Toasted crunchy quinoa is made from cooked quinoa that’s drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and then roasted to give it a delicious crunchy texture. Eat it plain as a snack or enjoy it as a gluten-free vegan topping for soups, salads, buddha bowls, cereal, yogurt, tacos, and more.

A glass jar full of crunchy quinoa with a spoon on the side and a tea towel behind it.

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This delicious toasted quinoa is packed with plant-based protein and a great texture to anything you sprinkle it on. You will want to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge to sprinkle on everything!

❤️ Why make this recipe

Crunchy quinoa is simply quinoa, made even better. A great local restaurant serves a crunchy quinoa and cauliflower dish. I took one bite and knew I had to recreate that texture at home. After some trial and error, I decided I liked two crunchy quinoa variations.

  1. Slightly crunchy quinoa is perfect to serve as you would rice with a sauce or stir fry over it. This gives the quinoa a drier, chewier texture.
  2. Super Crunchy Quinoa – where you bake out all the moisture in the oven and achieve a very crunchy topping for things like yogurt, soups, or salads.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Quinoa – you can use any type of quinoa. the most common in white quinoa, but you can also use red quinoa for a beautiful color.
  • Water or Broth – You can cook your quinoa in salted water or in vegetable broth for more flavor.
  • Light Olive Oil – or any neutral flavored oil. You can omit the oil if you want an oil-free version.
  • Salt – for flavor.

🔪 Helpful tools

  • Wire mesh strainer – for rinsing the quinoa.
  • A medium-sized pot with a lid – for cooking the quinoa.
  • A Baking Sheet – to bake the quinoa and dry it out.
A vegan apple salad with crunchy quinoa sprinkled on top.
Apple Salad with Crunchy Quinoa

🥄 How to make crunchy quinoa

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Wash the quinoa

Step 1 – Place the quinoa in a fine mesh colander, then set the colander in a large bowl of cold water for about 1 minute and sake it around. Lift the colander out of the bowl and then rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 1 minute until the water runs clear.

Soaking uncooked quinoa in a bowl of cold water before rinsing.
Soak quinoa in cold water.
Quinoa that has been washed in a mesh colander.
Rinse until the water runs clear.

Cook the quinoa

Step 2 – Add the rinsed quinoa to a pot and add vegetable stock or filtered water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

Step 3 – Once it boils, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 12 -15 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the little ‘tail’ of the quinoa has sprouted out.

Quinoa in a pot covered in liquid ready to cook.
Cooked quinoa with a lid being taken off.

Allow it to sit and absorb all of the cooking liquid

Step 4 – Once the water is absorbed, remove it from the heat. Stir once then cover again and let it steam for 15 minutes – the quinoa will continue to absorb more water and become more fluffy.

Step 5 – Fluff with a fork and allow to cool with the lid off to allow the steam to escape.

Bake the quinoa

Step 6 – Preheat the oven to 375° F then transfer the quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Step 7 – For slightly crunchy quinoa bake it for about 20 minutes to get a lot of the moisture out and some of the pieces crunchy. For very crunchy quinoa, bake the quinoa for about 30 minutes mixing around the quinoa every 10 minutes. (Watch the quinoa carefully toward the end of baking, it can burn easily.)

Cooked Quinoa on a baking sheet being drizzled with some olive oil before baking to make crispy quinoa.
Drizzle cooked quinoa with olive oil before baking.
Quinoa on a baking sheet after it has been baked to a golden brown.
Bake until golden brown.

Step 8 – Take it out of the oven and eat it immediately or allow it to cool to room temperature then place it in a glass jar and store it in the fridge to use as a crunchy topping.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

  • You can take the quinoa out of the oven at any point once your desired crispy level has been achieved.
  • Check on the toasted quinoa frequently towards the end of baking.  it can burn easily.
  • Slightly crunchy quinoa is best served as a main part of the meal.
  • Very crunchy quinoa is best sprinkled on top of soups, salads, or yogurt as a crunchy topping.

🥡 Storage

Refrigerate: This toasted crunchy quinoa will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. (The more moisture you get out of it while roasting, the longer it will last.)

A top view of a jar filled with crunchy quinoa with a spoon on the side and a tea towel behind it.

🌟 What to sprinkle it on

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Crunchy quinoa recipe

A glass jar full of toasted crunchy quinoa with a spoon and a tea towel on the side.
Diet
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5 from 2 rating

Crunchy Quinoa

Yield: 6
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Resting time: 15 minutes
Total: 32 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Oven-roasted quinoa perfectly toasted to make a crunchy topping for salads, soup, yogurt, tacos, and more.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth, or water with 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tablespoons light olive oil, or other neutral-flavored oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Place the quinoa in a fine mesh colander, then set the colander in a large bowl of cold water for about 1 minute and sake it around. Lift the colander out of the bowl and then rinse the quinoa under cold running water for about 1 minute until the water runs clear.
  • Add the rinsed quinoa to a pot and add vegetable stock or filtered water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Once it boils, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 12 -15 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the little ‘tail’ of the quinoa has sprouted out.
  • Once the water is absorbed, remove it from the heat. Stir once then cover again and let it steam for 15 minutes—the quinoa will continue to absorb more water and become more fluffy. Fluff with a fork.

Bake the quinoa

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F then transfer the quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  • For slightly crunchy quinoa bake it for about 20 minutes to get a lot of the moisture out and some of the pieces crunchy. For very crunchy quinoa, bake the quinoa for about 30 minutes mixing around the quinoa every 10 minutes. (Watch the quinoa carefully toward the end of baking, it can burn easily.)
  • Take it out of the oven and eat it immediately or allow it to cool to room temperature then place it in a glass jar and store it in the fridge to use as a crunchy topping.

Notes

*If you are making a whole (16 oz) package of quinoa, this will be 2 1/2 cups of dry quinoa.  You will need to cook this in 3 1/3 cups of broth or water.  You will need to roast it in 2 or 3 batches.
 
While cooking the quinoa
  • You can take the quinoa out of the oven at any point once your desired crispy level has been achieved.
  • Check on the toasted quinoa frequently towards the end of baking.  it can burn easily.
  • Slightly crunchy quinoa is best served as a main part of the meal.
  • Very crunchy quinoa is best sprinkled on top of soups, salads, or yogurt as a crunchy topping.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 473mg, Potassium: 319mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 258IU, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 3mg
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