Rice Cake Snacks

These little snacks are dead simple and ready in 10 minutes flat. Mini rice cakes get a smear of herbed cream cheese blended with sour cream, then a quick trip to the oven to warm everything through.

The herb blend does the heavy lifting. Tarragon, rosemary, oregano, and dill combine with garlic salt and dried onion to give the cream cheese topping a flavor that’s way more interesting than it has any right to be. Five herbs in one spread sounds fussy, but they balance each other out.

Use softened cream cheese or the blend won’t spread smoothly on the rice cakes. Cold cream cheese tears the surface and leaves bald spots. Room temperature for 30 minutes does the trick.

The bake time is just 3 to 5 minutes. You’re warming the topping and slightly softening the rice cakes, not trying to brown anything. Pull them when the spread looks glossy and slightly puffed.

Chef Tips

• Mix the spread ahead of time and refrigerate. The flavors meld and intensify after a few hours. Just bring back to room temperature before spreading.
• Unsalted rice cakes are a must here. Salted ones plus garlic salt equals too much sodium.
• These work great as party appetizers. Assemble on the baking sheet and pop in the oven right before guests arrive.

Variations

• Everything bagel style: Sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on top of the cream cheese before baking.
• Spicy kick: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce to the cream cheese blend.
• Mediterranean: Swap the herb blend for sun-dried tomato pesto mixed into the cream cheese.