Seriously in love with this Choc-Caramel Quinoa Porridge. I’m literally having it every morning for breakfast. Well almost every morning. Sunday’s are for pancakes (you can find that my pancake recipe here).
This Choc-Caramel Quinoa Porridge was inspired by my good friend Hannah from Gypsy Kitchen. She makes the most incredible porridge. And I was so jealous, because porridge made with oats really doesn’t sit too well with me. So I decided to mix it up and little and try it with quinoa.
Quinoa is quite an interesting little grain. Apart from having a difficult name to pronounce Quinoa (keen-wah) comes packed with so much nutrition. And whilst it is a grain crop, Quinoa is actually grown for it’s seeds which is the part we eat.
It packs a decent protein and fibre punch and is bursting with minerals such as Magnesium, Manganese, Folate, Iron and Zinc.Quinoa even comes with a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids!
Now a slight downside Quinoa also contains phytic acids which can bind to these minerals reducing their absorption into our bodies. Very simple fix is to soak your Quinoa before cooking it.
Unlike most plant based sources of protein Quinoa actually comes with all 9 essesntial amino acids so like animal based proteins it is a complete protein. It is the protein content of Quinoa that allows it to have a low glyceamic index, helping to ensure good glyceamic control.
Whilst I am still a lover of oats, I do find Quinoa Porridge doesn’t sit as heavy making a great start to the day. If you love Quinoa Porridge check out this recipe.
And can we take a moment to rejoice in the flavour combination of chocolate and caramel…. with the bonus of honeyed nuts and seeds…
And at breakfast!
It is seriously all kinds of indulgent. This breakfast is good for the body and for the soul!
You know I love to see what you make so please tag me on Instagram or Facebook or send me a email of your creation!
See notes below the recipe for soaking and time saving tips.
n’t8
What Do I Need?
- 1/4 Cup of Quinoa *
- 2/3 Cup of Water + Milk of Choice – eg: 1/2 water, 1/2 almond milk
- 1 Heaped Teaspoon of Cacao
- 1/2 Banana, halved
- 1/4 Cup of Mixed Nuts + Seeds – I used Brazil nuts, walnuts, sunflower + pumpkin (pepita) seeds
- Honey to taste
- Butter for cooking
Caramel Tahini
- 1 Teaspoon of Maca Powder
- 1 Tablespoon of Tahini
- 1 Teaspoons of Honey
- 1-2 Tablespoons of Hot Water
Let’s Do This!
1. Place quinoa in a small saucepan with the water + the milk. Bring to the boil.
2. Turn down and simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes or until the water/milk has been absorbed + the quinoa is soft. You’ll be able to tell when it’s cooked, it’s still firm but not crunchy. If the water + milk has been absorbed and the quinoa is still a little crunchy add a splash more water and cook for a few minutes longer.
3. Whilst the quinoa is cooking prepare the Caramel Tahini. In a small bowl place the maca powder, tahini + honey. Add 1 Tablespoon of the hot water and mix into a paste. Continue adding 1 teaspoon of hot water at at time until the consistency is still thick but not pastey.
4. Grab a small fry pan and melt a little butter. Add the banana, nuts + seeds to the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on low heat, flip the banana and cook the other side. You want it to begin to caramalise. Give the nuts + seeds a little toss. You can add a little honey to the nuts if you want extra sweetness – I highly recommend this!
5. Once the Quinoa is cooked stir through the cacao and a little honey if you think you need it. I find the sweetness from the toppings enough.
6. Place the Choc Quinoa into a bowl, top with the banana, honeyed nuts + seeds + caramel tahini.
Enjoy!!!
This serves 1 person. But increasing the quantities as you need to for however many people you would like to cook for.
* I soak my quinoa overnight. Simply place your quinoa in a jug or container and cover with water. Allow about 2cm above the quinoa for it to expand. Rinse before cooking. If you don’t do this allow for 20 minutes cooking time.
* You can pre-soak a batch of quinoa so you don’t need to do this every night. Just keep your pre-soaked quinoa in the fridge. If you do this you will need to use 1/2 cup of pre-soaked quinoa (it expands in the soaking) for the recipe
* You can pre-cook your quinoa so all you need to do is prepare the topping cutting down on the time to make this. Simply cook your quinoa, then place in a container in the fridge. You can bring it back to heat in a saucepan with a little milk. Then stir in your cacao.
This recipe is gluten and dairy free, SIBO friendly and vegetarian.