Melty, cheesy, savory homemade quinoa pizza bites. This easy recipe is such a popular appetizer or healthy snack!
Pizza night will never be the same.
Bring a batch of these homemade quinoa pizza bites, and you are pretty much guaranteed to be the hit of any party or family dinner.
The healthy pizza appetizer is simple to make and can be vegan, gluten free, egg free, sugar free, flourless, nut free, soy free, and dairy free.
Also try out this Cauliflower Casserole
Vegetarians and non vegetarians both love the addictively delicious pizza balls, so you know they must be good.
And the bites are easily portable, meaning they’re great for potlucks or game day events. Or serve them as a healthy after school snack.
Kids can’t get enough of the bold pizza flavor and melty cheese filling, while parents appreciate the fiber, protein, iron, and Vitamin C packed into each and every bite.
Pizza Bite Ingredients
The recipe calls for the following eight ingredients: quinoa, beans, tomato paste, dried basil, sweetener, salt, garlic, and onion powder.
Use your favorite brand of shredded mozzarella for the cheese filling. Vegan cheese works too; that’s actually vegan cheese in the photos. The cheese is not required and they’re still yummy if you want to leave it out.
I haven’t tried it yet but would love to know if the recipe also works with rice instead of quinoa. Please be sure to report back if you try!
Quinoa Pizza Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (here's How to cook quinoa)
- 1 cup canned or cooked pinto beans
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sweetener of choice
- optional shredded mozzarella cheese (vegan brands work too!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a baking sheet well, then set aside. In a medium bowl, mash the beans completely. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Taste, then add a little more sweetener only if needed. (Mine didn’t need it.) Roll into balls, then break off a piece of the cheese—if using—and push it into the middle before sealing the ball back up. Place the balls onto the baking tray and cook 30 minutes. For a crispy outer shell, feel free to broil a minute at the end.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
More Healthy Meatless Recipes
Or this Cauliflower Pizza Crust
I just made these for dinner tonight and they were so delicious!! I used regular mild cheddar cheese for most of them and Daiya Jack for some as my brother is allergic to dairy. I also used Great Northern beans because I didn’t have any pinto beans. I will certainly be making these again, all 6 of my family members loved these! Thank you so much for another healthy meal idea, Katie!
I’ve read all of the comments, and it seems no one has the same question as I do: in your ingredients list, is it “1 cup of quinoa, cooked”, or “1 cup of cooked quinoa”. When I make 1 cup of raw quinoa it becomes larger than the 1 cup. Do I use just one of those cooked cups, or do I use all of it? Thanks.
1 cup cooked, so 1/4 cup raw.
So people. Don’t sub kidney beans or oregano. I didn’t have pintos or basil so I did….They do not compare to the flavors that come with marrying basil and pinto! My heart, it aches.
Hi. I’m very keen to make these. Wondering if it will work if I make the balls ready the night before, keep them in the fridge and pop in the oven when ready for them? Can you foresee any issues if I did this or will it be a disaster? Cheers.
I just tried it..and they didnt hold together at all.. :/ they look more like pancakes. any suggestions? i added flower as a last hope but it ruined the taste and still they still didnt hold together…
I added more quinoa and beans on my first try – about a few tablespoons more
See Katie’s troubeshooting link in the Recipe FAQ section for help, as these ought to hold together perfectly. They did for me, anyway.
Love your recipes Katie 🙂 Just wondering if you’re aware that some of your advertising is showing up down the bottom of your recipes in the format of your links to other recipes on your site…but the recipes are like buffalo chicken lasagne and BLT pasta salad, clearly not vegan. When I click it and it goes to another site. Maybe this isn’t your advertising, maybe I have really sneaky adware but it just seems strange that you’d have links to meaty dishes and they deceive you cos they look like they link to more of your recipes!!
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for weeks until I finally made them this evening. I mixed Daiya shredded cheese instead because mama’s lazy. I thoroughly enjoyed these and practically ate most of it. I doubled up on the ingredients so I have more mixture to make for tomorrow. Thanks!
Just made…def taste the tomato sauce and pinto beans. Not sure if I would make again but glad I did. Thanks for the recipe.
Another hit by the skinnyminichocolatecoveredKatie! I did two things different, and really only slightly different. I used my stick blender on everything but the quinoa and cheese. Then mixed in the quinoa, that came out perfectly for the first time, I MUST ADD! Followed our Katie’s instructions found elsewhere on the site. I used daiya provolone and broke the slice in to pieces for the simple fact that it was what I had in the fridge. They reheat well, 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave. I will definitely be making these again, and again and again. Only difference I think I will make is simple. Smaller. I wanted so badly to be able to pick it up! It kind of smooshed in my hand. Also, doubling the recipe. I NEED more than one meal out of these. I work evening, so anything I can make ahead that reheats well, is a bonus in my book! As always, Thanks Katie! Do you have a blog you follow for the necessary meals that do not contain chocolate? Trying to reduce the amount of meat in my diet as much as possible. This will definitely help!
Try findingvegan.com
I have a batch of these in the oven right now! The smell reminds me of the pizza that was made at the local skating rink, when I was a kid. So good! Two things I did differently: I used cooked brown rice instead of quinoa so I increased the amount by a 1/2 cup, I also used shredded cheese instead of block; more difficult but if you’re patient it works out nicely! Can’t wait to try these.
Just popped these out of the oven. They look, feel and taste beautiful; sturdy too. The only thing that I would do differently next time is use the block cheese; shreds caused a few to buckle and split, oozing cheese. I don’t mind though because I am one of those weirdos who loves burnt cheese bits. Letting these cool down a bit to room temp for tea time!