Use puffed quinoa labeled ready to eat; raw quinoa grains stay hard and unpleasant in this short, dry bake.
Cocoa shortbread with toasted puffed quinoa for a light granular crunch and a small quinoa-flour substitution.
The recipe card lists measured ingredients, numbered steps, storage guidance, and a nutrition estimate when available. Total time includes the listed preparation, rest, baking, and cooling periods for this recipe.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Toasted Quinoa Chocolate Shortbread Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- skillet
- sieve
- bowl
- spatula
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Toast and mix
- Toast and mix: Spread puffed quinoa in a dry skillet over medium-low heat 2–3 minutes, stirring until lightly golden; cool 10 minutes. Stir butter and sugar smooth, add sifted flours, cocoa and salt, then gently fold in cooled puffed quinoa. Use ready-to-eat puffed quinoa, not raw hard quinoa seeds.
Shape and chill
- Shape and chill: After the puffed quinoa has cooled 10 minutes, divide dough into 24 equal portions, about 14 g each. Press into 1 3/4-inch rounds about 1/3 inch thick and mark lightly with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm. Ingredient cooling plus dough chilling totals 40 minutes.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Cocoa tops should be matte and bases dry; grains should be lightly golden, not scorched. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool the cookies
- Cool the cookies: Rest 10 minutes on each tray, then cool 20 minutes on a rack before packing; the 30-minute cooling allowance includes the tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 30 min hands-on + 40 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 30 min cooling/setting = 144 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Quinoa flour replaces some wheat solids, while airy puffed grains add texture without the water of cooked quinoa.
Technique & texture
Use puffed quinoa labeled ready to eat; raw quinoa grains stay hard and unpleasant in this short, dry bake.
Finishing & serving
Serve after cooling; the puffed grains should be lightly crisp rather than rock hard.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; keep away from moist treats. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Optional 3–5 minutes. Refresh plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan for 3–5 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before sealing. This extra time is outside fresh-batch timings. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use both quinoa flour and puffed quinoa?
Quinoa flour replaces some wheat solids, while airy puffed grains add texture without the water of cooked quinoa.
Can I use uncooked quinoa seeds?
Use puffed quinoa labeled ready to eat; raw quinoa grains stay hard and unpleasant in this short, dry bake.
What should the quinoa pieces feel like?
Serve after cooling; the puffed grains should be lightly crisp rather than rock hard.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Christmas Shortbread Cookies collection.
