Quinoa Crispy Bars (Better Than Rice Crispy Treats!)
Crispy treats: they sound so cute and friendly and yummy. It’s unfortunate that they’re essentially made of rice, sugar, butter and marshmallows — lots of it.
But what if I told you there was a way to enjoy the dessert guilt-free? Goodbye, rice krispies, hello Quinoa Crispy Treats! This healthified version replaces the rice with protein-rich quinoa and sweetens things up the natural way thanks to healing raw honey. And instead of using gobs of butter, the quinoa crispy bars are held together with almond and sunflower seed butters. Yum!
Not only is this quinoa bar tasty, it’s also the perfect energy bar. It delivers 235 calories per serving, with 24 grams of healthy carbs, 14 grams of healthy fats and 6 grams of protein.
Try this new take on an old treat tonight.
How to Make Quinoa Crispy Bars
Start by lining an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a small pot over very low heat (honey should never be heated up much at all), melt add the coconut oil, honey, almond butter and sunflower seed butter.
Remove the pot from heat once the mixture has melted and sprinkle with the sea salt and cinnamon. Then pour it all into the waiting baking dish.
Stir the puffed quinoa through the almond butter mixture, making sure all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
With a spatula, even out the quinoa crispy mix so it’s all level. Then place the baking pan in the freezer, letting the crispy bar set for 20 minutes or so.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the quinoa crispy bars from the freezer and cut immediately. Serve while still frozen.
These are healthy quinoa bars are delicious and so easy to make. Kids love to help make them — and eat them, of course!
Looking for other healthy snack bars? Try these recipes:
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Quinoa Crispy Bars Recipe
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 20 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This healthy version of rice krispy treats replaces the rice with protein-rich quinoa and sweetens things up the natural way thanks to healing honey. And instead of using gobs of butter, the quinoa crispy treats are held together with almond and sunflower seed butters. Yum!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted almond butter
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- ½ cup raw honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups puffed quinoa or millet
Instructions
- Prepare a 8×8 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small pot at very low heat, melt almond butter, sunbutter, honey and coconut oil.
- Remove from heat and scrap into a mixing bowl.
- Stir in sea salt and cinnamon.
- Add in puffed quinoa and stir until well incorporated.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish.
- Spread out mixture with a spatula to make an even layer in the dish. Freeze for 20 minutes or longer until set.
- When ready to serve, remove from freezer and cut immediately. Serve frozen.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min freeze time
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (50g)
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 8.2g
- Sodium: 61mg
- Fat: 13.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23.9g
- Fiber: 3.1g
- Protein: 6.6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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Where can I find puffed quinoa?
Do you keep these frozen as well?
What can I use instead of honey
Maple syrup
Can I make puffed quinoa at home??
Yes, you can! Check this out: https://www.foodabovegold.com/popped-puffed-quinoa/
I did these with quinoa flakes instead and then rolled them into balls. I also put some collagen chocolate powder in.
I ‘ve made this healthy, wonderful dessert several times. No kids in the house, however, my husband and I enjoy it insanely. Thank you so much!
Are there any nutritional values for this recipe?
If replacing Sunflower seed butter with just Almond butter, would the almond butter quantity increase to 1.5 cups in the recipe or two different seed butters are required?
what is puffed quinoa?
Hey Dr. Axe!
Was hoping you guys could help me out with the nutritional info for this recipe! So so so good
We just added it! See above.
What are the calories per serving and break down of protein, fat, CHO, sodium, etc
Is quinoa kernel seeds the same as puffed quinoa?
I’ve seen Puffed Quinoa in the cereal section in a co-op or whole foods store.
My question is how well do these stand up Out of the refrigerator?
It says serve frozen. I want to make treats for the kids to take on the, plane. I may use dates for sweetener and to hold it together
Dr. Axe could you please answer. Thank you
Hi Stella,
They hold up pretty well. You can use dates, just remember that it may change the consistency. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though! I hope this helps! Blessings to you and yours.
You can buy puffed quinoa in most health food stores.
What is puffed quinoa ?
Hi Cathy,
you can find puffed quinoa at your local health food store. Blessings!
What the heck is puffed quinoa?
Hi Norine,
you can find puffed quinoa at your local health food store. I hope this helps!
This makes it look pretty easy to puff quinoa: http://www.wikihow.com/Puff-Quinoa
I join the others? What is “puffed” quinoa? I cook with raw quinoa all the time. Do you pop it in a fat to make it puffed? Please tell us!!
Hi Linda,
you can find puffed quinoa at your local health food store. Blessings!
Wondering too… how you puff the quinoa?
Hi, Ivelisse,
you can find puffed quinoa at your local health food store. I hope this helps!
Yes how do you puff quinoa?
Hi Sheryl,
you can find puffed quinoa at your local health food store. Blessings!
Yet another delicious treat that my kids will eat as well! Only question, i popped the quinoa and it’s not as puffy or white as in your pictures. How do I puff the quinoa to be like this or where can i purchase puffed quinoa?
Hi Kerstin, the quinoa you puffed should be okay to use for this recipe; however, if you are wanted a more puffy quinoa, I would try your local health food store. I hope this helps!
Woodland Foods on line sells bags if puffed quinoa.
Is almond butter ok instead of sunflower seed butter?
Hi Elisabeth, you can substitute sunflower seed butter for almond butter – or any nut butter.