This is my favorite breakfast as of late. I can't quite put my finger on it but there is something about the warm cinnamon-spiced porridge topped with creamy hazelnut butter, crunchy toasted nuts, and sweet juicy fruit that feels really comforting and indulgent. Quinoa porridge is the perfect winter-to-spring transition breakfast, or any cool morning breakfast for that matter, because it is lighter than oatmeal yet has as much if not more staying power. And while I do love the hazelnut milk/butter here, this will of course work just as well with any nut milk and butter that you prefer.

Cinnamon-Hazelnut Quinoa Porridge
Serves 1

Notes: This is a generous serving. Scale down to 2/3 cup quinoa if you usually eat a small breakfast. As for the quinoa prep, if you have leftover quinoa this is a great use for it. Otherwise I'll usually cook 1 cup of quinoa on Sunday night  (yields ~ 4 cups cooked) so I'll have it at the ready all week.

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 3/4 cup oat milk (or other plant-based milk)

• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• Pinch salt

• 2 inch piece vanilla pod, seeds scraped (or splash of pure vanilla extract)

• Drizzle honey (or maple syrup/brown rice syrup/coconut sugar)

• Spoonful almond butter (or hazelnut butter)

• Roasted hazelnuts, chopped

• Seasonal fruit (I used persimmons and passion fruit but mango, pear, berries, or any stone fruit would also be nice, when available)

1. Add quinoa, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a small saucepan. 

2. Gently simmer quinoa, covered, for 5 minutes until warmed through and quinoa has absorbed some of the milk.

3. Add honey to taste, if needed, and pour into a bowl (remove vanilla pod, if using, rinse and save for another use).

4. Top porridge with a spoonful of almond butter, chopped hazelnuts, and seasonal fruit of your choice.