This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Spinach artichoke quinoa bites with three kinds of cheese turn your favorite hot spinach artichoke dip recipe into a healthy, whole grain finger food for gluten free appetizers or an easy snack. Heat up some tomato sauce for dipping these Cheesy Quinoa Spinach Artichoke Bites.
Originally published on Jan 18, 2017.
I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that we are homebodies. And not just homebodies. We are happy homebodies.
I see people running around to seventeen different sports and activities every week, day trips and outings and overnights away every weekend, squeezing in movies and dinners at restaurants after school, and I feel like I am doing something wrong.
Do you know what we did for the past few Saturdays? Absolutely nothing.
Well, to be fair, a few Saturdays ago was New Year’s Eve and three-quarters of us were sick and eating Butternut Squash Soup and sipping on a Cold Toddy Whiskey Mule (well the second one was just me – no whiskey for the kiddos!). And the other Saturdays it’s not like we were not doing anything at all. I was putting away Christmas decorations, purging closets, filming videos, and such.
My kids were playing. Just playing. Good as gold, happy as clams.
And I’m trying to be ok with that instead of feeling bad that we weren’t hosting playdates or dinners for friends, going to the Smithsonian, or whatever. We were all just home. Doing our thing. And nobody seemed to mind or care or want to be anywhere else.
And you know what? That’s totally fine. Or I’m at least going to keep convincing myself it’s fine.
You know what else is totally fine? The fact that I can only get my kids to eat spinach or artichokes or quinoa when I turn it into cheesy finger food…
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites
These are a great game day appetizer, after school snack, or even a dinner side dish.
You’ve got the usual suspects in classic spinach artichoke dip – spinach, artichoke hearts, and three kinds of cheese – mixed up with cooked quinoa and an egg to stick it all together. Then just pack the mixture into a mini muffin tin and bake till you have golden, crispy little bites perfect for dipping in tomato sauce and popping right in your mouth. Even the pickiest of eaters won’t be able to resist all the cheesy finger food fun.
What do you need to make cheesy quinoa bites?
Ingredients:
- Quinoa – cooked and cooled
- Cheese – Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and parmesan
- Canned artichoke hearts – chopped and squeezed until dry
- Frozen spinach – thawed and squeezed until dry
- Salt
- Egg
You might also want some Marinara Sauce for dipping!
Equipment:
- Mini muffin tin – be sure to spray it well with cooking spray, or even try one of these silicone muffin pans to pop them out easily.
- Cookie scoop – makes filling the muffin tin super easy
How do you make spinach artichoke bites?
This brief overview will show you just how easy they are to make. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full amounts and details.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture between cups of a mini muffin pan. Press down firmly.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden.
- Let cool slightly before loosening with the tip of a butter knife to pop them out of the pan.
BRIANNE’S PRO TIP: Make sure you’ve squeezed as much of the excess moisture out of both the thawed spinach and canned artichoke hearts as possible before you stir everything together. This will ensure everything sticks together.
Check out these kid-friendly quinoa recipes:
- Cheesy Quinoa Side Dish
- Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites
- Bacon Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad
- Jalapeno Popper Quinoa Bites from Alida’s Kitchen
Here are more gluten free appetizers you might enjoy:
- Spinach Artichoke Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks
- Best Baked Brie with Honey and Nuts
- Healthy BBQ Turkey Meatballs
- Ground Beef Stuffed Mushrooms with Mozzarella
- Cauliflower Tots
- Spinach Artichoke Dip Stuffed Mushrooms from Snixy Kitchen
- Spinach Artichoke Hummus from Shugary Sweets
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites Recipe
Three kinds of cheese and all the flavors you love about Spinach Artichoke in a bite-sized finger food. These make a great side dish or snack, but you can also serve them with tomato sauce for dipping as a party appetizer. Only eight ingredients, healthy, and gluten free too!
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
- 2 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 14 oz artichoke hearts, chopped and squeezed in a paper towel or kitchen towel until throughly dry
- 4 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed in a paper towel or kitchen towel until throughly dry
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or oil.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cups of the mini muffin tin, and press down to pack it in firmly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Let cool for a couple minutes before loosening from the pan with the tip of a butter knife.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
Enjoy!
I don’t have a mini pan, would you suggest a cooking time if I used regular size muffin pan?
I haven’t done that but I’d say 25-30 minutes. The outsides will crisp up in about the same time, but you want them hot and fully stuck together on the inside.
Is it truly 4 oz of spinach? Four only? Not more? Thanks!
Yes, that’s all you need.
Made for our weekly distancing cocktail hour. Was a huge hit. I had some sauteed onions & peppers that I added as well as garlic salt. Not one leftover.
Yummy, love the additions!
Ate the whole pan myself! Simple and delicious recipe. Thank you. 🙂
Just made these bites and I love them!! I work 12 hour shifts and am always looking for new things I can prep/make/freeze ahead of time for lunches and snacks at work. Thanks for this awesome addition to my recipe book! 🙂
Can these be made ahead, frozen and reheated?
Absolutely, Sheryl. Just be sure to wrap them when they’re cool. I suggest wrapping them in a layer of plastic wrap with a layer of aluminum foil around that. Put them into the fridge to thaw the night before you want to reheat them and you should be good to go!
Is it one cup quinoa before or after cooking it?
No, it is one cup after cookiing.
Hello
I was wondering if you think I could bake the whole content in a square or rectangular dish to then cut them into small pieces. If so, what size of dish would you recommend and would you keep the oven temperature the same? Thank you ahead of time for any input you may have
And happy winter holidays
Chantal
I’m sorry, I have not tried that. I’d think it would work, but you’d lose the crispy edges so I’m not sure the piddle pieces would hold together too well.
Hi. I can’t wait to try these! I am making them for my greeting card making club. Thank you so much for the idea!!!
Love the recipe! Added a few seasonings and just a small amount to not over power. SO. FREAKING. GOOD!!!
Thank you for this !!
I’m so glad to hear that you love the quinoa bites, Lauren. They’re pretty addictive, aren’t they? 😉
[…] Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites […]
Made these for dinner tonight. Yummy! I changed the recipe just a little. I added 1/4 red bell pepper, 2 green onions, 1 very small clove of garlic and didn’t add any salt. With all the cheese I felt there would be enough salt in the recipe. I also used fresh spinach. That was what I had on hand. I warmed some marinara sauce but after one I switched to cocktail sauce and salsa to see which we liked the best. My thought is it depends on how I feel at any different time. Next time I may also try guacamole. This was our dinner with a side salad. Thank you for the recipe.
Brenda, your substitutions and additions to the quinoa bites recipe sound amazing! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for your comment and recipe rating!
[…] 21. Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites – This healthy finger food is full of whole grains, veggies, and 3 delicious cheeses. Flavor is not lacking in these delicious bites, and it’s a snack you can feel good about filling up on! Find the recipe at cupcakesandkalechips.com […]
[…] Spinach Artichoke Rice Casserole Spinach & Artichoke Skillet Chicken by Plaid & Paleo Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites by Cupcakes & Kale Chips Spinach Artichoke Breakfast Egg Muffins by Food Faith Fitness Spinach […]
Do you think these would still be good reheated? I want to make them for an office potluck, but I would need to make them the day before. Thanks!
Yes, I actually like them a little extra crispy!
[…] Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites […]
so sorry, I just commented on the other cheesy bites when I really made this one.. please see that comment, thanks
Haha! No worries. Thank you for your comment and feedback on the muffins.
These deserve 5 *. I added some scallions to them the second time I made them. they are so good. I cant imagine them getting only 2*. This is a keeper, love them.
I am so happy to hear that you like the quinoa bites, Shirley! Thank you for your 5 star review 🙂
By chance do you have any nutritional info on these? Thanks
Hi Mabel,
I suggest using the nutritional calculator on myfitnesspal.com to get nutritional information for recipes. I entered this one for you. You can see the results here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/view/163833154670333
What dipping sauce did u make to go with it?
Gabby, I served the quinoa bites with a simple spaghetti/marinara sauce.
Not near as good as they look ????
Sorry you didn’t like them. Do you have any specific feedback?
Hello! Can I use fresh spinach for this recipe, or is it important to use thawed frozen? I already have fresh spinach on hand, but I’m wondering if there is something unique about the texture of frozen that makes it better for this. Thanks!!
Hi Andrea! I used frozen spinach because I wanted to be able to remove the excess moisture so they would hold together, and to ensure no uncooked bits of spinach (which my kids don’t like). If you wilt fresh spinach and squeeze out the moisture it might work, but I haven’t tried it.
I love all the quinoa recipes I’ve been seeing lately! It’s one of my favorites and so versatile! (P.S. Sorry you got hit with negativity – your blog is beautiful, and I love what I’ve seen!) Thanks so much for linking up with us at Funtastic Friday!
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Liz!
We make quinoa quite often, but I’ve never made them into bites. These sound yummy! Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday last week.
Any recipe with spinach has my vote. This looks amazing. Going to pin it under Appetizers.
The ads are obnoxious & cover content. They move as the screen does. I just wanted to see the recipe to see what ingredients and I had to go through a crud load of pictures (same one again & again of the recipe Cooked) and ads, ads, & more ads! Ugh! Won’t come back to your site. You annoying.
I am sorry you feel that way. My ad program aligns with many others in the industry. And if you don’t like photos, then you probably shouldn’t look for recips on food blogs because many of us do like to take and display photos.