These cheesy quinoa pizza bites are a nostalgic, freezer-friendly favorite—perfect for football season, freezer meals, or quick snacks.
This recipe goes way back—like, 2013 baby-blogging days back! At the time, I was totally obsessed with quinoa (weren’t we all?), and while it may not be the star superfood it once was, this recipe is one that’s stood the test of time in my kitchen.
I make these cheesy quinoa pizza bites every fall during football season, and pretty much any time I need something quick, comforting, and freezer-friendly. In fact, they’ve been a go-to after having each of my babies—pop a few out of the freezer, and lunch is done!
While I wish I could say this is a kid-favorite in my house, it’s a mixed bag. My toddler might still eat them (we’re not quite in full picky mode yet), but my big kids? Hard pass. To be fair, they’re also the only kids at birthday parties who don’t eat pizza, so… I guess that tracks.
But here’s the thing—you will love them. I promise.
Here’s why…
Reasons why you'll love these quinoa pizza bites:
- Pizza vibes, healthier twist – All the cheesy, savory flavor you crave, with a boost of protein and fiber from quinoa.
- Versatile & customizable – Add your favorite pizza toppings, swap in veggies, or keep it classic—your call.
- Meal prep friendly – Make a big batch and freeze for quick lunches, snacks, or after-school bites.
- Kid-approved – Bite-sized, cheesy, and easy to eat—perfect for picky eaters.
The video below has slightly different ingredients (adds pepperoni), which show you how easy it can be to modify this recipe!
How to Make Quinoa Pizza Bites
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Cook Quinoa. The first step in making these quinoa bites is cooking your quinoa. One cup of dry quinoa yields about three cups cooked, so you can either make just ½ cup for this recipe or go ahead and cook the full cup—then double the recipe or freeze the extra quinoa for another day (meal prep win!).
Cook your quinoa according to the package directions. Some brands need rinsing to remove bitterness, but if you’re using the big Costco bag, you're in luck—it’s pre-rinsed and ready to go. If you want more flavor, I suggest cooking your quinoa in broth for added flavor.
While the quinoa cooks, sauté your onion and garlic until soft and translucent. If you’re out of fresh, no worries—just sub in 1 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
Using canned diced tomatoes? Rinse them well and give them a quick chop so you don’t end up with big chunks in your bites. Once everything’s prepped, toss all your ingredients into a large bowl and mix them up!
It’s super flexible, so feel free to customize based on what you have on hand and what pizza toppings you love. Just toss everything into a big bowl and mix well to make sure the flavors are evenly distributed in every bite!
Then pack each greased mini muffin hole full of the mixture and bake! You will want to use a spoon to pack down the ingredients into the hole to help them stick together after baking.
Next, grease a mini muffin tin (or use a silicone tray) and pack each well full of the mixture. Use a spoon to really press it down—this helps the bites hold together after baking. Don’t be afraid to pack them tight!
We found these pop out of the muffin tin way easier once they’ve cooled—but before they go into the fridge. I left some in the tin to photograph later and learned the hard way: once chilled, they’re much harder to remove cleanly. So let them cool, then remove them before refrigerating! Also, I love this mini muffin tin that's silicone to make it super easy. Promise you won't regret that purchase, kids love mini muffins.
Swaps and Substitutions
This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian as written, for more swaps and substitutions:
- Quinoa – No swapping here! They’re quinoa bites for a reason. 😉
- Avocado Oil – Extra virgin olive oil or any neutral oil works just fine
- Yellow Onion – Swap with white or red onion, or use 1 teaspoon onion powder if that’s what you’ve got.
- Minced Garlic – Optional but always a flavor boost. Garlic powder can be used in a pinch.
- Eggs – Don’t skip these! They’re essential for binding everything together.
- Mozzarella – Any shredded cheese will do, but mozzarella gives that classic pizza flavor.
- Seasonings (basil, oregano) – Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning are great one-step swaps.
- Black Olives – Totally optional, but if you love them, add them!
- Diced Canned Tomatoes – Optional as well; feel free to sub in fresh tomatoes, just dice them small.
- Marinara – Perfect for dipping! Or switch it up with Alfredo for a white pizza twist.
Really, as you can see in the video, the world is your oyster. Just keep the egg, quinoa, and mozzarella, and change any other seasonings or toppings/mix-ins to your liking!
How to Store and Freeze Quinoa Bites
To Store: Once the quinoa bites have fully cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4–5 days. For best texture, reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring back some crispiness, or microwave for a quick option.
To Freeze: Let the bites cool completely, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about 1–2 hours (this prevents them from sticking together). Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat from Frozen:
- Oven/Air Fryer: Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes or until heated through.
- Microwave: Heat in 30-second intervals until warm, though they’ll be softer this way.
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Cheesy Quinoa Pizza Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked quinoa ½ cup uncooked
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or EVOO
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ½ cup diced canned tomatoes rinsed and chopped again to make smaller pieces
- ½ cup marinara
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Usually, you may or may not have to rinse the quinoa; the Costco kind does not need to be rinsed. Typically, directions include bringing 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water to a boil and then simmering for 15 to 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa at a minimum. Saute onions and garlic in 1 teaspoon oil until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except pizza sauce.
- Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or your preferred oil. Then, spoon, one heaping tablespoon of mixture into each cup. Push down with the back of a spoon so that the top of each muffin is flat.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then use a butter knife to run the knife around the edges and pop out the bites.
- Heat the marinara sauce for dipping and then enjoy!
Nutrition
For me, pizza is all about black olives and cheese, but feel free to add your favorite toppings. These would be perfect to freeze for a quick after school snack as a healthy substitute for something like bagel bites. They are also a perfect appetizer to bring to your next football party!
Love healthy food in mini bite form? Check out these recipes below!
- Mini Polenta Pizzas
- Buffalo Cheddar Quinoa Bites
- Mini Corn Dog Bites
- Spicy Tuna Cakes
- 10 Game Day Appetizers
Gluten Free Fabulous says
Yum! These look delicious and something fun to serve for appitizers!
Abigail Wenderson says
I loved this! I had tried it a couple of years earlier at a friend's and they were amazing. So I had tried it on my own with her recipe which was more or less the same and it turned out to be delicious. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Enjoy!