Quinoa Breakfast Bars

A good make-ahead breakfast for the entire week. This bar has about 10 grams of protein and about 260 calories per serving, if you follow nutritional stuff. They are filled with protein.  One bar satisfies my hunger until lunch. I found the original recipe in a Buzzfeed post on Facebook.  Really.  It was in a list of breakfast foods with very few ingredients.  I tweaked it until I liked it.  It is not overly sweet and the addition of walnuts give it a more interesting texture.

Quinoa Breakfast Bars

2 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled to lukewarm

4 eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk drink (like Silk brand)

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tblsp cinnamon

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 coarsely chopped and peeled apple (optional)

Beat eggs until foamy. Add and beat in vanilla, coconut milk, cinnamon, maple syrup. Mix in lukewarm, cooked quinoa. Mix in nuts and apple (if you are using the apple).

Spread onto generously oiled cookie sheet with sides (some cookie sheets have no sides and the batter will just roll off). Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Cool, then cut into 8 pieces. I store them in a container, separated by pieces of wax paper, in the refrigerator.  Microwave a piece for 30 seconds.  Slather on butter or soft cream cheese, if you don’t mind the calories, but they taste fine as is.