Chocolate Quinoa Crunch Bites

4.25

Published Dec 07, 2015, Updated Jun 12, 2023

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These chocolate quinoa crunch bites are crispy, chocolatey and taste just like you’re eating a chocolate crunch bar! Plus, they’re no bake, vegan, super easy to whip up and require only 5 simple ingredients.

Baking cookies for Christmas is one my favorite holiday traditions. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but every year the ladies in my family get together for a holiday cookie bake. We bake all morning before our family holiday celebration and bring a bunch of treats to share with everyone.

An overhead photo looking at chocolate quinoa crunch bites piled onto pieces of overlapping parchment paper.

There are a few cookie staples that we make year after year (like these almond crescent cookies) but we always try out a few new recipes as well. I like to make at least one healthier option so a few years ago I made healthy no bake cookies, one of my absolute favorite holiday cookies to date. This year I’m doing it again… but with these no bake crunchy quinoa bites!

Ingredients measured out to make chocolate quinoa crunch bites: puffed quinoa, coconut oil, maple syrup, dark chocolate chips and cocoa powder.

Here’s What You Need

puffed quinoa – you can find puffed quinoa in most grocery stores but should be in all health food stores. Puffed rice works as well but quinoa has a bit more protein!
dark chocolate chips – I like using Lily’s chocolate chips because they are low in sugar and calories but any dark chocolate chips will work!
coconut oil – make sure your coconut oil is in the liquid state. You can heat on the stovetop or microwave for a bit if needed.
unsweetened cocoa powder – either cocoa powder or cacao powder works, just make sure you grab unsweetened!
maple syrup or agave – you can use any liquid sweetener here but I recommend using maple syrup or agave for the best flavor!

Quinoa crunch bites in 2 rows of 4 on parchment paper. There is a 3rd row being cut out of the frame.

Variations & Notes

Crispy rice cereal – if you can’t find puffed quinoa or just prefer to use rice cereal, that should work just fine!

Chocolate – feel free to use dark chocolate in place of chocolate chips if you’d like.

Cocoa powder – like I mentioned above, raw cacao powder works as well!

Sweetener – any liquid sweetener works. I recommend one of these natural sweetener if you want to swap.

Collage of six photos showing the steps to making chocolate quinoa crunch bites.

How to Make Quinoa Crunch Bites

Start by melting the chocolate chips. You can either use a double boiler or melt the chocolate in the microwave. If you melt the chocolate in the microwave, heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Make sure you don’t burn the chocolate!

Combine the melted chocolate, coconut oil, cocoa powder and maple syrup in a large bowl. Fold in the puffed quinoa. Use a medium cookie scoop to form the crisps into bite-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to let the chocolate set.

Melt the rest of the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave and dip each crisp into the melted chocolate to create a chocolate base. This will seal the crisp so it holds it shape better. Place back on the baking sheet and put them back in the fridge for at least an hour to harden.

Quinoa crunch bites piled high on a piece of parchment paper.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep your quinoa crunch bites in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. You could also freeze them for longer storage if needed!

More Sweet Quinoa Recipes

More Healthy Treats to Try

Be sure to check out all of my no bake dessert recipes and the full collection of dessert recipes here on EBF!

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4.25 from 4 votes