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.
Just wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ for posting this recipe. They tasted absolutely delicious! I only used half measures to see what the muffins tasted like before committing to a whole 28 – but half an hour later, they’re nearly all gone courtesy of my fiance who ate 8 one after another! It’s the first time he’s ever tried quinoa and he was definitely impressed. Thanks again!
These were amazing! I can’t wait to try other combinations (spinach & feta maybe). Its so hard coming up with healthy brunch options that travel well and can be made ahead that taste so good!
I just made the Quinoa cups and they are delicious! This is the first time I have eaten Quinoa. Very good. I will definately make these again. Thanks for the recipe.
This is SO cute! I have never had quinoa before, but I really need to go out right now and buy some. YUM!
I made these for brunch today and they were fabulous!!! Thanks for the great recipe, it was a hit!
This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been looking for to protein-up my breakfasts. How would you recommend reheating? Microwave sprinkled with a little water? Or straight up oven? I’m weird and can’t handle something like this cold out of the fridge, so I’d have to reheat.
You can heat them in the microwave on a dish for 30 seconds, or so!
These turned out amazing! I have not been able to get my 16 month old to eat quinoa yet when I made it for her previously mixed with different things in salads. But these babies were easy for her to pick up and eat and she ate two whole ones by herself and continued to take bites of mine. She probably ate close to four! Thanks for this amazing and easy recipe that even the baby likes! I know what we are having for lunch tomorrow!
Also a tip for you :D I used my small cookie scooper to scoop the mixture into the pans. Made it go SUPER fast!
Wow — are these good! You are a genius. Who knew quinoa could be this tasty. Also, love someone’s idea about feta and spinach — you could do so many variations. Thank you! Love your recipes!
I’m curious as to whether or not these freeze and defrost well. Have you tried it?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would work perfectly fine!
Hi, I just made these and loved them so much I immediately shared the recipe with some friends. Problem is, we’ve all had a heckuva time getting them out of the muffin tins! I even tried it with paper muffin cups this weekend (DON’T recommend). We definitely sprayed them liberally with non-stick spray, and I can only hope that a better muffin pan wouldn’t have the same issues, but let me know if you have any better suggestions for getting these buggers out. Thanks!
Hmmm…the only thing I can think of is that my mini muffin tins are really nonstick, which might be why they come out easier for me. You could always try rubbing the inside of the cups with butter to see if that works better than spray?
That’s interesting because I had a little trouble too although I thought I had adequately greased the cups. On my next batch I was going to use paper so it’s good to know that won’t be any better and you’ve saved me the effort. ?
do you use quinoa flakes or grain?
Grain!
I tried these today for a picnic. I used corn, red bell peppers, and onions. They took about 30 minutes to get the golden crust on the edge. Overall goodie.
I made these last night with spinach, onion and feta. Delicious and definitely husband approved! Thank you!