This Gluten-Free Vegan Creamy Pumpkin Quinoa is an easy and healthy recipe that's made with clean, real food ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based side-dish or even breakfast that's sweet with all the tastes of Fall and is ready to enjoy in about 10 minutes!
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- It's A Unique + Healthy Holiday Side Dish
- Can Be Prepared In About 10 Minutes
- Made With Clean, Real Food Ingredients
You can feel good about making my healthy, plant-based recipe because it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, oil-free, contains no refined sugar, and is Medical Medium compliant.
How To Make This Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's how to make this recipe and I'll show you how easy it is with step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Prepare The Quinoa
Firstly, prepare the quinoa either on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
In addition, you can also use leftover quinoa or meal prep it ahead of time.
Step 2: Prepare The Pumpkin Sauce:
Secondly, while the quinoa is cooking, prepare the pumpkin sauce by adding all the ingredients to a Vitamix and blending until it's creamy and smooth.
Take a taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Step 3: Combine The Ingredients
Thirdly, add the cooked quinoa and pumpkin sauce to a medium-size mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
You can add optional toppings such as cranberries, walnuts, or fresh sage.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Quinoa: You can prepare the quinoa in three ways:
- Stove-Top Method - Prepare according to the package directions.
- Instant Pot - Add (4) cups of quinoa + (5) cups of water to your Instant Pot. Use these settings: HIGH PRESSURE --> PRESSURE COOK --> 5 MINUTES --> with the VENT CLOSED. After the quinoa has cooked for 5 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally (approximately 10-15 minutes) then fluff with a fork before serving.
- Leftover or Meal Prep In Advance - Use leftover quinoa or make a big batch at the beginning of the week to use for this recipe and something else like my Cilantro and Lime Quinoa or Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quinoa Chili.
Any variety of quinoa would work but in this recipe, I like to use "plain" quinoa.
Cashews: These need to be "raw" and not "roasted + salted".
Almond Milk: I like to use homemade almond milk, but you can use your favorite non-dairy milk. Another great option is to use Joi Organic Almond Milk made with100% organic almonds.
Maple Syrup: This can be substituted with another sweetener such as organic date syrup, a sugar-free liquid sweetener, or even organic coconut nectar.
Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you use 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Spices: Feel free to adjust these to your preference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Quinoa In An Instant Pot?
Yes! See my instructions in the "Expert Tips" section above or in the directions in the recipe card.
Can I Make A "Quinoa Breakfast Porridge" With This Same Recipe?
Yes! I love to use quinoa for breakfast recipes and a couple of my favorite is Quinoa Fruit Porridge and Chocolate Baked Quinoa Breakfast Squares.
This recipe, as is, has a more "risotto" texture. However, you can easily convert it to a breakfast porridge by adding a little extra milk and sweetener to your preference.
Want More Healthy Plant-Based Side Dish Recipes?
Check out these:
- Red Quinoa with Cilantro and Lime
- Zucchini Boats with Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Spicy Turmeric Twice Baked Potatoes
- or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with 75+ plant-based recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Quinoa
Ingredients
For the quinoa:
- 4 cups organic quinoa (cooked)
For the pumpkin sauce:
- ½ cup organic pumpkin puree
- 2 cups organic raw cashews
- ¾ cup homemade almond milk
- ½ cup organic maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon organic ground vanilla bean powder
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
Prepare the quinoa:
- Stove-Top Method: Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
- Instant Pot Method: Add (4) cups of quinoa + (5) cups of filtered/purified water to an Instant Pot. Use these settings: HIGH PRESSURE --> PRESSURE COOK --> 5 MINUTES --> with the VENT CLOSED. After the quinoa has cooked for 5 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally (approximately 10-15) minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.
Prepare the pumpkin sauce:
- While the quinoa is cooking, add all ingredients for the pumpkin sauce to a Vitamix and blend until well combined and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Assembly:
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a medium-size mixing bowl, pour the pumpkin sauce over it, then stir until well combined.
- Optional: Garnish with cranberries or walnuts.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
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