Quinoa for Babies (Quinoa Baby Food)

Learn to make Quinoa for Babies by transforming nutrient-rich quinoa into a delicious quinoa baby food—with options for older kids and parents to share it—with this simple method. Find flavor variations and storage tips, too.

I love to maximize nutrients and flavor in baby food purees we’re offering right from the start and also be able to easily make foods that the rest of the family can enjoy to limit waste. This baby cereal, which is made with quinoa, achieves both of those goals with a flexible method, easy storage, and so many ways to add a variety of flavors.

The beauty of this method for homemade baby cereal is that you can start with an ingredient you may already have in your pantry (or that you can easily pick up at the store) and then make it from start to finish in about 20 minutes.

The leftovers can store in the fridge or freezer, so you don’t have to do the work very often.

This is a great option when thinking about quinoa for kids, and then you can try other options as the kids get older.

(You may also like Quinoa Pudding, Quinoa Patties, and my Baby Oatmeal and Baby Rice Cereal.)

Quinoa Baby Food

Quinoa is a perfect first food to share with the kids since it’s packed with nutrition—including complete protein (which is rare in a vegetarian food) and fiber. It’s also versatile and can be flavored with so many spices or other fresh ingredients, which means you can change this according to what you have on hand.

Quinoa is actually a seed, rather than a grain (though it is classified as a whole grain), and can be offered soon after starting solids at around 6 months of age. It’s a good source of folate, magnesium, and is a complete protein as it contains all nine essential amino acids.

The options I’m going to share here are for a blended baby food that can be used as a Stage 1 option for babies just starting solids. Then I share a more textured version that older babies can enjoy as a Stage 3 baby food—and that can be shared with toddlers, older kids, and parents, too.

The base recipe has just three ingredients and then there are easy options to change it up.

Quinoa Baby Cereal

Classic baby cereal is made from rice or oatmeal, which are both nice options. Quinoa offers a different mix of nutrients, doesn’t have the potential heavy metal concerns of rice, and is really quick to cook.

Ingredients You Need

To make this Quinoa for Babies, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.

• Quinoa: You can use any color. I use yellow (or the most common one) here.
• Cinnamon: Optional, but recommended for some flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Optional, but recommended for some flavor. I am using alcohol-free here since that’s what I had on hand, though the amount used in each serving is tiny, so the regular kind is fine, too.
• Liquid such as water, breastmilk, formula, or unsweetened nondairy milk.

Ingredient Substitutions

• You can use red quinoa if you have that variety.
• For the liquid in this recipe, you can use water, breastmilk, formula, or unsweetened nondairy milk such as soy milk, oat milk, or a plant milk (for example, the Ripple brand).
• Use another spice, such as a pinch of ginger, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice instead of or in addition to cinnamon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a preview of how to make this Quinoa for Babies so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full information, including the amounts and timing.

Step 1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer or sieve to remove the saponins, or the compound that can make quinoa taste bitter.

Step 2. Add to a saucepan of water and cook until very soft.

Step 3. Add quinoa to the blender with chosen liquid.

Step 4. Blend until very smooth to make the quinoa baby food. Serve with desired optional ingredients for more flavor.

TIP: You can serve this on its own or mixed with another puree for more flavor. Try Apple Puree, Apricot Puree, Pear Puree, Pumpkin Baby Food, or Avocado Puree. You can also serve the quinoa unblended as a baby breakfast idea similar to oatmeal for kids 9 months old and older.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quinoa Baby Food Combinations

Here’s a look at ways to combine quinoa baby cereal with other purees and ingredients to make baby food combinations. Feel free to add a sprinkle of cinnamon or other spices to these, or to mix in a liquid such as unsweetened nondairy milk.

• Strawberry Quinoa Cereal: Mix in 2 tablespoons Strawberry Puree to ¼ cup quinoa baby cereal.
• Peanut Butter Quinoa Puree: Mix in 1 tablespoon unsweetened smooth peanut butter to quinoa baby cereal.
• Sweet Potato Quinoa Cereal: Stir in 2 tablespoons Sweet Potato Baby Food to quinoa puree.
• Banana Quinoa Puree: Stir in 2 tablespoons mashed Banana Puree to quinoa baby food.

TIP: Stir in a small amount of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or ground flaxseeds (or oils) to add more healthy fats to any of these.

How to Adjust the Consistency of Baby Cereal

When you blend up quinoa baby cereal, you can add more or less liquid to make a thinner or thicker puree. When the puree sits in a storage container (or even for a bit at room temperature), it also thickens, so you can thin it out by stirring in additional liquid.

You can really make it as thick or thin as you like. Thinner is easier to serve off of a baby spoon and thicker could be served to babies who prefer to feed themselves with their hands.

I like to use unsweetened plain nondairy milk (such as oat milk or soy milk) to add in extra nutrients and flavor if I’m thinning out the cereal after it’s been in storage.

You can do the same with unblended quinoa cereal—simply stir in more or less milk to make a thicker or thinner breakfast cereal.

How to Store

Store Quinoa for Babies in portions in small containers in the fridge for up to 3 days or portion into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. Transfer frozen blocks to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To thaw, place a block into a small airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Or leave at room temperature for 2-3 hours.

TIP: Find more about how to store baby food and my favorite baby food storage containers.

Best Tips for Success

• Rinse the quinoa before cooking to remove any potential bitterness.
• Start with a smaller amount of liquid when blending and add a little at a time to thin it out to your liking.
• You can use water, breastmilk, formula, or unsweetened nondairy milk for blending. (I prefer to use water, then stir in a flavored liquid right before serving.)
• Add another puree to make quinoa baby food combinations. Favorite options include Strawberry Puree, Banana Puree, Sweet Potato Baby Food, and Peanut Butter Baby Food. You can also try a savory version by stirring in Avocado Puree.
• Add cinnamon, cardamom, dried ginger, or another favorite spice.
• Add a sprinkle of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or ground flaxseeds for more healthy fats.
• Skip blending and simply mix fully cooked quinoa with nondairy milk, breastmilk, or formula for babies at least 8-9 months old—or for toddlers, kids, or adults as a breakfast cereal option.
• You may also like my Baby Breakfast Ideas.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment and rate it below to share.

Get Recipe Ingredients

• Add the quinoa to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water for about 1 minute. This helps to remove a compound that can make quinoa taste bitter.

• Add the 1 cup water to a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. (Add 1/4-½ cup additional water if the water is absorbed but the quinoa is not yet fully tender.

• Turn off the heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

• Add quinoa to a blender. Blend, adding a small amount of liquid at a time, until the mixture is very smooth. It may take a minute.

• Stir in cinnamon, vanilla, and/or fruit puree if desired. Thin out with additional liquid as desired.

• (To serve this with a thicker, more textured consistency, simply place a small amount of the cooked quinoa into a bowl, add some nondairy milk, breastmilk, or formula and add cinnamon, vanilla, and fruit as desired. For kids over age 1, you can drizzle on a little honey, maple syrup, or nut butter, too.)

• Start with a smaller amount of liquid when blending and add a little at a time to thin it out to your liking.
• You can use water, breastmilk, formula, or unsweetened nondairy milk for blending. (I prefer to use water, then stir in milk right before serving.)
• Add more liquid to this cereal as needed—it firms up as it sits.
• Add another puree to make quinoa baby food combinations. Favorite options include Strawberry Puree, Banana Puree, Sweet Potato Puree, and Peanut Butter Baby Food. You can also try a savory version by stirring in Avocado Puree.
• Add cinnamon, cardamom, dried ginger, or another favorite spice as desired.
• Add a sprinkle of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or ground flaxseeds to add more healthy fats.
• Skip blending and simply mix fully cooked quinoa with nondairy milk for babies aged 8-9 months old—or for toddlers, kids, or adults as a breakfast cereal option.

Serving: 0.25 cup, Calories: 49kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Potassium: 87mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 174IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

This post was first published February 2022.