Add protein and crunch to desserts and recipes with puffed or popped quinoa. Here is how to make puffed quinoa in minutes in a hot dry pan using 1 ingredient.
This puffed quinoa recipe crisps and puffs quinoa so it is like puffed rice. It can be made in minutes with raw dry quinoa, has a light and airy crunchy texture, is super high in protein and has a nutty taste. Often called popped quinoa, this quinoa popcorn is a healthy pseudograin (seeds from broadleaf plants rather than wheat) and a blank canvas for flavors and spices much like flavored popcorn.
I add puffed quinoa to my no bake chocolate quinoa crisps, my chocolate puffed quinoa bars, or my homemade protein bars as well as salads such as my chickpea salad.
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What is Popped Quinoa?
Quinoa is part of the amaranth family and is known for being high in protein, as well as higher in micronutrients than other grains. Here are more details and a comparison chart:
- one cup of quinoa provides about 8 grams of protein.
- dairy free, grain free, gluten free, nut free, oil-free
- easy to make in minutes
| Feature | Puffed Quinoa | Puffed Rice | Popped Amaranth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texture | Light & crunchy | Airy & crisp | Tiny & crunchy |
| Cooking Method | Dry heat in pan | High heat & pressure | Dry heat in pan |
Ingredients
- Quinoa. All you need is dry uncooked raw quinoa found on the shelf in the whole grain aisle, usually where rice is found. Quinoa comes in several colors such as red, white, tan or tricolor and any color pops well.
Solution to Soaking
Companies such as Ancient Harvest recommend soaking quinoa before toasting to avoid burning and to remove bitter coating. But through extensive experimentation both soaking and not soaking quinoa, I found soaking only makes soggy popped quinoa, ruins the crunch, and takes too long.
Here are my solutions:
- Use a nonstick pan so you don't have to soak quinoa and wait for it to dry before toasting.
- Heat slowly according to my recipe to burn off the bittercoating called saponins that can be present on dry quinoa where the package does not say "pre-rinsed."
Best Pan Needed
- Small saute pan. Use a small pan, 5-inches to 8-inches in diameter. A nonstick surface helps. Cast iron pan will not work as the pan needs oil to operate and puffed quinoa must be made in a dry, non-oiled pan.
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Steps to Pop Quinoa
Here are general steps to explain how to make puffed quinoa. For more detail, visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1. Add pan to stove. Put a dry sauté pan on the stove and turn on the heat to medium high. Do not oil or water the pan.
Step 2. Test the pan. When the pan seems hot, toss in a 3-10 kernels of dry quinoa onto the pan. If the kernels pop and snap within 1-5 seconds, the temperature is correct to add the rest.
Step 3. Add the quinoa. Add the rest of the dry quinoa to the pan and shake it around so it is only a single layer, about 1 kernel deep. Keep shaking the pan as it pops, and after 15 seconds the popping will slow and the smell will be nutty. The whole process takes about 30 seconds to 45 seconds.
Step 3. Cool quinoa. Remove the pan from the stove, and allow the quinoa to cool enough to be able to be used or transferred to a storage container.
Visual Guide: Puffed quinoa explodes to a smaller size than does rice or popcorn. The kernel is barely larger than when not popped, but is distinguishable when tasted because it is light and airy, and have a strong nutty flavor.
Storage
Store puffed quinoa at room temperature in a sealed container for a week or longer. It can be frozen but might need to be re-sautéed to return the crunchy texture.
Troubleshooting Tips
Why is my quinoa burning instead of puffing?
Your quinoa may be layered instead of only 1 kernel deep. Spread it out and batch-make if necessary. Also you must stir constantly.
Why is my quinoa not puffing?
Your raw quinoa may be damp. Be sure it is completely dry.
How to Use Puffed Quinoa
- Add spices to flavor as you would popcorn, then eat it with a spoon in front of a movie.
- Add to no baked recipes for crunch and protein such as to my edible cookie dough bites, peanut butter oatmeal balls, or even use them in my chocolate puffed quinoa bars.
- Add puffed quinoa as a topping to cakes and cupcakes.
- Popped quinoa works great as a topping on yogurt and ice cream.
Popped Quinoa Flavors
- Gingerbread Popped Quinoa: Toss with 1 teaspoon of butter, cinnamon, coconut sugar and all spice.
- Italian Herb Popped Quinoa: Toss with 1 teaspoon of butter, italian seasoning, chopped fresh oregano, and a pinch of nutritional yeast.
- Chili Pepper Popped Quinoa: Toss with 1 teaspoon of butter, chili powder, cumin, a pinch of cayenne.
FAQS
Puffed quinoa has a bland, nutty flavor, and a light airy texture like puffed rice.
Yes, there are a few online vendors, however commercially puffed quinoa is much larger than homemade puffed quinoa as the factory process of expanding the kernel is different and uses heavy machinery.
Yes, you can "pop" quinoa in the microwave, essentially toasting it to a crunchy texture similar to popcorn, by spreading rinsed quinoa on a microwave-safe plate and heating it in short bursts until it starts to pop and brown slightly; just be careful not to burn it.
Yes, line basket with parchment paper. Pour in dry uncooked quinoa so it is one kernel deep. Bake on high for 15 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through.
No, the bitter saponin coating found on uncooked quinoa will burn off. Saponins, naturally occurring on quinoa to ward off insects, in general can cause minor digestive issues. You can also use pre-rinsed raw dry quinoa.
Other Quinoa Recipes
- Chocolate Puffed Quinoa Bars
- Chocolate Quinoa Crisps (no bake)
- Homemade Protein Bar (with quinoa)
- Quinoa Paella
- Chocolate Quinoa Bark (in my first dessert book)
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
How to Make Puffed Quinoa (popped quinoa)
Equipment
- sauté pan use a non-stick pan, not cast iron
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked, prewashed, any color
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Instructions
- Put a dry sauté pan on the stove and turn on the heat to medium high. Do not rinse the quinoa. Do not oil the pan. Do not add water.*
- Toss in a 3-10 single kernels of dry quinoa and if the pan is hot enough, the kernels will begin snapping and popping within 1-5 seconds or almost immediately. Add the rest of the dry quinoa to the pan and shake it around so it is only 1 kernel of quinoa deep.1 cup quinoa
- Keep shaking the pan as it pops, and after 15-30 seconds the popping will slow and the smell will be nutty. It's time to stop.
- Remove the pan from the stove, and allow the quinoa to cool enough to be able to use or to be transferred to a storage container.
Storage
- Store puffed quinoa in a sealed container for a week or longer. It can be frozen but might need to be re-sautéed to return the crunchy texture.
Video
Notes
- Puffed quinoa explodes in a smaller way than does rice or popcorn.
- Yield is 1 cup of popped quinoa
- Any color uncooked quinoa can be used
Abríl says
Hello Dee, A very close up photo of finished product would be helpful because I have Tried twice now and the quinoa just doesn't pop up like the puffed quinoa from Kretschmer...they are more edible than raw, yes, crunchy and toasty, yes, but definitely only like 2 grains out of a 1,000 actually puffed. I did tricolour maybe I should try other kinds....
Dee Dine says
Hi Abril, you are doing it right if the kernels leap up in your pan. They won't expand in size as much as commercially-popped quinoa such as this brand because companies use an industrial air-pressure machine, something a home cook can't replicate. But homemade popped quinoa is more flavorful, nutty and crispy. Hope that helps!
Lolliime says
Ridiculously easy! I mixed it into melted chocolate and poured it into cups. Instant crunch cups!