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Easy and crispy Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites make a delicious, healthy snack or side dish, or serve them as simple gluten free appetizers. Only four ingredients and you can use any leftover or frozen veggies you have on hand. A perfect finger food recipe for toddlers and kids packed with plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and protein, plus lots of cheese!
Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites – a Vegetarian Snack for Kids
One thing I know is that it can be hard to find quinoa recipes for kids. I know that my boys aren’t huge fans of it plain. But one day I was staring at a fridge with containers of leftover quinoa and vegetables with two hungry little boys by my side. I had to become a quinoa ninja.
After adding plenty of cheese (like my cheesy quinoa side dish) and turning them into crispy finger food (like Baked Cauliflower Tots), Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites were born. And you can be sure they gobbled up these veggie bites.
I had to stop them from polishing off the whole batch just so I could grab some photos. Heck, I had to stop myself too! Now we will often enjoy them as an easy vegetarian lunch recipe, or a side dish or snack.
Ingredients in Quinoa Bites
It doesn’t take much more than stirring together a few ingredients and packing it into a mini muffin tin before popping them into the oven. Here’s a quick overview, but the full amounts and details are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Quinoa. Cooked and cooled. You can definitely use leftovers.
- Cheddar cheese. I prefer a good, sharp cheddar, but you can use your favorite.
- Vegetables. Cooked and chopped. Use any leftovers or thawed frozen veggies.
- Egg. Just one for binding. You can also try one of these egg substitutes.
- Salt.
How to Make Quinoa Bites
Make sure your oven is preheated to 350°F, and your veggies and quinoa are cooked and cooled. Then spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Make sure your quinoa is cooked and cooled, and that your veggies are cooked as well. Now let’s get started.
Make the mixture. Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir until everything is evenly distributed.
Fill the pan. Divide the mixture between the wells in the mini muffin pan and pack it in firmly. I like to use a small cookie scoop.
Bake the bites. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Cool and serve. Let the cheesy quinoa bites cool for at least a few minutes. Then run the tip of a butter knife or a small offset spatula around the edge and pop them out of the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three or four days. You can even make a double batch and freeze them. If you freeze them on a pan and then transfer them to a plastic freezer storage bag, you can easily pull out just a few at a time as you need them. Just thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
These quinoa bites are actually good cold or at room temperature. You can also pop them in the microwave for a minute or two until they are hot. But I actually like putting them in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for 5-10 minutes because they get even more crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What vegetables can you use in these veggie bites?
In the photos, I used a mixture of steamed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. I have also used leftover roasted cauliflower and roasted broccoli. For the video, it was thawed frozen peas and carrots, but any thawed mixed veggies will work. Oftentimes I will add a thawed veggie blend of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans.
You can even get a little fancier and make Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bites. It’s totally your choice, so use whatever you have on hand, or whatever you are trying to sneak past your kids. I won’t tell. It’ll be our little secret!
How much dry quinoa do you need to make 1 cup of cooked quinoa?
Quinoa typically triples in volume when you cook it. So if you want to make exactly 1 cup of cooked quinoa, you will want to cook 1/3 cup dry quinoa in 2/3 cups of water or other liquid.
However, I recommend making a bigger batch because you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week and use it in a number of other recipes. I have an entire article about cooking quinoa, including five different methods to prepare it on the stove, or in the crockpot, Instant Pot, microwave, and rice cooker.
Serving Suggestions
While these certainly do make great snacks or appetizers, they are great to serve as a side dish with kid-friendly meals like these:
Dipping Sauces
My kids, like most, love to dip their finger foods. Try serving quinoa bites with one of these dips or sauces:
Things You’ll Need
PADDLE GRATER: These are convenient to shred the cheese right into the bowl without any extra dirty dishes.
MINI MUFFIN TIN: The perfect size for these little finger food bites. I do recommend a nonstick one.
SMALL COOKIE SCOOP: Makes portioning the quinoa mixture into the pan super easy.
SMALL OFFSET SPATULA: To pop the quinoa bites out of the pan.
Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa , cooled
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese , shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup vegetables , chopped and cooked {steamed, roasted, etc}
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 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 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- If you do not finish them, store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Did you make this?
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Can you add another egg to increase the protein content?
I haven’t tried that so I am not sure how the texture would turn out.
Yes, I use 3 eggs and broil for the last 3 minutes.
These are super tasty! I used vegan cheese (about 1/2 cup) and nutritional yeast to make these dairy free, and it seemed to work great. But man, even in a non-stick muffin pan sprayed with non-stick spray, these were stubborn to get out of the pan. I think I’ll try a tiny cookie scoop on a baking sheet next time.
Thanks for your feedback, Nora. I’m sorry you had trouble with them sticking to the pan, though. Hopefully they’ll come out well for you baking them on a cookie sheet instead. If you do make them that way, a sheet of parchment paper should help prevent them from sticking.
Thanks for info as I’m diary free, what diary free cheese did you use and how much nutritional yeast
Thanks
I used parchment paper muffin liners – they were amazing!
How do you store these? Airtight container in refrigerator?
You’re absolutely right, Tiffany. They also freeze well.
These are delicious! Do you need to refrigerate them? And if putting in a lunch, would they get soggy if I reheated them and put in a Thermos?
I’m happy to hear that you like the quinoa bites recipe, Annie. Yes, they should be refrigerated. I can’t answer your question about how they would hold up in a thermos, as I’ve never tried it. I can tell you that they’ll reheat better in an oven than they will in a microwave. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the recipe! My family loved these?
I’m SO happy to hear that the quinoa bites were a hit with your family, Stephanie. Thank you for your comment and for rating the recipe!
Hi I’m just enquiring if their are any egg free bited
I don’t have any quinoa bites made without egg. It does help bind them together.
Thanks for the delicious recipe, Brianne. You are right these cheesy veggie quinoa bites make delicious, healthy afternoon snacks and breakfast.
Adding smoke cheddar and ham is amazing!
How long would you bake them in a regular size muffin tin and how far up would you fill them? Thanks!
Flora, I would fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and try adding 3-4 minutes of bake time. After that, poke one of the muffins with a toothpick to see if the batter is cooked or not. Please let me know how they turn out!
I am gluten, sugar, corn and soy free so this recipe really called my name! I made a batch on Saturday, today is Monday and they are half gone. I will change up the next time I make them though. I think the artichoke made them bitter. I will put another veggie instead, maybe red pepper and I will add another egg too as I feel they didn’t stay together quite enough for me. All in all a great idea to add the quinoa. Thanks so much for the idea! And I will be checking out many of your other recipes as well.
Thank you for your comment, Dee. I’m sorry that the muffins weren’t as wonderful as you would have liked them to be, but it sounds like you’ve got great ideas for switching things up the next time you make them!
Love this recipe..have used it many times now. They pack for work lunches and reheat in the microwave. I usually make a batch for the week of grab and go breakfast, lunch or snacks and even make as an appetizer( i try to make them more bite size.)
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy the quinoa bites recipe, Dale!