If you are afraid of healthy complex carbs like whole grains or fruits, I say “don’t be” – it’s what gives you the energy to get up and move, conquer goals, and even to help your brain think clearly. Check out the original post I did for Spartan, Try This INSANELY Good Quinoa Oat Breakfast Bake to Fuel Your Winter Runs.

In addition to whole grains, this quinoa oat bake master recipe has a couple eggs to hold it all together, along with protein options of your choice and nutrient-dense mix-ins – so it’s a very balanced meal! Also, the master quinoa oat recipe is also dairy-free and gluten-free, if those are dietary concerns in your life.

PIN OR SAVE AND PRINT OUT THIS QUINOA-OAT MASTER RECIPE CARD NOW!

After a decade of making quinoa and steel cut oats as a pre-run meal, I realized I could make the process much more efficient, less messy and open for flavor interpretations by baking in a large casserole dish. By a fluke, I discovered that quinoa and steel cut oats take basically the same amount of time and liquid to cook up to tender, and therefore can be conveniently be made mingling together in the same dish and liquid.  

Instead of making in a pot, cooking up a quinoa oat casserole keeps it from being a big bowl of mush – this way it cuts beautifully into squares for serving or to meal prep in individual containers. Also, the master recipe is forgiving and flexible. If the ingredients I mixed in that day seemed a little too watery (as can happen with fresh fruit), I would just reduce the cooking liquid or allow it to bake a few more minutes. With every batch, a new flavor idea would pop into my head, “How about pumpkin peanut butter and seeds? Or, pears and chai spices?” 

Cinnamon Apple Pecan Quinoa-Oat Breakfast Bake is one of my most recent flavor combos, and one I’ll definitely repeat!

This Master Mix-And-Match Quinoa Oat Breakfast Bake Recipe lists out the base ingredients, plus the optimal amount of other ingredients to include, like fruit, spices, nuts/seeds, protein powder, and other extras. You will notice when making a batch that the quinoa oat casserole seems very watery – that’s NORMAL, the oats and quinoa are cooking up just like they would in a pot on the stove. Just carefully walk it over to the oven (even place on a rimmed baking sheet if worried about sloshing) and when the timer goes off all that liquid will be absorbed. The liquid nature of the recipe is also why I don’t add some of the “heavier” mix ins until the casserole is starting to “set up” halfway through baking – otherwise they would sink to the bottom.

If you try the quinoa oat bake master recipe, let me know what you mix in to make it your own! You will notice in the photos that I also will add whipped cream, Greek yogurt drizzle, or maple syrup on occasion – but that’s just extra!

To get you inspired, here are a few flavor ideas for your quinoa oat casserole (get more on the Spartan post).

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Pepita Quinoa Oat Bake

• Master Recipe, plus:
• Fruit Puree: ½ cup canned pumpkin
• Powder: ½ cup peanut butter powder
• Spice: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Mid Bake Stir-ins: ½ cup pepita seeds

Chai Pear Almond Quinoa Oat Bake:

• Master Recipe, plus:
• Fruit Puree: ½ cup apple or pear sauce
• Powder: ½ cup Vanilla Collagen Powder
• Spice: 1 teaspoons chai spice OR brew 4 teabags in the 2 cups of water for cooking liquid
• Mid Bake Stir-ins: 1 cup chopped pears, ½ cup slivered almonds

Strawberry Ginger Cheesecake Quinoa Oatmeal Bake:

• Master Recipe, plus:
• Fruit Puree: ½ cup apple sauce or strawberry apple sauce OR pureed strawberries, if ambitious
• Powder: ½ cup strawberry protein powder
• Spice:1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Mid Bake Stir-ins: 4 ounces cold cream cheese cut in ¼” bits, 1 cup chopped strawberries with extra slices for top