This quick and easy breakfast quinoa is flavored with chai and comes together in just 5 minutes.
One of the most common discussions around plant-based diets is how to approach breakfast options. And when it comes to morning meals, many people assume you need to rely on powders or special ingredients.
This recipe shows how simple ingredients can come together into a quick and satisfying breakfast—no powders required.
This chai-spiced breakfast quinoa is quick to make (ready in under 5 minutes!) and works well for meal prep, making it easy to have on hand throughout the week.
How to Make a Quick Vegan Breakfast Bowl
One of the reasons I love quinoa is how versatile it is in recipes. It has a light, fluffy texture and works well as a base for both sweet and savory dishes.
In this Chai Breakfast Quinoa, we’re topping it with chia seeds and almond butter, which add richness and texture to the bowl.
Looking for more ideas? Check out my list of plant-based ingredient options for additional inspiration!
How to Meal Prep Quinoa for Breakfast
I know how much you all love our meal prep series, and this breakfast quinoa is 100% meal prep friendly! You can make a big batch on a Sunday and this will last you all week long.
Best of all? Change up the topping each day and it will feel like a completely new recipe!
Here are some of my favorite topping ideas:
- Almond butter, blueberries, and seeds (what we've got here!)
- Peanut butter, banana, and cacao nibs
- Coconut yogurt, sliced strawberries, and chia seeds
- Cashew butter and stewed peaches
To store it, just make a quadruple batch of the quinoa, divide it into jars, and top it with your desired toppings. Seal the jars completely, then reheat when you get to the office (or enjoy it cold like overnight oats).
More Easy Breakfast Quinoa Recipes:
- 5-minute Savory Breakfast Quinoa
- Caramelized Butternut Squash Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
- Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Quinoa
- Hot Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
- Apple Pie Overnight Quinoa
- Quinoa Power Breakfast Bowls
- Triple Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bake
Chai Breakfast Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 chai tea bags
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
toppings (optional)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons blueberry jam
- 2 tablespoons seed mix
Instructions
- Add the almond milk and tea bags into a small saucepan. Warm the milk and allow the tea to steep for 4 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags, press out any extra tea, and add the remaining breakfast quinoa ingredients. Stir until quinoa has warmed, about 1 minute, and transfer to two bowls.
- Top with half the toppings indicated above, or your favorite toppings of choice.
Video
Nutrition
This was easy, delicious, filling yet light. I had exactly two cups leftover quinoa from a salad prep yesterday. Love it. I topped it with a heavy sprinkle of hemp seeds and a small handful of walnuts. On a cold snowy morning before going to workout, this is perfect! Thank you
Hi, how and when did you add the chia seeds?
What type of quinoa is used? I typically use tri-colored quinoa in my other recipes.
We used white quinoa for this recipe but tri-color quinoa will work too if that’s what you have on hand
This looks great – can’t wait to make it!
Is that homemade blueberry jam or store-bought? If store-bought, where from or what brand? I’d love to find some!!
It’s homemade chia jam with a few extra blueberries added 🙂 here is the recipe: Blueberry Chia Jam Recipe
really enjoyed this one, thank you for the idea of infusing the milk. the blueberries felt essential!
I made this with coconut milk and it’s delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Made this morning and it turned out so delicious!!! Thank you!
How do you cook the quinoa? I never cooked quinoa before ?
Cook according to your package instructions 🙂
Is that carb count for the whole recipe or 1 serving?
one serving
This was a perfect breakfast recipe to use up leftover cooked quinoa. I made it with oat milk. The flavor was warm & spicy and the almond butter complimented it well. Quick & easy! Always great recipes, Alyssa! Thank you for sharing.
Delicious! And surprisingly sweet with such low sugar content. In my search for a high protein, low sugar breakfast without eggs, this might be my new daily breakfast.
So glad to hear you liked it, April!! It is one of my favorites too 🙂
How did you cook the milk? I combined the milk and chai tea and brought it to a boil, and when it was boiling, I turned it down to a simmer and let it simmer for 4 minutes. This left me with a thin/runny, dark liquid. Whereas the milk in your video stayed light in color and turned very creamy. Can you please provide instructions for cooking the milk and tea? Thank you!
That might have just been the difference in the tea bags we used. The directions above are correct – you steep the milk and tea together for 4 minutes, then use that liquid for your cooking. Hope that helps!
False claim this recipe doesn’t take 5 minutes. It takes at least 20 minutes just to cook the quinoa
The recipe calls for pre-cooked quinoa 🙂 So actually, yes it does take 5 minutes to make if you use leftover quinoa as the recipe suggests. Thanks!
Hi! Do you think regular milk could work with this recipe?
Yes! I haven’t tried it with regular work but I think that should be fine!
No idea if you’ll see this so much later! But I watched the little video in the corner that popped up, and at the end after you’ve served it you poor over a liquid? I was wondering what that was? Just more almond milk to make it a bit more liquidy?
Yes! Just a little extra milk 🙂
This Chai Spiced Breakfast Quinoa is amazing!!
YAY! So happy you enjoyed it!
Hi! I’m vegetarian and I’m trying to find some recipes I can make for breakfast. Thing is, I’m also super duper allergic to tree nuts. Can I use cow milk instead of almond milk? Does it mess up the consistency?
You totally could that!
Will this work with quinoa flakes instead?
Totally!
Does the nutritional content include the toppings?
It does not 🙂
Hi! Just wondering about the beautiful creamer in the pic?
Would you be able to send me a link to that creamer in the picture? IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL!!
I bought it years ago from a flea market!
Great breakfast! I made a big batch of quinoa last night in the InstantPot, so this was nice and quick!
I’m so glad! What timings did you use for the IP?
Did you cook the quinoa first or just warm it in the almond milk?
It’s cooked and then warmed 🙂