Pepper Hummus Rice Cakes

Rainbow Lunchboxes

Suggested ages 9–12 Independent prep — adult nearby; no heat

4 topped rice cakes, 2 snack portions · Active 9 min · Total 9 min

Rice cakes make a light, crisp base for creamy hummus and sweet pepper strips. There is no cutting when the peppers are sold ready to eat in strips. Build these just before lunch rather than letting the rice cakes soften overnight.

Start with the grown-up check

AI-generated gouache-style food illustration. Follow the written ingredients and method.

Before you begin · grown-up check

An adult checks the setup, ingredient labels and task suitability, then stays nearby while the young cook prepares the recipe without heat.

• Together wash hands with soap and water and clean the work surface.
• Adult checks ingredient labels, equipment and task suitability; ages are starting guides, not a guarantee of readiness.
• An adult stays nearby throughout.

Ages are a starting guide. A grown-up checks your readiness and stays nearby. Follow the actor label on every step.

Ingredients

• 4 plain rice cakes
• 1/3 cup prepared hummus containing tahini
• 1 tsp bottled lemon juice
• 1/2 cup washed ready-to-eat red bell pepper strips
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika

Equipment

• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• small bowl
• spoon
• blunt spreading knife
• plate

Allergen check

Sesame

A grown-up checks labels and substitutions before starting.

Let’s make it

1. Young cookStir the hummus and lemon juice together in the small bowl.
2. Young cookLay the rice cakes on the plate. Spread one-quarter of the hummus over each with the blunt spreading knife.
3. Young cookDivide the ready-cut pepper strips over the hummus, pressing them lightly into the surface.
4. Young cookSprinkle the paprika across the four rice cakes. Serve promptly for the best crunch.

The skill you’re learning

A fragile base needs a gentle touch. Spread hummus outward from the center in short strokes while the rice cake rests flat on a plate.

Try one change

Replace the red pepper strips with 1/2 cup ready-to-eat shredded carrot.

Serving & storing

Refrigerate covered at 40°F or below within 2 hours of preparation (1 hour above 90°F); use within 1 day. For a packed lunch, use an insulated lunch bag with two cold sources and keep chilled until eating; discard uneaten packed portions after lunch. For a lunchbox, chill hummus and peppers separately and carry rice cakes dry; assemble at eating time.

Cook with a grown-up

Read the young-cook and grown-up guide for help labels, clean preparation and ingredient checks.

Keep your recipe card

Save the printable recipe card · Open the full recipe on Incoprea

This recipe is part of The Happy Spoon Kitchen: 100 Recipes for Young Cooks.

Explore our cooking collections · Companion book & release status

The companion book is in preparation. The linked book section will carry its release status.