Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls

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06-Apr-2012 – Afternoon Snack Recipe: Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Rolls

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25-Mar-2013 – 12 Ballin’ Recipes


These puffed quinoa peanut butter balls are the perfect crunchy (yet healthy) treat. They can be ready to eat in under 30 minutes, and they’re naturally gluten-free!

Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free

I picked up some puffed quinoa at the health food store this weekend and decided to make a little treat with it. I have a deep and unending love for peanut butter, so that’s what I went with…

Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free
Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free
Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free

Notes – Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

  • The natural peanut butter that I used is not very sweet, so I used 4 tbsp of agave nectar. Adjust this depending on your taste.
  • I decided to add a tablespoon of crushed peanuts to the mixture since I was using smooth peanut butter.
  • The peanut butter I used is very runny, but if yours is on the thick/dry side, you may want to heat it up slightly beforehand.
  • I found the mixture to be too sticky to roll into balls right away, so I placed it in the fridge for 15 minutes, and it firmed-up just enough to easily roll into balls.
  • I tried making something similar a couple weeks back using puffed brown rice, but the texture seemed too chewy – and almost soggy. Regular (white) puffed rice (such as regular Rice Krispies) should work well, but it has under half the protein, so seek-out puffed quinoa if you can.
Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free

Updates – Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

April 6, 2012 — This recipe was featured as an “Afternoon Snack Recipe” on Glamour.com. Woohoo!

May 9, 2013 — Reader Tamara (below) said that she found Puffed Quinoa in Canada at Bulk Barn. In the U.S, it can be ordered online from Amazon.com.

July 15, 2013 — Reader Amanda (below) says you can find Puffed Quinoa in Toronto at Noah’s Natural Foods. Thanks Amanda!

December 12, 2013 — I just realized that this recipe made Buzzfeed’s 12 Ballin’ Recipes list. Yay!

Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls - Vegan & Gluten-Free

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Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls

These puffed quinoa peanut butter balls don’t require any cooking – just roll ’em and eat ’em! Vegan / Gluten-Free

  • Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert, Snack
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup puffed quinoa
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 34 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp crushed peanuts (optional, for extra crunch if using smooth PB)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • vegan dark chocolate (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, agave and vanilla. If the mixture is too firm, heat it up on the stove a little bit.
  2. Add the puffed quinoa (and peanuts, if using), and stir to combine.
  3. Place mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to let it firm up.
  4. Remove from fridge, roll into 12 balls, and return to fridge for 15 minutes before serving.
  5. Optional: dip some or all of the balls in dark chocolate.

Notes

Makes 12 balls.

Keywords: agave, chocolate, dessert balls, easy, gluten-free, kid-friendly, low-carb, make-ahead, no-cook, nut butter, one-pot, original, puffed quinoa, soy-free, under 30 minutes, vegan

Did you make this recipe?

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169 thoughts on “Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls”

  1. I had a bag of puffed quinoa that I didn’t know what to do with, so I googled and found this recipe. I’m so glad I made it as these little balls are delicious! I’m eating one as I type this. MMM so good 🙂

    Reply
  2. Thanks for the recipe! I couldn’t find puffed quinoa so I substituted puffed quinoa snacks from the baby food/cereal aisle. They tasted great!

    Reply
  3. I absolutely love these! Unfortunately, I was never able to find puffed quinoa at my local store, but I use puffed millet and it works perfectly!!

    Reply
  4. Thank you from Hong Kong for this recipe! It is fantastic!

    I live in Hong Kong & could not find puffed quinoa for love nor money (regular quinoa is hard to find!). I cooked quinoa normally, then popped it into the oven, stirred it over every 10 mins or so until the steam had gone, and then used per the recipe : turned out really well too!

    Reply
  5. Hi Veganela,
    I have made your recipe a few times in the past two years since I discovered it online. It’s always a delicious treat to make for my friends and family to enjoy.
    Thank you for sharing a simple and delicious recipe for all of us in the online community to make. You certainly have not only shared a wonderful recipe but you have also helped share love and appreciation to my friends, family and colleagues through this wonderful recipe.
    Have a great day!

    Reply
  6. These were absolutely delicious! I couldn’t find popped quinoa in the stores, so I searched up a recipe to make it myself and it turned out great!

    Reply
  7. Hi! I thought I should let you know that a VERY similar recipe was published in (UK ed.) Woman’s Health | May 2014. I stumbled across yours because I was/am trying to source puffed quinoa! (nightmare!)
    Anyhoo, its called: Any Time Peanut Butter Balls | Makes 7 | 175 cals | 7.5g protein
    75g Peanut Butter
    20g coconut oil
    10g agave nectar
    5g madagascar vanilla
    30g brown rice protein
    30g amaranth
    50g organic vegan white chocolate

    So maybe you wanna drop them a line thanking them for bringing me your original recipe 😉 On the other up side – plenty of comments to pin point me to puffed quinoa!

    Reply
  8. These look amazing, just wondering what the best way to store these are? And for how long do they last? Does the puffed quinoa get soggy after a while being mixed with the peanut butter? Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
  9. I made these last night – took me literally 5 minutes and they are TO DIE FOR!! great snack for when you are craving a sweet little something. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  10. I love these. I get my puffed quinoa and about half of the things in my house on nuts.com They are my favorite website to order from, super duper products and service.

    Reply
  11. Beautiful pictures! Your dark chocolate is so dark and was wondering if you could share what brand or percentage of dark chocolate you used I have used 70 percent in the past and it has never looked as dark or good as yours. 😉 thanks for sharing recipe too!

    Reply
  12. Hi Angela!

    My friend and I were looking at your puffed quinoa peanut butter balls and were wondering if you could send us the nutritional facts for them?

    Thanks,

    Paige and Aryelle

    Reply
  13. Yum!!! Thank you for your recipe! Could you please share which health food store you bought the puffed quinoa? I haven’t seen them anywhere. Thank you!

    Reply
  14. I wonder if I can do these with popped amaranth?? I pop it on the stove like popcorn and put it in snack bars, date balls, sandwiches, etc.

    Reply
  15. this sounds great and I would love to make it soon but I am having a hard time pinning this recipe, something about the photo is too small…?

    Reply
  16. Hello! So I found your recipe forever ago on Pinterest (I think) and I’ve been wanting to make them but no one in my city sells puffed quinoa. But today I found puffed millet :/ not the real deal but close – I’d like to think heehee – so I’m super excited! Thanks!

    Reply
  17. Wondering if I can make these in advance? I’m bringing them to a get-together tomorrow morning and would love to make them tonight and leave them in the fridge. Will they be okay?

    Reply
      • I made them last night, and brought them to a parent group coffee this morning. They always have someone bring baked good and no one eats them. So thought I would try something different… omg- everyone went crazy for them!! Instead of 12 balls, I made 24 mini bites, and put them in the freezer about an hour before serving to really chill them out. So good! Everyone wants the recipe!!

        Reply
        • Sorry for the delay, didn’t see this come in. I’m so glad to hear that they were such a hit. Yay! I love the idea of making them “mini”! Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe 🙂

          Reply
  18. Finally got around to making these, and they are sooo tasty!
    Even the kids loved them!
    I made these with Almond Butter as we have a peanut allergy so they didn’t stick together as well as I’m sure PB would.

    I found the puffed Quinoa at Bulk Bark (here in Canada)
    🙂
    Very awesome, super easy and super quick recipe!
    Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Hi, I too used store bought puffed millet after my attempt at puffing my own amaranth made a mess of my kitchen. I think the texture is just the same as with the puffed quinoa. I can find the puffed millet no problem but the 4 health food stores near didnt carry puffed quinoa, so I use it & it still delicious. Do you think toasting the puffed millet/quinoa would lend to more crunch?

    Also, I put these out for my 5, 7 & 8 y/o niece & nephews who thought they were the best desert ever!!

    Reply
    • Gabrielle – Good question about toasting for more crunch. Makes sense, and I will try to remember to try that next time I make them. Glad to hear they were a kid with everyone!

      Reply
  20. Who knew only a few ingrediants could make something sooooo good? I made these for desert last night after making your spring rolls and they were absolutley sinful. Instead of puffed quinoa I used puffed brown rice (since I already had it on hand) and it was delish! The chocolate on top was the perfect touch. Thanks for another recipe keeper.

    Reply
    • You’re on a roll! Literally! Ha! Glad to hear that you liked these too, and that using puffed brown rice worked for you. Thanks again for all your comments, and let me know what else you try! 🙂

      Reply
  21. I couldn’t find puffed quinoa at any of the health food stores, so I bought puffed millet. Do you think that will do the job??

    Reply
  22. I made these but the quinoa was more soggy than crunchy. It was also hard to “roll” them into balls. I basically smooshed them together to form then stuck them in the fridge. They have great flavor! I want to make another batch with some flavored nut butter I got from whole foods (which is where I found the puffed quinoa).

    Reply
  23. Do you think you could use puffed millet instead? Did you get your puff Quinoa from amazon? The review I saw had someone say it had a chemical smell!, kinda freaked me out!

    Reply
    • Hi Erica! Yes, I think puffed millet would work. If you try it, please let me know so I can update the post! I didn’t buy my puffed quinoa from Amazon, but thanks for the heads up. I’ll try to link to one with better reviews…

      Reply
  24. Excellent little treat! Loved it!
    I tried it with homemade puffed quinoa (my first time making it). Actually, I had never tried puffed quinoa before. Not sure the homemade one is quite like the store bought one, but anyhow, it was delicious in this recipe. Daughter loved it too. Will definately make again.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  25. Wow!!!
    Yumm yumm I’m always looking for new healthy treats for my children and me.
    I will definitely try it next weekend.
    Thanks! : )

    Reply
  26. Love this! I bought a bag of puffed quinoa when I was in Peru in the fall and I didn’t like it that much. Now I know how to use it up 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  27. This is the second vegan dessert with quinoa that i found today and it looks amazing! I never thought of using quinoa for a dessert but I really like the idea!

    Reply
  28. Hi, you can puff your own quinoa very easily if you can’t find it anywhere near you. I am making mine right now, to enjoy tonight for desert. Next I am going to try it with Amaranth, maybe half & half to up the protein & fiber content, if I remember I will let you know how it turns out. (you can puff amaranth the same way as quinoa)

    Thanks for the inspiration! I can’t wait for my son & I to gobble these up!!

    Reply
  29. Made it today. Had puffed honey quinoa. It tastes burnt (the quinoa) so the balls did, too. I didn’t live it but saw puffed quinoa without honey at target yesterday so I may try that next. It was in the pasta aisle I think.
    My fave PB is tj’s but I was out so used half Peter pan and half natural.
    Once I am full fledged starch free dairy free sugar free I expect this to taste better just for the fact my taste buds will be happier with it. I want to see if I could add dark choc chips. I am not a choc person in general.

    Something in me wanted to smush the balls into a cracker and put sliced banana on top.

    Reply
    • Hi Mer – Sorry to hear that these didn’t turn out for you. I’m pretty confident that you’ll like them if you remake them using plain puffed quinoa. Dark chocolate chips would be a great addition, as would the banana slices…

      Reply
  30. Hi, this recipe sounds amazing! My husband is going to love this. I’m not too into peanut butter do you know if this can be done with almond butter?

    Reply
  31. I bought some quinoa today just so I could try this recipe! I’ve never had quinoa before (I’m not vegan and I’m just starting to eat healthy after a long time of eating my feelings). I’m going to have to pop the quinoa I bought so I’ll let you know how it comes out. Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  32. Hi vegangela 🙂 this recipe sounds so delicious. Maybe it would be good with some oatmeal in the mixture too? I’ll have to try it out 🙂

    Reply
  33. I made these with puffed amaranth (what I had at home) and they came out great. Will try them with puffed rice next time.

    Reply
  34. These were great! I found the puffed quinoa in the bulk section of my food co-op! Made a batch tonight to take to a baby shower tomorrow for the mom-to-be to have in the freezer when baby arrives in the next week or so! 🙂

    Reply
  35. These look gorgeous. If I can manage to find puffed quinoa in London these would be great for my four year old and her friends. I, too have a complete addiction to peanut butter!

    Reply
    • Hi,

      I just tried to do this, and used this exact recipe from livestrong to make my own puffed quinoa and it burned instantly! I used coconut oil and that may be why. I was really bummed because I wanted it to work. Going to try Trader Joes to see if they sell puffed quinoa. I have a friend that actually boiled her quinoa and let it sit to cool, then made these and it actually worked well.

      Reply
      • Yikes! Thanks for letting me know. I think I’ll stick to buying store-bought puffed quinoa! I like the idea of using cooked quinoa though… Will have to try that. Thanks for stopping by and sorry to hear you went to all this trouble.

        Reply
  36. Wow, it is yummy. Sometimes I can not use peanut butter if I am making it for school project. Which other butter better replaces peanut butter (Almond? something else?)

    Reply
  37. ah! peanut butter balls are THE must-have xmas treat in my household! i’ve also never heard of puffed quinoa, but i will certainly be keeping my eyes open for it now.

    Reply
  38. Whoa. These look amazing! I just discovered puffed quinoa, and I am in love…and being from the midwest, “buckeye” balls are a favorite holiday treat – I’m bringing these to Thanksgiving this year, and I bet they’re going to be just as good as the traditional treats, and will be a bit healthier, too!

    Reply
    • Hi Jenn – I’ve only just discovered it too and I’m really loving it. I’m adding your site to my RSS reader so that I can see those healthy Buckeye balls! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  39. Oh my heavens, there is nothing here that I don’t love. Please, please, please can you deliver to my hotel room in Adelaide? I’m so tired and desperately in need of peanut buttery protein sweetness! 🙂

    Reply
  40. These look so good! I like to make these ball-kind of treats with rice krispies cereal… but the natural and organic kind (Nature’s Path). I find the traditional cereal absorbs too much of whatever liquid you mix with it and they get soggy. The natural cereal always maintains its cruch and crisp. But I will definitely hunt for puffed quinoa next time!!!

    Reply
    • Thanks Jodi. It’s funny that you say that because I had the completely opposite result when using brown-rice cereal. It absorbed all the liquid and made the balls all soggy. Weird! Anyway, let me know if you make these and how they compare for you!

      Reply
  41. They look yummy! Have not seen puffed Quinoa at the Whole Foods in Arizona
    But I will have to look harder!!! :))))

    Reply
  42. These look and sound so good, Angela! I have yet to see puffed quinoa around here but now that I know about it, I will be on the search. Hope you are well and are enjoying your summer sun. Lucky… xo

    Reply
    • Thanks Cara – They’re nice and simple. I bet you could use that puffed quinoa to come up with some pretty nifty vegan candy! The weather here has been glorious… I’m not going to rub it in!

      Reply
  43. Looks so good!! Another AWESOME (and savoury) use for puffed quinoa: Fresh’s Quinoa Onion Rings. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried those!! The recipe is in their latest cookbook; they’re quite labour-intensive, but absolutely worth the trouble.

    Reply
    • Hi Heather – That’s a great idea! You could even add some cocoa powder to them, or roll them in coconut or nuts after dipping them in chocolate.They’re like little healthy truffles. Look for the puffed quinoa at the health food store…

      Reply
  44. Those are pretty darn cute. I’ve never had puffed quinoa before, but I’ve definitely eyed it up – this whole puffed grain thing was a recent discovery for me (save for rice crispies, of course). I’m all over the chocolate ones, pb + chocolate is the best ever.

    Reply
  45. I had no idea they made puffed quinoa – I definitely can’t wait to get these whipped up. They look like a more whole-foods (and vegan, of course) PB rice krispie ball!

    Reply

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