Healthy Quinoa Chocolate Crisps (5 Ingredients)
Healthy quinoa chocolate crisps are full of rich chocolate flavor and perfectly crunchy making for a satisfying treat. Puffed quinoa is tossed with melted dark chocolate and coconut flakes for a quick snack or dessert that’s deliciously sweet and secretly full of nutrients.
These quinoa crisps were inspired by the store-bought options. However, once you realize how easy they are to make, you’ll never go back to pre-made varieties again! Add them to your weekly meal plan alongside healthy seed crackers and no-bake peanut butter oat bars, and you’ll be set for all your snacking needs.
Video Recipe
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make the best quinoa chocolate crisps recipe. This step-by-step tutorial simplifies the process, offering tips and tricks to guarantee perfect results every time.
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Quinoa Crisps
I’ve been making these chocolate quinoa cookies for years, and they never get old. Here are a few reasons why they’re so good:
- 🍎Nutritious: Made with puffed quinoa, coconut, and dark chocolate, these quinoa crisps provide complex carbs, healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber to keep you full. These crisps are also gluten-free and dairy-free-friendly to suit a variety of dietary needs.
- 🙌Easy to Make: All you need are five simple ingredients and ten minutes, and you’ll be ready to snack!
- 🍫Versatile: Feel free to mix and match different ingredients to switch up the flavor and make it your own.
- 💰Budget-Friendly: This homemade recipe is far cheaper than store-bought options, especially when you buy ingredients in bulk.
- 😍Great for Prepping: You can prepare a big batch at once to keep on hand whenever a cravy strikes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Coconut Oil: Creates a smooth, spreadable consistency for the chocolate.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds delicious vanilla flavor.
- Puffed Quinoa: This is popped quinoa, similar to popcorn, and forms the base of the crisps. You can typically find puffed quinoa in the cereal or health food section of your local grocery store. However, if you can’t find it, you can make homemade puffed quinoa with just quinoa and water.
- Shredded Coconut: Adds a crunchy texture and extra flavor. Use sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Or, substitute chopped nuts if preferred.
- Dark Chocolate: Use high-quality dark chocolate to coat the crisps and hold them together.
This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇
How to Make Homemade Quinoa Chocolate Crisps
Here’s an overview of how to make quinoa crisps: 
- Melt the Chocolate: Chop the chocolate into pieces, and melt it completely with the coconut oil, stirring to combine. I use a double boiler!
- Combine: Add the vanilla extract, puffed quinoa, and desiccated coconut. Mix to combine and coat the ingredients completly.
- Portion: Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion the “batter” into 18-20 equal-sized cookies. Then, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I like to flatten them slightly, but you can keep them round.
- Chill: Transfer the cookies to the fridge for about 1 hour or until they’re completely set, and enjoy!
Flavor Variations
Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and flavor combinations to make this recipe your own. Some variations include:
- Puffed Quinoa: Swap the puffed quinoa with rolled oats, quick oats, puffed rice, or puffed amaranth. Just note that the taste and texture of the crisps will change slightly.
- Dark Chocolate: Replace the dark chocolate with milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or white chocolate.
- Coconut: Omit the coconut, or swap it out with chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
- Mix-Ins: Add dried fruit, seeds, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or chili flakes to the “batter” for extra flavor and texture.
- Topping: Drizzle melted peanut butter or chocolate, or add a sprinkle of flakey sea salt over the cookies before letting them set.
How to Store
- Store: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container or sealable bag, and store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Wrap each chocolate quinoa crisp with plastic wrap, transfer them to a sealable bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Enjoy frozen, or thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Puffed quinoa is a light and airy crispy puffed grain made by heating and agitating raw quinoa until it pops. Puffed quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor and can be used as a topping for yogurt bowls, cereal, and grain bowls, enjoyed on its own, or added to recipes like these crisps.
This recipe is rich and chocolatey with a mild nutty taste and subtle vanilla notes running through each bite.
Yes! On its own, quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based protein, zinc, fiber, and folate. Pair that with the healthy fats and antioxidants in the coconut and chocolate, and you’ve got a nutritious recipe that’s low in sugar for a dessert you can feel good about eating.
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Healthy Quinoa Chocolate Crisps (5 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) Coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 cups (140 g) Puffed quinoa
- ⅓ cup (33 g) Desiccated/shredded coconut
- 8.8 oz (250 g) Dark chocolate
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate and place in heatproof bowl, add coconut oil and place the bowl over a double boiler (a pot with simmering water).
- Melt the chocolate completely and remove from heat.
- Add vanilla extract, puffed quinoa and desiccated coconut. Mix until well combined.
- Using an ice cream scooper or a regular spoon to scoop about 18-20 equal sized cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place the cookies in the fridge for about 1 hour or until set.
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- FAQs: Make sure you read the FAQs for this recipe which are located above the recipe box for additional tips and troubleshooting! For extra tips and variations read the article.
- Watch the Video: For a better understanding of the recipe, I always recommend watching the video recipe, which includes a step-by-step guide to help you succeed.
these looks amazing. Where can you get puffed quinoa?
What type of dark chocolate?
At least 70% cocoa solids.
I feel you could use about half of the amount of chocolate for the amount of quinoa used in this recipe.
These are yummy! Better even than the ones they pass out on United Airlines domestic flights. I used 54% chocolate and had to puff my own quinoa and even though my 140g. of quinoa left me with far less than the puffed amount called for, the ratio was still a happy balance. I’ll puff more next time. So delicious!
I meant to give this recipe 5 stars but hit it by accident at a 3. Its a 5!! It is so easy and healthy as you want them to be and delicious!!
Thanks for letting me know.
It started from getting that quinoa chocolate from United. I found the recipe and tried it. thank you The Cooking Foodie. A quick healthy snack for a sweet tooth like me!
So good! All portions were perfect! Would almond butter added work well?
Do you have the nutritional info?
I would like to know if these quinoa crisps can be
frozen ?
Thank you
Yes, you can freeze them.
I added 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and omitted the coconut desiccated coconut and after they were ready/refrigerated I drizzled some heat peanut butter on top. Oh and I used white chocolate (lilys) and 4 cups of quinoa. They were delicious 🙂
Do I have to used puffed quinoa?
Yes, you can’t use regular quinoa for this.