These easy and cheesy veggie quinoa cups are perfect for baby-led weaning or as a finger food for toddlers, but they’re also yummy for the rest of the family too! Packed with veggies, these baked quinoa bites are one delicious and healthy snack or side! {Gluten free & vegetarian}
Savory Quinoa Muffins – So Easy!
If you’ve got picky kids (or adults) in your house, and you find it hard to get them to eat their veggies, these cheesy veggie quinoa cups may very well be the answer!
Full of veggies and packed with nutrients, these fun and colourful little bites are perfect for kids and adults alike. They’re portable, so they’re great to pop into lunchboxes, and for the adults, they make for a delicious side dish or healthy mid-afternoon snack.
For more quinoa recipes for babies and toddlers, be sure to check out my Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Bites and Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes too!
Why We Love This Veggie Quinoa Recipe
- Quick and easy: It doesn’t take long to make up a big batch of these veggie bites. They’re simple enough that the kids can help make them too!
- Make ahead: These have a great shelf life and are also freezer-friendly. We love to make up a batch to keep on hand in the freezer for quick and easy meals and snacks!
- Nutrient-rich: These bites are a great source of fibre and the quinoa is considered a complete protein since it contains all nine essential amino acids. The veggies and cheese provide lots of nutrients like vitamins A, C, calcium, and protein. No shortage of nutrients in these bites!
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa: Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and a source of fibre and plant-based protein. Cook the quinoa and let it cool before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Broth: Use a broth with no added salt. Chicken or vegetable broth both work well. You can use just water to cook the quinoa, but the broth helps to add some extra flavour.
- Vegetables: Zucchini, carrots, peas and corn are typically our veggies of choice but you can also sub in finely diced broccoli or peppers too.
- Eggs: Used to bind the quinoa together so that it holds its shape.
- Cheese: I like to add a little shredded cheese for flavour, and like the egg, it also helps to hold these quinoa bites together. We generally use cheddar, but you can sub in your favourite cheese.
How to Make Quinoa Veggie Bites – Step by Step Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Uncover, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool for several minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with silicone baking cups (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
- In a medium pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, then add zucchini, carrots, peas and corn. Saute until bright and softened about 2-3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, eggs, cheese, onion powder, and veggies. Add salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Evenly divide the mixture among 20 muffin cups, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to pack down mixture. Each cup should be about half to three quarters full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the quinoa cups are slightly firm to the touch. Cool for several minutes before removing from muffin pan to allow cups to firm up. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes:
- I recommend making the quinoa up in advance to save time when prepping this recipe. That way, all that you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together and bake.
- If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked quinoa to prepare this recipe.
- You may wish to wring out the zucchini if it has a lot of moisture. Some of the moisture will also evaporate while cooking it on the stove.
- I suggest using silicone baking cups since it’s so easy to pop these bites out of the cups once they’re cooked. You can even store them in the silicone cups for easier transportation if packing in lunchboxes or for on the go snacks.
- Use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to pack the quinoa mixture tightly into the cups. This will help the mixture adhere together. You may wish to wet the back of the spoon with some water so that the mixture doesn’t stick.
- Let the quinoa bites cool for several minutes before removing them from the muffin tin to allow them to firm up a bit.
Recipe FAQs
How to store
You can store these quinoa bites in the fridge for up to five days in an air-tight container.
Can you freeze these quinoa bites?
Yes, they freeze really well! You can freeze them for up to three months.
To freeze: Allow them to cool. When freezing, separate the quinoa cups with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together if you’re stacking them and place them in a freezer-safe ziploc bag or container.
To reheat: Place the mini cups back in the muffin tin and warm them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Or you can also pop them in the microwave to warm them up.
Can babies eat quinoa?
Definitely! Quinoa is a great nutrient-dense option for babies. That being said, it can be a bit tricky to serve since it’s crumbly, which is why I love this quinoa recipe for babies and toddlers!
The egg and cheese helps to bind the quinoa together, which makes it much easier for little ones to hold and transport into their mouths.
Can I make these into quinoa patties?
For sure! I like to pack the quinoa mixture into a muffin tin since I find it’s a bit easier, but you can definitely use your hands to form the quinoa mixture into patties instead. Once the patties are formed, simply place them on a baking sheet and bake for the same amount of time as the cups.
Serving suggestions
These veggie quinoa cups can be enjoyed by themselves, but they also make for a great side dish too!
Try them with:
- Chicken Avocado Poppers
- Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes
- Almond Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers
- Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Zucchini Chicken Poppers
Recipe variations
- More veggies – You can also add finely chopped broccoli or peppers.
- More spices – Add extra onion powder, garlic powder, or paprika.
- Fresh herbs – Add in finely chopped parsley or cilantro.
More similar recipes
- Chicken Quinoa Meatballs
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Beef & Quinoa Chili
- Tex Mex Quinoa Bowl
- Beef & Quinoa BBQ Meatloaf Muffins
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Cheesy Veggie Quinoa Cups
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/3 cup reduced sodium broth (can use chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
- 2 medium carrots grated (about 1 cup shredded carrot)
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool for several minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with silicone baking cups (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
- In a medium pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, then add zucchini, carrots, peas and corn. Saute until bright and softened about 2-3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, eggs, cheese, onion powder, and veggies. Add salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Evenly divide the mixture among 20 muffin cups, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to pack down mixture. Each cup should be about half to three quarters full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until quinoa cups are slightly firm to the touch. Cool for several minutes before removing from muffin pan to allow cups to firm up. Serve warm.
Notes
- I recommend making the quinoa up in advance to save time when prepping this recipe. That way, all that you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together and bake.
- If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked quinoa to prepare this recipe.
- You may wish to wring out the zucchini if it has a lot of moisture. Some of the moisture will also evaporate while cooking it on the stove.
- I suggest using silicone baking cups since it’s so easy to pop these bites out of the cups once they’re cooked. You can even store them in the silicone cups for easier transportation if packing in lunchboxes or for on the go snacks.
- Use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to pack the quinoa mixture tightly into the cups. This will help the mixture adhere together. You may wish to wet the back of the spoon with some water so that the mixture doesn’t stick.
- Let the quinoa bites cool for several minutes before removing them from the muffin tin to allow them to firm up a bit.
- If making these quinoa cups for babies, you may wish to add less salt or leave it out altogether.
My son is allergic to eggs. Do you have a good substitute that would work with recipe?
Unfortunately, the eggs are key in this recipe as they help bind the quinoa and veggies together. I haven’t had a chance to experiment with chia or flax eggs with this recipe so I’m not sure if they would be a suitable alternative? Another option would be to try a vegan egg replacer such as the one listed below. Once again, I haven’t had a chance to test it out, so please let me know how it works out if you decide to experiment. Hope this helps!
https://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-vegan-egg-replacer.html