Chocolate Quinoa Crunch Bites (Printable)

Crunchy no-bake chocolate quinoa bites with oats and coconut. Gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and ready in minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup puffed quinoa
02 - 1 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
03 - 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

→ Chocolate Mixture

04 - 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
05 - 1/4 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
06 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil
07 - 2 tablespoons maple syrup

→ Optional Add-ins

08 - 1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, or cashews)
09 - 2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
10 - Pinch of sea salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Line a mini muffin tin or baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the puffed quinoa, rolled oats, and shredded coconut. Fold in any optional chopped nuts or dried fruit if using.
03 - In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the dark chocolate, peanut butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Melt together using a microwave or double boiler, stirring every 30 seconds until completely smooth.
04 - Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the quinoa-oat mixture and stir until every piece is thoroughly and evenly coated.
05 - Scoop rounded tablespoons of the coated mixture into the prepared mini muffin tin or onto the baking sheet. Press each portion down gently to form compact, uniform bites. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the bites are firm and hold their shape.
07 - Carefully remove the bites from the tin or peel them off the parchment paper. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • They require zero baking and almost zero patience, which means you are never more than thirty minutes away from a chocolate fix.
  • The texture is where the magic lives, because the puffed quinoa delivers a crunch that regular rice crispy treats can only dream of.
  • They are naturally gluten free and easily adapted for vegan diets, so you can share them with almost anyone without overthinking it.
02 -
  • Do not skip the coconut oil unless you enjoy biting into chocolate rocks, because it is what keeps the texture pleasant and slightly yielding straight from the fridge.
  • Press the mixture into the tin firmly, because loosely packed bites will crumble apart the moment you try to pick them up, which I learned the hard way on my first attempt.
  • If you are making these nut free, sunflower seed butter works beautifully as a swap, but taste your chocolate mixture before shaping the bites since some seed butters can be surprisingly bitter.
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop with a release mechanism for perfectly uniform bites, because pressing them with slightly damp fingers also helps prevent sticking and gives a neater finish.
  • Let the chocolate mixture cool for about two minutes before pouring it over the dry ingredients, because if it is too hot it will make the puffed quinoa slightly soggy and you will lose some of that essential crunch.

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