Quinoa Snack Bar Recipe with Dates and Cacao
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A few days ago, I stumbled upon a random video on Facebook showing how to make quinoa popcorn.
The instructions were simple: just toast the quinoa for a few minutes on a hot pan until it pops.
Wow, sounds like a hit, right?
So I went into the kitchen, pulled out some quinoa that had been sitting in my pantry, and tried it myself.
And you know what? It really pops!
But unlike corn kernels, popped quinoa stays very small, so you can't exactly snack on them one by one while watching Netflix.
Because of that, I changed direction and thought about how I could still incorporate them into something delicious.
A quick search online revealed that you can make sweet treats out of them, like these quinoa bars.
These are excellent as a pre-workout snack, when you're craving something sweet, or when you want to offer guests something special.
What's great about this popped quinoa is the fact that you don't need to cook it in water beforehand; it becomes crunchy and fun to chew.
The combination with date paste and cacao makes this snack particularly indulgent and rich in antioxidants.
It's the perfect blend of a snack and a superfood.
A bit about the Quinoa snack bar with dates and cacao
The base of the snack is toasted white quinoa that has been popped. I haven't tried replacing it with red quinoa, but I assume it would work just as well.
To bind everything together, I used vacuum-packed date paste. You can certainly use the same amount of pitted dates, blended into a paste.
A delicious and healthy addition is natural almond butter with no added sugar. You can substitute it with the same amount of raw tahini or peanut butter.
Want a recipe for quinoa patties? Click here
Nutritional Values:
One quinoa bar with dates (out of 16), weighing 40g, contains:
- 160 calories
- 5g protein
- 8g fat
- 17g carbohydrates
Quinoa Snack Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa 180g
- 1/4 package vacuum-packed pitted date paste 150g
- 2 tbsp cacao powder 14g
- 1 tsp cacao nibs 15g
- 250 g almond butter, no added sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
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Heat a wide pan.
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Add the quinoa and spread it well across the pan, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
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After a few minutes, the quinoa will start to jump and pop. Do not stop stirring.
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Once the quinoa has browned slightly and has a wonderful nutty aroma, remove from the heat and transfer to a deep bowl.
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Add the rest of the ingredients and knead well until a uniform dough is formed.
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Transfer to a small pan (approx. 20cm x 20cm) lined with parchment paper.
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Using the bottom of a glass or your hands, press the dough down firmly.
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Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
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After half an hour, remove from the pan, cut into 16 pieces, and enjoy!
