Baked Oats Are All Over TikTok, and We Officially Have Cravings

Remember like a year ago, when everyone was doing overnight oats? Well, those oats are as over as side parts and skinny jeans. It’s all about baked oats now, and quick and easy recipes for the delicious treat are blowing up on TikTok.

We’re not sure where exactly the #BakedOats trend started. It seems to be a natural extension of the mug-cake phenomenon, which predates TikTok by at least a few years. And of course, trendy foods have been a staple of the platform since its launch. Spend a few minutes scrolling on the app, and you’re sure to encounter a fancy drink made with fancy ice, a pour-over hot cocoa ball, fluffy Dalgona coffee, or pancake cereal (it’s…exactly what it sounds like).

Viral baked-oats recipes are no different. Start with a simple base: oats, baking powder, and some kind of liquid, like oat milk. Most recipes also include vanilla extract and salt. Then it’s time to mix in the fun stuff: flavorings and toppings. From dark chocolate to bananas to protein powder—pretty much anything you’d put in a smoothie or on top of an acai bowl can go right in your mixture. Some recipes use flour for a puffy, cakelike texture; others go for more of a healthy vibe. Then you bake!

Here are some of the recipes we’re most eager to try:

Carrot Cake

Lemon Drizzle (Vegan!)

Banana Bread

Peanut Butter Cookie

Oat flower muffin with chocolate 

These recipes have been floating around the app for months—there’s even a popular one that includes pumpkin flavors “for fall.” And some have tens of thousands of likes. It’s a combination of the pandemic-induced baking craze and the #lifehack ethos of the internet. Not everyone wants, or has the time or resources, to create an elaborate meal from scratch…but a grab-and-go fast-food breakfast just doesn’t cut it anymore. Baked oats are kind of the perfect in-between: filling, nutritious, simple, but with plenty of ways to add your own creative spin.