Enjoy a healthy dessert in perfectly bite-sized portions!
I’ve been excited about a lot of things in my life—Christmas mornings, surprise Amazon deliveries, that one time Target stocked my favorite almond milk again—but these quinoa bites are a whole different level. Like, couldn’t-sleep, showered-in-coffee, buzzed-on-life level. And to be clear, I don’t recommend showering in coffee.
Anyway, let’s talk about the real reason I’m writing this in a half-conscious daze: These quinoa bites are perfection. They have a crisp coconut shell, a creamy raspberry cheesecake center that melts just slightly into the edges, and a dark chocolate glaze that makes you forget you’re technically eating something made with quinoa.
I told myself I’d only have one while dinner finished baking. My intentions were there, I swear. Cut to me scrapping dinner entirely and just standing over the pan, one hand holding a quinoa bite, the other scooping up the rest. Priorities.
Are Gluten-Free Cheesecake-Stuffed Raspberry-Coconut-Quinoa Bites With Chocolate Glaze Healthy?
They’re a dessert, and I recommend treating them like one. But that said, they do have some solid things going for them. Quinoa is full of plant-based protein, fiber, and essential minerals like magnesium and iron. You have Greek yogurt for a boost in calcium, protein, and probiotics, and other ingredients like almond milk, raspberries, and eggs have their benefits, too.
These bites are also gluten-free, and if you use dairy-free substitutes for the cream cheese and yogurt, you could get them pretty close to dairy-free, too.
The Cheesecake Center That Almost Didn’t Happen
There was a moment while I was developing this recipe that I debated skipping the cheesecake filling and just doing plain quinoa bites. That would’ve been a huge mistake. The cheesecake center is what makes this recipe. It melts just enough to feel like real cheesecake, and it hits you with tang from the raspberry and richness from the white chocolate to make the whole thing taste like the complete package. Let this show you that sometimes you just have to trust the process.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Let the bites cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them; line a baking sheet with parchment paper, freeze the bites until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Serving Suggestions
While these quinoa bites are a satisfying little treat all on their own, I also like to enjoy them as part of a sweet snack tray, particularly alongside some White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries—which also happens to be a great way to use up any leftover white chocolate from this recipe! You could also serve up a bowl of Coconut Milk Quinoa Fruit Salad to enjoy on the side or have a few for breakfast with a Yogurt Parfait.
Ingredients
For The Filling:
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons powdered stevia or sweetener of choice
- 1 ounce white chocolate
- 2 tablespoons raspberry Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon liquid egg whites
- 3 tablespoons fresh raspberries
For The Quinoa:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 3 tablespoons powdered stevia, or sweetener of choice
- pinch salt
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
For The Dark Chocolate Glaze:
- 3 ounces dark chocolate
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and place 2 muffin liners in a muffin tin, filling the empty cups with a little bit of water.
- Make the cheesecake center. In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, lemon juice, and stevia until smooth and creamy.
- In a small bowl, melt the white chocolate in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval.
- Combine the melted chocolate, Greek yogurt, and egg whites into the cream cheese mixture and beat until well blended.
- Pour into the 2 lined muffin tins and bake until the cheesecake is set, about 20 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan and then refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Make the quinoa. Combine the water and almond milk into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add in the quinoa, stevia, and pinch of salt. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is completely absorbed (about 15-20 minutes). Let the quinoa completely cool.
- While the quinoa cools, mash the chilled cheesecakes in a large bowl. Add in the fresh raspberries and beat with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop the cheesecake filling onto it in teaspoon-sized balls. If your filling is a little bit runny, use your fingers to help shape each ball.
- Put the cookie sheet into the freezer until each ball is frozen solid, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the cooled quinoa into a large mixing bowl and add in the coconut flakes and lightly beaten eggs. Mix well so that the quinoa is evenly coated. The quinoa will seem quite "eggy;" you need this so that the balls stick together.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Take 1/2 the frozen cheesecake balls out of the freezer and line another cookie sheet with parchment paper. Keep the remaining half in the freezer until you are ready to use.
- In the palm of your hand, take about a heaping 1/2 tablespoon of the quinoa and drop one of the cheesecake balls on top. Cover with an additional heaping 1/2 tablespoon of the quinoa mixture.
- Squish and spread the quinoa around the cheesecake until it sticks together and is completely covered. Place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Do this until all of your quinoa is gone.
- Bake the balls until they feel just set and stick together, about 23-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let them completely cool.
- Finally, make the chocolate glaze. In a large bowl, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave by heating it for 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
- Stir in the melted coconut oil until the chocolate is very smooth.
- Once completely cool, roll each quinoa bite around in the chocolate and place back onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Refrigerate until the chocolate is hard, then enjoy.
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