Chocolate chip quinoa bites

November 20, 2014

Chocolate chip quinoa bites

One of my friends/challengers shared this one with me last week and I had to try it out. I'm trying to expand my palate and want to love quinoa with all of it's health benefits. So far though I have had a hard time getting over the texture. What I have learned though from trying it in a number of different forms is that I don't mind it baked (think crockpot quinoa banana bread) and in these bites, I'm a big fan. Who knew? When I tell my kids to keep trying new foods because you may at some point discover you like them, I apparently wasn't lying! 

Chocolate chip quinoa bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa, dry + 1 1/2 cups water or coconut milk (make first)

1 cup old fashioned or quick-cooking oats, dry

1/3 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds (roasted is fine if its all you can find)

2 Tbls PB2 powder (protein powder, optional)

1/3 cup dried, raisins (rough chopped)

⅓ cup cranberries (rough chopped)

1 Tbls Chia seeds (optional)

1 Tbls Hemp seeds (optional)
1 Tbls shredded coconut (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp all natural peanut butter (or almond butter)

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, rough chopped

Directions:

1. Combine the quinoa and water/coconut milk in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes, until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Fluff and scoop quinoa into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add sunflower seeds, oats, raisins, cranberries, chia seeds and PB2 powder to quinoa and mix well.

3. Bring honey to a simmer on the stove then stir in the vanilla extract and pour on top of nuts and seeds. Mix until well combined. LET stand to cool!

4. Let mixture cool before adding the chocolate chips and peanut butter . Mix well with your hands (or smear around with spoon) so the peanut butter is evenly dispersed but be careful not to melt the chocolate chips! Chill in fridge for one hour.