Baked Oats: Is The TikTok Trend Really Healthy?

We have to admit, following food trends can be pretty fun. And luckily, platforms like TikTok and Instagram are making it incredibly easy for the masses to share their creativity in the kitchen. The newest trend to date takes a timely classic and puts a "baked spin" on it. Enter baked oats. Sure, this breakfast option has been around for awhile. But this may be the first time it's really having a moment on social media. And just like all of the other currently trending food and beverage news, we're here to investigate. Are baked oats really healthy?

Oats may have the reputation of being a bland breakfast option, but not if TikTokers have something to say about it. Baked oats, also known as oat cakes, as well as "fake cake" has taken on a new look. According to Today, popular oat cakes involve blending the oats down into a flour-like base and then mixing it with desired extras. If oats are the base, then it sounds like this breakfast treat is off to a healthy start. In fact, Healthline states that oats are one of the healthiest foods in the world. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, help lower blood sugar, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Since the main ingredient to this fake cake is healthy, the answer to the question if the baked oats shown off on TikTok are healthy would be entirely dependent on the added ingredients and what toppings are used. Let's take a look at what extras were used in one of the more popular fake cakes out there. In a recipe shown via Today, by @feelgoodfoodie Yumna Jawad, the added ingredients to the pulverized oats for her oat cake were banana, egg, maple syrup, baking powder, salt and optional cocoa powder. It sounds like a chocolate banana cake minus the pounds of butter and cane sugar. A delicious way to start the day, right? Banana, egg, and cocoa powder all sound like healthy ingredients for breakfast. The only thing to be aware of is the amount of sugar-loaded maple syrup you use.

So, are baked oats really healthy? If the oats were riding solo, absolutely! If you're looking to stay on the healthier side while also indulging in the latest and greatest breakfast "fake cake," just be aware of what you are adding when whipping it up.