Baked Quinoa Breakfast Bars
on Aug 08, 2023, Updated Aug 13, 2024
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These baked quinoa breakfast bars are the perfect way to use up leftover quinoa and they make a delicious breakfast or snack anytime of day.
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time and they make a great base for add-ins like chocolate chips, walnuts or coconut. You can swap out the berries or any other fruit as well, or mix and match your favourites.
Quinoa offers plenty of nutritional benefits and it makes a nice alternative to oats for breakfast.
These bars make a great snack too, at home or on-the-go, especially topped with your favourite nut butter or jam.
They’re also made without eggs, dairy, or gluten, can be made nut-free, and have no added oil or sugar, so a great choice for those with allergies or other dietary restrictions.
If you’re looking for more ways to use quinoa at breakfast, try this 5-minute breakfast quinoa, or for baked oatmeal bars, try these blueberry oat cups, carrot cake baked oats or simple banana baked oatmeal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
- Banana: Just ripe banana is perfect. They don’t need to be overripe or super spotty but it’s okay if they are too! The riper they are, the sweeter the bars will be.
- Nut or Seed Butter: Any nut or seed butter works. Peanut butter is delicious but almond butter or sunflower works too for nut-free bars.
- Plant-Based Milk: Almond, cashew, soy or oat milk all work. Use whatever you prefer.
- Flax: Ground flax helps to bind everything together. Make sure you use ground flaxseed and not whole flaxseeds.
- Quinoa: You’ll need cooked and completely cooled quinoa so it’s perfect for using up leftovers. I would recommend making quinoa the day before if you’re making it specifically for this recipe.
- Oats: Rolled oats or large flake oats are best.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best in this recipe, or any other fresh fruit like chopped strawberries, peach or raspberries. You can use frozen but since they add moisture, you may need to bake the bars a bit longer.
Optional Add-In Ideas: Add up to 1/2 cup any add-in you like such as chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate, coconut, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
You will need cooked and cooled quinoa for this recipe. If you’re making quinoa specifically for this recipe, I recommend making it the day before or in the morning and then letting it cool in the fridge for a few hours before making the bars.
If you have leftover quinoa ready to go, that’s perfect!
Step 1: Mash the banana up in a bowl using a fork or immersion blender until it resembles a paste.
Step 2: Add the nut butter, vanilla, milk, flax, baking powder, cinnamon and salt mix until fully combined into a smooth mixture.
Step 3: Add the quinoa and oats and mix well to combine. If you’d like to add any extras like nuts, chocolate chips or coconut, add those now as well.
Step 4: Gently mix in the blueberries.
Step 6: Firmly press the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes until firm.
Let the bars cool in the pan for at least one hour to allow them to firm up. Slice and enjoy!
Notes and Tips
- It’s important to let the bars cool in the pan if you want them to be firm. You can slice and enjoy right away but they’ll be a bit soft and may fall apart. Once they cool, they’ll be solid bars.
- They’re really good warmed up and served with yogurt, berries, banana and peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of choice).
- Try them warm or cold, spread with peanut butter, jam, vegan butter or other nut or seed butter of choice.
- Since they have no added sugar, the bars aren’t very sweet as is. For a sweeter bar, add 1/4 cup coconut sugar, cane sugar or maple syrup and/or up to 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips such as Enjoy Life or Camino. They can also be sweetened with a sugar-free sweetener such as stevia or monk fruit.
Storing Instructions
- Fridge: Let cool then store in a sealed container for up to 6 days.
- Freezer: Let cool then store individually wrapped or in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge or microwave.
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Ingredients
- 2 ripe medium-sized bananas, 240 g
- 1/4 cup nut or seed butter of choice, 60 g
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk, 120 mL
- 2 tbsp ground flax, 14 g
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups cooked cooled quinoa, 225 g
- 1.5 cups rolled oats, 150 g
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or other fresh fruit of choice, 150 g
Instructions
- You will need cooked and cooled quinoa before beginning. If you’re making quinoa specifically for this recipe, I recommend making it the day before or in the morning and then letting it cool in the fridge for a few hours before making the bars. If you have leftover quinoa ready to go, that’s perfect!
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Add the banana to a mixing bowl and mash into a smooth paste using a fork or immersion blender.
- Add the nut butter, vanilla, milk, flax, baking powder, cinnamon and salt mix until fully combined into a smooth mixture. Stir in the quinoa and oats until they're fully incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold in the berries and any other add-ins you wish.
- Lightly coat a 7 or 8 inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the pan and use a spatula (or your hands) to firmly press into the pan until spread flat.
- Bake for 30 minutes then let cool in the pan for at least 60 minutes before slicing. The bars will continue to firm as they cool and are firmest after they've completely cooled in the fridge. You can certainly enjoy them right away but they'll be soft and mushy until they cool.
- Enjoy warm or cold as a portable bar, spread with peanut butter, jam or vegan butter, or serve in a bowl with milk or yogurt, berries, banana and your favourite nut or seed butter.
Love this recipe!!! So filling and satisfying. I used blackberries and dried cranberries. I spread nut butter on it when I tried a piece. I was a little Leary about the quinoa mixed with sweet. I work as a nurse and often need something quick and satisfying to eat for a snack at work. Already shared the recipe with a friend!
Yum! Sounds delicious with that combo. I agree they make a great grab-n-go snack. Thanks for sharing!
This is deliciously addicting! We ate it everyday served with cashew honey yogurt and sliced almonds until it was gone.ย
Perfect! Glad they were enjoyed.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been looking for portable breakfast and snack ideas. The recipe calls for nut butter, and unless I’m missing something, the instructions do not indicate when to add it. Is it meant as a topping only? I mixed it in with the wet ingredients and it’s now cooking in the oven. I’ll see how it turns out.
Yes, with the wet ingredients! Sorry, I edited it recently to list the ingredients instead of just โwet ingredientsโ and missed it. Thanks!
Was wondering if you could use unsweetened dried fruit in place of the fresh berries.
Yes, you can use any add-ins you like. Thanks!
Do these have ANY banana flavor?
If so, any substitute?
Yes, they will have some banana flavour. You could maybe try applesauce but I haven’t tested it.
Made these this morning, no fruit, just oatmeal and love them! My 2 year old even ate them!
Glad they were enjoyed, Samantha! Thanks or letting me know ๐
Delish -i love anything chewy, oaty, -i added diced apple and red grapes, chunky peanut butter -ate a huge chunk for breakfast ๐ย