<p>Ready-to-eat snacks are highly popular among consumers; however, they often have a high glycemic index and are deficient in proteins and micronutrients. To address these issues, this study aimed to develop protein-enriched corn extrudates by incorporating varying concentrations (0–12%) of soybean and quinoa. The results demonstrated that the inclusion of soybean and quinoa had a significant effect on the properties of the corn extrudates. Specifically, the addition of these ingredients resulted in a notable (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) increase in protein and fiber content, by 2.05 and 2.22 times, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity, as indicated by total phenolic content (TPC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assays, was enhanced by 1.09 and 31.64 times, respectively, compared to the control. The functional properties of the fortified extrudates also showed significant improvement (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Organoleptic properties results showed that T₇ (4% soybean and 4% quinoa addition) was the best treatment. In conclusion, the addition of soybean and quinoa can be used to develop innovative, nutritious, appetizing and healthy extrudates which can help to mitigate malnutrition.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>