Want all the flavors of your favorite soup but aren’t a soup-in-the-summer kinda foodie? These Healthy Rustic Broccoli Cheddar Bites prove you can literally hold all the comfort of warm, creamy soup in one hand by rolling up all that cheesy healthful goodness in a quick dough to make the perfect pop-in-your-mouth summer snack.
I am a Floridian that eats hot creamy soup all summer. Partly because it’s pretty much always summer in Florida, but mostly because I LOVE IT. Especially my Vegetarian Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
But I understand not EVERYONE wants to sweat into their soup, so I figured why not reinvent it into a bite-sized snack?
More About Healthy Rustic Broccoli Cheddar Bites
The Dough
This recipe makes a dozen of these little devils and even though I always promise myself to just eat a few, that pop-in-your-mouth part? Yeah, it makes these disappear in the blink of an eye.
The great news is, the star of this snack is broccoli, so swallowing a dozen in one sitting is somewhat justifiable.
Just look at those tiny little trees peering out of the simplest, thin, crispy dough smothered in cheese!! Talk about disguising a veggie as a treat!
Speaking of simple dough, it’s really nice having a 4-ingredient quick savory dough recipe in your repertoire. This one works with 1 cup of all-purpose flour or 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and it is SO VERSATILE.
It’s pretty mild and definitely thin, so it makes a perfect little shell around your superstar ingredients without taking away from their flavor.
I use it often in quiches, savory pies, and little tarts. It’s rare to find a crust without butter or shortening, so this one’s a gem for cutting out most saturated fats without compromising on taste.
I love to use robust olive oil for this dough to give it a bolder and richer flavor. It gives it a ridiculously delicious peppery finish.
YUM!
The Stuffing
But enough about the dough, let’s get into the important stuff. The broccoli. The cheese. YES, please!!!
I feel confident in claiming this Rustic Broccoli Cheddar Bites recipe as a healthy one despite the oozing cheese because broccoli is a superfood with tons of antioxidants and nutrients that positively impact your health down to the cellular level. No amount of cheese can take that away!
Green tip: Eating seasonally is one of the best (and most delicious) ways to support local and decrease your carbon footprint. Local foods have less associated transportation costs and fuel emissions.
Simply put, eating seasonally = less environmental impact. Check when broccoli is in season in your state with this Seasonal Eating Guide.
Plus, no butter in the dough? Come on! And, okay, maybe it’s just the cheese junkie in me speaking, but I think most things are better with cheddar.
If you like this recipe and are looking for healthy handheld snack ideas, try these Vegan Coconut Energy Balls!
Rustic Broccoli Cheddar Bites
PRINT PIN RATEIngredients
Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup cold water
Filling
- 2 stalks fresh broccoli
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Dough
- Mix flour and salt in one bowl and beat oil and water in another.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together and use your hands to flatten out onto a baking sheet.
- Cut your dough into 8 roughly even parts.
Filling
- Cook broccoli in boiling water for 6-8 minutes until soft. Strain and finely chop the broccoli.
- Mix warm chopped broccoli with cream cheese, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. Taste to make sure seasoned well. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Assembling Broccoli Cheddar Bites
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of broccoli mixture and a handful of cheese on one side of each piece of dough.
- Fold the empty side of dough over the stuffed side of dough to make a little broccoli cheddar stuffed pocket. Spread bites out on your baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and oozing out of slightly brown dough.
Pro Tips
- You can substitute 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
- Try using robust olive oil for a rich, peppery finish.
- Broccoli and cheddar are such a great combo—this broccoli cheddar soup is a classic!
2 thoughts on “Healthy Rustic Broccoli Cheddar Bites”
This looks fantastic! I love broccoli- it’s a great way to eat it!
This recipe sounds so good and so easy to make. I’m going to have to give this one a try, for sure!