breakfast friday >> cinnamon quinoa coffee cake
/It was actually a struggle trying to think of what to make for today’s breakfast post. I blame it on moving brain. I’m sure you’re familiar with moving brain. You forget what day it is. You can’t find important things, like vanilla extract. All of your clothes are wrinkled. You know, serious problems.
I was really in the mood for something cakey and lightly sweetened. Something suitable for any day of the week. Not pancakes, not quick bread, but maybe coffee cake?
Luckily, I remembered to stash all of my go-to baking flours and bring them to Chris’s brother’s house while we’re waiting to move into our Denver home.
After grabbing jars of various flours I scanned the fridge for additional mix-ins and my eyes landed on an overflowing container of leftover quinoa.
Quinoa in the breakfast cake?
Why not?
Quinoa crumble on top of the breakfast cake?
Why certainly.
The quinoa topping crisps slightly as it bakes and the cake is perfectly tender, packed with cinnamon, and studded with fluffy, cooked quinoa.
No other toppings necessary.
Cinnamon Quinoa Coffee Cake
gluten-free, dairy-free // yields 1, 9x9 pan
for the coffee cake:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, fully cooled
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
- 6 tablespoons sweet rice flour
- 3 tablespoons almond meal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted + slightly cooled
for the quinoa crumble:
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, fully cooled
- 1/2 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sucanat, or pure cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Place all crumble ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until fully combined. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350*F and grease a 9x9 pan with softened coconut oil.
- In a large bowl stir the quinoa, oat flour, sweet rice flour, almond meal, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until fully combined.
- In another bowl whisk the eggs and then whisk in the milk, maple syrup, applesauce, and vanilla.
- Thoroughly whisk in the coconut oil and then pour into the dry ingredients.
- Stir/whisk until just combined. Do not over stir.
- Let sit for 5 minutes and then pour into the baking pan. Spread with a spatula to even out if needed.
- Sprinkle the quinoa crumble evenly overtop of the batter and then place in the oven for 34-38 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean and the edges will be golden brown.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then slice + serve warm.
- Allow to fully cool and store leftovers in the fridge.
notes/substitutions: Butter can be used in place of coconut oil. Honey can be used in place of maple syrup. I do not recommend flax eggs in place of real eggs. If you can’t tolerate gluten-free oat flour feel free to sub your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour instead. There are no subs for sweet rice flour or almond meal. For altitude around 5,000’ increase oven temp to 365/370 and decrease baking powder by 1/8-1/4 teaspoon.
