Quinoa get a what, what?! My recipe for Vanilla Pear Quinoa Breakfast “Bake” is a nice change from oats, whips up in just 5-6 minutes, and is a deliciously warm and satisfying way to fuel autumn adventures thanks to simple, wholesome ingredients.

I’m a big fan of eating quinoa for breakfast! Typically, I have cooked it alongside steel cut oats in a breakfast casserole with pretty much every flavor combination you can imagine! Check out the Master Recipe for Breakfast Quinoa Casserole HERE!

However, a 9 x 11-inch quinoa breakfast casserole yields enough for a crowd (also making it ideal for meal prep). However, sometimes you just don’t have the time or freezer space to meal prep – and a quick quinoa breakfast bowl like this is ideal. It only takes 5 to 6 minutes to make, start to finish!

It’s a hearty breakfast that offers good carbs to fuel an active day, along with LOTS of fiber and 19g protein – an egg helps boost the protein and also “set” up the bake so it’s not all mushy like oatmeal – but more cake-like (for lake of better terminology).

The recipe is simple, add about a cup of COOKED plain quinoa to a bowl or mug that has a couple inches of headroom to the rim to accommodate cooking (20 – 24 ounce soup deep soup dish works well). You can use any “color” of quinoa, like white, red or a tri-blend. Also stir in chia seeds, a granulated 1:1 ratio sugar alternative (like Monk Fruit baking blend) and dash of Himalayan sea salt. Then you mix in almond milk, a whisked egg, vanilla and about ½ cup diced pear before “baking” in the microwave for 4 minutes or so. Top with toasted pecans, coconut and a little extra pear – and if you like (although not noted in the nutrition facts, some maple syrup or honey – although not really needed, it’s already sweetish).

I think you’ll fall in love with this Quinoa Pear Bowl – it’s cozy, filling, healthy and feels really autumnal.

Recipe has 526 calories, 19g protein, 44g net carb, no added sugar, and a whopping 14g dietary fiber. Gluten-free.

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5 from 2 votes

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Vanilla Pear Quinoa Breakfast Bake – Single Serve

Treat yourself to a warm and cozy breakfast, enjoy the health benefits and nourishment of quinoa studded with chia seeds, pears, pecans and toasted coconut! So delicious and only 5 to 6 minutes to make!

Keyword: microwave, pear, quinoa

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 538 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa from 1/3 dry
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• 1 tbsp granulated monk fruit or similar 1:1 sugar alternative
• 1 egg whisked
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 dash Himalayan Sea salt
• ½ cup chopped pear
• 2 tsp. toasted pecans
• 2 tsp. toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. In a 20 to 24-oz bowl or mug, mix together cooked quinoa, cinnamon, granulated monk fruit and chia seeds. Stir in whisked egg, almond milk and vanilla. Add dash of salt. Stir in chopped pear. Microwave for approximately 4 minutes. Garnish with toasted pecans and shredded coconut. Add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Crispy Low-carb Onion Rings for Air Fryer OR Oven let you ditch the deep fryer AND excess carbs. Baked up ridiculously crunchy with a coating that includes crushed pork rinds and parmesan cheese, this faux-fried treat will satisfy your cravings!

I serve these pork rind onion rings with whatever dipping sauce suits my mood at the moment, today it was kimchi aioli.  You’ll totally be winning the keto game with this for a game day appetizer or anytime side dish. Makes 4 servings, 136 calories, 5.5g fat, 6.9g net carb and 8.6g protein

Who knew pork rinds (along with Parmesan cheese, coconut flour and an egg wash) could be used to make a crunchy, crispy coating for onions and other baked foods – trying a similar coating soon for asparagus and as a topping for fish so stay tuned!

When it comes to choosing the pork rinds for these baked keto onion rings, I hit up a variety pack of pork rinds I had on hand and have made several batches that are switched up in seasoning a little bit depending on the flavor of pork rind I crushed up. If you want to make life REALLY EASY, you can also skip the pork rind crushing step and just use a product where all the work has been done for you, like this Pork Panko

Pro tip for prepping the keto onion rings: Use a separate hand for dipping the onion in the egg-cream wash and a separate hand for dunking in the two sets of dry ingredients. This will help keep your fingers from getting so gunked up.

I love a large capacity air fryer and double rack because I can fit ALL THE BAKED ONION RINGS in there at once. But if you have a smaller one, don’t fret – the recipe is quick enough that you cook them in two sessions (that way, you’ll have more hot ones ready once you finish eating the first batch)!!  The recipe turns out amazing in the traditional oven too, especially if you use a mesh crisping tray to ensure hot air circulates all around the pork-rind onion rings while baking.

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5 from 2 votes

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Low-Carb Baked Onion Rings Baked in Air Fryer or Oven

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Crispy, crunchy and quick, these baked onion rings are lower in carbs thanks to a coating that includes keto-friendly ingredients like crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese and coconut flour. A delicious appetizer, game day snack or side dish for steak, burgers and more!

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Keyword: gluten free, low carb, pork rind, red onion

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large white or yellow onion peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. half-and-half or cream
• 1- ounce pork rinds
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven or Air Fryer to 425 F degrees.
2. Slice onions into approximate ½” slices, discarding any small rings in the center (chop up and save for another use).
3. Whisk together eggs and cream in shallow bowl.
4. Crush pork rinds into a coarse powder by placing in a zip-top baggie and flattening with a rolling pin or in food processor.
5. In another bowl, add the crushed pork rinds, Parmesan cheese and paprika.
6. In a third bowl, add coconut flour.
7. Dip each onion ring in coconut flour mixture, then egg mixture, and then pork rind-cheese mixture. Repeat process with each ring to double coat them.
8. Place onion rings in a single layer on a mesh baking tray or in the Air Fryer basket, lightly sprayed with oil. To maximize space, put smaller onion rings inside bigger rings (as long as they are not touching).
9. Bake in oven OR Air Fryer for about 12 to 15* minutes, until crispy and turning golden brown. For maximum crispiness, open basket and lightly spray tops with oil spray half way through cooking time.
10. Serve warm with dipping sauce of choice.
11. *Oven temperatures can take up to 5 minutes longer.

Recipe Notes