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A batch of vegan blueberry quinoa breakfast cookies are inspiration to rise and shine! These easy and delicious bakes are gluten-free, oil-free, and perfectly portable.
Vegan Blueberry Quinoa Muffins
Blueberry quinoa breakfast cookies are one of those rare make-ahead breakfasts that feel both virtuous and genuinely craveable. They’re naturally sweet, studded with juicy blueberries, and packed with the kind of ingredients that actually carry you through the morning—think hearty quinoa, fiber, and feel-good, whole-food energy in every bite. In other words: they’re not just a “snack pretending to be breakfast.” They’re the real deal.
They’re also wonderfully portable, which makes them ideal for mornings that don’t exactly unfold according to plan. (You know the ones.) And the best part: a muffin tin does all the work of shaping, so you get perfectly round, evenly baked cookies without any fussing, scooping, or sticky hands. It’s an easy, low-mess method that somehow makes the whole thing feel a bit more put-together—whether you are or not.
Keep a batch on hand for a topsy-turvy morning dash out the door, or for a slower start enjoyed with a cup of coffee and ten minutes of peace. They’re vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, and—most importantly—very delicious. And yes, you absolutely can (and should) have two.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free (no olive oil, no butter, no coconut oil)
- Packed with whole grains
- Quick and easy to make
- Portable (grab and go breakfast)
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- Cooked quinoa (make it for the recipe–see notes below–or use leftover quinoa)
- Rolled oats (certified gluten-free oats, as needed)
- Flaxseed meal
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Nondairy milk (e.g., oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk)
- Maple syrup
- Flavorings: vanilla extract and ground cardamom
- Baking powder and salt
- Fresh blueberries (or frozen, thawed blueberries, patted dry)
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tinwith silicone liners paper liners, or foil liners (If you are ok with a small amount of oil, spray the cups instead).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: applesauce, milk, syrup, flaxseed meal, cardamom, vanilla, and salt. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, then stir in the dry ingredients: the quinoa, oats and baking powder until well-blended.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide mixture evenly between prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and tops look and feel dry to the touch.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and cool in tin for at least 15 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or cool completely on the wire rack before storing.
Enjoy the final sweet hours of the weekend, everyone!
Storage
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the refrigerator for 5 days or the freezer for 3 months. Rewarm, as desired, in a microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Flavor Variations
- Other Fruits: Swap the blueberries for other fresh or dried fruits, such as diced bananas, raspberries, chopped fresh cranberries, diced apples, raisins, or dried cranberries.
- Nut Butter or Seed Butter: Up the grams of protein in each cookie by replacing 1/4 cup of the applesauce with 1/4 cup nut butter or seed butter, such as peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter.
- Chocolate: Replace the blueberries with 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks.
- Seeds or Nuts: Add up to 1/2 cup nuts or seeds to the cookie dough, such as walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, shelled sunflower seeds, or peanuts.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Applesauce Alternative: An equal amount of finely mashed, very ripe bananas can be be used in place of the applesauce.
- Flaxseed Meal Alternative: An equal amount of ground chia seeds can be be used in place of the flaxseed meal.
- Maple Syrup Alternatives: Use an equal amount of agave nectar, date syrup, brown rice syrup or (if not following a vegan diet) honey in place of the maple syrup. Or use an equal amount of coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener PLUS 2 tablespoons of water to replace the maple syrup.
How to Prepare Quinoa
It will take 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa to yield the 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa needed for this recipe. Here is how to cook it:
- Rinse 1/2 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add to a small pot with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook 12–15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, covered.
- Fluff with a fork and cool.
More Quinoa Muffins and Snacks
- Multi-Seed Quinoa Crackers {vegan, gluten-free}
- Vegan Quinoa Omelet Muffins (vegan, high-protein, gluten-free}
- Vanilla Quinoa Pudding {vegan, gluten-free}
- Mushroom Kale Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}
- 3-Ingredient Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, GF, oil-free}
- 4-Ingredient Chocolate Quinoa Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}
- Cinnamon Quinoa Oat Muffins {vegan, gluten-free}
- Chocolate Chip Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, GF, flourless}
Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
Equipment
- standard size muffin tin (12-count)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce, see notes for variations
- 1/3 cup nondairy milk, (e.g., almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, (see note)
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, (certified GF, as needed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, (certified GF, as needed)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, (or thawed frozen blueberries, very well patted dry)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with silicone liners paper liners, or foil liners (If you are ok with a small amount of oil, spray the cups instead).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, milk, syrup, flaxseed meal, cardamom, vanilla, and salt. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, then stir in the quinoa, oats and baking powder until well-blended.
- Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Divide mixture evenly between prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and tops look and feel dry to the touch.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and cool in tin for at least 15 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or cool completely.
Notes
- Rinse 1/2 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add to a small pot with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook 12–15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, covered.
- Fluff with a fork and cool.
I had to bake mine an extra 5 minutes (i tmight be my oven) . Worth the wait, they are delicious! Great to pair with my morning yogurt. I am going to make these again with different fruits.
I am so glad you like them, Clara!
Hi..instaed of apple sauce what can I use?.Thanks!
Hi Sofia, you can use an equal amount of mashed ripe banana.