With a few ingredients and a straight forward cooking method, this creamy quinoa pudding is a delicious toddler breakfast you can enjoy, too.
Quinoa Pudding
This method of turning quinoa into a creamy pudding—similar to rice pudding—is a great option for kids. Quinoa can have a strong flavor, which can make it a challenging food to feed to kids. Because when you slowly simmer the whole grains in milk with a little cinnamon and vanilla, the end result is sweet, creamy, and it works well for breakfast (it’s a great baby breakfast), snack, or dessert.
We like this with a little fruit and you can serve it either warm or cold.
We love this with fruit (fresh or frozen fruit stirred in) for additional flavor. I sometimes even stir in a little applesauce or fruit puree.
Nutrition in Quinoa
Quinoa is actually a type of seed that’s one of the few vegetarian proteins that are complete—which is great for growing bodies. It’s also rich in nutrients, is naturally gluten-free and high in fiber and protein.
TIP: Quinoa is more expensive than some other grains since it’s usually harvested by hand (which is good to know so we understand the cost!).
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Quinoa: Look for quinoa near other grains such as rice in your supermarket.
- Milk: You can use cow’s milk, canned coconut milk, or a favorite nondairy milk in this recipe.
- Maple syrup (or honey): As desired to sweetened. Avoid honey for babies under age 1.
- Vanilla extract and cinnamon: This adds nice flavor to the pudding, similar to how they works in oatmeal.
- Fruit (like berries), optional to top.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a preview of how to make this recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Rinse your quinoa. (This helps to remove some of the naturally bitter flavor.)
- Add to a sauce pan with milk.
- Simmer, adding the rest of the ingredients except the fruit.
- It’s done when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft.
TIP: You can serve this warm like oatmeal or chilled like rice pudding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let this cool fully, then transfer to airtight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you use nondairy unsweetened milk and skip the added sweetener, this can be a great baby food option. Other than that, it works for any age!
You may see different colors of quinoa available at the store and any should work in this recipe. I used regular quinoa in the photos and for testing.
How to Store
Store, once cooled, in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Serve chilled from the fridge or heat briefly to warm.
Best Tips for Success
- Rinse the quinoa to remove the saponins, or the compounds that can make quinoa taste bitter. I use a fine-mesh sieve.
- Simmer on medium-low and stir regularly to avoid scorching the bottom of your pot.
- Use any type of unsweetened milk—cow’s, coconut, or nondairy.
- To serve this to a baby, use unsweetened nondairy milk and omit the added sweetener.
- Serve chilled like rice pudding or warm like oatmeal.
- Add diced fruit as desired.
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I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below to share.
Easy Quinoa Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 4 cups milk (cow's milk, canned coconut milk, or unsweetened nondairy milk)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- berries or diced fruit optional
Instructions
- Place the quinoa into a fine-mesh colander and rinse under cold water for about 15 seconds. Drain and add to a medium pot.
- Add the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft.
- Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm or chill to serve later, topped with fruit if desired.
Notes
- Store, once cooled, in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Rinse the quinoa to remove the saponins, or the compounds that can make quinoa taste bitter.
- Simmer on medium-low and stir regularly to avoid scorching the bottom of your pot.
- If a skin forms on the milk during cooking, simply remove it with a spoon and discard it.
- Use any type of unsweetened milk—cow’s, coconut, or nondairy.
- To serve this to a baby, use unsweetened nondairy milk and omit the added sweetener.
- Serve chilled like rice pudding or warm like oatmeal.
- Add diced fruit as desired.
Nutrition
This post was first published April 2020.
Yum 😋 This is the best quinoa I’ve eaten! My almost-1-year-old ate loads as soon as it was cool enough for her, and I’ve been enjoying it chilled from the fridge (most recently with pumpkin seed tahini 😍). I think I’ll always make just half a batch, though, to make sure that we finish it (unless my 3-year-old starts eating this too – there is hope 😅🙏).