Are ube pistachio quinoa bites healthy?

Yes. They pair puffed quinoa (a naturally gluten-free whole grain), real ube powder (antioxidants, potassium), pistachios (good fats and plant protein) and just enough white chocolate to bind. No refined dye, no artificial flavour, and easy to make vegan and dairy-free.

Are they gluten-free?

Yes, 100% gluten-free as long as you use certified gluten-free puffed quinoa and a white chocolate labelled gluten-free. Ube powder is naturally gluten-free.

Can I make these bites vegan and dairy-free?

Absolutely. Swap the white chocolate for a dairy-free/vegan white chocolate (rice or oat milk based). The puffed quinoa, ube powder and pistachios are already 100% plant-based and lactose-free.

Do I need ube extract or can I use only ube powder?

Only real ube powder. It gives the deep natural purple colour to the white chocolate and its signature vanilla-hazelnut flavour - no artificial food colouring needed.

Can I use another topping instead of pistachios?

Yes. Crushed roasted almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia, coconut flakes or freeze-dried raspberries all work. Pistachios stay our favourite for the green/purple contrast.

How long do the bites keep?

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Best eaten straight from the fridge for the perfect snap.

Do I need to toast the puffed quinoa?

No. Puffed quinoa is already puffed and ready to eat. Just make sure it stays dry so the bites keep their crunch.

Made with 100% natural purple yam powder from Ube Nolia

July 28, 2026 · Healthy Recipe

Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites Recipe

Name: Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10 bites
Cuisine: Filipino-inspired
Ingredients: 150g white chocolate (or dairy-free white chocolate for vegan/lactose-free); 8g ube powder (about 1 heaped tablespoon); 50g puffed quinoa (gluten-free); 30g roasted pistachios, crushed (for topping)

Crunchy purple discs of puffed quinoa coated in real ube white chocolate, topped with crushed roasted pistachios.

A no-bake, naturally gluten-free snack that eats like a bar of crunchy purple chocolate - but with the wholesome bite of quinoa and the natural colour of real ube. Ready in 10 minutes of hands-on time.

Coloured entirely with real ube powder: no dye, no candy melts, no artificial flavour. Easy to make vegan and lactose-free with a dairy-free white chocolate.

Stack of ube pistachio quinoa bites by Ube Nolia, purple puffed quinoa discs coated in ube white chocolate and topped with pistachios

Quick answer

Ube pistachio quinoa bites are no-bake purple discs made by folding puffed quinoa into melted white chocolate tinted with real Ube Nolia ube powder, then topping each mound with crushed roasted pistachios and chilling until snappy. They are naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and easy to make vegan and lactose-free with a dairy-free white chocolate.

Key facts

Prep: 10 min · Chill: 30 min · Yield: 10 bites
Naturally gluten-free with puffed quinoa
Vegan- and lactose-free-friendly with dairy-free white chocolate
Real purple colour from 100% pure Ube Nolia ube powder – no dye, no candy melts
Only 4 ingredients, no oven, no mixer

Ube Nolia Powder

From$0.49 / ube latte

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With the 5-pack subscription, you get 165 ube lattes at home. Cheaper than a café - and delivered to your door.

What Are Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites?

Ube pistachio quinoa bites are small crunchy discs of puffed quinoa folded into melted white chocolate coloured with real ube powder, topped with crushed roasted pistachios and set in the fridge. They eat like a snappy purple chocolate bar with the light, crackly bite of a rice cracker.

The vibrant purple comes entirely from real Ube Nolia ube powder, which also brings its signature vanilla-hazelnut notes. Pistachios add colour contrast and a gentle savoury edge; the whole recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, and easy to make vegan and lactose-free.

If you love no-bake healthy ube snacks, also try our ube frozen yogurt peanut bites and our ube white chocolate fudgy bites.

Ingredients for Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites (10 Bites)

Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites – Makes 10 Bites

• 150g white chocolate (or dairy-free white chocolate for vegan/lactose-free)
• 8g Ube Nolia ube powder (about 1 heaped tbsp)
• 50g puffed quinoa (certified gluten-free)
• 30g roasted pistachios, crushed (for topping)

A 100g pouch of Ube Nolia ube powder makes roughly 12 batches of these bites – and 33 lattes on top.

Key Ingredient Notes: Quinoa, Ube, White Chocolate & Pistachios

Puffed quinoa: naturally gluten-free, light and crunchy. Look for « puffed quinoa » in the cereal or health aisle. Keep it dry so the bites stay snappy.
Ube powder: real Ube Nolia purple yam powder is what turns the white chocolate into a natural deep purple – no dye, no candy melts.
White chocolate: use a real bar with cocoa butter. For vegan and lactose-free, choose a dairy-free white chocolate (rice or oat milk based).
Pistachios: roasted and unsalted are best. Crush them coarsely with the flat side of a knife or a rolling pin.

How to Make Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Melt the White Chocolate

Two white chocolate bars ready to melt for Ube Nolia ube pistachio quinoa bites

Break the white chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, or set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (double boiler) until smooth and glossy.

Pro Tip: white chocolate burns quickly – stop as soon as it is almost fully melted and finish with a stir off the heat.

Step 2: Whisk In the Ube Powder

Real Ube Nolia purple yam powder being whisked into melted white chocolate for ube pistachio quinoa bites

Sift the ube powder directly into the melted white chocolate and whisk until you get a smooth, even deep purple with no lumps. The mixture should be glossy and pourable.

Step 3: Fold In the Puffed Quinoa

Gluten-free puffed quinoa being poured into ube white chocolate for Ube Nolia pistachio quinoa bites

Add the puffed quinoa to the purple chocolate and fold gently with a spatula until every puff is fully coated. Work fast – the chocolate starts to set as soon as it hits the cool quinoa.

Step 4: Shape the Bites on Parchment

Spoonful of ube quinoa chocolate mixture shaped into a bite on parchment paper by Ube Nolia

Line a tray or board with parchment paper. Using a large spoon, drop 10 mounds of the mixture, spacing them well apart, and gently flatten each one into a small disc about 6-7 cm across.

Step 5: Top with Crushed Pistachios & Chill

Crushed roasted pistachios being sprinkled on a purple ube quinoa bite by Ube Nolia

Immediately sprinkle crushed roasted pistachios on top of each disc before the chocolate sets, pressing gently so they stick. Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until fully set and snappy.

Pro Tips for the Perfect Ube Pistachio Quinoa Bites

Sift the ube powder into the melted chocolate to avoid lumps and get the smoothest purple.
Use real white chocolate with cocoa butter; palm-oil chips taste waxy and set poorly.
Work fast once the quinoa is in – the chocolate sets quickly on contact with the cool puffs.
Press the pistachios in immediately so they stick before the surface hardens.
Keep the bites dry: humidity softens the puffed quinoa. Store in an airtight container with the pistachios facing up.

Vegan, Gluten-Free & Lactose-Free Swaps

Vegan & dairy-free: use a vegan white chocolate (rice or oat milk based). Everything else is already plant-based.
Lactose-free: the vegan white chocolate above is naturally lactose-free.
Gluten-free: choose certified gluten-free puffed quinoa and a white chocolate labelled gluten-free.
Nut-free: swap the pistachios for coconut flakes, freeze-dried raspberries or cacao nibs.

Storage & Make-Ahead Guide

Fridge: keep in an airtight container for up to 10 days, pistachios facing up so they stay crunchy.
Freezer: stack with parchment between layers, up to 2 months. Best straight from the fridge for the perfect snap.
Meal prep: perfect batch snack – make one tray on Sunday and grab 2 bites as an afternoon or post-workout treat all week.
Ube white chocolate leftover: pour any extra coating onto parchment, top with pistachios and chill for bonus purple chocolate shards.

Why Use Real Ube (Purple Yam) Powder in Your Bites

The natural purple colour and subtle vanilla-hazelnut flavour of these bites come entirely from the ube powder in the white chocolate coating. Many products on the market rely on colouring or extracts. Ube Nolia ube powder is 100% pure, single-origin ube from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines, with nothing added:

Natural deep purple colour from anthocyanins, plant-based antioxidants
Authentic flavour with natural vanilla and toasted hazelnut notes
Clean label: no artificial dye, no flavouring, no added sugar
Consistent colour and taste in every batch of coating, ideal for photo-perfect bites

Learn more about what ube tastes like and the nutritional benefits of ube powder.