Chocolate for breakfast? Yes please. This chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl is rich, cozy, and full of chocolate flavor.
Can you think of anything better than hot chocolate for breakfast?! The kid in me thinks this is a dream come true!
When we were little, hot chocolate was something we looked forward to anytime it snowed. We knew that once we were done playing in the fresh powder, building snowmen, sledding and tubing down our hill, and chasing each other with snowballs, we'd come back inside to a steaming cup of hot cocoa.
It's one of those things that always reminds me of winter. It's creamy, rich, sweet, and everything I love about the season.
So why not reimagine this winter classic and turn it into a cozy breakfast bowl? Let me introduce you to this Hot Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowl.
The Best Chocolate Breakfast Recipe
Chocolate is one of those things you don’t usually associate with breakfast. At least I don’t. In my world, chocolate usually means dessert – something sweet to enjoy after dinner rather than first thing in the morning. Right?
But what if we flipped that idea around? Instead of saving chocolate for dessert, we can turn those cozy cocoa flavors into a warm and comforting breakfast bowl.
This chocolate quinoa breakfast bowl is rich, chocolatey, and a fun way to start the day. Think of it as hot chocolate reimagined for breakfast – creamy, cozy, and full of chocolate flavor.
how to build a breakfast bowl
For many people, breakfast helps start the day. It’s often the first meal after waking up and a chance to enjoy something warm and satisfying.
When I’m putting together a breakfast bowl, I like to think about the different ingredients I’m using.
I usually build my bowl with:
- protein
- fat
- carbohydrates
I tend to start with a protein-rich ingredient, then add a source of fat, and finish with carbohydrates. I don’t calculate exact amounts, since everyone’s preferences are different.
Instead, I focus on building a bowl that has a mix of ingredients and flavors that I enjoy.
How to make Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
With this recipe, we’ve turned hot chocolate into a cozy breakfast bowl. It’s thick, creamy, sweet (but not overly so), rich, filling, and full of chocolate flavor.
The base of this quinoa breakfast bowl is quinoa flakes. I love using quinoa flakes for breakfast because they’re similar to oats and cook really quickly. You can cook quinoa flakes in about 90 seconds!
From there, we add raw cacao powder, some protein powder (optional), and banana for natural sweetness. Then whisk it all together with unsweetened almond milk and stir until thick.
Since I wanted this to feel like a mug of hot chocolate, we top it with coconut yogurt (our version of whipped cream) and chocolate chips. It adds a little extra richness and makes the bowl feel like a special breakfast treat.
Other Chocolate Breakfast Recipes
- Chocolate Muffins with a Raspberry Swirl
- Raspberry Dark Chocolate Overnight Quinoa
- High Protein Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Chocolate Raspberry Chia Parfaits
Hot Chocolate Breakfast Cereal
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup quinoa flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 medium banana mashed
- 2 tablespoons coconut yogurt (for topping)
- 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (for topping)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan (minus the yogurt and chocolate chips). Whisk together until fully incorporated.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a high simmer until desired consistency, 2 - 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl, top with yogurt and chocolate chips, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
How much pumpkin puree is needed, instead of banana, for the recipe?
I made this & very good but next time I’ll have to leave out yogurt and chocolate chips as too much for me. Calories 447-321, Protein 28-18g, Sugar 15-5g, Sodium 152-119mg, Potassium 539-349mg, Fat 11-7g, Fiber 12-9g, Carbs65-48g.
But it was delicious as I have CKD and have to watch. I also used regular Quinoa as I never saw flakes anywhere but Amazon.i tried to post my picture of it but it wouldn’t do it but thank you💕
Is Quinoa flakes different than regular Quinoa as I never saw flakes anywhere but Amazon now?
Yes quinoa flakes are different. In this post ‘10 amazing ways to use quinoa flakes‘ we’ve listed other ways to use quinoa flakes and good substitutions if you don’t have any 🙂
Thanks Alyssa, was delicious
I’m so glad you liked it!
Glad I read the comments before asking again about a banana substitute! Here goes… Thanks!
This sounds delicious but I’m unable to eat bananas – is it necessary or would it still turn out ok without?
You could swap it with another fruit puree like pumpkin, applesauce, or sweet potatoes.
Your breakfast foods look delicious!!! 🤤
Thanks so much!! Can’t wait for you to try some!
Hi, can I sub regular quinoa for the quinoa flakes if I don’t have flakes on hand? This looks so good
Thanks!
You can, but the texture won’t be the same and the cooking time will be pretty different! I’d suggest quick cooking oats if you don’t have quinoa flakes 🙂
Love this recipe! I make a batch and eat it all week! Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad!! Thanks for sharing 🙂 xox
This was SO quick and yummy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I am really excited about this! It sounds like a fabulous addition to the small list of breakfast items my son will eat! I would like to omit the protein powder. Any suggestions for substitution?
Wow, I have been looking for a great breakfast for these winter mornings. I am up & out early for usually 8 or so miles. This is my new go to breakfast! Thank you sooooo much. Looking foward to more vegan breakfast recipes soon! Would love something with lots of cinnamon!!!
You’re in luck! In the next few months I’m coming out with a breakfast cookbook – over 75 brand new recipes. With vegan options in there as well 🙂 And glad you like this. I eat it practically every morning!
This looks and sounds soooo good! Can’t wait to try it!
Yowsers girl! No you dinnit! Im generally not a chocolate fan but if it isnt too sweet I may give it a whirl. You communicate your passion with extaordinary quality and I love stocking you for it.
This is now my go-to breakfast. I’ve been eating it every single day for weeks. Either I’m just boring, or chocolate addiction is a real thing 😉
Well this recipe is worth a try and could very well be a winner. Nothing wrong with natural. 😉
It is hard to judge the healthiness of this recipe by the ingredients alone – could you provide the calories and nutrition content?
Hi there – thanks for your note! I don’t provide nutrition facts for my recipes, but there are a bunch of tools out there that you can use for free. Just a quick Google search and you can copy and paste the ingredients in there and then it will tell you everything. Hope that helps!
Hi Alyssa, what if I don’t have acai juice? Is there another substitute I can use? No apologies necessary; I love chocolate ANY time. I only eat dark chocolate so I always keep it healthy. The darker better, at least 70% cacao content is my preference. If you really want to go decadent, my favorite unsweetened cocoa powders are: Scharffen Berger, Green & Black, Guittard, and Ghiradelli brands. You can also find pure cacoa powder in some of the healthy grocery stores but it’s expensive ($9 for 8 oz.) – Ouch!
Thanks for all the quinoa recipes. I really enjoy them all!
Hi Susan! I think you could just use extra nut milk, but might want to add a little more sweetness – you could add honey or even more stevia. I get my cocoa powder at Trader Joes 🙂 xo!
Well this just looks AWESOME:) I love baking with quinoa flakes but rarely make it hot like oatmeal. I need to do this more often, thanks for the inspiration!:) Have a lovely day!
Great idea! No share button? :O)
Hmm…used to have those! I’ll have to look into it 🙂