Viral Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake

The viral recipe gets an easy upgrade for a better ratio of peanut butter and chocolate to rice cake. And with one tablespoon of peanut butter and just two teaspoons of chocolate per rice cake, it’s a mostly healthy snack too!

I don’t often follow the trends—although my kids wouldn’t likely call me a trendsetter either! Sometimes, however, a trendy idea is a good one, one that’s worth passing along.

Plus, trending things can evolve and improve, which is exactly why my nieces and I thought we should share our new-and-improved version of what the world of TikTok dubbed the Viral Giant Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake.

The combination of salty, sweet, creamy, and crunchy makes this quick and easy dessert or snack a winner. My nieces and I can attest that it’s a fun project too.

You can make one or many, and though delicious eaten right away, the treats can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for longer storage. (The latter is great if you’d like to stock up.)

So how did we improve upon this popular snack?

The original version and the many replicas use standard round rice cakes, and while you may certainly use those, we think the thinner rice cakes create a better ratio of chocolate and peanut butter to crunchy rice cake. A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt is the pièce de résistance.

To better show you, Grace and Evie helped make a quick video. To get a sense of how tasty this snack truly is, you can see how they reacted to their very first bite. 

Click HERE or on the photo below to see the video. 

Tips for making Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cakes:

• One thin rice cake requires 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate (from one tablespoon of chocolate chips or 10 grams of melting chocolate.) I think it’s helpful to know that, but you really don’t need to measure. I determined these amounts by making the recipe as I’ve described below and weighing the ingredients to know what people tended to naturally use.
• If using a standard rather than a thin rice cake, you may wish to use a thicker spread of peanut butter (1½ to 2 tablespoons) in order to better taste it.
• Despite the small amount of chocolate needed to nicely coat each peanut butter rice cake, it is helpful to melt more than you need, especially if you’d like to dip the cakes. When there’s too little to effectively dip—or if you’d prefer to melt just what you need—you can drizzle the chocolate over the cake and then carefully use a knife to spread it over the peanut butter.
• Some people freeze the rice cakes once the peanut butter has been spread to make it firmer before adding the chocolate. With the dipping method and a careful hand, we found this step wasn’t necessary. But feel free to do so.
• You may use chocolate chips or melting wafers. We like dark chocolate, but milk chocolate may also be used, as can white chocolate.
• Use a gentle touch when spreading the peanut butter so as not to break the rice cake. This is an especially good tip when making the peanut butter cup rice cakes with young kids.
• You could use almond or another nut or seed butter in place of the peanut butter.
• Some people like to add refined coconut oil (it’s flavorless, unlike extra virgin or unrefined coconut oil), when dipping treats in chocolate because it thins the chocolate, makes it shinier, and creates a harder shell. If doing so, use no more than 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per 1 cup of melted chocolate. A little goes a long way—too much and the chocolate may end up thinner than you like. And unless you’d like a hint of coconut flavor, remember to use the refined variety.

Start by spreading the rice cakes with peanut butter. You can make one at a time or many.

The chocolate can be melted in the microwave or on the stovetop. Once melted, I like to dip the peanut butter side into the chocolate and then use a knife to coat any missed spots and drain off any excess. If preferred, you may drizzle the melted chocolate over the peanut butter. 

A sprinkle of flaky sea salt plays up the salty-sweet appeal but is purely optional. At this point, place the chocolate peanut butter cup rice cakes in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to set.

When the chocolate is firm to the touch, they are ready. The rice cakes may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. We like to make extra and store them in the freezer. A minute on the counter and they are ready to eat.

A delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate on a crunchy rice cake, this easy snack comes together in 10 minutes, with three simple ingredients—and it’s a fun project too.

Conveniently, the ingredients are easy to keep on hand and the prep time is short. So, why wait? Give the recipe a try – with friends, kids, or grandchildren – or as a fun activity all for you!

A fun nutrition fact from our dietitian Emily:
Peanut butter is a great source of vegetarian protein and fat for staying power throughout the day. Some peanut butters are made with just peanuts or just peanuts and salt. These oftentimes require stirring between uses and may have a grainier mouthfeel. Other peanut butters have added sugars, emulsifiers, or preservatives to keep a smooth texture and sweeter taste. Check out the ingredients list on the back label so you can decide which kind is right for your recipe at hand!

For those who are curious…
The reason we don’t list nutritional breakdowns next to each recipe is because the numbers can change significantly depending on brands people buy and how exact the measuring is. In saying that, if you email me separately, I can provide you with my best estimations on the nutrients you would like to know more about in this recipe. I’m happy to help!

The Best Viral Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Rice Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 11 minutes

Yield: 1 or more servings

With its crisp crunch and salty-sweet flavor, this viral recipe is even better with a thin rice cake. And with one tablespoon of peanut butter and just two teaspoons of melted chocolate per rice cake, it’s also a mostly healthy snack that can be whipped up whenever a craving strikes.

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Ingredients

• Thin rice cakes (like Lundberg Thin Stackers or Trader Joe’s Rice Cake Thins)*
• Peanut Butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
• Dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate chips or melting wafers
• Flaky Sea Salt, optional

Instructions

Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Spread the rice cake evenly with peanut butter. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon per rice cake.

Melt the chocolate. Place your chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl that is slightly wider than the width of the rice cake. Microwave in 20- to 30-second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Alternatively, you may melt the chocolate on the stove using a double boiler. Note: You’ll need about 2 teaspoons (10g) melted chocolate per rice cake—one tablespoon of chips is roughly the amount—but it helps to start with more so that you can more easily dip.

Top with chocolate. Dip the peanut butter side of the rice cake into the chocolate, and then gently use a knife to evenly distribute and scrape off any excess. If you use a careful hand, you can glide right over the peanut butter. If preferred, you may drizzle the chocolate over the rice cake.

Lightly sprinkle with flaky salt, if using, and place in the freezer or refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the chocolate has set, enjoy!

Storage: If making more than one, you can store the peanut butter rice cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or freeze for longer storage. Any leftover chocolate can be cooled, covered, and stored at room temperature and then reheated when ready to make more.

Notes

*If you have regular rice cakes on hand or can’t find the thinner stackers, you may absolutely use them. To better taste the peanut butter however, you may wish to use a thicker spread (about 1½ to 2 tablespoons compared to 1 tablespoon for the thinner cake).

Use a plain rice cake, white or brown rice, but not a flavored one unless you’d like another flavor to shine through.

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