Add the tomato sauce as a base, then layer with slices of mozzarella and scoop all the cooked vegetables and sausages to the very top.
Add lettuce of choice (or even spinach) along with red pepper flakes and chopped fresh basil.
Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. You may also choose to broil for an additional 2-3 minutes to get crispy edges and brown the cheese.
Have you ever heard of popped quinoa? Yeah, that’s right p o p p e d. Like popcorn, but quinoa. Well if you haven’t then get ready to have your mind blown with these gluten free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free paleo crunchy decadentdark chocolate sunflower butter bars.
These are also my favorite treats to bring to BBQs and parties for sharing. I love surprising people with healthy whole food desserts, especially those involving quinoa, of course.
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They take a bit of prep time, but are in no doubt worth the effort. First, when making the crust I like to mill my own oat flour which can be done three ways:
I usually use my little coffee grinder because it’s small and is minimal clean up, but they all work well. Just make sure it’s blended to a flour like consistency.
Once you have the oat flour ready you’ll want to pop your quinoa. My favorite part!!
Heat up a large skillet on the stove top to medium high heat. Wait until its warm, then add the quinoa directly to the pan and listen to it *pop*. This is where you’ll really want to be careful. Make sure to keep a close eye on it and constantly shake the pan for 1-3 minutes depending on how hot your stove top is or until the quinoa turns golden brown in color.
Also be sure to start with just enough quinoa to cover the bottom of the pan, in my case this is 1/4 cup. If you add too much you’ll end up with half burnt quinoa and half unpopped (trust me…).
Once you add the quinoa in with the oat flour and stir in the maple syrup and coconut oil, you can press it all into the 8.5×11 baking dish lined with parchment paper. I use my hand at first, then press down with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out.
Bake the crust until its formed together and starting to brown. Place it in the fridge or freezer to cool. Personally I like things done fast so I put mine in the freezer while I prep the sunflower butter layer.
I didn’t get a photo making the sunflower butter layer, but it’s quite simple.
Add more or less coconut flour depending on how oily the sunflower butter is. Throw all the ingredients together, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to “thicken” with the coconut flour.
Next, throw the sunflower butter layer on top of the crust layer, set aside.
Lastly, melt your chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave, but be careful! Do not microwave for longer than a minute and only do 15 second intervals. Every time you remove after the 15 second interval give it a good stir with a plastic spatula. The chocolate will melt quickly and you don’t want it to burn.
Remove the bars from the fridge/freezer, pour the chocolate directly on top of the sunflower butter layer and sprinkle on some sea salt if desired.
Place back in the fridge/freezer and enjoy once the chocolate layer hardens. May take up to 1-2 hours.
Have fun surprising your friends with *popped* quinoa! When I found this out years ago I couldn’t believe the nutty and crunchy goodness of cooking quinoa this way.
Even skeptics out there that don’t like regularly cooked quinoa are going to love this!
Let me know how it turns out in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to stay in the loop for more healthy desserts like this one.
Also try my key lime pie if you are looking for another fun healthier whole food treat to make!
A registered nurse, certified health coach, and wellness enthusiast.
Print Recipe
Dark Chocolate Sunflower Butter Bars
Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, nut free, paleo sunflower butter bars that are made with popped quinoa for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare an 8.5x11 baking pan. In a medium sized bowl add the oat flour and sea salt for the crust layer. Whole oats can be processed into a flour using a blender, food processor, or even a handheld coffee grinder.
Heat large skillet on stove top to medium high heat until very hot (no oil) and add in 1/4 cup quinoa until it becomes light brown and starts popping. This may take 1-3 minutes depending on how hot the pan is. Be careful not to burn! Repeat with each 1/4 cup until you have 3/4 cup total. The quinoa should have a nutty smell and be golden brown. Add to oat flour bowl.
Pour the maple syrup and softened coconut oil into the flour and quinoa bowl. If your coconut oil is hard, soften in the microwave with 15 second intervals. Be careful, if it's liquid, it will be difficult to from into a crust. Mix well.
Add the mixture to the prepared pan and press down evenly.
Bake cookie layer for 11-14 minutes, or until starting to brown. Allow to cool in the fridge to harden up while you prepare the other layers.
Sunflower Butter Layer
To make the sunflower layer, mix all ingredients (sunflower butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and coconut flour) together in a medium sized bowl. If the sunflower butter is dry, you might need less coconut flour. It helps the mixture thicken up considerably.
Layer the thickened sunflower butter over the cookie layer once it has cooled.
Chocolate Layer
Place dark chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl. Starting with 15 second intervals microwave and be sure to stir after each interval until they have just melted.
Cover the crust and sunflower layers you already made with the last chocolate layer. Use a rubber spatula to even out the top of the bars. Sprinkle extra sea salt on top if desired. Refrigerate for about two hours to set before cutting OR place in the freezer for about an hour if you need to speed up the process.
Store bars in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
