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Grains · Snacks

Rice Cakes: Are They Healthy? Nutrition, Blood Sugar & Toppings

What rice cakes are made of, what one gives you, how they affect your blood sugar, what's known about arsenic, and the toppings and whole-food snacks that make a better choice.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS·18-min read
Meet the Medical Advisory Board
Evidence-based32 sources citedUpdated October 16, 2026
Published Oct 16, 2026Last updated Oct 16, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy
A stack of six plain puffed rice cakes on a light wooden table
A plain rice cake is puffed rice and little else, which makes it a light base for better food.
The Dr. Axe Score™
4.1/10
Overall Dr. Axe Score · Rice Cakes

Rice cakes score 4.1: a plain brown rice cake keeps the whole grain, and puffing makes it quick to digest, so it needs protein or fat beside it to make a good snack.

Scientific Evidence
6.0/10
Glycemic tests of rice cakes in small groups of healthy adults, national arsenic testing, and large studies of whole grains as a class. This factor rates how much research exists, not which way it points.
Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory
2.4/10
A brown rice cake keeps the bran's vitamin E in small amounts, with no human inflammation data on rice cakes.
Clinical Effectiveness
3.2/10
Our judgment: a light, gluten-free base for protein and fat, but on its own a fast-digesting starch with little protein or fiber.
Nutrient Density
4.4/10
Calorie for calorie, close to the brown rice it's made from, with manganese the standout; a single cake carries little.
Why this score?
Why Rice Cakes scores 4.1 / 10

    Weighting: Evidence 30% · Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory 25% · Clinical Effectiveness 25% · Nutrient Density 20% (6.0×0.30 + 2.4×0.25 + 3.2×0.25 + 4.4×0.20 = 4.08, shown as 4.1).

    A transparent, weighted index built for foods. See how it’s calculated →
    Rice cakes at a glance

    Rice cakes are rice puffed with heat into light, crisp rounds, and a plain brown rice cake has about 35 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrate and less than a gram of protein, with manganese its main nutrient.1

    • Dr. Axe's view: rice is on the eat side of The Biblio Diet, but a rice cake is a packaged form of it, so keep rice cakes occasional, choose plain organic brown rice ones and never eat them bare23
    • Blood sugar: white puffed rice cakes scored 82 on the glycemic index, a high score, and eating protein and vegetables first lowered the rise in two trials in which each person tried every order456
    • Better snacks: a raw apple with raw cheese, raw almonds with dates, or plain A2 or goat milk yogurt with fruit and a little raw honey2
    • Arsenic: rice cakes carry some, as rice foods do, so vary your grains78

    Rice cakes are grains of rice puffed with heat into light, crisp rounds, and a plain brown rice cake weighs just 9 grams.1 Spread with almond butter, or topped with avocado and an egg, one makes a quick, crunchy base for a snack. Eaten bare, it's mostly fast-digesting starch, so what you put on it matters.

    The grain itself is a good one. Brown rice and rice both sit on the eat side of my grains list, where organic or sprouted grains are best.2 A rice cake is a packaged, processed form of that grain, though. When a listener on a gluten-free diet asked me about packaged foods, I said a lot of gluten-free packaged foods aren't healthy. My advice is to eat real, unprocessed food, and if you feel you have to have one of the rice-based breads or products sold at health food stores, buy it gluten-free.3

    So keep rice cakes an occasional snack. Choose plain, organic brown rice cakes, never eat them bare, and reach first for the whole-food snacks in the swaps section below.

    Just stay away from the packaged foods. If you just eat real food... you're going to be golden.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom Heavy Metals, Sugar Cravings, & Natural Flavors | Q&A, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2024), at 22:44
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    What are rice cakes?

    Quick answer

    Rice cakes are grains of rice puffed with heat into crisp, airy rounds, and a plain one is made from rice and sometimes salt. They come salt-free or lightly salted, from brown, white or wild rice, and in flavors such as caramel corn, apple cinnamon and white cheddar.7

    Puffing is what gives a rice cake its texture. Heat gelatinizes the rice starch and leaves the grain light and porous, and puffing makes the starch quicker to digest; researchers think that open structure is why, as the blood-sugar section below explains.9 USDA keeps nutrient records for plain brown rice cakes and multigrain brown rice cakes, and FDA's 2013 testing covered salt-free brown rice cakes through flavored ones.1107

    Korean tteok and Japanese mochi go by the same name in English. They're dense, chewy cakes made from rice dough, and this page covers the light, puffed kind.

    Get the free Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset protocol

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    • Why constant snacking keeps insulin from ever falling, and why protein first at meals means a slower rise
    • 30 grams of protein within an hour of waking, and a 10-minute walk after your two biggest meals
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    Are rice cakes healthy?

    Quick answer

    Plain brown rice cakes are a whole-grain food with almost nothing added, but on their own they're a fast-digesting starch with little protein or fiber, so keep them an occasional snack and always top them with protein or fat.14 Whole-food snacks are the better everyday choice.2

    A plain rice cake passes the label test easily. My guideline is to buy food with at most five ingredients, and a plain cake has one or two.2 Flavored cakes add more, so check sweet flavors such as caramel for added sugar, one of my Sinister Six, the foods I ask you to cut first.2

    How you eat them is the bigger question. In my Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset protocol, constant snacking is one of the places insulin spikes hide, because when you snack all day, insulin never falls. The protocol's first 30 days drop snacking between meals altogether.11 A rice cake every few hours fits that pattern, so when you do have one, make it part of a meal or a real snack with protein or fat.

    Where the research stands

    Puffed rice cakes themselves have been tested in short blood-sugar studies of small groups of healthy adults, 6 to 10 people per test, and in national arsenic testing of 59 samples. The rest of the research on this page comes from whole grains as a class, in studies that followed people for years, and from food-order, food-pairing and walking studies of rice and bread meals in 10 to 58 people.

    What can you eat instead of rice cakes?

    Quick answer

    Dr. Axe's better snacks are whole foods from his 7-day meal plan: a raw apple with raw cheese, raw almonds and dates with raw cheese, or plain organic whole-milk A2 or goat milk yogurt with fruit and raw honey.2 When you want a grain, choose cooked rice, oats or brown-rice congee, or a slice of sourdough or sprouted-grain bread.122

    Each of those snacks pairs a carbohydrate with protein or fat, and the portions are modest, such as 4 to 6 ounces of yogurt, ideally made from goat or sheep milk or labeled A2.2 See healthy snacks, high-protein snacks and blood-sugar-friendly snacks for more ideas.

    For the grain itself, cooked rice is the traditional form. In Ancient Remedies, I recommend rice, congee, oats and other gluten-free grains over most breads and grain products, and I prefer congee made from brown rice.12 Congee is rice boiled in water for 12 to 24 hours until it breaks down into a kind of porridge, and the Chinese have used it as a medicinal food since 206 BC.12 In the same Q&A where I answered the gluten-free listener, the carbohydrates I recommended were fruit, sweet potatoes, rice and oatmeal.3

    If you'd like bread, I rank whole-grain sourdough made from an ancient grain such as einkorn, spelt, khorasan wheat, rye or barley as the best bread, with sprouted whole-grain bread second, and I list wheat, rye and barley on the eat side only when they're sprouted.2 See Ezekiel bread for one sprouted loaf. These breads contain gluten; if you have celiac disease, see the safety section below.

    Rice cakes and the snacks to reach for first
    SnackWhat it bringsDr. Axe's guidance

    Plain brown rice cake

    Whole-grain rice; about 35 calories and 0.7 g protein per cake1

    Rice is on the eat side; the cake is a packaged form of it2

    Flavored rice cakes

    Rice plus flavorings, such as caramel corn or white cheddar7

    Check the label against the five-ingredient guideline2

    Raw apple with raw cheese

    Fruit with the protein and fat of cheese

    A snack in the 7-day plan2

    Raw almonds, dates and raw cheese

    Protein, fat and fiber

    A snack in the 7-day plan2

    Plain A2 or goat milk yogurt with fruit and raw honey

    Protein and fat with fruit

    A snack in the 7-day plan, 4 to 6 ounces of yogurt2

    Cooked brown rice or brown-rice congee

    The whole grain, cooked soft

    Eat side; brown-rice congee is Dr. Axe's pick12

    Sourdough or sprouted-grain bread

    Fermented or sprouted grain

    Sourdough is best for breads2

    Rice cakes nutrition facts

    Quick answer

    One plain brown rice cake (9 grams) has about 35 calories, 7.3 grams of carbohydrate, 0.7 grams of protein and 0.4 grams of fiber, and three cakes give you 44% of the Daily Value for manganese.113

    Calculated from USDA FoodData Central FDC ID 170250 (rice cakes, brown rice, plain, unsalted) at the record's own 9-gram cake weight; Daily Values are FDA's.113

    Nutrient1 cake (9 g)3 cakes (27 g)Per 100 g
    Calories35104387
    Carbohydrate7.3 g22.0 g81.5 g
    Protein0.7 g2.2 g8.2 g
    Fat0.3 g0.8 g2.8 g
    Fiber0.4 g1.1 g4.2 g
    Sugars0.1 g0.2 g0.88 g
    Sodium2.3 mg7.0 mg26 mg
    Manganese0.34 mg (15% DV)1.0 mg (44% DV)3.73 mg
    Magnesium11.8 mg35.4 mg131 mg
    Phosphorus32.4 mg97.2 mg360 mg
    Selenium2.2 mcg6.6 mcg24.6 mcg
    Niacin0.7 mg2.1 mg7.81 mg
    Zinc0.27 mg0.81 mg3.0 mg

    Calorie for calorie, a plain brown rice cake carries about what the brown rice it's made from does. Per 100 calories, the cake has 2.1 grams of protein, 1.1 grams of fiber and 34 milligrams of magnesium, and cooked long-grain brown rice has 2.2 grams, 1.3 grams and 32 milligrams.114 A cake is small, though, so even three give you only about 2 grams of protein and a gram of fiber, and the record lists no vitamin A, C, D or B12.1 Manganese is the standout, along with some magnesium, selenium and niacin.1

    Salt and added grains change the numbers a little. USDA's multigrain brown rice cake carries 252 milligrams of sodium per 100 grams, about 23 milligrams a cake, against 2.3 milligrams in the unsalted kind.101

    Do rice cakes spike your blood sugar?

    Quick answer

    Eaten on their own, most do: white puffed rice cakes scored 82 on the glycemic index, where glucose is 100 and 70 or more counts as high.4 Eating protein and vegetables before the starch, or dairy, vinegar or bean foods with it, lowered the rise in studies of rice and bread meals.5615

    1Heat puffs the grain open.

    Puffing gelatinizes rice starch and leaves the grain weakened and porous, which researchers propose is why it raises rice's digestibility and its glycemic index.9

    2Starch turns into glucose.

    Digestion breaks the starch down to glucose, which enters your blood. In a puffed cake that happens fast enough to put white rice cakes in the high range of the glycemic index.4

    3The rice sets the pace.

    Cakes puffed from rice high in amylose, a starch that digests more slowly, scored lower than cakes made from low-amylose rice, as the chart below shows.416

    4What you eat with it changes the curve.

    Protein and vegetables eaten before a starch, and dairy, vinegar or bean foods eaten with it, lowered the rise in studies of rice and bread meals, covered in the rest of this section.5615

    The rice inside the cake changes the score. In the international glycemic index tables, cakes puffed from high-amylose rice scored 61 and cakes from low-amylose rice scored 91, in 9 healthy adults each, while white puffed rice cakes scored 82 in a 1992 Australian test of 6 people and caramel-flavored cakes scored 82 in a U.S. test of 10.41716 None of the four tests used brown rice cakes. On that scale a score of 55 or less counts as low. Glycemic load also counts how much carbohydrate a serving holds, and a 25-gram serving, just under three cakes, comes to 13 to 19, depending on the cake.4

    Puffed rice cakes: glycemic index 61 to 91, depending on the rice

    Puffed rice cakes: glycemic index 61 to 91, depending on the riceHealthy adults, 6 to 10 per test · glucose = 100. Low-amylose rice cakes: 91 GI (glucose = 100); White puffed rice cakes: 82 GI (glucose = 100); Caramel-flavored puffed rice cakes: 82 GI (glucose = 100); High-amylose rice cakes: 61 GI (glucose = 100)Healthy adults, 6 to 10 per test · glucose = 100Low-amylose ricecakes91 GI (glucose = 100)White puffedrice cakes82 GI (glucose = 100)Caramel-flavoredpuffed ricecakes82 GI (glucose = 100)High-amyloserice cakes61 GI (glucose = 100)
    Source: Atkinson et al. · Diabetes Care, 2008 [4]Glycemic index on the glucose scale, from the international tables; 70 or more counts as high.

    My PCOS protocol puts the rule simply: "Never eat carbs 'naked.' Always pair with protein or fat."18 A rice cake eaten plain is exactly that kind of carb.

    I learned this one myself. After I stopped doing triathlons, I kept eating quite a few carbs for energy, and I started getting a little tired in the afternoon. Once I moved to more moderate carbs with more protein and more fiber, my energy held steady through the day, and 2 or 3 in the afternoon felt no different from 10 in the morning.19

    Order matters, too. The Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes protocol calls meal order one of its simplest tools: vegetables and protein first and carbohydrates last.20 In a small trial at Weill Cornell, 11 adults with type 2 diabetes ate an identical 628-calorie meal on two days a week apart, each person trying both orders. With bread and orange juice first and the chicken, salad and broccoli 15 minutes later, blood sugar reached 199.4 mg/dL at one hour; with the chicken and vegetables first, it reached 125.6 mg/dL, about 37% lower.5

    Rice follows the same pattern. In a 2025 study of healthy Japanese adults, 26 of the 29 who enrolled finished. Each ate calorie-matched set lunches of steamed rice, a main dish, a side dish, soup and dessert in five different orders while wearing continuous glucose monitors, and people knew which order they were eating. Their blood sugar peaked at 169.0 mg/dL when they ate the rice first, with the other dishes 15 minutes later, and at 143.3 mg/dL when they ate everything else 15 minutes before the rice.6

    Everything else first: peak blood sugar 143.3 vs. 169.0 mg/dL

    Everything else first: peak blood sugar 143.3 vs. 169.0 mg/dL26 healthy Japanese adults · calorie-matched set lunches, other dishes 15 minutes before the rice vs. rice first. Main dish, side dish, soup and dessert 15 minutes before the rice: 143.3 mg/dL; Rice first: 169 mg/dL26 healthy Japanese adults · calorie-matched set lunches,other dishes 15 minutes before the rice vs. rice first
    143.3 mg/dL
    MAIN DISH, SIDE DISH, SOUP AND DESSERT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE RICE
    169 mg/dL
    RICE FIRST
    Source: Kurotobi et al. · Nutrients, 2025 [6]Peak blood sugar on a continuous glucose monitor, by eating order.

    With a rice cake, that means putting the protein and fat on top, and when a cake comes with a meal, eating it after the protein and vegetables.

    Three blood tests for how you handle carbohydrates

    These three markers show how your body is handling blood sugar over time.

    • HbA1c: A picture of your blood sugar across roughly the past three months.
    • Fasting insulin: How hard your body is working to keep blood sugar steady.
    • Fasting glucose: Your blood sugar after an overnight fast. See normal blood sugar levels.

    See the cellular bloodwork panel

    Have results? Analyze them free →

    What a better rice-cake habit does for you, ranked by evidence

    Each piece of a better rice-cake habit has its own research behind it: whole grains are linked to a healthier heart and a longer life, eating the starch last gave smaller blood-sugar spikes, adding dairy, vinegar or bean foods lowered the rise from white rice, walks after meals steadied blood sugar through the day, and cakes made from slower-digesting rice kept people fuller for longer.

    1

    A whole grain, when it's brown rice

    Strong evidenceHuman studyDose-response meta-analysis · 45 prospective studies of whole grains

    A plain brown rice cake keeps the whole grain, bran and germ included. In a 2016 analysis of 45 studies that followed people over time, each additional 90 grams of whole grains a day, about three servings, was linked to 19% lower risk of coronary heart disease and 17% lower risk of dying from any cause.21 Those results are for whole grains as a class, and three brown rice cakes add about 27 grams toward that 90. Cooked brown rice, oats and the other whole grains on the eat side of Dr. Axe's grains list count too.2

    Study takeaway: each extra 90 grams of whole grains a day was linked to 17% lower risk of dying from any cause.

    2

    Smaller blood-sugar spikes

    Moderate evidenceHuman studyTrials in which each person tried every order · 11 and 26 people

    Eating protein and vegetables before the starch gave a smaller rise in blood sugar, in 11 adults with type 2 diabetes and in 26 healthy adults, each of whom tried every order.56 The numbers, and how to use them with a rice cake, are in the blood-sugar section above.

    Study takeaway: eating the starch last gave a smaller rise in blood sugar.

    3

    A lower rise from the same starch

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyGlycemic index study · 32 foods and meals in 58 healthy adults

    In a Japanese study that tested 32 foods and meals in 58 healthy adults, adding vinegar, dairy or bean foods to white rice significantly lowered its glycemic index, whether those foods were eaten before, with or after the rice.15 On a rice cake, the same kinds of food are plain A2 or goat milk yogurt or kefir, or a bean spread such as hummus.

    Study takeaway: vinegar, dairy or bean foods lowered white rice's glycemic index, whether eaten before, with or after the rice.

    4

    Steadier blood sugar through the day

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyStudy in which each person tried all three schedules · 10 adults

    In a study of 10 inactive adults age 60 and older whose fasting blood sugar ran between 105 and 125 mg/dL, each of whom tried three walking schedules, three 15-minute walks after meals lowered average 24-hour blood sugar from 129 to 116 mg/dL compared with a day without walking, and the after-meal walks brought down blood sugar after dinner more than a single 45-minute walk did.22 My own advice is simple: take a 10-minute walk after meals.19

    Study takeaway: three 15-minute walks after meals lowered 24-hour blood sugar from 129 to 116 mg/dL.

    5

    Feeling fuller with slower-digesting rice

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyFeeding study · 9 healthy adults

    In a 1995 study of rice cakes made from two kinds of rice, 9 healthy adults, 4 men and 5 women, each ate cakes puffed from high-amylose and from low-amylose rice. The high-amylose cakes raised blood sugar and insulin less and kept people fuller over the next 2 hours, and how full people felt matched how much they ate right afterward.16 With any rice cake, the topping is how you slow things down: the Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes protocol counts avocado and olive oil among the healthy fats that slow digestion.20

    Study takeaway: the rice cakes that raised blood sugar less kept people fuller over 2 hours.

    How do you make a rice cake a healthier snack?

    Build the snack on top of the cake. Protein, healthy fat or a cultured food gives a bare starch the partner it needs, and these toppings fit my food lists.2

    Add protein. A sliced hard-boiled pasture-raised egg, wild-caught salmon or sardines, or full-fat A2 cottage cheese.2
    Spread a nut or seed butter thinly. Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter or tahini. Keep nuts to about a handful a day, so a thin layer is plenty.2
    Add healthy fat and vegetables. Smashed avocado with sliced cucumber, tomato or sprouts.
    Use a bean spread. Hummus with cucumber and a sprinkle of walnuts.
    Try cultured dairy. Plain A2 or goat milk yogurt or kefir, soft goat cheese, or feta made from sheep or goat milk.2
    Keep sweet toppings small. Almond butter with sliced banana or berries, a pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of raw honey, in place of a caramel- or chocolate-coated cake.

    For crunch, add walnuts or ground flaxseed. On my show, I've said that if you're choosing between nuts and seeds, walnuts are probably the single best you can do, along with ground flaxseeds.23 Leave ham, bacon and shrimp off the cake: choose fish with both fins and scales, such as salmon or sardines, the standard I follow.2

    When you buy rice cakes, check these:

    • Plain and organic. Choose cakes made from organic brown rice, with rice, and salt if any, as the only ingredients.2

    • No sweet coatings. Caramel, chocolate and yogurt-coated cakes can put added sugar on a fast starch, so read the ingredient list.

    • A gluten-free label if you need one. Multigrain and flavored cakes can add other grains; the safety section below covers celiac disease.

    Questions about rice cakes and blood sugar?

    Ask Dr. Axe AI. Answers are grounded in this library, with sources shown.

    Are rice cakes safe to eat?

    Quick answer

    Plain rice cakes are a safe snack for most people, but they carry some inorganic arsenic, as rice foods do: 59 samples tested by the FDA averaged 4.3 micrograms per serving.7 Vary your grains, and keep children to about one serving a week, as Consumer Reports advises.8

    As Heal Your Cells, the book I wrote with Dr. Will Cole, notes, arsenic is found in contaminated groundwater, rice and rice-based products, and fruit juices and wine.24 In FDA's 2013 testing, the rice-cake samples ranged from 0.7 to 8.2 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per serving.7

    Children are the ones to watch, because the same serving gives a smaller body a bigger dose. Consumer Reports built a weekly point system from FDA's data, using the high end of each food category, with a limit of 7 points a week for children and adults. A 30-gram serving of rice cakes, a little more than three cakes, counts as 2½ points for an adult and 6¼ points for a child of about 1 to 12 years (up to about 70 pounds), so Consumer Reports advises that children not eat much more than one serving of rice cakes a week.8 For babies under 1, see metals in baby food.

    There's no U.S. arsenic limit for rice cakes; FDA's action level of 100 parts per billion covers infant rice cereal.25 The European Union set a maximum of 0.30 milligrams per kilogram for rice cakes, wafers and crackers in 2015.26

    In Consumer Reports' analysis, brown rice of a given type had more inorganic arsenic than white rice of the same type, and amaranth, millet and quinoa all had significantly less than rice.8 Variety is the answer for everyone, and FDA makes the same point: eating a range of nutrient-dense foods across and within food groups also limits your exposure to a contaminant from any one food.27 Rotate quinoa, millet, amaranth and buckwheat in with your rice. See arsenic in rice for more.

    If you eat gluten-free, rice products can add up. In a study that followed 35 children with newly diagnosed celiac disease through their first 6 months on a gluten-free diet, with no comparison group, median urinary arsenic rose from 3.3 to 13.6 micrograms per liter, levels the researchers described as well below acutely toxic ones.28 Consumer Reports suggests that people on gluten-free diets who eat a lot of rice products limit them and add grains that are neither rice nor gluten grains.8

    Plain rice cakes are made without gluten grains. If you have celiac disease, buy cakes labeled gluten-free, which under FDA rules means less than 20 parts per million of gluten, since multigrain and flavored cakes can add other grains.29 The sourdough and sprouted-grain breads in the swaps section contain gluten, so skip them with celiac disease.

    One more caution:

    • On insulin or other glucose-lowering medication, watch your readings as you change how and what you eat; your doctor adjusts the dose

    The bottom line

    Are rice cakes healthy?

    A plain brown rice cake is a whole grain with almost nothing added, and calorie for calorie it carries about what brown rice does. It's still a packaged, puffed form of the grain, so keep it an occasional snack. Choose plain, organic brown rice cakes, never eat one bare, and top it with protein, healthy fat or cultured dairy. When a cake comes with a meal, eat it after the protein and vegetables, and take a short walk afterward.

    Most days, reach first for real food: an apple with raw cheese, almonds with dates, A2 or goat milk yogurt with fruit, or a warm bowl of brown rice or congee, the way traditional kitchens have cooked rice for centuries.

    As I've said on my show, don't chase fad diets; build a steady foundation of real food and good swaps.30

    Get the free Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset protocol

    The protocol's rules work at snack time too: protein first, no constant grazing, and a walk after your biggest meals. It lays out four phases over 90 days. Have recent bloodwork? Analyze it free.

    Free with your Dr. Axe account (email or Google). You'll also get the protocol's short email series and the Dr. Axe newsletter; unsubscribe anytime.

    Open the free protocol →

    Rice cakes: frequently asked questions

    Are rice cakes healthy?

    Yes, in moderation and topped: a plain brown rice cake is a whole grain with almost nothing added, and protein or fat on top turns it into a real snack.118 Most days, a raw apple with raw cheese or A2 or goat milk yogurt with fruit is the better choice.2

    What are rice cakes made of?

    Plain rice cakes are puffed rice, brown, white or wild, sometimes with salt.7 Multigrain and flavored versions add other grains or flavorings, such as caramel corn or white cheddar.107

    How many calories are in a rice cake?

    A plain brown rice cake (9 grams) has about 35 calories, and three have about 104.1 Most of those calories come from carbohydrate, 7.3 grams per cake.1

    Are rice cakes good for weight loss?

    A topped rice cake can fit a weight-loss plan: at about 35 calories a cake, it makes a light base for protein, healthy fat and vegetables.1 In a study of 9 healthy adults who each ate rice cakes made from two kinds of rice, the ones that raised blood sugar and insulin less kept people fuller.16

    Are rice cakes good for people with diabetes?

    Plain rice cakes can fit occasionally if you top them with protein or fat and eat them after protein and vegetables, an order that lowered the rise in blood sugar in a trial of 11 adults with type 2 diabetes who each tried both orders.5 Eaten bare, white puffed rice cakes are a high-glycemic food, and my Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes protocol cuts carbs eaten on their own for the first 30 days.420 If you take insulin or other glucose-lowering medication, see Are rice cakes safe to eat? before you change how you eat.

    What is the glycemic index of rice cakes?

    In small tests of 6 to 10 healthy adults, white puffed rice cakes scored 82 on the glycemic index, where glucose is 100 and 70 or more counts as high; cakes made from high-amylose rice scored 61 and cakes from low-amylose rice 91.4 Eating protein and vegetables before the starch, and adding dairy, vinegar or bean foods to rice, lowered the rise in studies of rice and bread meals.515

    Are rice cakes gluten-free?

    Plain rice cakes are made without gluten grains, but multigrain and flavored cakes can add other grains. With celiac disease, buy cakes labeled gluten-free, which under FDA rules means less than 20 parts per million of gluten.29

    Do rice cakes have arsenic?

    Yes, some, as rice foods do. Rotate in grains such as quinoa, millet and amaranth; the safety section gives FDA's and Consumer Reports' numbers.8

    Are brown rice cakes better than white rice cakes?

    Plain organic brown rice cakes are the better pick, since brown rice is the whole grain and I list it on the eat side, where organic grains are best.2 Both kinds digest fast, so top either one with protein or fat, and vary your grains, as the safety section explains.

    What's the healthiest thing to put on a rice cake?

    Protein, healthy fat or cultured dairy: an egg, wild-caught salmon or sardines, full-fat A2 cottage cheese, avocado, hummus, almond or sunflower seed butter, or plain A2 or goat milk yogurt.2 For something sweet, use sliced banana or berries with a drizzle of raw honey in place of a caramel-coated cake.

    Is a rice cake with peanut butter healthy?

    It's a better snack than a bare rice cake. In a trial of 15 women with obesity and a high risk of type 2 diabetes, each of whom tried all three breakfasts and 13 of whom had complete records for the analysis, adding 42.5 grams (1.5 ounces) of peanut butter to a high-carbohydrate breakfast lowered the rise in blood sugar after a standard lunch later in the day and left the women with less desire to eat; after breakfast itself, blood sugar was lower at 15 minutes, though the overall rise didn't differ significantly.31 Almond butter, sunflower seed butter and tahini are other good spreads.

    Are rice cakes healthier than bread?

    Compared with white bread, a plain brown rice cake is the better pick, since white flour bread sits on the avoid side of my food lists and brown rice on the eat side.2 My top breads are whole-grain sourdough made from an ancient grain such as einkorn, then sprouted whole-grain bread, and either one deserves a topping of protein or fat.2

    Can babies and toddlers eat rice cakes?

    Toddlers and older children can have them occasionally: Consumer Reports, whose point system covers children from about age 1 up to about 70 pounds, advises that children not eat much more than one serving of rice cakes a week because of the arsenic in rice.8 Its rice-cake advice doesn't cover babies under 1, so see metals in baby food, and don't give honey before 12 months, since it can cause botulism in babies.32

    Are rice cakes processed?

    Yes, they're a processed form of rice: heat puffs the grain, which makes its starch quicker to digest.9 Plain cakes still have a short label, rice and sometimes salt, while flavored cakes add more ingredients.7

    Are Korean rice cakes the same as puffed rice cakes?

    No. Korean tteok and Japanese mochi are dense, chewy cakes made from rice dough, a different food from the light, puffed rice cakes sold as a snack.

    Freshness & update log

    October 16, 2026 — Rebuilt the page ("Rice Cakes: Are They Healthy? Pros, Cons + How to Use," 2023) under Dr. Axe's byline. Added Dr. Axe's position on rice cakes (an occasional snack, plain organic brown rice and never bare), a Dr. Axe Score, USDA nutrition facts per cake, the measured glycemic index of puffed rice cakes from the international tables, the food-order, food-pairing and after-meal walking research, toppings and whole-food swaps from The Biblio Diet, and FDA, Consumer Reports and European data on arsenic, with guidance for children and gluten-free diets. Removed the description of rice cakes as a lower-carbohydrate alternative to bread (they're about 82% carbohydrate by weight) and the uncited claim that puffing depletes antioxidants, updated the manganese Daily Value to 15% per cake, replaced the cream cheese and mozzarella toppings with A2 and goat dairy, and led the nut-butter toppings with almond and seed butters. Added 32 numbered references.

    References

    1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Snacks, rice cakes, brown rice, plain, unsalted. FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 170250.
    2. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439. Food lists ("Grains and starchy carbohydrates"; "Dairy/Milk"), the 7-day meal plan's snacks, "The Sinister Six" and the five-ingredient guideline.
    3. Axe J. Heavy Metals, Sugar Cravings, & Natural Flavors | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe answering a listener on a gluten-free diet; YouTube upload "Sugar Cravings, Heavy Metals & Natural Flavors Explained | Dr. Josh Axe Q&A" at 21:00 to 23:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnYj3zCU4ek).
    4. Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281-3. doi:10.2337/dc08-1239. PMID:18835944 (supplementary Table A1, items 727 to 731)
    5. Shukla AP, Iliescu RG, Thomas CE, Aronne LJ. Food Order Has a Significant Impact on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Levels. Diabetes Care. 2015;38(7):e98-9. doi:10.2337/dc15-0429. PMID:26106234
    6. Kurotobi Y, Kuwata H, Matsushiro M, Omori Y, Imura M, Nakatani S, et al. Sequence of Eating at Japanese-Style Set Meals Improves Postprandial Glycemic Elevation in Healthy People. Nutrients. 2025;17(4):658. doi:10.3390/nu17040658. PMID:40004986
    7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Analytical Results from Inorganic Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Sampling. September 2013 (summary table, "Snacks: Rice Cakes", and the individual rice-cake results).
    8. Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center. Arsenic in rice and rice products: analysis and recommendations. Consumer Reports; November 2014 (point system for rice-containing foods; Table 11).
    9. Kaur B, Ranawana V, Henry J. The Glycemic Index of Rice and Rice Products: A Review, and Table of GI Values. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(2):215-36. doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.717976. PMID:25590950
    10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Snacks, rice cakes, brown rice, multigrain. FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 169680.
    11. Axe J. Healthy Weight & Metabolic Reset: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026. pp. 12 ("Where the insulin spikes hide") and 16 (Phase 1, "Stabilize").
    12. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark; 2021. "Protect your gut the way the ancients did" (rice, congee and gluten-free grains).
    13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
    14. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked. FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 169704.
    15. Sugiyama M, Tang AC, Wakaki Y, Koyama W. Glycemic index of single and mixed meal foods among common Japanese foods with white rice as a reference food. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003;57(6):743-52. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601606. PMID:12792658
    16. Holt SH, Miller JB. Increased insulin responses to ingested foods are associated with lessened satiety. Appetite. 1995;24(1):43-54. doi:10.1016/s0195-6663(95)80005-0. PMID:7741535
    17. Miller JB, Pang E, Bramall L. Rice: a high or low glycemic index food? Am J Clin Nutr. 1992;56(6):1034-6. doi:10.1093/ajcn/56.6.1034. PMID:1442654
    18. Axe J. The PCOS Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026. p. 10 ("What to do" panel).
    19. Axe J. The Real Reason You Wake Up Tired Every Morning. The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Ep. 377. August 3, 2026 (episode; Dr. Axe at 5:52 and 7:15, YouTube UYvHrFB_g50).
    20. Axe J. Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026. pp. 12 (meal order), 20 ("Top 10 blood sugar foods") and 22 ("Cut these").
    21. Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2016;353:i2716. doi:10.1136/bmj.i2716. PMID:27301975
    22. DiPietro L, Gribok A, Stevens MS, Hamm LF, Rumpler W. Three 15-min bouts of moderate postmeal walking significantly improves 24-h glycemic control in older people at risk for impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(10):3262-8. doi:10.2337/dc13-0084. PMID:23761134
    23. Axe J. 7 Foods That Quiet Inflammation Better Than Supplements. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. August 10, 2026 (episode; Dr. Axe at 21:13 to 21:20; YouTube upload "How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation Naturally": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFeUM50IzBI&t=1270s).
    24. Axe J, Cole W. Heal Your Cells. Avery; 2026. ISBN 9798217181353. "Chemical Chaos at the Cellular Level" (sources of arsenic).
    25. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Action Level for Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Cereals for Infants. August 2020.
    26. European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1006 of 25 June 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union. 2015;L161:14-16.
    27. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Arsenic in Food.
    28. Du N, Chang D, Boisvert J, Hron B, Rosen R, Punshon T, et al. Effect of Adopting a Gluten-Free Diet on Exposure to Arsenic and Other Heavy Metals in Children With Celiac Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2025;120(4):883-889. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000003117. PMID:39487831
    29. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Gluten-free labeling of foods. 21 CFR 101.91. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
    30. Axe J. 7 First Things I'd Do If I Had to Start My Health Journey Over. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. August 24, 2026 (episode; Dr. Axe at 16:11 to 16:19; YouTube upload: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHHIx2aUD-Q&t=971s).
    31. Reis CE, Ribeiro DN, Costa NM, Bressan J, Alfenas RC, Mattes RD. Acute and second-meal effects of peanuts on glycaemic response and appetite in obese women with high type 2 diabetes risk: a randomised cross-over clinical trial. Br J Nutr. 2013;109(11):2015-23. doi:10.1017/S0007114512004217. PMID:23122211
    32. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit. Infant and Toddler Nutrition.
    Dr. Josh Axe

    Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

    Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

    Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

    Read the full bio →

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