These delicious Cauliflower Cheese Quinoa Bites make an easy and healthy savoury snack! Super filling too so perfect to keep little tummies full until dinner time!
It’s the first Monday after Christmas and New Year and it seems like the whole world is back on the healthy eating wagon.
My jeans are definitely a lot tighter after the festivities and the kids have eaten their weight in chocolate. It’s time to fill the house with unprocessed healthy foods again!
So today I am starting as I mean to go on with these super healthy Cauliflower Cheese Quinoa Bites.
Tasty and filling these super little bites of goodness make the perfect afternoon cheesy snack for adults and kids alike.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a “complete” protein source, meaning that it provides the majority of the essential amino acids our bodies need.
It is also an excellent source of fibre and iron and is gluten free. The combination of protein from the quinoa and eggs and fat from the cheese will satisfy even the hungriest of kids, keeping them full until dinnertime.
Cauliflower
In my recipe I blitz the cauliflower in the food processor for two reasons.
Firstly, it breaks the cauliflower down into tiny little pieces like cauliflower rice.
This means it doesn’t have to be cooked before baking the bites in the oven, saving time and energy.
Secondly, large chunks of cauliflower can often be off-putting to little taste buds. Your kids may not even realise there is any cauliflower in these snacks!
If you’ve never made cauliflower rice before, then check out my HOW TO PREPARE, COOK & STORE CAULIFLOWER RICE post. So much cheaper than store bought and a great way to sneak in some additional veg if you’ve got a picky eater!
Cheese
I’ve used grated cheddar cheese for this recipe as it’s quite mild and I know the kids like it! But if your kids like different hard cheeses like red leicester or something similar then you could try it with that too.
Other than these 3 main ingredients, you will only need a handful of other ingredients which I have listed in full in the recipe card below.
I made my cheesy cauliflower bites using a 12 hole cupcake tray as I intended them to be little snacks.
But if you fancy making them more substantial and eating them as a side dish or as part of a main meal, then they would work well in muffin cases too.
Next time I make these I might give them a try in my air fryer basket and see how they turn out!
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
These bites can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days and then reheated before eating.
They can also be frozen for up to one month.
Once cooked, allow them to cool completely and freeze in a single layer on a baking tray for a couple of hours. Then transfer to a freezer bag so that you can take out individual bites as you need them. Defrost and then reheat before serving.
If you try my Cauliflower Cheese Quinoa bites recipe, then please do leave me a comment and a star rating below.
You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations! I also share any new recipes I make over there so come and give me a follow.
If you enjoyed this recipe, then you might also like:
Crispy Baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
These delicious golden brown Crispy Baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets are a tasty and healthy twist on a classic children’s favourite!
PrintCauliflower Cheese Quinoa Bites
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: European
Description
These delicious Cauliflower Cheese Quinoa Bites make an easy and healthy savoury snack
Ingredients
- ½ head of cauliflower
- 150g / 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 50g / ½ cup grated cheese
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- oil spray or butter to grease the tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
- Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and place in a food processor. Blitz until the cauliflower reaches a rice like consistency. Alternatively you can grate the cauliflower to achieve the same result.
- Place the cauliflower mixture in a large bowl with all the other ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
- Spray a little oil or rub a little butter into each hole of a 12 hole cupcake tray. Place a large spoonful of the mixture into each hole, flatten down and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Allow the quinoa bites to cool a little and firm up before you attempt to remove them from the tray.
Katy Adalar says
my baby loved these but they were super crumbly and made such a mess. Any tips for making them less crumbly next time?
Tina says
I was really surprised my little one ate these but he really enjoyed them. Will be making these a lot I think!
★★★★★
Cristina says
Hello, can we substitute the cheese or even eliminate it? My baby dont eat cheese
Sarah says
Can these be frozen?
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried to freeze them myself but I don’t see why not!
Sarah says
Great, thanks…I’ll let you know so!!
Sarah says
They freeze great!
Ciara Attwell says
That’s great to know, thanks for coming back and sharing!
Cyn says
Hi there! This recipe got me really excited! May I just clarify that 1 cup cooked quinoa = measure 1 cup of uncooked quinoa and cook as per normal? I just bought my first pack of quinoa recently and am looking forward to use them really soon! 🙂
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Cyn. No, its quinoa cooked and then measured as 1 cup. So that’s probably about 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa but I don’t know the measurements exactly.
Cyn says
Aha! Ok got it. Thanks alot! 🙂
Galina says
looks great! Wondering if the cheese can be substituted for goat cheese? We aren’t eating cows milk right now…
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Galina, yes I’m sure it would work just as well with goats cheese.
Kathleen says
Did
Kathleen says
What kind of cheese dud you use?
Ciara Attwell says
I used cheddar cheese but any type that melts well would be good
Debbie says
How large was your 1/2 head of cauliflower? Was it about twice as much cauliflower as quinoa or equal amounts? The cauliflower I bought at the farmers market last week was huge… it was easily 10 inches diameter.
Ciara Attwell says
That sounds huge Debbie!! I had about twice as much cauliflower to cooked quinoa!
Debbie says
Thanks. I’m baking them now… but the temperature in Fahrenheit is about a 100 degrees too low, shouldn’t it say 350…
Ciara Attwell says
Whoops! Thanks for letting me know!
Mandy says
Great idea, definitely need to remember this for sneakyveg! #tastytuesdays
Ciara Attwell says
Thanks Mandy. Hope you enjoy them!
Honest mum says
They look delicious and I have a bag of quinoa I need to use up so this is perfect-such a superfood! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Thanks Vicki. Hope you enjoy them. Even the baby ate them here!