Maple-Cinnamon Quinoa Pudding (Un)Birthday Breakfast Cupcakes

Friday was Sawyer's fourth birthday. I wanted to make him something special for his breakfast, but he has pancakes and waffles all the time, so I wondered what I could make that would be a treat for him. Then I remembered the mini ice cream cones in our cupboard, and how once I had made him cupcakes cones that he found pretty thrilling.  Why not make breakfast "cupcake" cones?  Using what I had on hand at 6am this morning, I whipped up a maple-cinnamon quinoa pudding and some sunflower seed butter frosting, added a dash of sprinkles to please the birthday boy, and got both Sawyer and Abiline eating seconds of a protein-rich, refined-sugar free breakfast.  So whether it's your birthday or un-birthday, go ahead and dig in! The quinoa pudding is gluten-free, and you can keep the whole thing gluten-free by just subbing some gluten-free cones (although I don't think those come in miniature size).  Keep in mind that the cones get a bit soggy after a few hours if you don't eat these right away, so I recommend that you make some in mini- or regular-sized muffin cups if you mind a soft cone and anticipate leftovers.  

For the maple-cinnamon quinoa pudding:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup (packed) cooked white beans
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. maple extract
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup

For the frosting:
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup pitted dates
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. maple extract

1. Soak the 3/4 cup dates that you need for both the pudding and the frosting in boiling water for 7-10 minutes, until softened. Alternatively, you can cover the dates with water and microwave them for about two minutes until softened.
2. Preheat the oven to 350.  Place 18 mini cupcake cones or 9 regular-sized cones on a baking tray. (Or you could just line the same number of mini or regular-sized muffin cups.) Place all of the pudding ingredients in your food processor work bowl and buzz until smooth. Spoon the pudding into the prepared cones or muffin cups and bake them in the preheated oven.  The mini cones took 12 minutes to bake, and I made one large one that took 20 minutes to bake.  When they are done, a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
3. Allow the cupcake cones to cool while you whip up the frosting.  Blend all of the frosting ingredients in your food processor until smooth. Slather the cooled cones with the frosting; top with sprinkles, if you are feeling in the birthday spirit.

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As for Sawyer's birthday cake, he wanted a dinosaur cake. I was pretty proud of this one, the idea for which I found here. But when I brought it out, the cake got almost no reaction from him so I though he didn't like it.  Anthony said Sawyer must have just been overwhelmed with all the birthday festivities at the time because in his prayers that night he gave thanks at length for his cake.  Phew! I was glad to not disappoint after he had talked about the cake for weeks beforehand!

This post is linked to My Meatless Mondays, Made From Scratch Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays ,Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays,and Wellness Weekend.