Bite-sized Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites perfect for babies, toddlers and kids that are healthy, packed with protein and easily made with only 5 simple ingredients!
Ever since my daughter started eating solid foods, it has been such a fun adventure watching her learn all the new tastes, textures and varieties of fruits and veggies I have introduced to her. I will admit, I was totally that momma that struggled with baby led weaning as I was SO afraid of her choking, so I tried to get creative with the food I would make her. These cheesy broccoli quinoa bites are PERFECT for her because not only does she gobble them right up, but they’re the perfect size for her tiny hands and the quinoa crumbles really easily in her mouth so I’m not afraid of her choking.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Super simple to make with only 5 ingredients.
- Bite-sized muffins perfect for little hands!
- Packed full of protein and veggies.
- Easily customizable for picky eaters.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- cooked quinoa – I love making a big batch of quinoa in my Instant Pot to have on hand throughout the week and I highly suggest using chicken or vegetable broth to cook the quinoa in rather than water to give these more flavor!
- eggs – These are important to bind everything together. I like that these bites crumble easily for my infant, but feel free to add an additional egg if you’d like them held together more.
- broccoli – I prefer to use fresh broccoli for this that I chop finely in a food processor, but you could also use frozen broccoli rice!
- carrot – I wanted to sneak in another veggie along with the broccoli and because grated carrot looks just like cheddar cheese, your kiddos will never know!
- cheese – I used shredded cheddar cheese in these, but feel free to use whatever cheese you’d like.
I do want to note that I did not add any salt, pepper or seasonings to this recipe as these veggie bites were created for little tummies, but if you’re making them for older kids (or even adults!), feel free to add whatever you’d like. You could also make larger muffins for those bigger appetites!
How to Make Broccoli Quinoa Bites
- Cook quinoa. Rinse and soak quinoa for about 10 minutes in warm water. Bring 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (or water) to a boil in a small saucepan. Drain quinoa and add to boiling broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for about 15 minutes. Turn heat off (still covered) and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes until tender, then fluff with a fork.
- Blend veggies. In a food processor or high-powered blender, blend together the broccoli and grated carrot until finely chopped.
- Make quinoa bites. Stir together blended veggies, cooked quinoa, eggs, shredded cheese and salt in a large bowl. Divide quinoa mixture evenly into two mini-muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. You could also use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the mixture into the muffin cups. Make sure to press each one down so that the bites hold together.
- Bake the bites. Bake quinoa bites at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the bites cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How to Make Vegan Quinoa Bites
You can easily make these cheesy quinoa broccoli bites vegan by swapping out the eggs for 2 flax eggs. To make a flax egg, mix together 1 tablespoon flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water for each egg. Such an easy egg substitute!
How to Serve
- For babies and toddlers – I love this recipe so much for little hands! If making for babies, I always recommend using only one egg as the bites fall apart easier if you are worried about potential choking hazards.
- For your older kids – these quinoa bites fit perfectly in a lunch box and make great after school snacks!
- For adults – spice these up with a variety of seasonings like onion powder or garlic powder, different types of cheeses and play around with the recipe to your liking! These make a great nutritious breakfast, snack or even a fun appetizer.
How to Store
To Store: These quinoa bites will last up to a week in the fridge stored in a sealed, airtight container. Reheat in the microwave, air fryer or oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
To Freeze: These cheesy broccoli quinoa bites freeze really well too! There’s no way my 9 month old could go through all these in a week so freezing them makes it really convenient to have meals prepped for her. Simply place them in a sealed container or ziplock bag and keep in your freezer for up to 3 months.
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Easy to Customize for Picky Eaters
Feel free to use other veggies too like cauliflower, bell pepper or zucchini and you can even throw in fresh herbs, garlic and other seasonings as I stated before. These are really so simple to throw together and they definitely make feeding my little one a whole lot more fun!
More Quinoa Recipes
- Summer Quinoa Salad
- Spicy Chickpea Quinoa Bowls
- Caprese Chicken Quinoa Casserole
- Peanut Butter Quinoa Energy Balls
- Quinoa Egg White Breakfast Wrap
Hope you all enjoy these Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites and if you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, feel free to omit if feeding littles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a blender or food processor, blend together broccoli and grated carrot until finely chopped.
- Mix together chopped veggies, cooked quinoa, eggs, shredded cheese and salt in a large bowl. Divide quinoa mixture evenly into two mini muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. You could also use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the mixture into the muffin cups. Make sure to press each one down so that the bites hold together.
- Bake quinoa bites for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excited to try! Have you tried freezing these?
Yes these freeze really well!
Delicious. I added an extra egg, used vegan cheese and added oregano, Vegeta and garlic powder. I’ve never liked quinoa but you can’t even tell it’s in there.
Love this recipe! How long do you think they’ll last in the fridge for?
Does cooking time change if I do 12 regular/large muffins instead? I don’t have mini tin
I made these in regular sized muffin tins for my husband and I to snack on and they were so good!! I will definitely try broth in the quinoa next time to see if it makes a flavor difference. This will be a staple in my house now.
Yum! We made these for me and my 16 year old! We added garlic and salt and pepper. At first I thought they were not going to come out of the pan but I let them cool a minute or two and they came out just fine! We are thinking about making them as a snack for our childcare center.
How long should it be cooked if using regular cupcake tins?
I haven’t tested this yet, but I’d say fill the cups 3/4ths full and bake an extra 3-5 minutes and they should be set 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!