Addictively cheesy broccoli quinoa bites for any occasion – they are a super healthy snack!
These portable broccoli quinoa bites are perfect for meal prep!
They’re also a great option to choose instead of sugary energy bars or processed snacks, especially if you’re the type of person who gets hungry between meals.
It’s a good recipe for kids as well, because they’re fun to make, fit easily into a lunch box, or can be served as a healthy after-school snack.
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You can customize the quinoa cups to use up whatever vegetables you have on hand – try adding carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, diced red pepper or onions…
Leftovers can be frozen so you always have a healthy snack or breakfast option when you’re short on time or don’t feel like cooking, and they’re also great to pack for road trips.
After my parents visited me this summer and were driving back to Texas, I made a batch for them to take in the car as an easy-to-eat and healthier alternative to fast food.
(Be sure to check out the video above, to watch these quinoa bites being made!)
While I’ve seen many ideas floating around Pinterest for quinoa bites, they always have eggs as one of the main ingredients.
These broccoli cheddar bites are completely egg-free!
Vegan cheddar works to keep them vegan (that’s actually vegan cheddar in the picture), and nutritional yeast also works in the recipe if you’d prefer not to use any cheese at all.
If you make them, be sure to rate the recipe in the comments below!
Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (80g)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup finely chopped broccoli (I used frozen, thawed)
- 1/2 cup cheese shreds, such as daiya, or nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- *I've made the recipe both as mini cups and muffin-sized cups. While both ways work, the mini bites firm up more quickly and are much easier to remove if you want to eat them the day they are made. The muffin-sized cups will peel off easily from the liners if you let them sit overnight in the fridge and reheat before eating.Line a muffin tin or grease a mini muffin tin very well. Set aside. Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and salt, cover, and lower to a simmer. Simmer (covered) 35 minutes, then turn off heat and check on it. If quinoa is not yet light and fluffy, put the lid back on and let it sit without heat on for an additional 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Stir all remaining ingredients into quinoa, and add salt and pepper to taste. (I like to add another 1/4 tsp salt.) Portion into the muffin tin, smoothing the tops. Bake on the center rack 22 minutes, then—never opening the oven door (important)—turn off the heat and let sit in the closed oven an additional 5 minutes. Let cool completely before going around the sides with a knife and removing from the muffin tin. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated or even frozen for another day.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Meal Prep Ideas:
Breakfast Meal Prep – 20 Healthy Recipes
Chocolate Covered Katie Blog Update:
I finally got around to updating the FAQ page, answering the most common questions I’m often asked by readers. Please feel free to check it out and let me know if there are any questions you think I missed!
More Reader Favorites:
Is that Daiya Cheese shreds in the picture? Or do you have your own recipe for vegan cheddar?
It is daiya in the photo, but Katie does have a homemade melty cheese recipe (oil-free, soy-free, coconut-free) in her cookbook as well: https://lett-trim.today/2016/10/11/healthy-breakfast-cookbook-food-blog/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jason (media relations)
Making these tonight – yum!!
xo,
Em
35 minutes to cook quinoa? Mine is usually done in about 15. Is that a typo?
But is that on simmer? 15 minutes seems way too short.
Mine only takes 15, too. Even on simmer. Maybe there’s a ‘quick’ quinoa that we’re getting?
Also depends on how much water you add. How much water do you use for 1/2 a cup of raw quinoa?
I do exactly what the directions say (I don’t cook it enough to go by heart), but I think it’s equal amounts water and quinoa.
I’m always looking for a new way to incorporate leftover quinoa! These to-go cups would be perfect packed in my weekday lunch!
Yum! I wish I was snacking on these for lunch today!
x
Paige
I know what I’m making for dinner this week. These look delish! I am curious, what does the baking powder do?
Binder instead of egg, and helps it rise.
Oh okay, thank you!
Homepage is showing chocolate biscuits..?
That is so strange, but we just noticed it too. Katie is fixing it!
Jason (media relations)
I really want to make these! Is the broccoli raw or pre-cooked? If I want to use pre-cooked quinoa (I always have some in the freezer) how much does the recipe need? Love your recipes!
That’s a really good question. I used frozen broccoli. Unfortunately I don’t know about the quinoa or if precooked from a different recipe would work the same, due to possibly different amounts of water being used to cook it. But if you want to use this recipe and make the quinoa up ahead of time and freeze it, you can definitely do that.
I just made them tonight using fresh raw broccoli and it turned out perfect – though I could taste that the broccoli almost over cooked. So probably don’t use precooked, I’d say.
Couldn’t resist trying these this am! Delicious! As far as the quinoa cooking time, I used prob 20 mins but added it to boiling water as per quinoa cooking instructions so maybe that’s the 35 mins. I also added an egg because of past problems with quinoa “ball” type recipes, but it’s a keeper! Delicious!
Thank you so much for making them!
Would I be able to substitute the quinoa for bran or oats?
Sorry, have never tried, but definitely feel free to experiment!