Chocolate Quinoa Clusters
Crunchy, chocolatey, no-bake chocolate quinoa clusters that hold up in a school backpack and use leftover cooked quinoa.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- cooked quinoa cooled and dried a bit in the oven
- dairy-free chocolate chips Lily’s or Enjoy Life
- sunflower seed butter or peanut butter
- maple syrup or honey
- vanilla
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Dry-toast quinoa on a baking sheet in the oven, then cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate, maple syrup, and seed butter in a double boiler or in the microwave using short, low-heat intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in vanilla, salt, and the cooled quinoa until everything is evenly coated.
- Drop the mixture into mini muffin liners or molds and chill until firm.
Notes
Why it works: Crunchy. Chocolatey. No baking. I needed something Emma could take to school that didn’t melt or crumble in her backpack (the struggle’s real). These were born from desperation and leftover cooked quinoa—and y’all, they slap. Rachel tip: Spread the quinoa on a sheet and “dry-toast” it in the oven for 10–15 mins before mixing. It’ll get crispy, not soggy. Budget swap: I use Walmart Great Value dairy-free chocolate chips when I’m baking big batches. Storage: Fridge up to 2 weeks or freezer up to 2 months. They never last that long at our house.