Hi Friends!
Yep, you read that right. I put quinoa in cookies. And they’re delicious!
Let me back up. Last week on my Facebook Page (have you liked it?) I posted that I was going to try to make some tropical granola bars. I found some dried pineapple (with only a little added sugar) and some dried papaya (with no added sugar) at Earthfare and got to work.
And I failed. I made two batches. One with a lot of applesauce. Usually I use peanut butter as my binder but that didn’t seem very tropical (although I could have used the coconut peanut butter we got at Blend retreat…but I gave mine to Sarah since I’m not huge on coconut). Anyways, the applesauce made them chewy but they were too wet for my taste. Then I tried with less applesauce, more oil….and they didn’t stick together.
Not one to wallow in my kitchen failures- they happen all too often for that, I moved on the plan B. I’d been thinking about adding quinoa to some baked goods for a while now. In fact, I made some of this gluten-free banana bread, subbed 1/3 c agave for the sugar and added 1 cup cooked quinoa. They came out great! However I also added some peanut butter chips, which I’ve never used before, and I didn’t like those. They were too sweet or something, I dunno. Anyways, they kinda ruined the muffins for me…but you better believe i’ll be making them again (sans pb chips) next time I have some ripe bananas. Added protein, for the win!
Anyways, after a half success with the muffins, I decided to try adding quinoa to some cookies. And I just so happened to still have enough dried tropical fruit to make some sort of tropical cookie…with quinoa….and then I threw in some granola…and some almonds. So really it was kinda like I was making my tropical granola bars….just in cookie form…which worked out well for me 🙂
These cookies are fluffy, chewy and crunchy…all at the same time!
Tropical Quinoa Cookies
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 12 min
Keywords: bake snack dessert quinoa cookie
Ingredients (2 dozen)
- 1 1/3 c white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 6 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1/4 c honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 c cooked quinoa
- 1 c granola
- 1 c dried fruit (pineapple, papaya, cranberries)
- 1/2 c almonds, chopped
optional
- shredded coconut
Instructions
1. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
2. Add the honey, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
4. By hand, stir in the quinoa, granola, dried fruit and almonds until just mixed.
5. Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
I used Love Grown Foods Cranberry Pecan granola which has some coconut in it. If you really like coconut, add some shredded coconut to the mix. If you don’t have granola, just use oats. If you don’t like pineapple or papaya, try mango or chopped up banana chips!
By my best estimation when I tried putting these into a recipe calculator, these have about 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per cookie, with about 9 grams of sugar (some coming naturally from the fruit) and about 130 calories. I had enough dough for 27 cookies.
Have you ever baked with quinoa?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
Get my free Table Talk email series where I share bite-sized nutrition information about carbs, protein, and fat, plus bonus information about snacks and sugar!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
Very interesting!! I admire how adventurous you are in the kitchen! You just keep trying and trying until you have yourself a successful dish! That is awesome! And the cookies look beautiful!
Gina (The Candid RD) says
I’m still making your cherry and oat no-bake bars/cookies, by the way. I made another batch the other day and added tahini to them. YUM!!
These sound great too, but I just can’t do all the dried food unfortunately. MY stomach dislikes me when I eat a lot. I’m going to Earthfare on Friday though, so I can’t wait to search for more fun ingredients!!
Lindsay says
you added tahini?! how interesting!!!!
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says
That’s awesome that you don’t let a failed attempt get you down and you just keep brainstorming. A major kitchen problem of mine is giving up waaaay too fast haha.
The cookies look delicioso!
Lindsay says
girl, i have way to many failures to let them get me down 🙂
Tina @ Best Body Fitness says
LOVE things with dried tropical fruit and coconut. Yum!
And for the record – coconut should never be optional. 😉
Meredith @ DareYouTo says
No I have not baked with quinoa! Once again, your creativity astounds me. I may try this with prunes or apricots…
Lindsay says
oh yum! that would be delish!
Danica @ It's Progression says
These look great! I’ve never thought of putting quinoa in a cookie (or any other baked good) before.
Lindsay says
it’s great! so versatile!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
coconut and tropical fruit are amazing… put them in cookies? you’re freakin genius, linz!
Lindsay says
awww you’re too kind 🙂
Kierston says
I’m very new to baking so I’ve had a number of failed attempts at recipes I’ve tried to create lol
These look great!
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count says
Those cookies look delicious, Lindsay! I need to try them!
Lindsay says
yes! please do 🙂
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I’ve had so many granola bar failures too! It can be so tricky to get them to stick together! 😛 I’m glad these cookies worked out though because they look amazing!
Angela @ Sleep and Repeat says
Can’t wait to try this! I love all your recipes 🙂
Lindsay says
thank you so much 🙂
Jaren @ Kiwi Fit Blog says
Holy moly those look good. And seeing as I’ll be at the beach next week I may just have to make these! 🙂
Lindsay says
yes! how perfect!
Aparna B. @ Not A Leaf says
Three words: om nom nom. 🙂
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says
Loving all of your quinoa recipes!! This looks delicious. I haven’t tried baking with quinoa before but now I will.
Lindsay says
yay!!! can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Lindsay @ In Sweetness and In Health says
Those sound so interesting, and tasty!! I’ve never cooked with quinoa. Now I’m really intrigued haha.
Lindsay says
give it a try!!!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food says
SO clever! Love the idea and I’m sure they were absolutely delicious!
Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray says
Yes! I made quinoa cookies recently (http://chipchiphooray.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/healthy-quinoa-breakfast-cookies-and-my-first-giveaway/) and I looooved them. Mine were a little less like a traditional cookie than yours (no flour!), but I was a huge fan of them at breakfast-time…or for dessert…or any time, really. 🙂
Lindsay says
oooh checking out yours now!
Katie @wishandwhimsy says
I must say, girl, this sounds like a delicious summer recipe. Can’t wait to try this!
Lindsay says
awesome 🙂 enjoy!!
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
yum! i’ve made quinoa pancakes before and they were great, so i bet these were too.
Lindsay says
ooh those are next on my list!
Lauren @ Lawfully Wedded Wife says
Very cool, I love that you thought to bake with quinoa! I’ve never tried it!
Lindsay says
you could make something delicious i’m sure!
Megan says
Love this recipe! Going to try these this weekend! Quinoa is so versitile!
Lindsay says
yay! let me know what you think!!
Alysia @ Slim Sanity says
they look pretty good…I’m interested to try something like this 🙂
Lindsay says
give them a whirl!
Charissa says
I’ve been wanting to make cookies with quinoa for a while now…you have completely and utterly inspired me.
Lindsay says
get on it girl! can’t wait to see yours 🙂
jobo says
I have never baked with quinoa! these look so good and I may have to venture out and try to make them too 🙂
Lindsay says
give it a try girl!
Talia @ Bite Size Wellness says
I love your quinoa baking enthusiasm. You had a mission and you completed it with screaming success. Looks so good! I wonder what else quinoa can help create in the baking world.
Lindsay says
so much potential!!!!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
YES! Quinoa cookies are the best! [As are “blends” who give me extra peanut butter. :)]
Matt @ FaveHealthyRecipes says
Looks delicious! Any reason you used both sugar and honey in this recipe? Between the granola and the dried fruit, do you think I could get away with excluding both sweeteners here?
Lindsay says
i wasn’t trying to make them particularly health so i guess that’s why. i think you could definitely eliminate one, if not both.
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
Yum! These look really healthy, but really good!
Lindsay @ Fuel My Family says
I just baked with it for the first time the other day! Can’t wait to tweak my recipe and post it!
Lindsay says
oooh i can’t wait to see it!
Lisa says
What a great recipe! I don’t experiment too much with quinoa, but might need to with the sounds of these. I love baking with teff flour, so good.
Leonor @FoodFaithFitness says
I have never baked with quinoa but I might have to try it now!
Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out says
I made some vegan quinoa breakfast cookies earlier this year and they were AWESOME. I really loved the texture and nuttiness that the quinoa gave them…not to mention that the added protein really helped me justify eating them for breakfast 😉 I really like the tropical fruit in yours! Delish.
Kati @ Around the Plate says
I’ve never baked with quinoa, but these look pretty darn amazing so I might just have to! I’m a sucker for cookies though – especially healthified ones. 🙂