These Broccoli Quinoa Drop Biscuits are simple and delicious savory bakes made with no eggs, no dairy, and loaded with veggies for over 7 grams of complete protein per serving.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Quinoa Broccoli Biscuits
These Broccoli Quinoa Drop Biscuits are simple and delicious savory bakes made with no eggs, no dairy, and loaded with veggies for over 7 grams of complete protein per serving.
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Servings: 10 biscuits
Calories: 285.9 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Broccoli - head, not stem, uncooked and finely grated (note 1)
- ½ cup Roasted Red Pepper - not stored in oil, finely chopped (note 2)
- 1 cup Cooked Quinoa - (note 3)
- ⅓ cup Spring Onions - finely sliced (note 4)
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika - (note 5)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 can Coconut Milk - 15 ounces / 425 mL (note 6)
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil - (note 7)
- 4 cups Self-Rising Flour - (note 8)
Optional – for a cheesy flavor
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Cheddar - shredded (note 9)
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly oil the paper with olive oil. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Using a long, sharp knife, shave the outer florets of the broccoli into tiny, rice-sized pieces. Avoid the stalks. Only chop the very tips until they look like grains of rice. Measure the amount needed with a measuring cup. Keep the rest for later.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the broccoli rice from before, finely chopped red pepper, cooked quinoa, finely chopped spring onions, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, coconut milk, and oil. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the flour.
- Stir with a rubber spatula until it forms a sticky dough. If you want to add dairy-free cheese, add it now, stir to evenly combine.
- If too wet, add a little more flour, but keep in mind that the dough should stay moist. Rub your hands with olive oil, and grab a dollop of dough – about 1/2 cup and drop it on the baking sheet. Shape doesn't matter; you can use your finger tips to reshape into a nice ball if desired.
- Repeat until all the batter has been dropped on the baking sheet – I made 10 biscuits. They expand in the oven, so keep two inches of space between them.
- Bake the biscuits for 25-35 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuits comes out clean.
- Let them cool down for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before serving warm, or let them cool down again on a cooling rack.
- Serve cold, or lukewarm, plain or with some hummus, or mashed avocado.
Notes
Note 1: You can also use frozen broccoli rice, thaw it, and squeeze out excess moisture before adding to the recipe.
Note 2: I am using canned roasted red bell pepper, pat dry on absorbent paper before cutting.
Note 3: I am using cooked, cooled quinoa; any color can be used. Skip quinoa or replace for canned, drained corn kernels.
Note 4: Or 3 tablespoons of finely chopped dill.
Note 5: Or paprika, cumin.
Note 6: If you don’t like the taste of coconut milk, use soy, almond, or oat milk. The biscuits are a bit less moist with those options, as canned coconut milk is higher in fat.
Note 7: Any oil can be used, like avocado oil, almond oil, or melted plant-based butter.
Note 8: To make 4 cups of self-rising flour, stir 4 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of baking powder. For a gluten-free option, use my gluten-free converter, but don’t forget the baking powder.
Note 9: Or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.
Storage: You can store the biscuits in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw the day before at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 285.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.7g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 9.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.4g | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 139.3mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 0.6g | Vitamin A: 224.9IU | Vitamin B12: 0.001µg | Vitamin C: 11.8mg | Vitamin D: 0.1µg | Calcium: 24.4mg | Iron: 1.1mg | Magnesium: 28.5mg | Phosphorus: 87.6mg | Zinc: 0.7mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.
- Broccoli – This adds fresh greens, bulk, and texture to the biscuits. Frozen broccoli rice works well too if you thaw and drain the excess liquid first.
- Roasted Red Pepper – This brings a sweet, smoky flavor and vibrant color spots to the crumb. Make sure to pat them dry if using jarred peppers to avoid adding too much moisture.
- Cooked Quinoa – This boosts the protein content and adds a hearty texture. You can also use canned, drained corn kernels if you prefer a sweeter flavor profile.
- Spring Onions – These provide a sharp, savory onion bite. Freshly chopped dill is a great swap if you prefer an herbal twist.
- Onion & Garlic Powder – These build the savory base of the biscuit dough without adding texture.
- Smoked Paprika – This contributes a subtle smokiness and warm color. Cumin or regular paprika are fine substitutes to change the flavor profile.
- Salt – This enhances all the savory flavors in the biscuit.
- Canned Coconut Milk – This provides rich moisture and fat for a tender crumb. Soy, almond, or oat milk work too, though the biscuits will be slightly less rich as they contain less fat.
- Olive Oil – This adds healthy fats and keeps the inside moist. Avocado oil or melted plant-based butter are suitable alternatives.
- Self-Rising Flour – This acts as the base and leavening agent for fluffy biscuits. You can make your own by mixing all-purpose flour with baking powder.
- Dairy-Free Cheddar (Optional) – This gives the biscuits a gooey, cheesy finish. Nutritional yeast is another great way to get that cheesy flavor without the melting shreds.
How to Make Broccoli Quinoa Drop Biscuits (in Pictures)
Carine’s Baking Tips
Let me share a few more tips for a perfect biscuit.
- Rice the broccoli – Cutting the broccoli into tiny, rice-sized pieces ensures it bakes evenly and distributes perfectly throughout the batter.
- Adjust the milk – I love the light coconut taste with broccoli, but if it’s not for you, any plant-based milk works fine here.
- Chop veggies finely – Finely chopping the spring onion and red bell pepper helps them mix evenly into the sticky dough.
- Play with herbs – You can swap spring onions for fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or basil. Just reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons for these stronger flavors.
- Customize spices – Feel free to change the flavor profile by swapping the spices for turmeric or cumin to suit your taste.
- Watch the salt – If you are watching your sodium intake or using a salty dairy-free cheese, you might want to skip or decrease the added salt.
Is there a way I could do this Gluten free?
Sure, use my gluten-free converter here.
Hi I love you recipes and even more that you spend time to answer to everyone. Even when questions are made without paying attention to all you write eg. GF flour options.
great work indeed!
kind regards
Thanks for noticing! it’s very nice to have you here.
biscuit or bread/bun?
are they crisp like biscuit?
An American drop biscuit is a type of quick bread characterized by its craggy, irregular shape and simple preparation. Unlike traditional “rolled” biscuits, the dough for drop biscuits contains a higher ratio of liquid, giving it a wet, sticky consistency that cannot be kneaded or cut into shapes. The texture is between a biscuit crispy on the outside but moist in the center like a bun
is the weight of quinoa after or before they are boiled?
The recipe says cooked quinoa, it means it’s the weight and volume in cups of cooked quinoa, after being boiled, drained and cooled.
Do these muffins have at least just a hint of sweetness? Is there another ingredient that isn’t sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc. that can be added to bring just a hint of sweetness?
Coconut milk has a natural sweet note, and since it’s a savory recipe, I don’t add any sweetener. Then, feel free to add 1-2 teaspoon of sugar with the dry ingredient if you feel like it. I wouldn’t use liquid sweetener, as it will add extra moisture to the dough and you will need more flour to balance.
Thank You!!
My pleasure!
If make these again I think I would use cold or frozen butter or a butter substitute instead of the oil. If frozen grate it in, if cold chop with a pastry cutter. That way when it baked there would be pockets where the butter melted it. The density is pretty high.
Have you used self-rising flour as mentioned? or flour? Self-rising flour contains added baking powder that make then fluffy and not dense at all.
Just made these to take over to a friend who just had her 1st baby. thought they would make a good healthy snack when it’s hard to think/function.
I substituted 1/2 of the broccoli for chopped spinach because broccoli can sometimes make breast milk hard to digest. I used nutritional yeast and roasted peppers.
They are delicious, very dense but they taste good.
That sounds lovely with spinach too!
looks scrumptious
Thank you! let me know if you try them.
hey hi .it’s a beautiful recipe.can I use gluten free flour instead of Self raising flour
As mentioned in the recipe note, you use use my gluten-free converter here to make all my recipes gluten-free. A 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour won’t work on its own.
To use gluten free is it necessary to use an extra 1 1/2 cups water as outlines in the converter?
Yes, the converter is always right! the 1/4 cup of psyllium husk will form a gel with the water adding the chewy texture to the biscuits.
hey hi ..it’s a beautiful recipe ..any options for self raising flour..can I use gluten free flour..if yes what changes I can make ..so that can get desired texture
As mentioned in the recipe note, you use use my gluten-free converter here to make all my recipes gluten-free. A 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour won’t work on its own.
Could I leave the roasted red pepper out? Or do you have substitution suggestions?
Sure, or try sundried tomatoes!