Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

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This creamy and healthy Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa Porridge recipe is lightly sweet and spiced with cinnamon. It makes a great breakfast when you’re trying to eat healthy but also want something sweet.

Overhead picture of Instant Pot breakfast quinoa topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, and cinnamon.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is a delicious and crowd-pleasing go-to breakfast recipe in the Instant Pot. We love serving hot cereal for breakfast when family is staying over, and this hands-off recipe is always a hit.

We’ve been making this recipe for breakfast quinoa for years. Our family loves adding their favorite sweet toppings, and the healthy quinoa ensures you’ll be full and satisfied until lunch. 

This is one of our favorite Instant Pot breakfast recipes. A pressure cooker is a great way to make creamy, spoonable porridge like Creamy Instant Pot Oatmeal, Steel Cut Oats, and Brown Sugar Raisin Breakfast Farro.  

Update: We’ve updated this post and recipe with new photos and tips to make the easiest breakfast porridge possible. 

Ingredients for making Instant Pot breakfast quinoa, including quinoa, water, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Grab these ingredients for this easy Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa recipe:

  • Quinoa. You can use any kind of quinoa, just be sure to rinse it well. 
  • Cooking liquid. You can use water or your favorite fruit juice for extra flavor. 
  • Maple syrup. This adds just the right amount of sweetness. 
  • Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. 
  • Cinnamon. For a touch of warming spice. 
An overhead shot of an Instant Pot filled with quinoa for breakfast with blueberries and raspberries in the background.

How to Make Breakfast Quinoa Porridge in an Instant Pot

This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

This is a simple breakfast to put together. Simply stir together the quinoa, water (or juice), maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in your pressure cooking pot. Then add the lid and cook on high pressure for 1 minute. 

After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for ten minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. Remove the lid, and stir your quinoa to fluff it up. Serve the porridge with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Breakfast quinoa topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, and cinnamon, placed in front of an Instant Pot.

Important Tips for Making Breakfast Quinoa Porridge

  • We recommend spraying the cooking pot with nonstick cooking spray or add enough butter to cover the bottom of the pot. This will make it easier to remove the quinoa after cooking. 
  • Before cooking, rinse the uncooked quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for a minute or so until the water runs clear. This removes any bitter flavor from the grains. 
  • Given the small size of the quinoa, a mesh strainer works much better than a colander, because the quinoa will not get rinsed out of the holes.

Most quinoa manufacturers rinse the quinoa before they package it, but if your quinoa is tasting bitter, they either didn’t do a very good job of it or for some reason, it wasn’t done at all. Either way, a quick rinse is usually all it takes to ensure your quinoa won’t taste bitter.

If you’re quite sensitive to the bitter taste, soak your quinoa in cold water for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the quinoa well, then follow the recipe as directed.

An overhead, close-up shot looking into a white bowl on a blue and white striped napkin. Inside the bowl is a light brown breakfast porridge made from quinoa, topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries, and sliced almonds.

Frequently Asked Questions about Quinoa Porridge 

Is quinoa gluten-free?

Yes, quinoa is a naturally gluten-free cereal grain. 

Can I use something other than water to cook the quinoa?

You can cook the breakfast quinoa in juice, such as orange juice or grapefruit juice. Do not use dairy products, which may burn on the bottom of the pressure cooking pot. 

Can I store leftover quinoa porridge?

Yes, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat servings in the microwave or on the stove. Just add a splash of extra liquid to help loosen up the grains. 

What are toppings for breakfast quinoa?

We like to serve this creamy quinoa topped with a drizzle of milk or cream, fresh berries, and chopped nuts. For extra sweetness, add more maple syrup. 

Is there a substitute for maple syrup?

You can use any sweetener you like, including honey, brown sugar, agave, or regular sugar. 

Overhead picture of Instant Pot breakfast quinoa topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, and cinnamon, with a cup of coffee and a bowl of raspberries in the background.

MORE Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes

Try these other healthy and delicious breakfast recipes in your pressure cooker next:


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An overhead, close-up shot looking into a white bowl on a blue and white striped napkin. Inside the bowl is a light brown breakfast porridge made from quinoa, topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries, and sliced almonds.

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge | Instant Pot recipe

Servings: 6 servings
Cook Time: 1 minute
Additional Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
This Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa is a creamy, hearty, and satisfying one-pot breakfast recipe for a crowd made with maple syrup and vanilla. 
Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa well rinsed
  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • Optional Toppings: milk fresh berries, sliced almonds

Instructions

  • In the pressure cooking pot,* combine the quinoa, water, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Select High Pressure and 1 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
  • When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
  • Fluff the quinoa and serve hot, topped with a splash of milk, fresh berries, sliced almonds, or your other favorite toppings.

Notes

*For best results, spray the cooking pot with nonstick cooking spray or brush the bottom of the pot with butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 48mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g

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