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Home Recipes Desserts Candy
4.8 from 27 reviews

5-Minute Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

1 hr 5 min
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free
by: Lindsay Grimes
July 20, 2018 (Updated: September 30, 2024)
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This is a vertical image of a stack of five chocolate quinoa crisps piled on a white counter. More crisps are to the side of the stack and blurred in the background.
If you like chocolate crunch bars, these Chocolate Quinoa Crisps will be your new best friend! They’re vegan, no bake, and SO FUN to eat!

Chocolate quinoa crisps are the kind of recipe that once you see how easy they are and how delicious they are, they’ll be on repeat every week.

Summer is peak time for no-bake treats. It’s hot. It’s sweaty. People are avoiding their ovens and their kitchens like the plague. I get it.

But, what’s a girl to do when she just wants some damn cookies? Dun dun da daaa I made no bake cookies.

I’m someone that needs a chocolatey treat (every day). Maybe you are too and that’s why you’re here? Welp, friend, I gotchu.

Let me introduce these Chocolate Quinoa Crisps.

If you’re someone that likes chocolate crunch bars, rice krispie treats, and easy desserts that basically make themselves, you will LOVE these Chocolate Quinoa Crisps!

Browse desserts by flavor, check out all my chocolate recipes, banana recipes, vanilla recipes, and peanut butter recipes!

If you love desserts you have to check out my roundup of 50+ Gluten Free Dessert Recipes. Some of my favorites are these Chocolate Quinoa Crisps, Peanut Butter Cups, and these Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies!

Or, if you want to double down on your chocolate love, check out my Ultimate List of Chocolate Desserts: 30+ Ideas!!

This is a vertical overhead image of chocolate quinoa cookies on a white surface. There are a couple full crisps in view but others are partially shown around the full crisps, cut off at the edge of the image.
This is a vertical image viewed from an angle looking onto a white plate stacked with circle chocolate quinoa crisps. The plate sits on a white marble surface. A chocolate quinoa crisp is to the bottom right corner and a glass of milk is to the top left.

What is Puffed Quinoa?

Puffed quinoa is quinoa that has been heated under high pressure until it “puffs” or expands. It has a light, crispy texture!

It is often used as a topping for cereals, granolas, and other baked goods, or as a crunchy addition to salads, yogurt, and other dishes.

Can I puff my own quinoa?

Technically yes but I don’t recommend it. I have never successfully puffed quinoa at home. Puffing quinoa can be a bit unpredictable, so you may need to experiment with different heat levels and cooking times to get the desired results. It may be helpful to start with a small amount of quinoa until you get the hang of it.

To puff quinoa at home, you will need a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, some quinoa, and a stove. Here is a simple method you can use:

  1. Heat the pot over medium-high heat until it is hot.
  2. Add a small amount of quinoa to the pot, about 1/4 cup. You can also add some oil or butter to the pot to help the quinoa puff better.
  3. Cover the pot with the lid and let the quinoa cook for a few minutes, until it starts to puff up and make a popping sound.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, until the quinoa has fully puffed up and cooled down.
  5. Repeat the process with the remaining quinoa.

These no-bake wonders are:

  • crunchy
  • easy
  • perfect to keep in your fridge for easy snacking
  • made with wholesome ingredients
  • simple to make
  • fun for everyone!
This is an overhead vertical image of chocolate quinoa crisps in a circular cookie shape. The stack of chocolate crisps is stacked on a white plate on a white marble surface.

Ingredients for Chocolate Quinoa Crisps:

Puffed quinoa. The one I was buying from amazon has stopped selling it. So I now buy it HERE and have been really happy with it.

Agave nectar. You can swap in honey or maple syrup if you prefer.

Vanilla extract. Nothing really else to say about it.

Refined coconut oil. I like refined because it doesn’t have as much as a coconutty flavor, but any coconut oil works! People ask if you can sub another oil for these and the answer is no. Coconut oil gets hard when it’s chilled and melts when it’s hot and this characteristic is necessary to the recipes.

Cocoa powder or cacao powder, whichever you prefer.

How to make these crunchy bites of heaven

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, agave nectar, vanilla, and cocoa powder until smooth.
  2. Fold in the puffed quinoa.
  3. Use a cookie scooper to scoop 8 – 12 mounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Use your fingers to gently press the tops to flatten them out.
  5. Pop in the fridge or freezer for 1 hour to harden.
  6. Transfer the crisps to a bag or container and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!
  7. Aaand that’s it! It makes about 12 cookies!!
This is a horizontal image of a hand with deep pink nail polish holding a chocolate quinoa crisp in between their thumb and pointer finger. More chocolate quinoa crisps are blurred in the background.

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

This is a horizontal image of a hand with deep pink nail polish holding a chocolate quinoa crisp in between their thumb and pointer finger. More chocolate quinoa crisps are blurred in the background. Recipe
GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free

5-Minute Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

If you like chocolate crunch bars, these Chocolate Quinoa Crisps will be your new best friend! They’re vegan, no bake, and SO FUN to eat!

Recipe by:Lindsay Grimes
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 27 reviews
Prep: 5 minCook: 1 hour to chillTotal: 1 hour 5 min
Print recipe Rate recipe Pin Save recipe
Servings: 12 crisps 1x

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (Cacao v. Cocoa Powder: What’s the Difference?)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup puffed quinoa

Instructions

  1. Gather and measure your ingredients.
    This is an overhead image of five glass bowls on a white marble surface. The small bowls have vanilla, melted coconut oil, quinoa puffs, cocoa powder, and agave nectar.
  2. Add the melted coconut oil, agave nectar, cocoa powder, and vanilla to a medium bowl.
    This is a horizontal overhead image of a glass bowl with melted coconut oil, agave, and cocoa powder. The glass bowl sits on a white marble surface.
  3. Whisk until smooth.

    This is an overhead horizontal image of a glass bowl filled with chocolate. The glass bowl sits on a white marble counter. A hand is to the right of the image holding a whisk in the bowl.

  4. Pour the puffed quinoa into the bowl.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a glass bowl filled with chocolate and quinoa crisps being poured into the bowl. Some crisps are in the bowl and more are actively being poured in by a hand holding a glass bowl of quinoa crisps in the right corner of the image. The glass bowl sits on a white marble counter.
  5. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the puffed quinoa and coat it with the chocolate mixture.
    This is an overhead horizontal image of a glass bowl filled with a chocolate and quinoa mixture and a wood and grey rubber spatula leaning against the side of the bowl. The glass bowl sits on a white marble counter.
  6. Use a cookie scooper to scoop about 8 mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    This is a horizontal image with close up of small cookie scooper filled with chocolate covered quinoa puffs. Blurred in the background is a glass bowl with more chocolate quinoa mixture.
  7. If the mixture is chilly, it will harden and be difficult to scoop. Microwave it for about 10 seconds to loosen up the batter if needed.
    This is a horizontal image of chocolate quinoa mounds on a baking sheet with parchment paper. The baking sheet sits on a white marble surface.
  8. Use your fingers to gently press the tops to flatten them out.
    This is a horizontal image of chocolate quinoa circles on a baking sheet with parchment paper. The chocolate around the quinoa is melty. The baking sheet sits on a white marble surface.
  9. Pop in the fridge or freezer for 1 hour until harden.
    This is a horizontal image of chocolate quinoa circles on a baking sheet with parchment paper. The chocolate surrounding the quinoa is hardened. The baking sheet sits on a white marble surface.
  10. Enjoy immediately or transfer to a bag or container to store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!
    This is an overhead image of chocolate quinoa crisps in a circular cookie shape. The stack of chocolate crisps is stacked on a white plate on a white marble surface. A small glass of milk is to the top left corner of the image. To the bottom right of the image is a tan textured dish towel with a part of a quinoa crisp peeking into the image from the bottom.

Nutrition Info:

  • Serving Size: 1 crisp
  • Calories: 108
  • Sugar: 0.3g
  • Sodium: 0mg
  • Fat: 9.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 8.8g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.9g
  • Fiber: 0.8g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
© The Toasted Pine Nut

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Enjoy!! xo

This is a vertical image of a stack of five chocolate quinoa crisps piled on a white counter. More crisps are to the side of the stack and blurred in the background. Text overlay reads "chocolate quinoa crisps only 5 min!"
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15 no bake desserts

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  1. AvatarLisa says

    Posted on 9/10/23 at 3:26 pm

    Can you make this with home ‘popped’ quinoa rather than the puffs?

    Reply
    • Lindsay Grimes says

      Posted on 9/18/23 at 11:28 am

      Yes you can! I’ve never been able to successfully puff my own quinoa, so I just buy it. If you have a way that works well for you, you can definitely sub it in!

      Reply
      • AvatarLisa says

        Posted on 9/18/23 at 2:13 pm

        Thanks – after a little more research, it turns out that you really can’t ‘pop’ quinoa at home. It requires pressure that can only come from industrial equipment. Recipes that indicate home popped quinoa are actually just toasted. Appreciate the response, and I may still try this. It looks really good. 🙂

        Reply
  2. Lana says

    Posted on 11/18/23 at 5:53 pm

    My cookies were soft, not crispy. Do you think it’s because I used melted butter instead? I added a bit of cinnamon, too — pretty tasty!

    Reply
    • Lindsay Grimes says

      Posted on 12/2/23 at 6:04 am

      Aw bummer! Yeah it could be because of the butter. I like using coconut oil because it hardens in the fridge whereas butter maintains its softness. The butter could work but may take a lot longer to set. I’ve never tested so don’t know for certain, but may be fun to play around with.

      Reply
  3. AvatarMary Ann says

    Posted on 12/5/23 at 7:32 am

    So addictive! Love the texture. The agave nectar and coconut oil are very neutral in flavor so the cocoa shines through. Just have to stop crunching on these!!

    Reply
    • Lindsay Grimes says

      Posted on 12/8/23 at 8:42 am

      The crunch is soo addictive! I’m so happy you love them! xo

      Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    Posted on 3/2/24 at 10:00 pm

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    Posted on 4/5/24 at 2:18 pm

    Reply
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Lindsay

Nice to Meet You!

I’m Lindsay - cookbook author, blogger and chocolate lover! If gluten-free desserts are your jam, you’re in the right place! I live in south Jersey with my family and new puppy Roxie! Some of my favorite things are oat milk lattes, sunny days and warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.

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