Nutty Reindeer Rice Cakes
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Quick festive treat with white chocolate swapped for almond bark, hazelnut spread combined for easy microwave melting. Rice cakes topped with pretzels for ears, candy eyes, and dried cranberry nose for a twist. Simple festive snack ready in under 10 minutes. Melt until glossy with gentle stirs at short intervals, avoiding scorching. Decorate while coating is soft but not runny. Crunch from pretzels, sweet creaminess with slight textural contrast from the dried fruit. Makes two fun snack-size reindeer faces.
Prep:
5 min
Cook:
5 min
Total:
10 min
Servings:
2 servings
#festive snacks
#quick desserts
#microwave recipes
#holiday treats
#easy no-bake
White chocolate and hazelnut spread melting together, smells rich and nutty. Cracking pretzels for ears, sweet eyes ready to pop on. Rice cakes for that airy crunch, but watch the sog factor. Years ago tried regular white chocolate — too runny, too fast to harden. Switched to almond bark here; it sets quicker without graininess. Hazelnut spread gives that silky smooth melt with bold nuttiness. Microwave blasts short bursts, stirring, catching glossy shine and gentle bubbling tells you when to stop. Timing by feel, aroma, textures beats any clock. Add crunchy ears with mini pretzels or swap for crispy cereal sticks if you need. Nose — dried cranberry for tart pop; candies or chocolate chips do well too. Chill a moment or room temp for eating. Hands get gooey — but all part of the fun. These are quick childhood vibes wrapped in 5-10 mins.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp almond bark
- 2 Tbsp hazelnut spread
- 2 plain rice cakes
- 4 mini pretzels
- 2 candy eyes
- 2 dried cranberries
About the ingredients
Almond bark replaces white chocolate for more reliable melting and setting. It melts clean without separating fats or burning quickly. Hazelnut spread lends more nuttiness and creaminess; regular Nutella or chocolate-hazelnut spread are acceptable substitutes, but fresh out of fridge can be stiff — warm it up to room temp for easier mixing. Rice cakes must be dry and ideally plain for balance; flavored might clash or get soggy fast. Pretzels add crunch and shape, but cereal sticks or broken breadsticks can play nicely if pretzels break. Candy eyes are just for show; tiny dots of melted chocolate or icing work if unavailable. Dried cranberries provide a chew and burst of tart; fresh cranberries, raisins, or small berries can replace. Be ready to adapt depending on pantry. Watch out for overheating mixture — it can get grainy or oily quickly and ruin spreadability.
Method
Melt Mix
- In a microwavable container, combine almond bark and hazelnut spread. Heat for 50 seconds, checking every 20 seconds to stir and break lumps. Stop heating when mixture is smooth, shiny, and just fluid enough to spread — no graininess or too hot spots. You want melting sounds and soft bubbling but no scorching or separation. Use gentle stirs to keep heat distributed evenly.
Assemble Faces
- Spread about a tablespoon of the melted mixture on each rice cake, thick enough to hold decorations but not dripping off edges. Work swift; when coating gets tacky, it won’t hold things well.
- Place two mini pretzels near the top of each cake for ears. Press lightly but don’t puncture the rice cake surface.
- Position candy eyes below pretzels, spacing wide for expression.
- Add one dried cranberry at lower center for a bright red nose. Alternate: use a small berry or even candy-coated chocolate for different punch.
- Let sit at room temperature to firm up. If impatient, pop in fridge for 3-5 minutes; check often to avoid cold sweat forming. Avoid acid-based nitpicking on rice cakes which may get soggy if left too long.
- Snick crunch meets creamy hazelnut, sweet almond bark in every bite. Watch out for melty hands if too warm.
- Imperfect shapes add charm. Pretzels crack or break? Use small breadsticks or cereal sticks easily swapped. No candy eyes? Use small dots of darker chocolate or tiny icing dots piped.
- Coating can be thickened by chilling for a minute before spreading to avoid sliding or falling apart. Keep an eye on mixing temperature to avoid butterfat separation in hazelnut spread.
Cooking tips
Microwaving in short 20-second bursts with stirring keeps control over melt temperature, avoiding graininess or burning — important with almond bark and nut spreads. Look for glossy sheen and gentle bubbling sounds before stopping. Too hot, and the fats separate; too cool, mixture won’t spread smoothly. Spreading immediately after melting is crucial; once mixture cools down and stiffens, it becomes clumpy and hard to spread. Position decorations while spread is tacky, not runny or stiff, so pretzels and eyes stick firmly without sinking or sliding off. Let setting happen at room temp to avoid condensation that sogs rice cakes; fridge cooling is optional but brief. Detach stuck pretzels gently to avoid rice cake breakup. Fast hands make snappy results — but sloppy charm is fine too. Play with ingredient swaps if needed but stick to timing and textural clues more than clocks; every microwave and ingredient batch varies.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Microwave in short bursts; 20 seconds at most. Watch shine, gentle bubbling tells when to stop stirring. If overheated, mixture turns grainy or oily. Stir well between bursts. Keep at spreading temperature; not too hot, not stiff. Avoid rushing, texture changes fast.
- 💡 Spread coating thick enough to hold decorations; too thin and pretzels slide off. Work fast but steady. Once tacky finish, stick ears and eyes right away or they won't hold. If coating tips into runny or stiff, chill briefly then retry spreading with care.
- 💡 If pretzels break, swap cereal sticks or thin breadsticks. Candy eyes missing? Use tiny dots of melted chocolate or piped icing. Cranberries replace with raisins or fresh berries but moisture levels vary; dry fruit preferred to avoid soggy rice cakes.
- 💡 Let rice cakes dry out before decorating; moisture ruins crunch fast. Setting happens at room temp best; fridge cools faster but risks condensation. Check often while chilling. Gentle pressure placing decorations prevents punctures in fragile rice cakes.
- 💡 Warm hazelnut spread slightly if it feels stiff from fridge storage; cold harder to combine, causes lumps. Almond bark melts clean but uneven heat causes fat separation. Adjust melting speed if mixture looks oily or grainy, remix and microwave briefly again.
Common questions
How to prevent grainy melting?
Short bursts microwave. Stir between every 20 secs. Watch shimmer and soft bubbling, stop then. Too hot = grainy, oily mess. Cool down a bit if needed before spreading.
Substitute for almond bark?
White chocolate can work but runs fast, sets slow. Chocolate-hazelnut spreads often stiff - warm to room temp before use. Other melting wafers maybe OK but test first. Consistency key for coating.
Decorations slipping off?
Coating too thin or runny. Spread thicker layer; wait for tackiness before adding. If too runny, chill few mins. If too stiff, warm gently. Pretzel or candy placement quick, steady. Punctures weaken rice cakes, press lightly.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap in plastic to keep moisture off. Room temp good short term; fridge slows setting but may cause condensation and sogginess. Freeze not ideal; texture changes. Eat within a day or two for best texture.
