Quick Quinoa Pudding + 3 Variations

Quinoa pudding is rich and creamy and can be served as a dessert or as breakfast porridge. We’ll show you how to make it along with different topping ideas.

Quinoa is a kind of pseudo-cereal (or seed) that is wheat free and works well as an alternative to rice or tapioca in desserts like rice pudding. Quinoa pudding can be served as a hot dessert with various toppings, or as a warming breakfast, instead of eating oat porridge. This recipe is vegan as it uses coconut milk, for something creamier substitute this for another plant-based milk such as cashew or almond. It also uses a natural sweetener, rather than sugar, which keeps the calorie content low.

Quinoa pudding is very versatile and there are a variety of toppings available. When choosing a fruit or vegetable topping, try to go for those which are seasonal and organic to reduce your carbon footprint. Learn how to make quinoa pudding and choose your favorite topping below.

How to Make Vegan Quinoa Pudding

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 cups coconut milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. sweetener of your choice such as agave, maple syrup, stevia, or coconut sugar

Instructions:

1. Soak the quinoa in water for five minutes. Then pour the water through a fine mesh strainer and rinse the quinoa under running water to remove the bitter coating.
2. Put the soaked quinoa, coconut milk, and cinnamon stick in a medium-sized saucepan and mix.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until it starts to thicken. Stir gently to avoid burning, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add more milk or water if it gets too thick.
4. Mix in the vanilla extract and sweetener.
5. Serve immediately.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to two days, or frozen for up to two months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove or in the microwave, add some plant-based milk to stop it from drying out, and stir frequently.

Spiced Mango Quinoa Pudding

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 star anise
• a large strip of orange peel
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup almond milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 fresh mango

Instructions:

1. Soak the quinoa in water for five minutes. Then pour the water through a fine mesh strainer and rinse the quinoa under running water to remove the bitter coating.
2. Put the soaked quinoa, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and orange peel in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for ten minutes. Before it dries out, remove ¼ cup of the liquid to use later, then remove the cinnamon sticks, orange peel, and star anise.
3. Add the coconut milk, ¼ cup of water from step 2, almond milk, salt, vanilla, and sugar to the saucepan.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until it starts to thicken. Stir gently to avoid burning, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add more milk or water if it gets too thick.
5. Serve immediately and top with chopped fresh mango.

Almond and Raisin Quinoa Pudding

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup of water
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
• ½ tbsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Follow steps 1-3 in the first recipe.
2. Add the raisins, vanilla extract, honey or maple syrup, and ground cinnamon. Stir well and remove from the heat.
3. Add a splash of almond milk if the pudding is very thick
4. Serve immediately and top with sliced almonds.

How to Make Savory Quinoa Pudding

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 4 cups coconut milk
• ½ red bell pepper
• ¼ white onion
• 1 cup button mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Follow steps 1-3 in the first recipe.
2. Finely slice the bell pepper, white onion, and mushrooms and fry them in the vegetable oil for a few minutes, until they start to brown.
3. Serve the quinoa pudding immediately and top each serving with the fried vegetables and season with salt and black pepper.

Read more:

• Coconut Milk vs. Almond Milk: Which is Better for You and the Planet?
• Fruity Overnight Chia Pudding
• Vegan Baked Oats: Quick & Easy Recipe

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Tags: Breakfast Cooking Guide Recipes Vegan