Vegan Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

Name: Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 31 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (125 g); 1/3 cup cane sugar, coconut sugar or brown sugar (68 g ); 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter, almond butter, peanut butter, etc. (60 g ); 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 cup rolled oats blended into fine oat flour (100 g ); 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (190 g ); 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (85 g )

By Deryn Macey

4.88 from 16 votes

on Jul 12, 2019, Updated Mar 20, 2025

Jump to Recipe Rate

This post may contain affiliate links.

This delicious chocolate chip quinoa cookies recipe is easy to make in one bowl with 7 ingredients and the perfect way to use up extra quinoa.

Stack of three gluten-free vegan chocolate chip quinoa cookies against a grey background.

Recipe Highlights
Ingredient Notes
Variations
How to Make Quinoa Cookies
Recipe FAQs
Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies Recipe

These healthier cookies are an excellent choice for those with allergies as they’re gluten-free, oil-free, egg-free and dairy-free.

They’re easy to make and while the cooking time is a little longer than most cookies, they take just minutes to prepare in one bowl with a few wholesome ingredients. You’ll love their soft texture and delicious, nutty flavour.

These can be enjoyed as healthy breakfast cookies but will definitely still satisfy your sweet tooth!

For more quinoa recipes, you can use cooked quinoa in this Vegan Breakfast Quinoa Bowls Recipe or these Quinoa Breakfast Bars. For quinoa flour recipes, you can try these Vegan Quinoa Flour Pancakes.

Recipe Highlights

Vegan (no eggs, dairy-free).
Gluten-free.
Oil-free.
Whole grains.
No flax egg needed.
Made with oat flour.
Easy one-bowl recipe.
7 simple ingredients.
4 grams of protein per cookie.

Ingredient Notes

All the ingredients needed for a vegan chocolate chip quinoa cookies recipe.

Oat flour. If you have oats on hand, you’re all set for oat flour. Just blend them up into a fine flour and you’ve got the oat flour needed for the recipe. You can use quick oats, rolled oats or old fashioned oats to make oat flour.
Applesauce. You’ll need unsweetened applesauce to help bind, sweeten and replace oil. Any brand works or you can use homemade applesauce.
Sugar. You’ll need a granulated sugar of choice. I used organic cane sugar but coconut sugar, demera, sucanut or brown sugar. For a sugar-free cookie, you can use Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener. I have not tried this recipe with a liquid sweetener like maple syrup.
Nut or seed butter. For nut-free cookies, use sunflower seed butter, otherwise almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter all work great.
Cooked quinoa. This recipe is for cooked quinoa, not quinoa flakes or quinoa flour. You’ll need about 1.5 cups cooked and cooled quinoa. White quinoa, red quinoa, etc. are all suitable.
Chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips but for a lower-sugar cookie you could always leave them out or substitute them with chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans. Chopped dark chocolate or cacao paste would also work.

Variations

Nut-Free Option: Use tahini or sunflower seed butter for the nut butter.
Cranberry Walnut: Omit chocolate chips and use 1/4 cup dried cranberries and chopped walnuts (can add 1/4 cup chocolate chips as well).
Nuts & Seeds: Add up to 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, etc. or swap the chocolate chips for any nut or seed.
Coconut: Add up to 1/2 cup coconut flakes.

How to Make Quinoa Cookies

Step 1: Mix the applesauce, sugar and nut or seed butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth and fully combined.

Applesauce, sugar and sunflower seed butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Add the baking powder, oat flour, salt and quinoa and stir to combine into a uniform cookie dough. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Mixed chocolate chip quinoa cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 3: Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet to make 12 cookies and shape each scoop into a rough cookie form. They won’t change shape during baking, so shape how you’d like them before baking.

Bake cookies for 26 minutes then remove and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Inside of chocolate chip quinoa cookies showing the texture.

Recipe FAQs

How long do quinoa chocolate chip cookies keep?

The cookies will keep 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container or up to 1 week in the fridge. Cool completely before storing.

Can you freeze quinoa cookies?

Yes. Cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.

Can I use almond flour or coconut flour?

No. This recipe has not been tested with almond flour or coconut flour and would need further adjustment.

For almond flour cookies, you can try these Gluten-Free Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, Gluten-Free u0026 Vegan Almond Flour Oatmeal Cookies or Easy Vegan Tahini Sesame Cookies.

4.88 from 16 votes

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

By: Deryn Macey

This quinoa cookies recipe makes a delicious vegan and gluten-free option for a healthy dessert with with a delicious, soft texture and sweet, nutty flavor.

Prep: 5

Cook: 26

Total: 31

Servings:

Save Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Print Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 125 g
▢ 1/3 cup cane sugar, coconut sugar or brown sugar, 68 g
▢ 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter, almond butter, peanut butter, etc., 60 g
▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
▢ 1 tsp baking powder
▢ 1 cup rolled oats blended into fine oat flour, 100 g
▢ 1.5 cups cooked quinoa, 190 g
▢ 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, 85 g

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the applesauce, sugar and nut or seed butter to a mixing bowl and stir until smooth and combined.
Make some oat flour if you don't have any prepared, then add the oat flour, baking powder, salt and quinoa and mix into a uniform cookie dough. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Use a spoon or cookie scoop to create 12 cookies, placing them on the prepared cookie sheet to make 12 cookies. You can use your fingers to shape them a bit but no need to be perfect.
Bake for 26 minutes then remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes before gently transferring to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing.

Notes

The cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days in an air-tight container, in the fridge for about a week or frozen for up to 2 months.