Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Up early, pulled out of bed by a merrow-ing kitty cat, I decided to enjoy the rising sun and whip up something warm and cozy for breakfast. So I whipped up this steamy bowl of warm quinoa, vanilla soy milk, cinnamon, almond butter and a the secret ingredient: my freshly made Sticky Banana Bread Topping.

Upon creating this concoction, I quickly found that filling the house with banana bread aromas is an easy way to coax my husband out of bed (his groggy face aglow with visions of banana bread). I giggled thinking about those cartoons where they smell something yummy and are zombie-like, walking in a blissful trance towards the swirling steam of something delicious. And, the cozy banana walnut smells even sent my kitty off to her sunbeam to curl up in a quiet ball of fluff.

And the best part about this healthy, delicious vegan breakfast is that the feeling of calm lingers through the entire morning. And what’s better than walking out the door to start your day in a fuzz of banana bread aroma bliss…

good morning to yummy smells swirling about..

My Banana Bread Cereal topping is perfect for spooning onto hot cereal like oatmeal, quinoa or cream of wheat or rice. You can even add this stuff to cold cereal, pancakes, toaster waffles, a bowl of soy yogurt or even spread it on a piece of peanut or almond butter slathered toast or bagel.

Warm, sticky banana bread topping:

No Bananas? I received a comment about a banana allergy. No worries! If you can’t do bananas, you could easily change the fruit up. Try blueberries, cherries, peaches, apples, mango, apricot and more. It’s really that fruit and nut – warm sticky combo that makes this dish special. Actually, warm apples would create an “apple pie” taste. Yum as well!

Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
makes two bowls + leftover topping

3 cups fluffy quinoa (quinoa cooking instructions here)
*unflavored, cooked in salted water
1 cup vanilla soy milk
warm spices of your choosing (cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne)
almond butter
Bowl of my Sticky Banana Bread Cereal Topping – recipe below

To Make:

1. Spoon your fluffy quinoa into serving bowls. Add however much vanilla soy milk you would like. Add more for a thinner bowl and less for a thick bowl. Heat in microwave on high for about 1-2 minutes just to warm and thicken the creamy quinoa (the same way you would for oatmeal – only the quinoa is fully cooked already).

2. Prepare your Sticky Banana Bread Topping on your stove top. this should take about 6 minutes. Very easy. And this is what makes the entire house smell like warm banana bread. Recipe here.

3. Add an optional dollop of almond butter to your quinoa, some cinnamon, and then a few scoops of the warm topping. Enjoy!

Topping:

Sticky Banana Bread Cereal Topping
vegan, makes about 3 cups

1 1/4 cups raw walnuts, roughly chopped/some left whole
2 bananas, diced into chunky cubes
2-3 Tbsp agave or maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp vanilla extract (opt’l)
1 Tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance)
optional: dash of cayenne for those who like it with some heat!

To Make:

1. Warm up a nonstick skillet. And prep your fruit and nuts.
2. Add the oil or butter – wait until sizzling hot.
3. Toss your bananas and walnuts with the sweetener, spices and vanilla. Add to hot skillet.
4. Allow to saute for about 5 minutes over med-high heat. Stir a bit so that the nuts don’t burn.
5. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Add to cereal or store in the fridge until ready to be used. The mixture will become sticky in the fridge.

The Topping: