Healthy Rice Cake Snacks

If you are looking for healthy puffed rice cake toppings, here are six simple and nutritious healthy rice cake snack ideas to try. Some are sweet, some savory but all will make that 3PM snack craving fun, easy and delicious!

If you’re in a snack rut, puffed rice cakes topped with delicious things are something you should try today! The cakes on their own are pretty dry and not particularly satisfying but I recently discovered that they are a PERFECT low-cal alternative to sandwiches!

Of course there is nothing wrong with a good sandwich but it’s usually too substantial and too filling to be eaten as a snack. Plus, I’m often more interested in the toppings than the bread, especially when it’s not mealtime yet.

Open sandwiches on puffed rice cakes bring snack time to a whole new level! The topping variations are endless but if you’re looking for ideas, I am sharing my 6 favorite combinations below.

If you are looking for a healthy dessert using puffed rice cakes, make sure to also try my Almond Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies.

Jump to:

• HEALTHY RICE CAKE TOPPING IDEAS
• RCE CAKE SNACKS INGREDIENT NOTES
• HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY RICE CAKE SNACKS
• WHAT ELSE GOES WELL ON RICE CAKES?
• MORE PREP TIPS
• RECIPE FAQS
• MORE HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS
• RECIPE
• YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
• Meet the Author

HEALTHY RICE CAKE TOPPING IDEAS

To make plain and slightly boring rice cake interesting and nutritious, I developed a winning topping formula:

1. Protein or healthy fat rich spread
2. Fresh fruit, veg or protein
3. Healthy and/or crunchy sprinkles

When you follow this simple principle, the humble rice cake turns into a perfectly balanced and delicious snack that will keep you satisfied for a couple hours.

The 6 flavor combinations that I like best are:

1. Almond butter, fresh berries & chia seeds
2. Peanut butter, sliced banana & cinnamon
3. Hummus, bell pepper & hemp hearts
4. Cottage cheese, cucumber, tomato, salt & pepper
5. Mashed avocado, smoked salmon, red onions & capers
6. Avocado “toast”: mashed avocado, boiled egg & Everything Bagel seasoning

RCE CAKE SNACKS INGREDIENT NOTES

• Rice Cakes: any rice cakes will work: white rice, brown rice or multigrain. Pick rice cakes that are fresh, firm and crisp.

• Almond Butter: I buy mine at Trader Joe’s or Costco. Any kind of almond butter will work.
• Fresh Berries: I used a mix of fresh raspberries and blueberries. Swap them for chopped strawberries and blackberries, if you want.
• Chia Seeds: these are optional and add a great crunch and extra boost of plant-based omega-3’s!

• Peanut Butter: my favorite peanut butter is Teddie’s all-natural creamy peanut butter without added sugar or oil.
• Banana: for a classic banana + PB flavor combo. Slice it as thin or thick as you like!
• Cinnamon: for an additional layer of flavor and antioxidants.

• Cottage Cheese: a wonderful yet underrated source of protein. I like Good Culture.
• Cucumber & Tomato: I used Persian (mini) cucumber and cherry tomato but full size slices are also fine. Sliced radish is another great topping for cottage cheese.
• Salt & Pepper: to season.

• Hummus: use any hummus you like and have. I love classic homemade hummus but store bought is a great convenient alternative.
• Bell Pepper: any color will work. I like red or orange better than green because they are sweeter.
• Hemp Hearts: for some extra protein and fiber.

• Avocado: pick an avocado that’s fully ripe and soft to touch.
• Smoked Salmon: Trader Joe’s sells a great small pack of smoked salmon with 3-4 slices. Perfect if you don’t want a lot of leftover salmon.
• Capers & Red Onion: classic smoked salmon garnishes. If you have fresh dill, it’s also great in this flavor combo.

• Avocado: to make an avocado toast rice cake variation that’s great for light breakfast, too.
• Egg: I boil my egg for 7 minutes for a perfectly “gummy” egg that’s between soft-boiled and hard-boiled. You can also use poached, scrambled, fried, sunny side or sliced or grated hard-boiled egg. So many possibilities!
• Everything Bagel seasoning: the best crunchy topping on avocado toast, in my opinion.

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY RICE CAKE SNACKS

Making puffed rice cake open sandwiches is super quick and easy. You can make several of the same kind or a couple different ones.

STEP 1: Spread nut butter, hummus, mashed avocado or cottage cheese on rice cakes. I recommend mashing the avocado with a fork in a small bowl before spreading it on the cake. Mashing it directly on a rice cake may cause the cake to break since it’s rather brittle.   

STEP 2: Add the primary topping: berries on almon butter, banana on peanut butter, cucumber and tomato on cottage cheese, sliced pepper on hummus and boiled egg or smoked salmon on mashed avocado.

STEP 3: Sprinkle with seeds or spices: chia seeds, hemp hearts, cinnamon, Everything Bagel seasoning, salt & pepper and red onion & capers on smoked salmon. You can add whatever “sprinkles” you like. Chia seeds and cinnamon will like on all sweet toppings while hemp hearts and Everything Bagel seasoning will go well on all savory ones.

WHAT ELSE GOES WELL ON RICE CAKES?

Much like with regular sandwiches, rice cake topping possibilities are endless. You can make them quick and simple, such as turkey and cheese or fancy and elegant, such as whipped feta and olive tapenade. Here are some more ideas to try:

Savory:

• Cream cheese, smoked salmon & Everything Bagel seasoning
• Ricotta, sliced strawberries & chopped basil
• Cottage cheese, fresh chopped herbs (chives, dill, parsley), salt & pepper
• Egg salad & sliced radish
• Tuna or chicken salad & lettuce or spinach
• Cream cheese & red bell pepper
• Sliced cheese, mustard & pickle

Sweet:

• Peanut butter & jelly
• Ricotta, fresh blueberries & lemon zest
• Nutella & berries or banana
• Cottage cheese & fruit (strawberries, pineapple, kiwi)
• Thick Greek yogurt & fruit

MORE PREP TIPS

• If you are serving rice cake snacks to a crowd or kids, consider a topping bar. Serve rice cakes, spreads, cut up fruit, veggies and eggs separately and let everyone assemble their own “sandwiches”.
• These are also great as a school or work lunch or snack. Just bring some dry rice cakes and toppings separately and assemble your snacks when ready to eat. Or, keep a bag of dry rice snacks and nut butter at work (if you’re able to) and just bring some fresh fruit.
• Store leftover rice cakes in a closed plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature. Air will make them stale quickly.

RECIPE FAQS

MORE HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS

If you try my Healthy Rice Cake Snacks, be sure to leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and see how it turned out for you! You can also share and tag me on Instagram!

This post contains affiliate links.

Print

RECIPE

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE