Gluten Free Matza Balls made from Quinoa

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A gluten free version of your favorite chicken soup companion, matzo balls. Add light and fluffy dumplings to your soup without any matzah at all. Instead, replace it with quinoa flakes—to make these gluten free matza balls.

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Passover Prep

Happy Holiday Weekend. Passover begins tonight at Sundown. Eight days of different eating habits.

During the holiday, foods made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that have combined with water and given a chance to rise, called chametz, are avoided. Instead—matzah—an unleavened flatbread made of flour and water, is eaten.

In my opinion, the preparation for the holiday is much harder then the actual food restrictions. It involves a combination of Spring cleaning your home with packing/moving/unpacking a new kitchen setup AND shopping for a whole new set of kitchen food & supplies.

Let’s not forget that you still need to eat the week(s) before. So while trying to empty the pantry, things get interesting with the different recipe combinations you come up with.

These gluten free matzo balls were just that. They make a great dumpling for chicken soup on Passover but also throughout the rest of the year too. Plus they have a secret ingredient swap that you’ll want to try.

How to make make gluten free matza balls

Matza balls are made from a few simple ingredients—matzo meal, oil, water or broth, eggs, spices. Mix the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll the mixture into balls & boil them in seasoned water.

The main ingredient, matzo meal, is made by grinding pieces of matzo into a breadcrumb-like consistency. Gluten free versions come from gluten free matzos—which are made from mixtures of tapioca starch and potato starch/flakes. You can grind your own gluten free matzo meal in a food processor or purchase it already ground.

Time to meet the new star of the bowl. This recipe skips the matzo and uses another type of flake to make gluten free matzo balls—quinoa. 

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Quinoa flakes vs quinoa?

The same quinoa seeds you use to make bite sized snacks, pizza crust, salads, and for meal prep can also be used to replace matzo meal. One little (read: important) difference, in how they are processed.

Whole quinoa seeds are round and are usually cooked in boiling water or baked in a dish for at least 15 minutes before being consumed. They come in many different colors—including white, red and black.

Quinoa flakes are the rolled out version of quinoa seeds. Similar to rolled oats, the flaked version cooks in just a few minutes. Some brands toast the flakes or even add in sweetener. 

They are available online and at most grocery stores. Look for it in the cereal, baking, gluten free or health foods aisles.

(NOTE: Not all brands are kosher for Passover. Pereg & Goldbaum’s currently make ones that is)

Matzo balls made with quinoa flakes

Replacing the matzo meal with quinoa flakes is great if you are following a gluten-free diet or feel like you need a break from eating matzah on Passover. 

Compared to matza meal, the quinoa flakes have more fat and fiber—which helps you feel full—with fewer carbohydrates and calories. They both have similar amounts of protein.

More quinoa flakes recipes ideas:

• Breakfast Bowl – prepare it like oatmeal into a hot or cold cereal. It can be cooked over the stove top, in the microwave, with boiling water or even cold milk the night before to make an quinoa based “overnight oatmeal.” Remember to add your favorite oatmeal mix-ins to give it some flavor like fresh fruit, nuts or nut butters, honey & spices.
• Vegan Egg – combine quinoa flakes with water to create a thick mixture that can be used as an plant based egg substitute.
• Grind It into a powder to make your own quinoa flour. Use it as a gluten free flour for baking or more savory recipes, like these Cabbage Pancakes
• Baked Goods -mix it into pancakes/waffles &  homemade cookies, cakes, granola bars and no-bake desserts.
• Toppings – swap it for oatmeal in the topping to fruit crumbles or a batch of homemade granola.