Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups are a poppable, protein-packed gluten free breakfast or snack recipe. Filling, flavorful, and a hit with both kids and adults!
I had this whole spiel ready about how real men do, in fact, eat quiche, as demonstrated by Ben who housed nearly a dozen Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups that resemble wee baby quiche for dinner last night, but then I remembered quiche has a crust and Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups do not, so in reality they’re more like mini frittatas and well, all was tragically lost.
These 2-bite delights combine whole eggs, egg whites, cooked quinoa, shredded zucchini, cheddar cheese, and diced ham in a perfectly poppable package that contains 3 grams of protein per mini cup, thanks to quinoa and lean ham in the mix. They’re low in calories too, at less than 50 calories a piece.
Did I mention they’re SO DANG CUTE?!
Watch How to Make Them!
Protein-Packed Quinoa Bites
Best of all, these protein-packed quinoa bites are super versatile. Try these other varieties!
Plus they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Is there anything Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups can’t do?
This easy, gluten-free recipe takes no time at all. Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl.
Mix.
Then add cooked quinoa and mix again.
Liberally spray a mini muffin tin or mini muffin baking pan with nonstick spray, fill the cups up with the mixture, then bake for 20 minutes or until the cups are golden brown around the outside.
Pop them out once cool enough to handle then try not to squeal. These delicious mini quinoa cups are almost too cute to eat.
Almost!
Like I said, you could eat mini quinoa cups for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner — hot or cold. They’re even freezer-friendly. Enjoy, enjoy!
More Protein-Packed Breakfast Recipes
- Gluten Free Breakfast Bombs
- Mini Egg Bites
- High Protein Overnight Oats
- Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, ~about 3/4 cup uncooked
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced ham
- 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl then mix to combine. Liberally spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray then scoop the quinoa mixture to the top of each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tin and transferring to a cooling rack to cool.
Notes
- For regular-sized muffin tins: bake for 25-30 minutes (Note: I have not tested full-sized muffins myself, although several readers have left comments saying this works!)
- To freeze: place baked cups on a baking sheet then freeze until solid and transfer to a freezer bag. Microwave for 20-40 seconds depending on how many you're reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
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I am excited to try this out for my toddler. We are vegetarians so I would need to eliminate the ham. What do you suggest I replace it with? I was thinking tofu but it might get mushy. Another alternative is chick peas. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
I think extra firm tofu could work!
This is the best recipe I’ve tried in a long time. I’ve made them twice now and each with a little variation of the other………delicious!
Very good but a little dry. Next time I’ll increase the zucchini cheese and herbs. I used chives from my garden instead of scallions. It’s a keeper though. Tastes healthy
I’ve pinned this recipe because the whole family liked it but when I tried to come back from the pin your site was blocked and I got this message, “Sorry, we’ve blocked this link because it may lead to spam, nudity or other inappropriate stuff. Learn more.” Thought you should know.
These are terrific! I just pulled them out of the oven. Thanks for giving me a perfect solution to my weekday breakfasts on the go! :)
I’m wondering if it is possible to use fruit instead of veggies & Meat, I read somewhere that you can even cook the Quinoa in milk. so I thought I’d give that a try… hope it works well.
I just made these and couldn’t help myself from eating a couple fresh out of the oven. So delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe! I will definitely be making these again soon.
I am definetly going to try these. I have been looking for healthy yet quick breakfast ideas and these fit the bill since they can be frozen. What I love about these is you can pretty much use whatever you have on hand. Thanks!
I’m without a muffin tin of any kind :( Do you think this will work in a pie dish?
It could! Unfortunately I’ve never tried so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it turns out!
I have been making different variations of these in a regular-sized muffin tin for the past few weeks. They are the perfect breakfast to take to work. Mixing up the ingredients means I haven’t gotten tired of them & helps me use what’s in my fridge. My most recent combo: ground turkey, sharp cheddar, roasted broccoli and caramelized onions. Yum!