Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
- Surprisingly Chewy & Satisfying. The cooked quinoa works its magic by adding a wonderful, soft chewiness that’s different from an oat cookie. It creates a heartier texture that makes each bite feel more substantial and deeply comforting.
- A Clever Pantry Staple Upgrade. We’ve all been there with leftover quinoa. This recipe is the perfect way to give it a delicious second life, turning something savoury into a spectacular sweet treat. It feels resourceful and delicious all at once.
- Perfectly Balanced Sweetness. These cookies strike a beautiful balance. They’re sweet enough to satisfy your cookie craving, but the quinoa adds a subtle, earthy note that keeps them from being cloying. It’s a more complex flavour profile that you’ll really appreciate.
- They Stay Incredibly Soft. Thanks to the moisture from the quinoa, these cookies have a fantastic staying power. They remain soft and tender for days, making them a fantastic make-ahead snack or lunchbox treat that won’t turn into a rock.
Ingredients & Tools
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled completely
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Tools: A stand mixer or hand mixer, two baking sheets, parchment paper, a medium bowl, a small bowl, and a cookie scoop or tablespoon.
Getting your ingredients to the right state is half the battle here. Room temperature butter and egg will cream together beautifully with the sugars, creating a light and fluffy base that’s essential for the perfect cookie texture. And that cooled quinoa? Absolutely non-negotiable—warm quinoa will melt the butter and make the dough a greasy mess.
Serves: 18 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12-14 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Cool Your Quinoa Thoroughly. I know, the waiting is the hardest part. But honestly, this is the most important step. If your quinoa is even slightly warm, it will sabotage the dough’s consistency. Spread it on a plate and pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to speed things up.
- Don’t Skip the Creaming Step. When the recipe says to cream the butter and sugars until “light and fluffy,” it means it. This isn’t just about mixing; it’s about incorporating air. You’ll want to beat it for a good 2-3 minutes until it’s noticeably paler in colour.
- How to Measure Flour Correctly. The easiest way to throw off a baking recipe is with too much flour. To avoid dense cookies, fluff your flour in the bag, spoon it lightly into your measuring cup, and level it off with the flat side of a knife. No tapping or packing!
- Choose Your Chocolate Wisely. Semi-sweet chips are a classic for a reason—they balance the sweetness perfectly. But feel free to use dark chocolate chunks or even milk chocolate if that’s your preference. A high-quality chocolate really makes a difference here.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
Step 1: First, get your oven preheating to 350°F (175°C). This gives it plenty of time to reach the perfect, steady temperature. Then, line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This little trick is a lifesaver for easy cleanup and prevents any sticking—no one wants a broken cookie!
Step 2: In that medium bowl, we’ll whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisking is better than just stirring with a spoon because it ensures the leaveners and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour. This guarantees every cookie rises and tastes the same. Set this bowl aside for now.
Step 3: Now for the fun part! In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat them on medium-high speed. The trick is to keep going until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and almost looks like a smooth, light-brown frosting. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is incorporated.
Step 4: With the mixer on low speed, add the room-temperature egg and the vanilla extract. Mix just until they’re fully blended in. You’ll notice the mixture might look a little curdled at first—that’s totally normal. It will come back together as you mix. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure a homogeneous mixture.
Step 5: It’s time to bring it all together. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on the lowest speed possible. Mix only until the flour streaks have just disappeared. The moment you don’t see any more dry flour, stop mixing! Overmixing at this stage is the enemy of a tender cookie.
Step 6: Now for the star ingredient! Switch to a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Add the completely cooled quinoa and the chocolate chips to the dough. Fold them in gently by hand. You want to evenly distribute them without overworking the dough. The dough will be quite thick and a bit sticky, which is exactly what we want.
Step 7: Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out the dough into rounded balls, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Place them on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each one because they will spread as they bake. For thicker, chewier cookies, you can pop the entire baking sheet of scooped dough into the fridge for 15-20 minutes to chill before baking.
Step 8: Bake one sheet at a time in the centre of your preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes. You’re looking for the edges to be golden brown and set, while the centres still look a little soft and underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you take them out. This is the secret to a perfectly chewy centre.
Step 9: As soon as you take the baking sheet out of the oven, let the cookies cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes. This allows them to set up properly. Then, you can transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely… or, you know, eat one immediately while the chocolate is still gloriously molten. I won’t tell.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A bowl of vanilla bean ice cream — Placing a warm cookie underneath a scoop of cold, creamy ice cream creates the ultimate dessert experience. The contrast in temperatures and textures is simply divine.
- A fresh fruit platter with berries — The bright, tart acidity of raspberries or strawberries cuts through the richness of the cookie beautifully, making for a lovely, balanced afternoon treat.
Drinks
- A tall glass of cold milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The creaminess of the milk is the perfect partner to the chocolate and the chewy, wholesome texture of the quinoa.
- A cup of strong coffee — The bitterness of a good brew complements the sweetness of the cookie exceptionally well, making it an ideal companion for your morning coffee break.
Something Sweet
- A simple berry sorbet — If you’re serving these after a big meal, a light and refreshing sorbet alongside a cookie offers a sweet finish without feeling too heavy.
- A dollop of whipped cream — For an extra-indulgent touch, a little cloud of freshly whipped cream on the side turns this simple cookie into a more composed dessert.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using warm quinoa. This is the number one error. Warm quinoa will melt the butter in your dough, resulting in a greasy, flat cookie that spreads way too much. Patience is key here.
- Mistake: Overmixing the dough after adding the flour. Once the flour hits the wet ingredients, gluten starts to develop. Mixing too much creates a tough, dense cookie. Mix just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Mistake: Overbaking. It’s so tempting to leave them in until they look “done” all over. But if the centres look fully set in the oven, they’ll be dry and crunchy once cooled. Take them out when the edges are golden but the centres are still soft.
- Mistake: Using hot baking sheets. If you’re baking multiple batches, always allow your baking sheets to cool completely before adding the next round of dough. A hot pan will cause the dough to start spreading before it even hits the oven.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Brown your butter for a nutty twist. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it foams and turns a golden amber colour with brown specks at the bottom. Let it cool completely before using. This adds an incredible, deep, nutty flavour that pairs wonderfully with the quinoa.
- Tip: Add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top. Right when the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt over the top. It enhances the chocolate flavour and creates a fantastic sweet-and-salaty contrast.
- Tip: Chill the dough for a thicker cookie. If you prefer a thicker, denser cookie, chilling the scooped dough balls for 30-60 minutes before baking will prevent them from spreading as much. This is a great trick for hot kitchens.
- Tip: Freeze dough balls for fresh cookies anytime. Scoop the entire batch of dough onto a parchment-lined sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen, just adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
FAQs
Can I use uncooked quinoa instead of cooked?
Absolutely not, and this is a really important distinction. Uncooked quinoa is hard and won’t soften properly during the short baking time, leaving you with unpleasantly crunchy, gritty bits in your cookies. You must start with fully cooked and cooled quinoa for the right texture. If you don’t have leftovers, just cook a small batch according to package directions and let it cool completely before starting the recipe.
My dough is really sticky and hard to handle. What did I do wrong?
This is totally normal! The quinoa adds a lot of moisture, so the dough is naturally stickier than a standard chocolate chip cookie dough. Don’t be tempted to add more flour, as this will make the cookies dry. The best solution is to chill the dough for 15-30 minutes before scooping. This firms up the butter, making the dough much easier to portion and roll.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes, you can! Simply swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum, which helps mimic the structure that gluten provides. The texture might be slightly more delicate, but they will still be delicious. I’ve had great success with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 blend.
How should I store these cookies to keep them soft?
To maintain that wonderful chew, store the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. A little trick I use is to place a single slice of bread in the container with them. The cookies will draw moisture from the bread, staying soft for days (the bread will get hard, but that’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make!).
Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe?
You can experiment a little, but be cautious. Sugar doesn’t just add sweetness; it contributes to the spread, texture, and moisture content of the cookie. I wouldn’t recommend reducing the total sugar by more than a quarter (e.g., using ⅔ cup total instead of ¾ cup). Any more than that and you risk a cakey, dry cookie that doesn’t spread properly.
