Recently I had a comment on the site asking for suggestions as to how to use quinoa flakes. I must confess that I don’t have much experience with them mostly because they tend to be difficult to find. I know that I can order quinoa flakes online, but I have not yet done this. I am planning on it though, because I am working thorough some new recipes with quinoa, and I think that they may be helpful.
To buy quinoa flakes, you will likely need to go to a health food store or specialty grocery store. Not all will have them. I tried to buy them this weekend at a large Whole Foods and thought they had quinoa flour, they did not have quinoa flakes.
Quinoa flakes have a very similar texture to rolled oats and they can be used in much the same manner. They make a great breakfast cereal as long as you add fruits, nuts and such. Plain quinoa flakes are about as exciting as plain oatmeal! So, a great place to get started using quinoa flakes is in any recipe that calls for oatmeal.
If you happen to have a baby, quinoa flakes make a great baby food. Since they are hypoallergenic, you can avoid any of the negative side effects that come from introducing wheat too early. Of course, you should always check with your doctor.
It takes about four minutes to cook quinoa flakes and they are typically cooked in a 1:1 ratio. (One part quinoa flakes, one part liquid). It is also possible to use quinoa flakes in baking, although this is something that I have yet to try.
Another great alternative for using quinoa flakes is to incorporate them into a smoothie recipe. I’ve included a smoothie recipe for you to try!
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Banana Quinoa Smoothie
Ingredients
1 cup Vanilla Flavored Almond Milk (You can use any milk)
3 T quinoa Flakes
1 whole Banana, sliced
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions
1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend on a high speed for one minute. Add ice if desired. Enjoy!
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Planning on making gluten free granola and decided that the Quinoa flakes would be a good substitute for the oatmeal. Any suggestions?
That would work well. I’ve also toasted the seeds with good results.
I found quinoa flakes at the Whole Foods in Bend OR, Whole Foods will order for you as well if you ask about a product you do not see on their shelves. Good thinking on that crusted salmon!
Gina:
Great tip! Thankfully, Whole Foods has always had what I needed but it is good to know that if they don't have something they will order and stock it. It makes it that much easier for those repetitive purchases versus having to constantly order it online and wait for shipping.
I recently bought quinoa flakes at walmart u can find them near gluten free section.Your recipe seems interesting I will give it a try . I am also experimenting some recipes
Once I was out of Panko and used Quinoa flakes to crust salmon. I think it tasted pretty good. I just coated the fish with a little olive oil and pressed it in the flakes. It might have been a bit crunchy. Do you have any related recipes?
Mary – That sounds great! I have never tried that but I am going to order some quinoa flakes and try using it in breading!