Have a sweet tooth? You'll love these delicious—and relatively healthy—leftover quinoa ideas.
How many times have you packed up a container of leftover cooked quinoa, told yourself you’d eat it throughout the week, only to find it growing mold in the back of the fridge two weeks later? Probably more times than you’d like to admit—and that’s where these quinoa-filled desserts come in.
You can fold the fluffy grain into practically any sweet treat—from cookie and brownies to fruit crumbles. Heck, you can even use it in a pretty parfait. The mild, nutty flavour always works (and the fibre and protein give your treat an extra nutrition boost). Plus, using tonight’s leftover quinoa tonight is an easy way to not forget about it.
And of course, since this is all in the name of avoiding food waste, you’re indulging for a good cause. Here are eight easy, leftover quinoa ideas to try if you have a sweet tooth.
Quinoa, Chocolate Chip and Banana Cookies
These aren’t your average chocolate chip cookies. They’re dense, fudgy, and—wait for it—good for you, says Dixya from Food Pleasure and Health. Using mashed ripe banana makes the cookies moist and sweet without the need for butter or sugar. And the batter actually has more quinoa in it than all-purpose flour, so it serves up a fair share of fibre, too.
Baked Apples Stuffed with Quinoa
Quinoa makes a tasty, wholesome filling for baked apples when mixed with dried cranberries, chopped hazelnuts and coconut flakes. Who knew? Laura from Sequins at Breakfast cooks her quinoa in coconut milk, but you can totally use leftover quinoa cooked in water instead. To get the same creamy texture, just stir a few tablespoons of the coconut milk into the quinoa filling before stuffing it into the apples.
Pumpkin Quinoa Protein Bites
Kristina from Love and Zest calls them protein bites—but for our sake, let’s call them no-bake cookies. Rich and chewy, they’re loaded with dates, peanut butter, chopped nuts and seeds, oats and quinoa. The addition of canned pumpkin and a generous sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice add all kinds of warm, toasty goodness.
Chocolate Quinoa Mug Cake
Who doesn’t love a one-bowl cake that’s ready in 5 minutes flat? No one, that's who! Lindsay of Cotter Crunch combines quinoa with chia seeds, cocoa powder, banana, egg and vanilla to make a no-fuss, single-serve cake batter that cooks up right in your microwave. Take her advice and add a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce or honey to truly take this treat to the next level.
Strawberry Shortcake Quinoa Parfait
Strawberry shortcake isn’t usually known for being quick or easy (it calls for that homemade shortcake part and all). But Brittany from Eating Bird Food swaps out the buttery cake for quinoa made rich and creamy with almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla. Layered with Greek yogurt and chopped strawberries, it’s sweet and satisfying without being too rich. (Or too much work.)
Blueberry Peach Quinoa Crumble
If you like oats in your fruit crumble topping, try adding some quinoa to the mix, suggests Alex of Hummusapien. Almond flour, cooked quinoa, rolled oats, palm sugar and coconut oil come together to make a crisp, rich topping that’s the perfect contrast for juicy, sweet-tart fruit. Opt for frozen blueberries and peaches over fresh when they’re not in season, or swap them out for whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand, like sliced apples or pears.
Double Chocolate Quinoa Brownies
Yup, you can totally fold quinoa into brownie batter—and heck yeah, it’s delicious, says Megan from Skinny Fitalicious. These chocolate treats are extra rich and chewy thanks to the addition of almond butter and flaxseeds. Cooked quinoa gives them even more texture and adds to the nutty flavour.
Carrot Quinoa Muffins
Do muffins really count as dessert? These spiced, carrot cake-inspired ones by Erin from Well Plated sure do. Especially when you spread the tops with honey-sweetened Greek yogurt (or coconut cream!) just like frosting. Best of all? Since they’re made with whole grains and veggies, the leftovers can count as a legit healthy breakfast in the morning.
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