Cheesy Quinoa Bites

These cheesy quinoa bites are the perfect solution when you need something to do with leftover quinoa!

You and the kids will love them because they’re bite-sized, cheesy, nutritious, and pair great with everything!

Are Quinoa Bites Healthy?

These quinoa bites are a healthy meal option for adults and kids; with each bite containing 36 calories and 2 grams of protein, they’re a terrific meal builder.

Quinoa is also a healthy grain providing fiber, protein, and minerals, making it a great addition to your meals.

Ingredients

Few ingredients go into these cheesy quinoa bites, which is why they’re always the perfect thing to make and easy to customize! You’ll need:

• Quinoa: the recipe card below includes measurements for leftover cooked quinoa or uncooked.
• Egg: to bind the quinoa, seasoning, and cheese.
• Italian seasoning: adds a mild flavor kids love. Check the recipe card for other seasoning suggestions.
• Garlic powder: a little goes a long way to add flavor.
• Salt: just a pinch for seasoning.
• Shredded Cheese: this is what gives these bites its “cheesy” name and make it a kid-favorite! I suggest sharp cheddar for flavor, but you can use mozzarella too.

How to Make Quinoa Bites

Making cheesy quinoa bites is easy, almost like making cupcakes! Here is what you’ll need to do:

1. Cook the quinoa (if you don’t have leftovers)
   In a medium saucepan, place quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the quinoa sit, covered, for 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
   Allow the quinoa to cool down to room temperature; this is a great step to make ahead of time or use up leftover quinoa.
2. Prep the oven
   Preheat the oven to 400F and grease or spray a (24) mini muffin pan*.
3. Make the cheesy base
   In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and shredded cheese. Once combined, add the cooled quinoa and mix.
4. Fill them up!
   Spoon the cheesy quinoa mixture into the muffin pan.
5. Bake the cheesy quinoa bites
   Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy.
6. Serve
   Serve these cheesy quinoa bites with marinara sauce, salsa, topped with guacamole, and more!

Watch this quick recipe video to see it all come together step-by-step

Dry to Cooked Quinoa Ratio

1 cup of dry quinoa expands 3 to 4 times its size, yielding approximately 3.5 cups cooked.

The recipe card below includes the measurements to make these cheesy quinoa bites starting from dry and with leftover cooked quinoa.

Kid and Toddler Approved Quinoa Recipe

By turning quinoa into a bite-sized food and adding cheese, you’re transforming a nutritious ingredient into a kid and toddler-approved quinoa recipe. Bonus points when you serve these cheesy quinoa bites with a sauce for dipping!

Sauces for Dipping Quinoa Bites

Kids and toddlers love to dip their food, and by serving these quinoa bites with a sauce, you’re making them more fun to eat. Consider dipping these in:  

• bbq sauce
• homemade ranch
• homemade ketchup
• veggie tomato sauce
• easy guacamole
• Smooth blender salsa

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How to Pack Quinoa Bites for Lunch

You can pack these quinoa bites warm inside a preheated thermos or at room temperature inside a compartmentalized container. 

Pair these with some fruit and veggies, and you’ve got one complete meal!

These are my favorite kid-friendly lunch containers.

More Ways to Use Leftover Quinoa

Want more ways to use up quinoa? Consider these recipes:

Southwest Quinoa Salad | Pizza Quinoa Bites | Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Servings: 24 bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

These cheesy quinoa bites are easy to make and a delicious way to repurpose leftover quinoa into a fun lunch!

4.91 from 66 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

• ½ cup quinoa*
• 1 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning*
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions

Cook the quinoa:

• In a medium saucepan, place quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the quinoa sit, covered, for 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool down to room temperature; this is a great step to make ahead of time or use up leftover quinoa.

Make the bites:

• Preheat the oven to 400F and grease or spray a (24) mini muffin pan*.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and shredded cheese. Once combined, add the cooled quinoa and mix.
• Spoon the cheesy quinoa mixture into the muffin pan.

Bake:

• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Notes

Have leftover quinoa? You’ll need 1.5 cups cooked quinoa to make this recipe.

In this recipe, you can swap the Italian seasoning with cajun seasoning or veggie seasoning. Omit the salt if your seasoning already has it.

Want to make larger, muffin-sized quinoa cups? Use a (12) standard muffin pan and bake for 22 to 15 minutes.

Equipment

101 Packed Lunches eBook

Kids Lunch Box

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bite | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 0.3mg