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Home Meal Prep Meal Prep Snacks
5
/5
35 minutes minutes

Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups (with Video)

Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard35 Comments
Posted: 5/27/21 Updated: 5/30/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These cheesy spinach quinoa cups are a high protein, veggie-packed snack! Portable, freezer-friendly, and great for meal prep.

When it comes to healthy snacks, I often find myself gravitating towards sweet options, and always seem to forget how delicious savory ones are. I mean...air fryer chickpeas, english muffin pizzas, and cheesy spinach quinoa cups are certainly nothing to complain about!

Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups in glass meal prep container
Jump to... show
1 Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
2 Recipe video
3 Ingredient notes
4 Step by step directions
5 FAQ
6 Meal prep & storage
7 More healthy snacks
8 Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups

If you're looking for a snack that sneaks in some veggies without being too veggie- forward, I think you're going to love these quinoa cups!

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe

  • they are cheesy, savory, and so tasty
  • the quinoa, egg and cheese provide some protein to help keep you full
  • they are portable, freezer-friendly and great to stock up on!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how to make cheesy quinoa cups! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

  • quinoa- you'll need 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa for this recipe, which is roughly 1 cup uncooked. You'll want your quinoa to be cooled before mixing up the quinoa cups, so make sure you cook it earlier in the day.
  • cheese- I've used mozzarella cheese, but you could get creative. Aged cheddar or havarti would add great flavor!
  • spinach- frozen spinach should be thawed and pressed before using; if you use fresh, I advise sautéing it until wilted.
  • eggs- we used large eggs in this recipe; flax eggs or other alternatives have not been tested (drop us a comment if you give it a try!)

Step by step directions

spoon scooping up quinoa over a large pot

1. Cook quinoa- You need cooked & cooled quinoa for this recipe, so make sure you cook it earlier in the day.

Ways to cook the quinoa

  • On the Stove Top
  • In a Rice Cooker
  • In an Instant Pot
mixture for Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups in large glass bowl with spoon

2. Mix up batter- in a bowl, stir together the cooked and cooled quinoa, cheese, spinach, salt, onion and garlic powder, and eggs.

Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups mixture in muffin baking tin with shredded cheese on top before baking

3. Spoon into muffin pan- Grease a mini muffin pan with spray oil or olive oil. Press the quinoa cup mixture into the pan, then sprinkle tops with reserved cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes.

Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups in muffin tin after baking

4. Cool- Cool the cups completely in the pan, then carefully work a knife around and pop them out.


FAQ

Can I make these in regular-sized muffin pans?

I bet you could, however I don't know how long you would need to bake them for. If you try, could you drop us a comment below to let us know how it goes?

Can I make these vegan?

Maybe, however we have not tried. If you try vegan alternatives to the eggs and cheese, drop us a comment below to let us know how it goes!

Can these be frozen?

YES! These freeze great for up to 3 months. Full directions below.

Meal prep & storage

  • fridge- cool completely, then store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
  • freezer- cool completely, then wrap loosely in parchment paper. Store in a larger freezer bag or meal prep container for up to 3 months
  • thaw- overnight in the fridge
  • serve- cold or warmed up

Favorite Meal Prep Containers

Our tried and true favorite meal prep containers and jars that will keep your food fresh, help you reheat it evenly, and withstand the test of time. No more wasting your money, these are the absolute best containers out there!

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Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

glass meal prep container with cheesy spinach quinoa cups on gray counter

Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
Print Rate
These cheesy spinach quinoa cups are a high protein, veggie-packed snack! Portable, freezer-friendly, and great for meal prep.
24

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (uncooked ); see note 1
  • 1 ½ cups cheese shredded ; see note 2
  • 11 oz frozen spinach 300 g; thawed, drained, excess moisture pressed out
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 eggs

Instructions 

  • Cook quinoa- You need cooked & cooled quinoa for this recipe, so make sure you cook it earlier in the day.
    Ways to cook it:
    On the Stove Top
    In a Rice Cooker
    In an Instant Pot
    spoon scooping up quinoa over a large pot
  • Mix up batter- Heat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, stir together the cooked and cooled quinoa, cheese, spinach, salt, onion and garlic powder, and eggs.
  • Spoon into muffin pan- Grease a mini muffin pan with spray oil or olive oil. Press the quinoa cup mixture into the pan, then sprinkle tops with reserved cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes.
  • Cool- Cool the cups completely in the pan, then carefully work a knife around and pop them out.

Tips:

1- roughly 2.5 cups cooked quinoa
2- mozzarella, cheddar and havarti all work great
Storage
  • Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Store wrapped loosely in parchment paper in a meal prep container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 59kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 92mg, Fiber: 1g
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Tanna says

    Posted on 7/23/21 at Posted on 7/23/21

    Has anyone tried subbing nutritional yeast for the cheese?

    Reply
  2. Anita says

    Posted on 3/17/19 at Posted on 3/17/19

    I want to make spinach quinoa cheese cups can you suggest me instead of egg what can I use My family member is allergic to egg what substitute can I user thanks. Anita

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 3/18/19 at Posted on 3/18/19

      Hi Anita! Unfortunately I have only tested as written. You may be able to get by with an egg replacer or something like that? Not sure a flax egg would work.

      Reply
  3. Dena Englander says

    Posted on 5/2/18 at Posted on 5/2/18

    How many oz of fresh chopped spinach woudl you substiute?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 5/7/18 at Posted on 5/7/18

      Hi Dena, unfortunately I'm not sure of how much fresh spinach it would be 🙁

      Reply
  4. Debra says

    Posted on 3/9/18 at Posted on 3/9/18

    What kind of cheese do you use?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 3/13/18 at Posted on 3/13/18

      I use mozzarella but you could get away with almost any type of melting cheese for this recipe 😀

      Reply
  5. Marjorie Latall says

    Posted on 1/29/18 at Posted on 1/29/18

    I don't have the mini pan, can you suggest directions fo ra regular muffin pan?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/29/18 at Posted on 1/29/18

      Hi Marjorie, unfortunately I can't say for sure how long they'll take without further recipe testing. I would start checking on them after 18 minutes. I hope you enjoy them!

      Reply
  6. Mary Deane says

    Posted on 12/16/17 at Posted on 12/16/17

    These are so good! Perfect for a mid-morning snack at the office.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 12/17/17 at Posted on 12/17/17

      So happy you enjoyed them, Mary!

      Reply
  7. Sally Mitchell says

    Posted on 7/25/17 at Posted on 7/25/17

    This recipe looks awesome! I love making dishes and I make a living by creating healthy recipes. I want to try this recipe real soon and I think my family would love it. Thanks for sharing this with us. By the way, can I make use of vegan almond cheese for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 7/30/17 at Posted on 7/30/17

      Hi Sally! I have never baked with vegan almond cheese so I can't say for sure. If you try it, I'd love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  8. Danielle says

    Posted on 7/14/17 at Posted on 7/14/17

    These sound perfect for a healthy weekday lunch. And I love that they can be made ahead. Great time saver!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 7/19/17 at Posted on 7/19/17

      Thanks, Danielle!

      Reply
  9. Annie says

    Posted on 1/23/17 at Posted on 1/23/17

    These look delicious! Did I miss what kind of cheese you used?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/23/17 at Posted on 1/23/17

      Thanks Annie! You can use any type of cheese. I've used mozza and cheddar 🙂

      Reply
  10. Kate says

    Posted on 1/13/17 at Posted on 1/13/17

    Hi Denise!

    Yummy Blog! I love this recipe, will try this one on saturday family day. I am hoping it would taste great like the one you made! What would be an alternative ingredient for the cheese?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/14/17 at Posted on 1/14/17

      Hi Kate! I haven't tried them without cheese and I'm not sure they would be as good without it. The cheese adds a creaminess to them that might be missed.

      Reply
  11. Denise says

    Posted on 1/12/17 at Posted on 1/12/17

    Thanks Dan! I hope you enjoy them. I have 2 more freezer friendly snacks coming up soon!

    Reply
  12. Renee says

    Posted on 1/8/17 at Posted on 1/8/17

    These look fantastic! Do you have nutrition info on the recipe?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/8/17 at Posted on 1/8/17

      Hi Renee! At this moment I don't have that information. I am hoping to add this to more recipes in 2017! You could try putting them through My Fitness Pal?

      Reply
  13. Brad says

    Posted on 1/4/17 at Posted on 1/4/17

    Can't wait to try these out! My wife and I just started week 2 of 21 day fix and I really enjoy it, we tried insanity but it was too much jumping around for me. The exercise paired with prepped home cooked meals, thanks to you, I am feeling great!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/4/17 at Posted on 1/4/17

      Oh I'm so curious about 21 day fix! 21 days seems do-able to me 🙂 I heard Insanity was pretty crazy. I hope you enjoy the quinoa cups!

      Reply
  14. Denise says

    Posted on 1/4/17 at Posted on 1/4/17

    Hi Lesley, thanks so much! I'm really happy you liked these. Happy New Year!

    Reply
  15. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says

    Posted on 1/4/17 at Posted on 1/4/17

    I'm very afraid that these quinoa cups wouldn't make it to the freezer because I'd be eating ALL of them in only one sitting! These look soooooo dang amazing, Denise!!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/4/17 at Posted on 1/4/17

      LOL that's a real possibility at my house too Sarah! Happy New Year!

      Reply
  16. Angela says

    Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

    This sounds delicious! For exercise routines, check out Beachbody. I'm currently doing Core de Force but I've done 21 Day Fix and Country Heat. Easy to follow, mostly 30 minutes a day, delivers big impact. Can you tell, I love them!? 🙂

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

      Oh thank you Angela! I'm a big fan of the 30 minute routines because you can get a surprisingly good workout and it's so much easier to fit in (and find the motivation to start).

      Reply
  17. Annie says

    Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

    I see myself making these very soon! What a GREAT grab and go snack, breakfast, or anytime meal!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

      Thanks so much Annie!

      Reply
  18. Jeannine Jones says

    Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

    What is wrong with foil?

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

      From what I've read, foil takes a large amount of energy to mine and produce, and even though it's 'recyclable', a large amount of energy is required to recycle it back. I just want to avoid consuming unnecessary plastics and foil. I've mostly switched to parchment paper which is compostable, but I also use a silicone baking mat which I was and re-use.

      Reply
  19. Nancy says

    Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

    Are you sure this serves 24 - 28? I would think it would be more like 18 servings.

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      Posted on 1/3/17 at Posted on 1/3/17

      Disregard prior remark - I reread the recipe and caught that you were using mini muffin pans!

      Reply

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