: These nuts add crunch and heart-healthy fats, along with vitamins and minerals like vitamin E and magnesium.
- Salt: Just a little to balance out the flavors.
How to Prepare Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake
This recipe is simple and easy. It has little "touch" time but does have a lengthy soak and bake time, making it perfect for meal prep. Here’s how to create your own warm, comforting Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake.
- Soak the Quinoa: The night before, add 1 cup of quinoa to a bowl and cover with water. Let it soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Set it aside.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grab a 2.5 quart (2.3 liter) casserole dish.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, grated ginger root, ground flaxseeds, and salt. Then, add the rinsed and drained quinoa, and stir to combine.
- Add Mixture to Casserole Dish: Carefully pour the quinoa pumpkin mixture into the casserole dish. Use a spoon to gently stir it around to the quinoa is evenly spread. Then, evenly distribute the chopped pecans on top of quinoa pumpkin mixture in the casserole dish. Don't worry if it seems watery, it's absorb during the baking process.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes uncovered, and then let it sit in the oven undisturbed for another 30 or more minutes. This allows any remaining water to be absorbed. I've actually let it sit for over two hours while I did laundry and ran errands, so if you want it to sit longer, that's completely fine.
- Serve: Enjoy this delicious pumpkin spice quinoa breakfast bake with a cup of your favorite hot beverage. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to four months.
Here are the step-by-step instructions
Make It Your Own: Customization Tips
This Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake is versatile and easy to customize. Here are a few ideas to make it your own:
- Toppings: Enjoy with a dollop of soy yogurt, a drizzle of sweet cashew cream sauce, or chocolate tahini sauce.
- Add Dried Fruit: Fold in a handful of raisins or chopped dates for added sweetness and texture.
- Vary the Nuts and Seeds: Swap the pecans for chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds to change up the flavor and crunch.
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Storage and Meal Prep Tips
This Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake is perfect for meal prepping. Here’s how to store and reheat it for a quick and easy breakfast all week long:
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or oven.
- Freeze: Slice the bake into single-serving portions and place them into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator or countertop overnight and warm in the oven or microwave.
- On-the-Go: Pack a slice in a reusable container for a breakfast that’s easy to take to work or enjoy after a morning workout.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are countless reasons why this Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake is bound to become a seasonal or even a year-round favorite:
- Make-Ahead Convenience: By soaking the quinoa overnight and baking it in the morning, you save precious time on busy mornings.
- Nutrient-Dense Ingredients: With healthy ingredients like quinoa, pumpkin, and flaxseeds, this breakfast bake provides lasting energy without any refined sugars or unhealthy fats.
- Versatile and Customizable: Whether you’re vegan, gluten-free, or just looking to add more plant-based meals to your diet, this recipe is easy to adapt.
- Fall Flavor Explosion: The combination of pumpkin puree, warm spices, and fresh ginger creates a deliciously aromatic dish that will make your kitchen smell like a cozy autumn day.
Final Thoughts
This Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake is a healthy and flavorful way to embrace the flavors of fall. With its combination of quinoa, creamy pumpkin, and warm spices, it’s the perfect balance of comfort and nutrition. Whether you’re meal-prepping for the week or hosting a weekend brunch, this dish is sure to impress.
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Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa soaked overnight
- ½ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger root grated
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup use ¼ cup if you prefer a less sweet breakfast bake
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- This recipe is simple and easy. It has little "touch" time but does have a lengthy soak and bake time, making it perfect for meal prep. Here’s how to create your own warm, comforting Pumpkin Spice Quinoa Breakfast Bake.
- Soak the Quinoa: The night before, add 1 cup of quinoa to a bowl and cover with water. Let it soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Set it aside.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grab a 2.5 quart (2.3 liter) casserole dish.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, grated ginger root, ground flaxseeds, and salt. Then, add the rinsed and drained quinoa, and stir to combine.
- Add Mixture to Casserole Dish: Carefully pour the quinoa pumpkin mixture into the casserole dish. Use a spoon to gently stir it around to the quinoa is evenly spread. Then, evenly distribute the chopped pecans on top of quinoa pumpkin mixture in the casserole dish. Don't worry if it seems watery, it's absorb during the baking process.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes uncovered, and then let it sit in the oven undisturbed for another 30 or more minutes. This allows any remaining water to be absorbed. I've actually let it sit for over two hours while I did laundry and ran errands, so if you want it to sit longer, that's completely fine.
- Serve: Enjoy this delicious pumpkin spice quinoa breakfast bake with a cup of your favorite hot beverage. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to four months.
Notes
EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES
- Medium bowl to soak quinoa
- Fine mesh strainer
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Microplane grater to grate fresh ginger root
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden or other spoon
- Casserole dish (2.5 quart or 2.3 liter)
Gigi & Sersie
Love the taste and convenience of this breakfast bake. Great for meal prep!
MaryEllen Bunce
This recipe looks delicious. Quinoa for breakfast is a great way to start your day. Question for clarification. The recipe calls for 2 cups of water. Is this the water that you are soaking I the quinoa then draining off before rinsing? I realize most of it will have absorbed so that is probably the correct way but I wanted to check before giving this a try. Also did you test this with date paste? Thinking I would rather use this. Thank you
Gigi & Sersie
Hi MaryEllen - The two cups of water is when you combine it with the pumpkin mixture and quinoa after it's been soaked, drained and rinse. I typically don't measure soaking water, because you just want enough to cover the quinoa like in the photo that's included. No, I have not tested this one with date paste. However, this recipe is very similar to the cherry quinoa breakfast bake. When I use date paste in that, it absolutely works, it (the date paste) is a little less sweet than maple syrup, but still yummy. Thank you for your questions.