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Whip up a batch of this healthy quinoa veggie bites recipe as easy meal prep for the week! These quinoa cups are a fantastic way to add in some fresh veggies and protein, but have a cheesy flavor even picky eaters will love!

A stack of three veggie quinoa bites on four colorful plates.

Quinoa Veggie Bites Recipe for Toddlers

Sometimes it can be so tough to get your little ones to eat a balanced diet! Quinoa bites are a personal favorite of mine because they’re a good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats, but you can also use them as a vehicle to add all kinds of other things. I love to add vegetables, cheese and little bits of protein!

These particular veggie quinoa bites have a wonderful texture from the cooked quinoa, and they’re loaded with carrots, zucchini, peas, and corn to make them both colorful and nutritious. Your whole family will love them!

Homemade Veggie Tots in Air Fryer

Carrots, corn, peas and zucchini in four small bowls.

Why We Love This Baked Veggie Bites Recipe

  • Easy to make: After cooking the quinoa and sauteeing the veggies, you’ll combine them with the eggs and cheese, then bake them in muffin cups. They come together really quickly! 
  • Veggie-packed: These quinoa cups have 4 types of veggies! This great recipe is a fantastic way to serve up a nice dose of vegetables without a fight.
  • Great make-ahead snack: Since one batch makes 18 veggie bites, you can easily make a full batch (or a double batch) and freeze the extras for later. Just thaw and reheat whenever your kids need a healthy snack!
  • Versatile:  Although this recipe includes 4 specific vegetables, you could easily adjust them to make them your own. They’d be wonderful with some fresh broccoli or cauliflower, too! They’re also vegetarian and gluten-free, so they’re a great fit for everyone!

Quinoa veggie bites

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Ingredient Notes

Ingredients with labels for quinoa veggie bites recipe.
  • Uncooked quinoa: Start by cooking the quinoa in stock on the stove. You can even use leftover quinoa from dinner to skip this step!
  • Chicken broth: Use reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth to flavor the quinoa and keep these veggie cups from tasting bland.
  • Olive oil: You’ll need just a splash of oil to sautee the veggies until nice and tender.
  • Vegetables: Use a mixture of carrots, zucchini, green peas, and corn for lots of color and flavor. Drain the zucchini well first.
  • Eggs: Scramble 3 eggs to bind the quinoa and vegetables together.
  • Shredded cheddar cheese: Cheese adds a great flavor that makes these veggie bites even more fun to eat. Mozzarella cheese is great, too!
  • Seasonings: Use a spice mix of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to season these egg muffins. Omit the salt if you’re serving to baby.

Step-by-Step Instructions

A pot of cooked quinoa.
Carrots, zucchini, corn and peas being cooked in a frying pan.
Quinoa mixed together with vegetables, spices and eggs.
Uncooked quinoa veggie bites in silicone liners in a muffin tin.
Cooked veggie quinoa cups in a muffin tin.
  1. In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool for several minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with silicone baking cups (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
  3. In a medium pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, then add zucchini, carrots, peas and corn. Saute until bright and softened, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, veggies, eggs, cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper and mix to combine.
  5. Evenly divide the mixture among 18 muffin cups, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to pack down the mixture. Each cup should be about half to three quarters full.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until quinoa cups are slightly firm to the touch and golden brown. Cool for several minutes before removing from muffin pan to allow cups to firm up. Serve warm.
A stack of quinoa veggie bites on colorful plates.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!

RECIPE TIPS

  • I recommend making the quinoa up in advance to save time when prepping this recipe. That way, all that you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together and bake.
  • If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked quinoa to prepare this recipe.
  • You may wish to wring out the zucchini if it has a lot of moisture. Some of the moisture will also evaporate while cooking it on the stove.
  • I suggest using silicone baking cups since it’s so easy to pop these bites out of the cups once they’re cooked. You can even store them in the silicone cups for easier transportation if packing in lunchboxes or for on the go snacks.
  • Use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to pack the quinoa mixture tightly into the cups. This will help the mixture adhere together. You may wish to wet the back of the spoon with some water so that the mixture doesn’t stick.
  • Let the quinoa bites cool for several minutes before removing them from the muffin tin to allow them to firm up a bit.
  • If making these quinoa cups for babies, you may wish to add less salt or leave it out altogether.
  • If not using silicone cups, spray your muffin cups with a little oil, like a non-stick spray, for easy removal.

Recipe FAQs

What are the ingredients in veggie bites?

There is a wide range of ingredients you can use to make veggie bites! You could make them hearty with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, add lots of fresh spinach or kale for greens, dice a red pepper or some green onions for color, etc. These quinoa veggie cups use a mixture of zucchini, corn, peas, and carrots for lots of color and nutrients, but there are recipes for any type of veggies!

Can I make veggie bites in air fryer?

If you are baking your veggie bites in silicone muffin cups, you can easily make them in the air fryer. Be sure to drop the temperature 15-20 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the veggie cups are firm to the touch.

Are quinoa bites healthy?

Absolutely! This quinoa veggie nuggets recipe has 4 types of vegetables for a range of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The eggs and quinoa offer protein and essential fatty acids. Altogether, they have a great balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (7 g carbs, 4 g fat, 4 g protein, and 80 calories per bite) to keep you energized for a while. They’re perfect for a quick meal, healthy side or nutritious snack on the go! 

Overhead image of quinoa veggie bites on a polka dot plate.

Storage Guidelines

  • To refrigerate: Store leftover bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • To freeze: You can also freeze the leftover quinoa cups in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating, following the instructions below.
  • To reheat: Either microwave each bite for 1 minute or pop them in the air fryer or toaster oven at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

These delicious veggie bites can be served as a healthy snack on their own, served with a dip, or you can offer them with these other options for a full meal.

Recipe Variations

  • Make a double batch: Since these bites are so great for meal prep, you may as well make a double batch and stash the extras in the freezer for later!
  • Adapt the veggies: There are so many delicious veggies that would taste great in these savory quinoa muffins! Try adding some cooked baby spinach, red bell peppers, or minced broccoli to change things up.
  • Add extra protein: Try adding little bits of chicken, diced ham or bacon the quinoa mixture before baking.
  • Bake a frittata: You don’t have to make these in your silicone muffin pans if you don’t want to. Bake them in a baking dish instead for an easy frittata!
  • Add some herbs: Fresh herbs add a lot of extra flavor to this easy recipe. Try adding chopped fresh chives, green onions, or parsley to your egg mixture before baking.
Veggie quinoa muffins stacked on top of each other on some small plates.

More Veggie-Loaded Recipes

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Baked quinoa veggie bites stacked on plates.
Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Baked Quinoa Veggie Bites Recipe

Created by Elysia Cartlidge
Servings: 18 bites
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Whip up a batch of this healthy quinoa veggie bites recipe as easy meal prep for the week! These quinoa cups are a fantastic way to add in some fresh veggies and protein, but have a cheesy flavor even picky eaters will love!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cup reduced sodium broth (can use chicken or vegetable broth)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots (about 1 cup shredded)
  • 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1/2 cup frozen green peas
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and allow it to cool for several minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with silicone baking cups (or spray muffin tin with cooking spray).
  • In a medium pan over medium heat, heat olive oil, then add zucchini, carrots, peas and corn. Saute until bright and softened, about 2-3 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, veggies, eggs, cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper and mix to combine.
  • Evenly divide the mixture among 18 muffin cups, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to pack down the mixture. Each cup should be about half to three quarters full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until quinoa cups are slightly firm to the touch. Cool for several minutes before removing from muffin pan to allow cups to firm up. Serve warm.

Notes

  • I recommend making the quinoa up in advance to save time when prepping this recipe. That way, all that you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together and bake.
  • If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked quinoa to prepare this recipe.
  • You may wish to wring out the zucchini if it has a lot of moisture. Some of the moisture will also evaporate while cooking it on the stove.
  • I suggest using silicone baking cups since it’s so easy to pop these bites out of the cups once they’re cooked. You can even store them in the silicone cups for easier transportation if packing in lunchboxes or for on the go snacks.
  • Use the back of a spoon or a small spatula to pack the quinoa mixture tightly into the cups. This will help the mixture adhere together. You may wish to wet the back of the spoon with some water so that the mixture doesn’t stick.
  • Let the quinoa bites cool for several minutes before removing them from the muffin tin to allow them to firm up a bit.
  • If making these quinoa cups for babies, you may wish to add less salt or leave it out altogether.
  • If not using silicone cups, spray your muffin cups with a little oil, like a non-stick spray, for easy removal.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1276IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg
Baked quinoa veggie bites stacked on plates.

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