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.
This recipe is the reason that I will now keep quinoa as a staple in my house. Made them up quickly on a Sunday night for breakfast during the week. I find the texture to be something between that of a frittata (eggy) and a muffin (crumbly-grainy from the quinoa).
BTW, auto-correct suggested “Atari” as an replacement for “frittata”. Nice.
These are amazing both cold and hot!! Replaced zucchini with some really small asparagus and left out onions. Yummy. Love by all!!
I made this with spinach instead of zucchini. They were delicious! Thank you, Kristin!
I subbed broccoli for the ham & my 9 month cannot get enough of these! Had these for lunch and dinner today & was doing the happy dance in her high chair while eating them!
Totally love these! They are now a regular in my house. They are also delicious in a corn tortilla for breakfast! YUM! So glad you shared these. Today is a day of getting ready for back to school, so I’m making more to put in the freezer. Love that they are so easy to make, delicious, freeze well, and are great on-the-go healthy food.
I made a batch of these over the weekend and froze them for my teen son to heat up in the mornings for his breakfast. They heat up nicely and quickly in the microwave. He also loves the recipe for frozen breakfast burritos. Thanks so much for quick, healthy breakfast options a teenager will eat!!!
I just made these, I had everything in the fridge from various leftovers except the ham. Popped two hot ones in my mouth as the came out of the oven. So delicious!
I made these with pastrami and mild cheddar, because I had those ingredients in the fridge. They were delicious! I really think they need the sharp cheddar she used, or a stronger Swiss would be nice with corned beef or pastrami. I may even try to substitute Sauer kraut instead of zucchini to make Quinoa Reuben Cups. I highly recommend this versatile recipe.
Can you use large/regular sized muffin tins?
I actually just tried it – filled them half way – they were delicious but I had to cook twice as long and I think the minis would work better – but not bad in a pinch – going to buy those mini pans now for sure!
These look so good! I’m totally thinking about making them this weekend for my lunches during the week. If they last that long!
We have a 7 year old picky vegetarian – in a family of carnivores – so I’m always on the lookout for protein-rich kid-friendly foods. Omitted the ham, onions, and parsley – and they were a hit. She actually ate her entire dinner. Triumph! Thank you!
Made these last night! So yummy!!! It was also my first experience with quinoa and it is delicious in these little things! My daughter and I each had 2 of them for breakfast this morning. Thanks for this!
I found your recipe last night and this morning I got up and still had it on the brain, so of course, I HAD to make it! But, alas, I had none of the things that you did save eggs, parsley and quinoa. So I concocted a mixture of broccoli, basil, and garlic and herb cheddar cheese from my fridge. They just came out of the oven and I’m really not sure I can wait 5 minutes to eat them. Thanks for the recipe; this will be a definite go to!