Who said quinoa can’t be in sweet snacks? These peanut butter and jelly quinoa cups are an easy no-bake dessert. They are made with toasted quinoa and pack great flavor and crunch into every bite.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Quinoa Cups
Who doesn’t love peanut butter and jelly? These no-bake quinoa cups are an easy snack that you can enjoy right away or store for later. There is nothing better than easy snacks that fit in a muffin tin.
- They are a no-bake snack.
- You can make them your own by using your favorite jam.
- These cups can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Peanut butter and jelly is a favorite flavor combination for all ages.
- Quinoa: we recommend using white quinoa that has been rinsed.
- All-natural peanut butter: what type of peanut butter you use makes a huge difference when it comes to making these cups. Be sure you buy a natural peanut butter that is pretty drippy. Usually, a good way to tell if a nut butter will be drippy is if it has oil sitting on top of it.
- Coconut oil: coconut oil is the ingredient that helps the cups firm up quickly when they are put in the freezer. It also softens quickly when you are ready to eat them. There is no substitution for coconut oil in this recipe.
- Honey: you only need a little sweetener for these cups. The jam and peanut butter both have sugar in them. If you like things very sweet feel free to add more honey to taste.
- Jam: we tested these cups with both grape and raspberry jam. Go ahead and make them your own by using your favorite type of jam.
Our Fav
Peanut Butter
Many of our recipes call for natural peanut butter that is drippy. This Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter is one of our go-to drippy nut butters. Go ahead and stock your pantry.
Buy
Make sure to scroll all the way down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and written recipe.
- Toast or puff the quinoa. It’s important to cook the quinoa before folding it into the peanut butter. Heat coconut oil in a skillet and add the quinoa and toast until you hear popping. That will indicate the quinoa is puffing. The moment the quinoa begins to brown, remove it from the heat.
- Combine all of the ingredients. Transfer the quinoa to a mixing bowl and mix with the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, and peanuts.
- Transfer the mixture to a muffin tin. Add the mixture to a greased muffin tin and add jam to the top of each cup. Create a jam swirl with a toothpick or a sharp knife. Freeze the muffin tin to allow the cups to firm up.
- Store for later. Remove the cups from the muffin tin and eat immediately or transfer the cups to a freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer.
When we picture “puffed” quinoa, we picture quinoa that is puffed up to double its size, sometimes resembling a soft round circle. Puffing quinoa does not always happen that way.
Quinoa takes only moments to puff and though you can hear it puffing, it won’t always change that much in its appearance. You will know if your quinoa is puffed if you can chew it like a small, crunchy nut.
After the peanut butter and jelly quinoa cups have been set in the muffin tin, remove them from the muffin tin and transfer them to an airtight and freezer-safe container. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tools You Need
Make sure your kitchen is fully stocked with the tools you need.
Cuisinart Muffin Tin
Duralex Glass Nesting Bowls
PaperChef Nonstick Muffin Liners
Crate and Barrel Measuring Cups
More of our Favorite…
Peanut Butter Desserts
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cups
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter drippy
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil separated
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- 12 teaspoons raspberry or grape jam
- 1.5 teaspoons coarse salt
- Spray a silicone muffin pan with coconut oil or line a muffin tin with muffin liners. Set aside.
- Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan. When the coconut oil is melted, add the quinoa and toss with the coconut oil. Turn the heat to medium and cover the pan. You will begin to hear popping sounds after a few minutes. Stir the quinoa with a spatula and allow the quinoa to pop and toast. Let the quinoa cook for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically to allow the quinoa to pop and turn a golden brown. Remove the quinoa from the heat and add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, and peanuts to the quinoa and mix until combined. Once combined, add 1.5-2 tablespoons of the quinoa mixture into each muffin cup. Shake the muffin pan to even the peanut butter mixture out.
- Add ½ – 1 teaspoon of jam to the top of each quinoa cup and use a knife or a toothpick to swirl the jam on top of the cup. Sprinkle each cup with sea salt and place the muffin pan in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Remove from the muffin tin and place the cups into a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- We found that a silicone muffin pan worked best for this recipe
- Be sure the cups are completely frozen before removing them from the freezer and placing them in a freezer-safe container.
