Roasted crispy quinoa is perfect for adding some protein to vegan and vegetarian dishes as a topping, or just eat it all by itself for a snack. And if you follow a gluten-free diet, this is a fabulous substitution for breadcrumbs!!
Quinoa crispies are so easy to make and can be dressed up in a variety of spices and herbs. All you need is cooked quinoa and 25 minutes roasting time in the oven.
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When I cook up some quinoa to make this quinoa zucchini salad or stuffed delicata squash with quinoa, sometimes I make too much quinoa, and have a bunch left over. It keeps for awhile in the refrigerator, and sometimes I freeze it. But one of my favorite things to do with cooked quinoa is to make roasted crispy quinoa.
🤷♀️ What is crispy quinoa?
You've heard of rice crispies? Well, these are quinoa crispies. But instead of being puffed with air, cooked quinoa is baked until crispy and it turns a golden brown. And, of course, it's much smaller than rice crispies.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Great way to add protein to vegan and vegetarian dishes.
- Perfect gluten-free alternative to breadcrumbs.
- It will be one of your favorite healthy snacks when sprinkled with truffle salt, or other spices / herbs. I guarantee it.
- A fantastic way to use leftover quinoa, so the next time you cook up a pot, make some extra, just so you can make these quinoa crispies.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions to make these quinoa crisps, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Cooked quinoa - go here if you need some tips on how to cook fluffy quinoa.
- Extra virgin olive oil - or a flavored olive oil, such as garlic olive oil.
- Kosher salt - or sea salt, although be sure to cut the amount of sea salt in half.
- Spices - any spices or spice mixtures you want to add, or add nutritional yeast.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this crunchy quinoa are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Make the quinoa. If you don't already have cooked quinoa on hand, make it first and set it aside for cooling.
Step 2
Dry. Spread the cooked quinoa in an even layer on a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper. Set on the counter for at least 15 minutes to dry a bit.
Step 3
Roast. Part way through the roasting, move the quinoa around on the baking sheet so that the seeds evenly crisp up.
Step 4
Season. Toss in a little olive oil, salt and seasonings.
⚖️ Quinoa Measurements
- 1 cup of quinoa seeds simmered in 1 ¼ cups water (or broth) gives you 3 cups cooked quinoa.
- 3 cups cooked quinoa baked in the oven until crispy gives you 1 ½ cups crispy quinoa.
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
First the quinoa seed puffs up when cooked, and then dried until crispy. Quinoa has a fairly neutral flavor, so when it's tossed with a little olive oil, it can be married with a wide variety of flavors and used in a bazillion different ways.
🏆 Tips for Success
- It's not essential that you dry the cooked quinoa before roasting, but it sets the seeds up for getting crispy, especially if the quinoa is super moist. And it shortens the roasting time.
- I've tossed the cooked quinoa in olive oil and salt both before roasting and after. The only difference it makes is the roasting time. If you toss the seeds in oil before roasting, roast them an additional 5 minutes.
- Spread the quinoa in an even layer on the baking sheet for drying and roasting.
- Be sure to move the quinoa around the baking sheet after 15 minutes. This ensures an even roasting. The best way to do this is to pull one side of the parchment paper up to roll the quinoa over itself. Lay it back down on the baking sheet, and pull up the other side of the parchment paper. Now, spread the quinoa back across the baking sheet in an even layer. Slide the baking sheet back into the oven to finish the quinoa.
💡 Possible Variations
- Use a flavored olive oil, such as garlic olive oil.
- Add a smoky flavor with a little smoked paprika. My favorite is Pimentón de la Vera. I highly recommend using truffle oil and / or truffle salt too.
- Toss in dried herbs or finely minced fresh herbs.
- For an extra boost of protein (and nutrition), sprinkle some nutritional yeast over it and thoroughly toss. Or use Parmesan cheese instead.
👩🍳 Ways to Use Crispy Quinoa
- Add to salads or pasta dishes as a crunchy topping.
- On your morning yogurt or smoothie bowls.
- Mixed into granola or granola bars.
- Topping for roasted veggies such as cauliflower or broccoli in place of breadcrumbs.
- Snacking.
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Baked Crispy Quinoa
Equipment
- Large bowl for washing the uncooked quinoa
- fine mesh strainer for rinsing the uncooked quinoa
- 2 baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (starting with 1 cup quinoa uncooked)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon sea salt, garlic salt or truffle salt)
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa. One cup quinoa seed simmered in 1 ¼ cups water will cook up to 3 cups of quinoa.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spread 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa in an even layer on each prepared baking sheet. Optional Step: If your quinoa is super-moist or soggy, allow it to dry out a bit on the counter for 15 minutes on the parchment paper before sliding it in the oven to bake.
- Slide one of the baking sheets into the preheated oven on the middle rack, and bake for 15 minutes. (My oven can only accommodate one baking sheet at a time, so I do this in 2 shifts.)Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and set on the stovetop. Gentle lift one side of the parchment paper to roll the quinoa onto itself. Lay it back down, and repeat with the other side of the parchment paper. The quinoa should be all piled on itself in a long line. Next, spread it out again in an even layer. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, until the quinoa is crispy and turns a golden brown. The exact baking time is dependent upon how moist the quinoa was when you slid it into the oven.Repeat with the second baking sheet of quinoa while you season the roasted quinoa.Note: 3 cups cooked quinoa roasts down to 1½ cups quinoa.
- Toss the crispy quinoa in 1 teaspoon of olive oil per baking sheet, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, for a total of 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Adjust to your own prefereneces. Add any additional spices or herbs you like (see the post for ideas!). Or add 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast per baking sheet (my current favorite). Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Rita
Very creative kitchen / nutrition thinking, Susan!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks, Rita! I've got to find healthy snacks for me. I'm such a sugar girl, and my weight is officially now at an all-time high. I've got to find unsweetened snacks that I like. Plus I'm looking for ways to punch up the protein in some of my dishes that don't have legumes, eggs, yogurt or tofu. So far, this is the favorite solution I've found so far 🙂
Rita
Me again. I'm going to try this in my toaster oven, in batches. Does the toasted (dry) quinoa really have to be stored in the fridge?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Honestly I don't know. I've got mine in there because of the protein content, and there's still some moisture in them. So I went the safe route. But it's possible it's not necessary. I'll do some searches on this and see what I can learn!
Loreto and Nicoletta
We love quinoa. And the thought of it as a snack all crisp and delicious is very intriguing! Definitely would go for the truffle salt. Very dangerous snack. It would be hard to stop eating these! Thanks for sharing such a great idea to use up the leftover quinoa! ❤️ 😍
apuginthekitchen
Really a great idea, I bet it tastes wonderful toasted and would be great on a gratin.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
These would be PERFECT on a gratin, Suzanne!!!
Norma Chang
I like this idea very much, great idea, thanks.
laurasmess
I never would've thought of toasting the quinoa this way! What an awesome idea Susan. I am definitely doing this... as soon as I get home. Such an inspired thing to do (you can tell that I am really excited about this prospect!) x
mjskit
I LOVE this idea!!! The truffle salt sounds wonderful with the roasted quinoa, but I bet there are 101 variations that would work as well. Fabulous idea Susan!
Kelly @ hidden fruits and veggies
omg, this amazing! I've heard of people popping and toasting quinoa on the stove, but that seemed a little too high maintenance for my taste.
P.S. I saw a question someone asked if this really needed to be kept in the fridge -- since you're using cooked quinoa (which needs to be refrigerated) I definitely would play it safe and keep this in the fridge, too!
Rachael@AnAvocadoADay
What a great idea! I can see so many places to use this! Love the idea of using this as a simple topping for steamed or roasted vegetables.
Choc Chip Uru
Truffle salt sounds so classy, I bet it would really add to the flavour of these already delicious crispies 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Terra
This is a perfect salad topper, and so delicious! What a fun recipe idea! Yum, Hugs, Terra
sallybr
What a fantastic idea! Love this.... love it!
Kelly
I just ate a salad that had crispy quinoa on top and it was so deliciously genius. I hate wet soggy quinoa but force myself to eat it and be pseudo healthy. I’m wondering if the restaurant fried the quinoa or used some sort of oil. I’d rather avoid it. But it WAS very yummy and added a nice crunchy texture to the salad. Will try it your way and see how it compares.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'd love to hear what you think. I'm getting an air fryer for Christmas (!!) and thought I'd try it in there too to get it even crispier. I know what you mean about soggy quinoa. I'm very texture oriented, and I don't like that either.
Lydia
How long do they keep??
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They should last several days.
Sharon
These quinoa crispies are just what I was missing as an addition in salads and on top of roasted veggies to add a nice crunch.
veenaazmanov
Definitely very informative and helpful. Thanks for so much of detailing. Quinoa is one of my favorite healthy meal option.
Tristin
This is my new favorite snack. I added a little seasoning and can’t stop eating it. Even my kids love it!
Lauren Michael Harris
We eat a lot of quinoa and love to find new ways to prepare and use it. This crispy quinoa was so good and I absolutely loved the texture - can't wait to use it in all kinds of new ways now!
Cathleen
For some reason, I have never thought of making this myself at home! I love this so much, thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Mikayla
What a great idea, I opted to use fall spices to make mine up and then used it in my cream of wheat, it was so good!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
These were perfect a top a spinach salad! I’m a textural eater and my salad was missing crunch. I whipped this up and it was INCREDIBLE!
Enriqueta E Lemoine
This is a must-make recipe. I roasted my leftover quinoa with Pimentón de la Vera, and OMG! It was delicious, and the crispiness was to die for. I plan to make a batch of cinnamon and vanilla for breakfast and dessert.
Silvia
I loved this; now, I added it to my salads or soups to add an extra layer of texture and flavor. I used a bunch of herbs from my garden but I'm also thinking on new sweet flavors.
Kristen
Trying this out and want to confirm I’m cooking 1 cup of quinoa with 1.25 cups water (versus usual method of 2 cups water)? Thanks!
Susan Pridmore
I use quite a bit less water or broth when making quinoa as I like it to be more like a pilaf, meaning fluffier. I find the the usual method of 2 cups of water make it mushy. This is particularly important when then baking it to get it crispy. I use 1 1/4 cups water or broth, and add a little more if needed (if the pot becomes dry before the quinoa is cooked). That way, I don't risk it being mushy. There's always some variability based on the specific pot I use - both the material it's made of and the diameter of the pot. If your quinoa isn't mushy using 2 cups of liquid, that should be fine, but you may need to roast the quinoa a little longer to get it crispy. I hope this helps!