Peanut butter apple rice cakes with raisins
Rice cakes have a glycemic index of 82, higher than white bread. They are one of the fastest-digesting carbs you can eat. But researchers tested almost exactly this combination: two tablespoons of peanut butter on a high-GI meal cut the blood sugar spike by 30%, with lower glucose readings at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after eating.
This is that combination in snack form. Apple wedges, raisins, a pinch of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey layered over peanut-butter-loaded rice cakes. 501 calories in five minutes, no cooking required.
Ingredients
- apple 1
- rice cakes 2
- peanut butter 2 tablespoons
- raisins 1 ounce
- cinnamon 1 pinch
- honey 1 teaspoon
Method
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Slice the apple into wedges.
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Spread the peanut butter evenly over the rice cakes. Arrange the apple slices on top.
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Sprinkle with raisins and finish with a pinch of cinnamon. Drizzle with a little honey for extra sweetness.
Swap in almond butter or cashew butter for a different flavor. The fat and protein profile is close enough to peanut butter's that the combination works similarly on the rice cakes. For a cozy twist, warm the apple slices briefly with cinnamon before layering.
Researchers gave sixteen adults the same high-glycemic meal on two consecutive days. Day one: just the carbs (white bread and apple juice, 60 grams of carbohydrate). Day two: the same meal plus 32 grams of peanut butter. The blood sugar spike dropped from 51.0 to 35.8 mg/dL, and that difference was significant at 15, 30, and 60 minutes. This recipe's rice cakes have a higher glycemic index (82) than the white bread in the study (around 75), and the peanut butter dose is slightly larger (40g vs 32g). This was a pilot study (sixteen participants, non-randomized order), so the evidence is preliminary, but the pairing is an exact match.
Lilly et al., 2019, Journal of the American College of Nutrition · DOIBehind this recipe
Why pair peanut butter with rice cakes?
Rice cakes have a glycemic index of 82, which means they spike blood sugar fast. In a two-day comparison study, adding two tablespoons of peanut butter to a high-GI meal reduced the blood sugar spike by 30%. The fat and protein in peanut butter slow digestion, which blunts the glucose peak. This recipe uses 40 grams of peanut butter on rice cakes, essentially the real-world version of what the study tested. For a deeper look at what glycemic index actually means for body composition, see our GI and fat loss analysis.
Read the full evidence reviewIs 501 calories a lot for a snack?
That depends on how many calories you eat in a day. At 501 calories with 66g of carbs and 20g of fat, this is closer to a small meal than a light snack if you are eating around 1,800 calories a day. For someone eating 2,500 or more, it fits comfortably as a mid-afternoon bridge. The 9g of fiber (apple plus raisins), plus the fat from the peanut butter, help keep you fuller than a 500-calorie snack made of carbs alone would.
Does it matter which peanut butter I use?
The study used standard peanut butter at 32 grams (two tablespoons). The glycemic effect comes from the fat and protein content, not the brand. Natural peanut butter without added sugar keeps the overall sugar content lower, but any peanut butter with a similar fat and protein profile (around 16g fat and 7g protein per two tablespoons) should work the same way.
