Finally documenting my very favorite lunch for you guys: rice cake “dessert” lunch with protein powder! I get asked about this little concoction all the time on my Instagram stories [peek at them HERE!], so I thought it was time to get it on the blog for easy reference. While I do eat this rice cake deliciousness all the time, I did not come up with the initial idea; it came from one of my best buddies, Melinda @amotherinspired! She showed me how to make the protein powder “frosting” and then I’ve been playing around with the toppings ever since! This lunch tastes like dessert (win!), is low in calories but high in protein and yummy fruit (win again!), and it leaves me feeling just full enough to finish out the day. Here’s how I make it!

Ingredients:

-rice cakes (I prefer Apple Cinnamon and Chocolate from Quaker)
-protein powders (I use Orgain Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Fudge)
-PB2 (or regular peanut butter, just cut back on the milk)
-milk of choice
-chopped pecans
-mini chocolate chips
-cinnamon
-berries
-banana
-whipped topping

I make two types of rice cakes: apple cinnamon rice cake with vanilla + cinnamon “frosting” topped with berries and pecans, and then the second concoction is a chocolate rice cake with chocolate protein powder + PB2 “frosting” topped with mini chocolate chips and bananas. It’s got a peanut butter/chocolate taste, but you could always just do chocolate! Mix and match your toppings however you’d like! I’ve cooked down apple pieces in just a little cinnamon, butter and sugar to create an apple pie flavor on the apple/vanilla rice cake, and I’ve swapped out the bananas for strawberries on the chocolate rice cake for a chocolate dipped strawberry vibe. It’s fun to play!

To make the “frosting,” I use one scoop of protein powder for the vanilla (and 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder + 1/2 scoop PB2 for the chocolate version), and then I mix in about 1 T. milk to create a buttercream frosting consistency. Go easy on the milk at first – it doesn’t take much to make the mixture way too runny, and then your toppings will be sliding all over the place! See below for rice cake “dessert” lunch construction…

Easy (and mostly healthy…) rice cake “dessert” lunch with protein powder is served! You could definitely make this for an actual dessert, too. 😉Which rice cake concoction would you prefer most? What other topping combos should I try next time?! Let me know if you make this and what ya think! Come on over to Instagram [HERE] for some more easy and yummy ideas!
❤️ERIN