These Viral Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cakes Are Bound to Be Your Next Favorite Healthy Dessert

Next time a Reese's craving hits, make these.

One of the best ways to keep a sweet tooth at bay is a healthy-ish, sweet snack. A snack that’s on the healthier side might not be your first thought when a craving hits, but it’ll actually help in the long run. The ideal snack contains a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates. Luckily, these TikTok-famous peanut butter cup rice cakes fit the bill. While it’s not quite as decadent as a homemade peanut butter cup, this trend is a simple and somewhat healthy way to satisfy a hankering for a Reese’s.

Why does this work? Protein takes longer to digest, so it helps slow the rate that sugar from carbohydrates enters the bloodstream. You’ll feel full longer and avoid sugar spikes and crashes that cause headaches and exhaustion, completely derailing the rest of your day.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cakes

@jaroflemons Had to try out the Viral Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake trend that I’ve been seeing everywhere, and I have to say, it was SO good! 🍫 Even Cody loved it, and I’m pretty sure he has a real hatred toward rice cakes, so that says a lot. It tastes just like a peanut butter cup! Here’s the yummy recipe: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ â–¢ rice cake â–¢ 1-2 Tbsp peanut butter â–¢ banana slices â–¢ about 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips â–¢ 1/2 tsp coconut oil â–¢ flaky sea salt (for topping) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Top the rice cake with peanut butter and banana slices. Mix the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Spread the melted chocolate over the rice cake and immediately sprinkle a little flaky sea salt. Place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes and enjoy! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You could also make this with any type of fruit. I want to try blueberries or sliced strawberries next! 🙌🏻 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ >> Follow for more healthy recipe ideas! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #healthysnacks #healthyrecipe #ricecake #healthytreat #peanutbuttercup #viralfood #healthyfood #viralrecipes #glutenfreetreat #peanutbutterbanana #ricecakesnack #healthyfood #healthyeating #viralreel ♬ Flowers – Miley Cyrus

Ingredients

  • 1 rice cake
  • 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • Banana slices
  • 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
  • Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

Step 1: Prep the rice cake

Spread peanut butter over rice cake. Add banana slices.

Step 2: Combine ingredients

Mix chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over rice cakes and immediately sprinkle with sea salt.

Step 3: Freeze!

Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, then enjoy. (Note: sometimes rice cakes get soggy in the freezer, so try lining a baking sheet with parchment paper to keep your peanut butter cups dry!)

Since the formula is so simple, there are lots of ways you can play around with it. Firstly, and most importantly, swap out any ingredients you’re allergic to or don’t enjoy. Can’t eat peanuts? Use almond butter or sunflower butter instead. If you hate bananas, experiment with other fruits, like berries. And if you prefer milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark, then by all means make that substitution.

There are also plenty of ways to take this recipe up a notch. Fans of the recipe suggest using different flavored rice cakes, like chocolate, caramel and even cheddar. They also add ingredients like caramel, marshmallow fluff and jelly. You can even go all out and make your own peanut butter. Of course, some of this can make your treat a little less healthy, so keep that in mind when you’re embellishing your rice cake.

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Sarra Sedghi
Sarra Sedghi is a Birmingham-based writer and editor specializing in food, travel, and history. Her work has appeared in Allrecipes, Atlas Obscura, Eater, MyRecipes, Polygon, and Tasting Table. She excels at narrative writing, and received her MFA in Narrative Nonfiction from the University of Georgia in 2017.