Oatmeal TikTok is the Best Corner of the Internet
Don’t just take it from me. Thousands of people are joining together in praise of all things oats.
“I’ve found my people,” one person commented on a TikTok by @smilingsum, in which she makes a bowl of oatmeal, topped with blueberries, green apple slices, and peanut butter.
The video is one of almost 73 million under the hashtag #oatmeal on TikTok, where oatmeal recipes, tips, and artsy compilation-style videos are posted. Over the past few months, at the same time that elite TikTok, alt TikTok, witch Tok, and other “sides” of TikTok have grown, so too has oatmeal TikTok, sometimes known as “oat Tok.”
It’s a niche community and one that’s sort of underground. But for many, once they find oatmeal TikTok, they are elated. Here are just a few comments I’ve found on oatmeal-related videos (I’m quoting directly): “FINALLY IM IN OATMEAL TIKTOK,” “OATMEAL IS MY LIFE,” and “OATS TIKTOK! IVE MADE IT!”
There’s a unique kind of joy and enthusiasm within the oatmeal community that I think is quite rare on TikTok and even on the internet as a whole. And you probably wouldn’t expect so much hype around oatmeal of all things, which is known to be just a simple, some might even say boring, food. But on oat Tok, people aren’t just making your ordinary bowl of oatmeal (although that’s always good too). No — they go all out.
People will share their favorite oatmeal toppings, such as bananas, blueberries, strawberries, chia seeds, cinnamon, peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and more. They’ll also trade recipes, which can be quite elaborate, like brownie walnut oatmeal, cinnamon roll oatmeal, chunky monkey-inspired oatmeal, banana bread oatmeal, and cookie dough oatmeal. Overnight oats, uncooked oats soaked in milk or water and left in the fridge overnight, are also a favorite.
The oatmeal community grew significantly during quarantine, in which most people were likely not going out to brunch with their friends or even going to the grocery store that often. Thus, oats emerged as a simple yet customizable breakfast (or lunch, dinner, snack, or dessert) — the perfect comfort food for staying-at-home.
Oat Tok’s rise can also be explained by the general rise in interest around oats over the past few years. Companies such as Oatly have made oat milk unbelievably popular and fun, and it seems other brands are also trying to reimagine oats in whole new ways. Oats are also more environmentally sustainable than many other food options, which is incredibly important to many right now, especially young people.
There are even what you could call oat Tok influencers now. For example, @smilingsum has nearly 40k followers on TikTok and has even started her own oat account on Instagram, called @summersoats.
Oatmeal is increasingly becoming a staple of sustainable and happy living. Believe it or not, it's starting to have a “cool” factor as well. Could oatmeal be the next avocado toast?
