Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (2024)

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Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (1)

By Natalie Monson

Published on June 4, 2016

28 Comments

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These power packed little Quinoa Pizza Bites are loaded with balanced protein, antioxidant rich veggies, and with a big pizza flavor, the kids will never know!

Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (2)Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (3)

A number of years ago, I decided that once a week our family would eat meat free to help save our pastured/grassfed meat budget a little. It has become a pretty simple addition to our meal rotation, and, most of the time we barely notice. I like to use quinoa a lot on those meat free days since it is a nice complete protein. It is so versatile as well, taking on whatever the flavors are that you are working with.

That yummy pizza flavor is a big hit with kids and they are the perfect size for little hands, so these have become a popularitem in the house. I even made a double batch this week and froze un-cooked bites on a tray, then popped them into a freezer bag to use on a busy school night. These would even make a great healthy snack!

Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (4)

These pizza bites are also loaded with cauliflower! I often forget about that lonely cauliflower sitting at the market, but it has some amazing antioxidant properties and is loaded with vitamin C and cancer fighting power! It’s neutral flavor and color make it hide really good in these pizza bites and will give the kids an extra veggie boost for the day.

Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (5)
Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (6)

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4.1 from 22 votes

Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe

These power packed little Quinoa Pizza Bites are loaded with balanced protein, antioxidant rich veggies, and with a big pizza flavor, the kids will never know!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 bites

Calories: 286kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa you can make this part days in advance or use leftover quinoa from dinner
  • 2 cups cooked and cooled cauliflower florets, pureed you will need about half a head of cauliflower. i steamed mine for 15 minutes while my quinoa was cooking. you can make this part days in advance or use leftover cauliflower from dinner
  • 1 egg if you are egg free, i think a flax egg or gelatin egg would work for the binding
  • 1/4 cup white rice flour
  • 2 tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 tbsp pizza sauce
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • extra pizza sauce for dipping
  • optional freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

  • Mix all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

  • Gently roll about 1 inch balls and set them onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

  • Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. You can garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and basil if you wish and use pizza sauce for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1128mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g

Keyword : gluten-free, healthy, Pizza Bites, Quinoa, Veggies

www.superhealthykids.com

Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (7)
Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (8)

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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28 Comments

Have you ever used other flours? If I don’t have white rice flour or coconut flour…. would oat, almond, spelt, or garbanzo work?

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Rice flour is not an option in our GF, grain-free household. Do you have any suggestions for an appropriate substitute? These look soooo good!!

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Hi JH! Almond flour should be fine. Also keep in mind that in most grain free/paleo circles quinoa is considered a grain so I wanted to be sure you knew that. Some circles consider it more of a seed – depends on what you are reading. Enjoy the pizza bites!

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Is it 2 cups pureed cauliflower or 2 cups florets then puree?

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I was wondering this too. I’m guessing you puree the cauliflower first, then add it to the mix?

Reply

Hi Lynn,
We generally don’t consider calories, fat, carbs, or protein as significant in the healthfulness of a recipe. Real, healthy, whole ingredients is the focus. For an analysis of any recipe, you can enter the ingredients here http://nutritiondata.self.com/
Thanks for being a reader!

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I made these today. They were tasteless and very mushy. Big disappointment and such a waste of expensive quinoa!

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What a disappointment, taste is just ok but none of us like the texture of the quinoa. Maybe it should be soaked first ? It was a little too salty too.

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Hello!
What should I do with the cauliflower before mixing it with all of the other ingredients? Stick it in the food processor? Also is the quinoa cooked or uncooked before it goes into the oven?

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Are the quinoa and cauliflower supposed to be blended together first? I just mixed in raw quinoa and it didn’t look anything like the picture

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Does the quinoa cook while they bake or do you cook the quinoa before hand? Also I’m assuming that you put it all in a food processor?

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Is the cauliflower cooked?,puréed as one reader says?

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Sorry for my ignorance but do you process the cauliflower?

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Hi…unfortunately my bites don’t look anything like the picture , texture has a lot to be desired due to the “uncooked” quinoa…they taste ok. I will have another go and will make some adjustments in the process…if anyone has any recommendations please share. This is a great idea to get extra goodness so not ready to give up…yet

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Very disappointed. My son tried to eat a few because he knew they were healthy and I really wanted him to, but finally couldn’t eat anymore. My baby, who eats everything, threw them all off of her tray! My other daughter had one and spit it out.

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I was SO hoping to be able to leave a positive comment as these look and sound so great! But unfortunately mine failed as well. I followed the recipe, and mine looked nothing like these ones in the photos. The inside was like they hadn’t been cooked at all. Maybe it was the chia egg? Not sure but they just didn’t firm up. So disappointed. Not sure what we’re all doing wrong…

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What can I use instead of Cauliflower?

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Honestly, the ones in the picture look fried.

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Mine came out great and looked a lot like the pic(although not perfect). If u read directions it does say to cook and cool everything first. Also it says the two cups of cauliflower is before puréed. With cauliflower, u do need to squeeze excess water sometimes but I had no problem with this recipe.

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Hi…so sorry but mine also didn’t work – tasted okay but the dough is unworkable – I couldn’t roll it into balls. So I just whacked them in a muffin pan.
Maybe you could revise the recipe, or put a video up? It seems like such a ģreat idea for the kids…would like to give it another go!

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Nice flavor and texture. I measured veggies first, then puréed, did one cup cauliflower and one cup broccoli. Look like the picture, not fried. Not sure about people using raw quinoa, the directions clearly say cooked and cooled. Side note, quinoa has a coating that is bitter, rinse well before cooking. I think these are quite good, it was easy and I am excited to have my toddler dig in.

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I totally forgot to measure and squeeze the liquid from the cauliflower and I ended up having to add an extra egg because I took the liberty to add parmesan cheese and some finely diced pepperoni to the mix. Baked as directed and they look exactly like the pictures. Very delicious and will make a great afternoon snack for my son.

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Would this recipe work using regular flower as well?

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Can you use all coconut flour? I normally don’t use rice flour

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Hi! We haven’t tried it with all coconut flour, but you can use our substitution guide to help you 🙂 https://www.superhealthykids.com/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide/

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I made a double batch. I squeezed the cauliflower a little bit to get most of the moisture out. But I did leave some in. Next time I will put in less salt. They made wonderful balls and looked just like the picture when baked. I used flax seeds to make two eggs for the double batch. I really liked them without the sauce, but my husband liked them with the sauce. I also would turn them over halfway. Thanks for a great recipe.

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Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (9)
I make these for my son every once and a while…he LOVES them. They have a little bit of a crunch on the outside, soft inside.

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Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (10)
Quinoa Pizza Bites Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much quinoa for 1 person? ›

You'll need about 50g of quinoa per person (make sure to rinse it first) and chicken or vegetable stock. We can't emphasise using stock enough. It really makes a difference to the flavour, yet is subtle enough not to distract from your final dish.

How to cool down quinoa quickly? ›

To quickly cool the cooked quinoa for use in salads, spread it evenly over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool. Once cool, use in your recipe or store in a covered container to prevent the quinoa from drying out in the fridge.

Is 1 cup of quinoa enough? ›

Like rice, quinoa grows in size as it cooks; culinary and health experts alike tend to agree that 1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa is enough for one person. Because it's so rich in protein and fiber, even a small amount will fill you up for hours while keeping you energized. Win-win!

How much does 1 cup of quinoa make? ›

Now that your quinoa is rinsed or toasted, it's time to cook it. For 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, you'll want to use 2 cups of water—this will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the temperature to medium-low and pop the lid on securely.

Is quinoa healthier than rice? ›

Quinoa is rich in both fiber and protein, contains a much higher amount of other nutrients, and has a similar fluffy texture to the rice. A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 g more fiber than white rice. Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice.

What happens if you don't rinse quinoa? ›

It wasn't a huge difference in texture, but definitely noticeable. Rinsing quinoa definitely starts to hydrate the seeds. Flavor – In terms of flavor, the unrinsed quinoa definitely had a nuttier, earthier flavor, but I didn't find it bitter at all. The rinsed quinoa was definitely milder and the flavors more muted.

How much dry quinoa for 1 cup cooked? ›

While cooking, quinoa expands by about 3 times. So, 1 cup of dry will yield about 3 cups of cooked quinoa. 1/2 cup of dry will yield 1 1/2 cups cooked etc. If you need a certain amount of cooked quinoa for a recipe, divide that number by 3 and that's approximately how much dry quinoa you will want to cook.

What is the quinoa to water ratio? ›

The basic ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid. You can use water (season it with a bit of kosher salt), or you can use any kind of broth (we like to use low-sodium broths and add any extra salt to the finished dish as needed). You can also add a bit of dry white wine to the liquid for another layer of flavor.

How much dry quinoa to make 2 cups cooked? ›

If you want 2 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 2/3 cup of dry quinoa, etc. To cook the quinoa, you will use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa, or 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry quinoa.

Is quinoa better than rice? ›

Quinoa is rich in both fiber and protein, contains a much higher amount of other nutrients, and has a similar fluffy texture to the rice. A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 g more fiber than white rice. Quinoa contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice.

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