Popsugar Health & Fitness Dessert Quinoa Dessert Recipes 20 Healthy Dessert Recipes Starring Quinoa — Yes, You Read That Correctly 5 June 2018 by Victoria Messina Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest ancient grain of them all? Quinoa, of course. A nutritional powerhouse, quinoa has a way of stealing the spotlight from the rest of the ancient grains. It's just so darn versatile. Seriously — you can enjoy it for every single meal of the day. Add it to your pancakes in the a.m., throw it in your salads at lunchtime, or mix it into your chilli for dinner. But it doesn't stop there. Quinoa also shines through in everyone's favourite meal of the day — dessert. Yes, you read that correctly. With tons of fibre and protein, quinoa is the perfect ingredient for guilt-free, sweet treats. Not convinced yet? I think these recipes should do the trick. 1 Blackberry Quinoa Cakes Image Source: Cotter Crunch These oil- and butter-free decadent cakes are super easy to make with a blender. The best part of the cooking process? Smashing the blackberries to smear on top . . . but be sure to wear an apron! Get the recipe: blackberry quinoa cakes 1 / 20 2 Ginger Spice Molasses Quinoa Cookies Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar Love the protein of quinoa but not the texture? This tasty dessert recipe allows you to reap the ancient grain's nutritional benefits and nutty flavour by using it as flour. The ginger and molasses combo in these cookies is slightly spicy yet sweet, giving you a welcome break from supersugary desserts. Get the recipe: ginger molasses quinoa cookies 2 / 20 3 Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Bites Image Source: And They Cooked Happily Ever After Oh, the wonders of a muffin tin. These adorable little bites combine quinoa with apples, cinnamon, and a dash of sugar for a kid-approved grab-and-go dessert. Get the recipe: apple cinnamon quinoa bites 3 / 20 4 Chocolate Almond Quinoa Stuffed Strawberries Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar Let's be real — strawberries are delicious enough to eat on their own. But filling them with chocolaty mashed banana-quinoa mixture makes them even better! Get the recipe: chocolate almond quinoa stuffed strawberries 4 / 20 5 Toasted Quinoa Cashew Butter Cups Image Source: How Sweet It Is Calling all Reese's addicts: these cashew butter cups are here to save the day (and your waistline). The toasted quinoa adds a lovely crunch to it, and the dark chocolate will make it hard to resist eating the whole batch in one sitting. Get the recipe: quinoa cashew butter cups 5 / 20 6 No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookes Image Source: Well Plated Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in dessert heaven. By adding quinoa to the mix, this no-bake recipe makes for a nutritious, protein-filled spin on a classic. Get the recipe: chocolate peanut butter quinoa cookies 6 / 20 7 Chocolate Banana Quinoa Mug Cake Image Source: Cotter Crunch One bite of this dairy- and gluten-free mini cake and you'll never use your mug for making coffee or tea again. With chia seeds and protein powder, this is the most nutritious (and most addictive) cake you'll ever taste. Get the recipe: chocolate banana quinoa mug cake 7 / 20 8 Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Bake Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Jenny Sugar This gluten-free bake will make your whole house smell like apple pie! Cinnamon-flavoured apples, chewy raisins, and crunchy almonds combine with quinoa to make a treat you can enjoy for dessert or breakfast. Get the recipe: cinnamon apple quinoa bake 8 / 20 9 Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cookies Image Source: Tales of a Kitchen Those pangs of post-cookie-binge guilt just aren't a thing with this healthy recipe. Packed with nutritious ingredients like bananas, flaxseed, and pure cacao powder, these cookies have no empty calories. We dare you to resist grabbing a second (or a third!). Get the recipe: dark chocolate quinoa cookies 9 / 20 10 Honey Nut Quinoa Granola Image Source: Sprinkled Side Up Who says granola is just reserved for breakfast? This crunchy and nutty recipe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth when you get those post-dinner cravings. One bite and you'll ditch store-bought granola for good. Get the recipe: honey nut quinoa granola 10 / 20 11 Coconut Quinoa Cookies Image Source: Eating Bird Food There's no baking required for these gloriously healthy cookies. You won't get a sugar overload with these bites because they're only sweetened with coconut sugar and a bit of maple syrup. They're the perfect alternative to calorie-filled store-bought cookies. Get the recipe: coconut quinoa cookies 11 / 20 12 Quinoa Banana Bread Image Source: Fitzala Sorry, Mom, but this recipe gives yours some serious competition. Heat up a slice of this moist banana bread, and you'll be sure to stave off late-night cravings till your alarm clock goes off. At less than 150 calories per serving, feel free to enjoy every last morsel sans guilt. Get the recipe: quinoa banana bread 12 / 20 13 No-Bake Trail Mix Cookies Image Source: The Fit Cookie It's easy to get carried away when eating trail mix. One handful turns into five, and next thing you know, you've finished the entire bag. These no-bake cookies will keep your portions in check while offering unexpected additions like coconut and dried figs. Get the recipe: no-bake trail mix cookies 13 / 20 14 Quinoa Chocolate Chip Courgette Cookies Image Source: Healthful Pursuit Why have just one unexpected dessert ingredients in a recipe when you have two? Quinoa and courgette — healthy dinnertime staples — are a surprisingly delicious dessert combo. Your stomach will thank you for these cookies. Get the recipe: quinoa chocolate chip zuccini cookies 14 / 20 15 Pumpkin Quinoa Parfait Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr Fall is right around the corner, and that means all eating the pumpkin recipes you can get your hands on. Enjoy this pumpkin quinoa parfait for a late-night dessert that won't give you a sugar hangover the next morning. Get the recipe: pumpkin quinoa parfait 15 / 20 16 Quinoa Pumpkin Muffins Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Leta Shy These fluffy muffins get there moistness from applesauce and pumpkin puree, not oil or eggs. If you make a batch big enough, you'll have leftovers for a breakfast that'll keep you feeling full all morning long. Get the recipe: quinoa pumpkin muffins 16 / 20 17 Quinoa Vanilla Pudding Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios This sweet pudding parfait is like a party in your mouth. Layered with fresh passion fruit and quinoa, it's bursting with tropical flavours while giving you a heap of protein. Get the recipe: quinoa vanilla pudding 17 / 20 18 Quinoa M&M Cookies Image Source: Cook Republic By adding quinoa to the mix, your usual M&M cookies get a welcome healthy makeover. They only take 10 minutes to prepare, and your kids are sure to love them. We bet they won't even realise there's quinoa in them! Get the recipe: quinoa M&M cookies 18 / 20 19 Cinnamon Quinoa Bake Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lizzie Fuhr I'm pretty sure the Spice Girls were subliminally telling you to try this cinnamon quinoa bake when they sang, "People of the world, spice up your life!" It's a foolproof, gluten-free recipe with minimal ingredients. Don't forget the hearty dollop of nut butter on top! Get the recipe: cinnamon quinoa bake 19 / 20 20 Vanilla Bean Coconut Quinoa Pudding Image Source: Half Baked Harvest This isn't your average pudding recipe, that's for sure. Chock-full of yummy ingredients like almonds, raspberries, quinoa, coconut, and vanilla beans, this pudding will put your basic jelly to shame every single time. Get the recipe: vanilla coconut quinoa pudding 20 / 20 DessertQuinoaHealthy DessertsHealthy RecipesHealthy Living