This quinoa breakfast bake is creamy and custardy—milky quinoa cooked until silky, layered with a sticky, caramel-like date filling, thick banana slices, and a crunchy almond-coconut streusel on top.
Ready in about 1 hour from start to finish, it serves 8 and is ideal for a weekend brunch or a make-ahead weekday breakfast; for another banana-forward bake with similar pantry-friendly swaps, try Almond Flour Banana Bread.
Why You’ll Love This
A simple, naturally sweet breakfast that’s gluten-free and dairy-free, with a custardy texture you can assemble ahead.
The custardy set and cooling step are what make clean slices possible, so plan a short resting period before serving.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make the Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
- Combine the unsweetened vanilla almond milk and the unsweetened regular almond milk in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the uncooked quinoa, 4 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the milk is absorbed and the quinoa is very creamy, 25–30 minutes.
- While the quinoa cooks, prepare the date filling: heat a medium saucepan over high heat and add the roughly chopped pitted dates, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon coconut sugar.
- Bring the date mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the dates are thick and broken down, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the cooked date mixture with a fork until smooth; set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the streusel by combining 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1/4 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup slivered almonds, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in the melted coconut oil until the mixture has a crumble texture; set aside.
- When the quinoa is fully cooked, transfer it to a large bowl. Add the 2 slightly beaten eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup water and mix well—the quinoa should be a little bit soupy to ensure a custardy bake.
- Pour half of the quinoa mixture into the prepared pie plate.
- Drop spoonfuls of the date filling over the quinoa and gently swirl the filling with the back of a spoon to distribute it in patches; pour the remaining quinoa over the date layer to cover.
- Arrange the thick banana slices over the top, gently pressing each slice down slightly into the quinoa so they adhere.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the bananas, covering them completely.
- Bake until the eggs feel set and the streusel is golden, about 35 minutes.
- Let the bake cool completely so it can set before slicing—this cooling step firms the custardy interior and yields clean slices for serving.
Get the Quinoa Texture Right
The final custardy texture depends on cooking the quinoa until it’s very creamy. Follow the 25–30 minute cook time and watch for the milk to be mostly absorbed and the grains to look plump and soft.
After cooking, the recipe calls for adding the 2 slightly beaten eggs and 1/2 cup water so the mixture is slightly soupy—this extra moisture and the eggs are what yield a custardy set once baked.
- Stir gently while simmering to prevent scorching and encourage a creamy texture.
- If you want a milder quinoa flavor, you can rinse the quinoa briefly before cooking, then drain well.
Assemble Ahead Tips
This bake assembles well the night before. Layer the cooked quinoa, date filling, bananas, and streusel in the prepared pie plate, cover tightly, and refrigerate.
If baking from chilled, allow an extra 5–10 minutes of oven time or let the dish sit at room temperature 15–20 minutes before baking so the center reaches a proper set.
- Cover assembled dish tightly with foil if refrigerating overnight to prevent drying of the top.
- For easy transport to a brunch, keep the streusel separate and add just before baking to preserve crunch.
Streusel Swaps & Ideas
The almond-coconut streusel adds crunch and nutty flavor. If you need alternatives, choose toppings that offer both texture and flavor contrast to the soft quinoa and bananas.
Small swaps can tailor the bake to what you have on hand while keeping the balance of chewy date center and crunchy top.
- Swap slivered almonds for chopped pecans or walnuts for a deeper, toasty flavor.
- Replace almond flour with oat flour or ground sunflower seeds to avoid nuts (use certified gluten-free oats if required).
- Add a tablespoon of shredded toasted coconut to the streusel for extra coconut aroma.
Tips for Success
Cook the quinoa long enough: Allow the quinoa to simmer 25–30 minutes until very creamy; undercooked quinoa will produce a dry, grainy bake.
Cooling matters: Cool the bake completely (about 30–45 minutes) before slicing so the custard firms up—this prevents slumping and messy slices.
Make-ahead & reheating: Assemble ahead and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for 12–15 minutes or microwave an individual slice for 60–90 seconds.
Freezing portions: Freeze individual slices wrapped tightly for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven until warmed through.
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Final Notes
This quinoa breakfast bake is a great make-ahead centerpiece for brunch or a hearty everyday breakfast—its custardy texture and sticky date layer are what make it special.
Leftovers reheat well and individual portions freeze for quick mornings, so it’s a practical recipe to keep in rotation.
Quinoa Breakfast Bake With Dates And Bananas
Equipment
- pie plate
- parchment paper
- large pot
- medium saucepan
- small bowl
- Large bowl
- fork
- spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 cup unsweetened regular almond milk
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 banana sliced thick
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon + teaspoon coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
- Combine the unsweetened vanilla and regular almond milks in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the uncooked quinoa, 4 tablespoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the milk is absorbed and the quinoa is creamy, 25-30 minutes.
- While the quinoa cooks, prepare the date filling.
- Heat a medium saucepan over high heat and add the chopped pitted dates, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon coconut sugar.
- Bring the date mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the dates are thick and broken down, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the cooked date mixture with a fork until smooth and set aside.
- Make the topping by combining 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1/4 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup slivered almonds, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir in the melted coconut oil until the mixture has a crumble texture and set aside.
- When the quinoa is fully cooked, transfer it to a large bowl. Add the 2 slightly beaten eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup water and mix well; the quinoa should be a little bit soupy.
- Pour half of the quinoa mixture into the prepared pie plate. Drop spoonfuls of the date filling over the quinoa and gently swirl with the back of a spoon to distribute it, then pour the remaining quinoa over the date layer.
- Arrange the thick banana slices over the top, gently pressing each slice slightly into the quinoa.
- Sprinkle all of the streusel topping evenly over the bananas.
- Bake until the eggs feel set, about 35 minutes.
- Let the bake cool completely so it can set before slicing.
