These Quinoa Chocolate Crunch Bars are a rich, melt-in-mouth treat made with just a few wholesome ingredients. Quinoa puffs make them satisfyingly crunchy, especially in contrast to the dark chocolate and peanut butter. Made in one bowl, they only take a few minutes to prepare. They keep well in the freezer, so you can make a batch and thaw whenever you need a sweet snack!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better-for-you, without added ingredients: these are as decadent, sweet and rich as you would expect a chocolate bar to be but without all the preservatives and added ingredients you’d find in a store-bought chocolate bar.
- Decadent, like a chocolate bar should be: these Quinoa Chocolate Bars are unmistakably a treat! They might be better for you than a packaged product but they are just as indulgent and rich courtesy of the dark chocolate, coconut oil and peanut butter.
- Not many ingredients: you only need five ingredients, so no long shopping list and no digging through the pantry.
- Easy and minimal clean up: Making your own chocolate bars at home sounds more complicated than it is – but we’re not getting fancy here. No tempering, no fussing with molds here! You just combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir, then press into a lined tray. It’s very straightforward, no cooking skills needed, a great one to make with kids.
- Freezer friendly: These hold up really well frozen (it’s my recommended storage option rather than the fridge) so you can always have a little stash on hand for whenever you need a sweet treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I love this recipe because it has so few ingredients. Below is your (short) shopping list. You can find the measurements needed for each ingredient in the recipe card.
- Puffed quinoa (not raw quinoa. Also known as Popped Quinoa or Quinoa Crisps are light husks, a bit like rice crispies – you can find them on Amazon. If unavailable, you can substitute with other puffed cereal like rice crispies, soy crisps etc)
- Dark chocolate
- Coconut oil
- Smooth peanut butter
- Salt
Instructions
Making these Quinoa Chocolate Crunch Bars is so easy – just look at how few steps there are! Jump to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the details.
Step One: In a mixing bowl, combine the puffed quinoa with melted dark chocolate and coconut oil, mixing until well coated.
Step Two: Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin, spreading it evenly, and place it in the freezer to set.
Step Three: In a separate bowl, mix the peanut butter with additional coconut oil until smooth. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the chilled quinoa base and swirl it gently with a spoon.
Step Four: Return the tin to the freezer until the mixture is fully firm. Remove from the tin, slice into bars, and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Puffed Quinoa: If you can’t find puffed quinoa, this recipe will work just fine with any other puffed cereal – think puffed rice, puffed millet, or crispy rice cereal for a different texture.
- Dark Chocolate: Use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dairy-free chocolate chips for a sweeter flavor.
- Coconut Oil: As coconut oil is solid at room temperature, you can’t easily swap it out for any other oil. You can omit it, but the bars will be a bit tougher.
- Peanut Butter: Swap for almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter to accommodate nut allergies or change the flavor.
- Add-ins: You can mix it other add-ins like chopped nuts (such as almonds or walnuts), seeds (like chia or flaxseeds), or dried fruits (such as cranberries or raisins) for added texture and nutrition. Check out my Healthy Rocky Road for a similar concept with chewy cranberries and pistachios.
Storage
These bars melt quickly so I recommend keeping the slices in the freezer and letting them thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before eating. You can keep them in an airtight container or zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Or keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Expert Tips
This recipe calls for puffed quinoa, which is not the same as regular quinoa. It is a light, popped cereal similar to rice crispies. If you can’t find it, any other puffed cereal will work like puffed millet, brown rice etc.
FAQ
Yes, you can easily make these bars nut-free by substituting peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or, if you don’t mind a hint of green color, try my easy Pumpkin Seed Butter.
Store the Quinoa Puff Crunch Bars in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, or fridge for 5 days.
Absolutely! You can substitute dark chocolate with milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dairy-free chocolate chips based on your preference. Just keep in mind that this may change the overall flavor profile of the bars.
Quinoa is a whole grain that is usually sold raw then cooked. It is too dry and tough for this recipe. Puffed quinoa is heated at high temperatures to create a light, airy texture, which gives these chocolate bars their crunch.
Puffed quinoa tastes similar to rice crispies. It has a light, crunchy texture and a very mild, nutty flavor.
More Wholesome Sweet Treats to Try
If you’re looking for more better-for-you treats, make sure to try my viral Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies – it is seriously rich and chocolatey but entirely vegan and gluten free. For a lighter snack to power you through the day, my healthy Matcha Bliss Balls or Snickerdoodle Protein Balls for a quick energy boost.
Quinoa Chocolate Crunch Bars really are a delicious treat that only takes a few minutes to whip up. Drop a comment or review below to let me know what you thought, or tag me on Instagram @glowdiaries___ so I can see how they turned out!
Quinoa Chocolate Crunch Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cup Puffed quinoa
- 1 cup Dark chocolate melted
- 4 tbsp Coconut oil divided
- 1/2 cup Smooth Peanut butter
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the puffed quinoa with the melted dark chocolate and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, stirring until evenly coated.
- Pour the mixture into a silicone loaf tin, spreading it evenly, and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil until smooth.
- Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over the set quinoa base, then use a spoon to create a swirl pattern.
- Return the tin to the freezer for 1 hour, or until fully firm.
- Remove from the tin, slice into bars, and enjoy.
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