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.
I pinned this recipe a while ago. I just wanted you to know how fantastic it is! It is by far one of my all time favorite finds! Thank you for sharing.
do you think it would be ok I replaced the shredded zucchini with another 1 cup shredded carrot?
I think that would be ok! I’d just make sure it’s very finely shredded so it’s not still crunchy in the final cups.
Can these be adapted for a regular-sized muffin tin? I got rid of my mini-muffin tins because they were so hard to get anything out of, and hard to clean.
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried but readers have before and said they turned out great!
Has anyone tried these using inca red quinoa? That is all I have on hand.
When using sausage, would it have to be cooked first?
Yep, I’d cook then cool it first!
What’s that white powder stuff in the picture of all the ingredients in the bowl?
Also, these look super yummy.
Parmesan cheese. :)
I tried these the other day, and I made a few substitutions. But they turned out to be fantastic! Do they freeze well? Thanks! :D
Yes they do!
I have tried quinoa, but no matter how long I soak it, or how much I rinse it, it is always gritty and no one will eat it. Are there certain brands that have less “grit” than others?
These turned out amazing, thanks for a wonderful recipe!!!!!!!! They are sooo tasty! I tripled the recipe to freeze and am so excited about my freezer’s new addition. I a made a variety of sizes: mini muffins, full sized muffins, and muffin tops and they all turned out great. I also added parmesan to the bottom and top before cooking and that turned out extra delish. Thanks again for sharing this great recipe!!!
I just made these and they are delicious and awesome! Keeping this recipe for sure. Thank you for the idea, one which I can do so many variations of :)
These turned out great. Used regular muffin tins and red quinoa. Will be making these again. Thanks for sharing.
Loved! Just made BLT ones using spinich which turned out fabulously. Black bean/ tomato/spinich are in the oven now … Just cleaned out my fridge and now have healthy freezer snacks for the kids. Thx for sharing this one!
I just made these using broccoli instead of zucchini, and they are addicting! I had to stop myself at four so I could freeze the rest for breakfast. The only thing I found is that for me, they took 30 minutes to cook. I think my quinoa may have had too much liquid in it. They still turned out great though!