This soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge is a gluten-free, grain-free dairy-free breakfast that’s easy, digestible, and has just 4 ingredients! Top it with extra dairy-free milk, butter or ghee, and fun things like nuts or seeds, chocolate chips, and raisins!

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Last week, my kids and I drove an hour to a little, local town for our dog’s vet appointment. Our dog, Willow, was having some blood work done, and that meant we would be hanging out for several hours.

It was a Monday in winter. (Translation: NOTHING in this little town was open.) 

No museums, not many restaurants, nothing fun to do. Nada.

Normally, when we visit this town, we have a couple of favorite restaurants that have great gluten-free, Real Food options. On this day, however, both of them were closed. 🙁

So, we went to one of only two restaurants that were open: a little mom and pop coffee shop with a very limited menu.

Still, I was grateful to find something (the other option was Dairy Queen… blech), even if their very limited gluten-free menu only included oatmeal, hummus, boiled eggs, yogurt, chili, and quinoa porridge.

Oh, and they would make you a gluten-free wrap — which was the wrap fillings on a plate without the tortilla/wrap. 😛

But, back to that quinoa porridge…

My daughter ordered a bowl of their quinoa porridge and was quite excited that it was topped with raisins and pecans — 2 of her very favorite foods.

She devoured that bowl of porridge, along with some yogurt and hard-boiled eggs. 

Seeing how much she enjoyed it, I suggested,

You know, I bet we could make this at home and you could eat it for breakfast. We could soak quinoa, cook it in the Instant Pot as usual, but add extra coconut milk then top it with raisins and pecans. We could even add collagen for some protein?

My daughter happily nodded her head. Then, we spent the rest of our afternoon hanging out at the local library.

The very next day, we made this soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge — soaked Nourishing Traditions-style for maximum digestibility!

Why I LOVE Quinoa

• It isn’t actually a grain, but a seed and is called a “pseudo-grain”. So, it looks, cooks, and tastes like a grain, but it isn’t!
• It is very much a traditional food. Called “the gold of the Incas”, quinoa has been a staple food in South America for thousands of years.
• Quinoa is high in iron, magnesium, manganese, and Vitamin B2.
• Quinoa is a complete protein and a great source of plant protein!

Yes, it’s more expensive than rice, but it’s way less expensive than grass-fed meats. (I’m totally not saying that quinoa nourishes us the same way grass-fed meats do or that it has as much protein!)

Although I don’t advocate for a totally vegan or vegetarian diet, there is a lot of value in including a variety of plant foods, like quinoa, in our diets. These foods help balance the blood sugar, relieve constipation, and keep our digestion healthy.

Find quinoa at Thrive Market, on Amazon, or in bulk at Azure Standard.

Why We Soak Quinoa

Maybe you’ve never heard of “soaking” quinoa. What does that even mean?

Well, let’s start with why we soak stuff.

Not only quinoa, but all grains, beans, nuts, and seeds need to be pre-prepared before eating to reduce a harmful anti-nutrient called phytic acid.

Phytic acid is found in all grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. It’s protective to the seed while the seed waits to germinate, but it’s not meant for us to eat.

It binds to the minerals in the foods you eat, preventing your body from absorbing them properly. Too much phytic acid in the diet leads to loss of minerals, tooth decay, and nutritional deficiencies.

Phytic acid commonly causes gut issues, too.

If you already eat a Real Food diet, but find yourself still experiencing stomachaches, bloating, or gas, try soaking your grains, beans, nuts, and seeds and see if that helps.

To make our quinoa easily digestible, I start with a long soak in water and apple cider vinegar.

This reduces phytic acid and the bitter saponins (outer coating that protects quinoa from insects) in quinoa that cause digestive distress.

What Kind of Milk to Use?

It’s really not pretty to pressure cook milk/dairy. The milk separates, curdles, scorches, and yeah… just don’t.

So, other than cow’s or goat’s milk, you can pretty much use any milk you like.

Keep in mind that dairy-free milk with a higher fat content, like canned coconut milk, will produce a thicker, creamier porridge than a watery milk like rice milk.

If you don’t tolerate coconut milk, macadamia nut milk is ultra creamy. (Find unsweetened macadamia nut milk here.)

You can also use homemade dairy-free milk. I have a tutorial for creamy cashew milk right here!

Top that Soaked Quinoa Breakfast Porridge, Momma!

Just like my daughter, I think the best parts of breakfast porridge are the toppings and garnishes you add at the end.

Your topping/garnish options are many:

• soaked/dried nuts and/or seeds — We use soaked/dried pecans from Wildly Organic, but walnuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds would all add a nice crunch plus extra fat and protein. 
• a splash of extra dairy-free milk or heavy cream, if dairy is tolerated
• a tablespoon of butter, ghee, coconut oil, or MCT oil
• unsweetened, shredded coconut
• chocolate chips <– We use dairy-free, stevia-sweetened, Fair Trade chocolate chips.
• dried fruits, such as raisins, currants, or cranberries

It’s not a topping exactly, but we always add a scoop of grass-fed collagen to each bowl of porridge. This provides an extra 10 grams of pure protein — perfect before a workout or just to add gut-healing benefits and satiate until lunch!

Use my coupon code ALLTHETHINGS to save 10% on my favorite collagen!

How To Make This Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge With Just 4 Ingredients!

This is such an easy breakfast recipe! My daughter has taken over making this Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge for us!

Start with the soaking step. The night before is the easiest and best time to do this because your quinoa needs at least 8 hours of soaking.

To soak, simply place two cups of quinoa in a glass bowl. Add water to cover the quinoa by about an inch. Add two tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar (or whey from clabbered raw milk) to the quinoa. Stir, cover, and set aside.

When you’re ready to make this Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge…

Pour the soaked quinoa into a large, fine mesh sieve to drain. Rinse under cool water until the water runs clear.

Place the soaked quinoa into the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot.

Add water, a bit of maple syrup or other whole sweetener or alternative sweetener, salt and dairy-free milk of your choice. (I use Thrive Market’s full fat canned coconut milk because it’s extra thick and creamy!)

Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then let it release pressure naturally for 5 to 10 minutes.

Release the pressure, open your Instant Pot, stir, add toppings and garnishes to your heart’s delight, and enjoy!

Here’s the full recipe for this easy and yummy soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge.

4.94 from 16 votes

Print

Soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)

CourseBreakfast

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Resting Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 400 kcal

Author Rebecca Hansen

Ingredients

• 2cupsquinoa + water to cover
• 2tablespoonsapple cider vinegaror whey from raw milk
• 1-1/2cupsfiltered water
• 2cupsfull fat coconut milkor other dairy-free milk of choice
• 1/3cupmaple syrup
• 1teaspoonsalt

Instructions

1. Place 2 cups quinoa and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass bowl and cover with water by about an inch. Let soak 8 hours or overnight.

2. Drain the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse until the water runs clear.

3. Add the soaked quinoa to the Instant Pot and add 1-1/2 cups water.

4. Pour in 2 cups (or 1 can) full fat coconut milk or other dairy-free milk, maple syrup, and salt.

5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the vent, and press the Manual Button.

6. Adjust the time to 3 minutes on high pressure.

7. When it beeps, do a natural pressure release for 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Open the Instant Pot, stir, and serve with all the toppings!

Recipe Notes

Reheat leftovers in a small pan on the stove with some added dairy-free milk.

Nutrition Information does NOT include toppings and garnishes.

Nutrition Facts

Soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free)

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 400Calories from Fat 208

% Daily Value*

Fat 23.1g36%

Saturated Fat 18.2g114%

Sodium 614mg27%

Potassium 7.2mg0%

Carbohydrates 43.9g15%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 20.2g22%

Protein 5.5g11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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What toppings will you add to your soaked Instant Pot Quinoa Breakfast Porridge?