July 7, 2013
(last updated January 19, 2022) 
This avocado, berry, and quinoa breakfast parfait is so fresh and nutritious. It features a luscious vanilla avocado cream, which is layered with berries and layers of wholesome quinoa.
This quinoa breakfast parfait is such a departure from my regular breakfasts. But it is refreshing, nutritious, and very pretty to look at, and I think it might become a new summertime favorite.
I am no stranger to the delights of avocado pudding, though I typically enjoy it in the chocolate variety (see my chocomole post here). That said, said, avocados blend up nicely with berries, bananas and other fruits, and as I just discovered, they also taste wonderful with vanilla. The pudding in this parfait would also make a nice snack, a refreshing dessert, or a nice breakfast component.
Avocado, Berry, and Quinoa Berry Breakfast Parfait
Author –Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the parfaits
- 2/3 cups dry quinoa
- 2 cups berries
For the avocado cream
- 1 Hass avocado
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, agave, or date syrup
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup oat, soy, almond, or cashew milk (more as needed)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa through a fine sieve under cold, running water. Drain and transfer the quinoa to a pot. Add 1 1/4 cups water. Bring the quinoa to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the quinoa for 13-15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from heat and fluff it with a fork. Re-cover and allow it to sit for five minutes. Transfer the quinoa to an airtight container and to the fridge. Allow it to cool for two hours, or until the quinoa is chilled.
- Before assembling the parfaits, make the avocado cream by blending all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor till smooth.
- Layer a quarter cup of quinoa at the bottom of a clear glass or mug. Place a 1/4 cup of the pudding over the quinoa, then top with a quarter cup of berries. Repeat the layers, then repeat the whole process in your three additional containers.
This is equally adorable with blueberries, raspberries, or blueberries. Choose whichever you like the best. I hope you all had lovely holiday weekends, and that you’ll enjoy this unique breakfast as much as I do!
xo
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This looks delicious. I’m a fool for a breakfast parfait! Lately, avocados are finding their way into all meals of the day so this is right up my alley. Thanks for the great idea, Gena!
I hope you like it, Alicia! I’m an avocado fiend myself 🙂
New breakfast favorite (check!), this sounds and looks amazing. I love breakfast quinoa with cinnamon and simple almond milk and nuts. 🙂
Wow, this looks wonderful. Great choice 🙂
This looks so great! I love the chocolate, of course, but I think at heart I’m a vanilla kinda girl. I don’t have quinoa on hand (horrors!) but I’m making it this morning and plan to layer it with local blueberries and strawberries.
This looks fantastic! I love fresh raspberries – what a great photo. I found you through the blog roll on Healthy Girl’s Kitchen and so glad I did.
How do you cook your quinoa to look so perfectly? I’ve used 1 c dry to 2 c water, and I end up w/gloppy mush.
This looks wonderful and like a great excuse to get out of my smoothie breakfast rut. 🙂
I’ve made plenty of avocado puddings and icings, but I’d never think to combine it with quinoa. Very nice recipe!
Avocado pudding is one of my favorite breakfasts! I usually just blend up an avocado, a banana, and a couple dashes of vanilla extract in a food processor; I like my simple version even better than the chocolate kinds. That being said, your parfait looks mighty delicious, so I am definitely going to add it to my repertoire of morning meals.
Mm this looks delish Gena, love avocado puddings!!! Even better when it’s for breaky.
Looks delicious and very inspiring pictures!
This looks almost too pretty to eat!
Ha, I know!
my kids love parfaits! We all do:) They are so pretty and versatile…Normally we layer Trader Joe’s vanilla soy yogurt, homemade granola and whatever fruit we have, apple, banana, blueberries are a mainstay…but I am totally going to make this. They LOVE raspberries (who doesn’t!) and so far the avocado chocolate pudding has not been a hit but I am determined to make them believers! Thanks Gena- I came over here looking for something new & yummy and behold I found it!
I hope your kids enjoy it, Florence! Thanks for stopping by.
You have such a knack for taking the simplest ingredients and making something insanely creative out of them. I’ve never seen anyone make vanilla avocado pudding before–only chocolate! But what stands out the most to me about this breakfast is the texture combination. I’m a huge texture person (and flavor, but, well, duh) and I’m loooving the idea of the quinoa with the creamy avocado and juicy berries. This is going to be a must-make for me.
I’m big on texture as well, and loved the contrast in this breakfast!
one time I tried quinoa for breakfast and it was a disaster! But maybe in a smaller quantity and with some nice cream it might work better.
hope you had a happy 4th.
And to you!
Yummm!!! That looks so adorable and so delicious! And it’s awesome that you made a parfait without yogurt 🙂 definitely trying this out!
Hi Gena,
If substituting extract for the vanilla bean, how much would you use?
Thanks, and hope to try this soon! I am thinking it would also be good with steel cut oats in lieu of the quinoa.
Alanna
I’d say one teaspoon! And yes, that would be lovely, oats.
Beautiful, beautiful breakfast. You make healthy eating so effortless and delicious Gena! I love chocolate avocado pudding but haven’t branched out in using it in other sweet recipes yet.
Aw, thanks Emma 🙂
Thanks, I had the same question! Great recipe, will definitely try it!
Oooooh, this looks amazing! I recently discovered how great sweet quinoa is for breakfast, especially when cooked the night before – cooled down and served with homemade almond milk. But I bet in your parfait it tastes even better.
I love the idea of this! I’m still finding saying goodbye to yogurt kind of hard. There are no decent alternatives in the UK so I was actually thinking of using an avocado pudding as a substitute and this has me completely convinced! I adore quinoa too. I’d quite like to try this with buckwheat too? Also those have to be the most perfect looking raspberries ever!
Buckwheat would be delightful!!
I’m on an avocado roll recently; I put it in everything (including a muffin recipe I am posting on my blog this week)! There’s something about eating green food that is very satisfying 🙂
You could put avocados on a shingle and I would still think it was delicious, so this looks pretty darn good (although I would omit the fruit as I not that into super sweet.) Anyway, my point of this comment was to tell you how gorgeous your photos have been as of late. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. Absolute art!
What a kind comment, Abby!!! I’m a work in progress with photography (and everything). So glad that the work is paying off 🙂
I agree with you, Abby. This is a great breakfast recipe but I would prefer it not to be super sweet and revise it a little bit. This looks so healthy and yummy! 😀