The world of TikTok can be a strange place, especially for those of us who didn't grow up with app. And yet, among the questionable challenges and voiceover trends, there are occasional food hacks and TikTok recipes that manage to get our attention.
As another year comes to a close, it's time to recap the best 2022 TikTok food hacks to grace our social media feeds. From meal prep tricks to cooking shortcuts, here's what we learned this year.
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1. Make Cheez-Itz with just two ingredients.
As it turns out, homemade Cheez-Itz are hilariously easy to make. It's all thanks to this clever hack, which calls for just two ingredients: thinly sliced cheese and salt. (However, you're welcome to spice things up with your favorite seasonings and herbs.)
The best part? This two-ingredient Cheez-Itz recipe is also ideal for gluten-free diets.
2. Freeze pancake batter into ice cubes.
The year 2022 was all about ice cube trays, as proven by this brilliant pancake hack. It involves freezing pancake batter into ice cubes, which can be added directly to a hot skillet. This way, you can easily whip up a few pancakes without having to prepare a whole mixture. So smart!
3. Slice egg whites without cutting through egg yolks.
If you love deviled eggs, you'll want to bookmark this trick for future dinner parties. By only slicing the white portion of a hard-boiled egg, you'll be able to neatly separate egg whites and yolks. This deviled egg hack will also keep your knife clean while keeping the white parts intact.
4. Use heavy cream for extra fluffy cinnamon rolls.
TikTokers were all about this 2022 food hack — it was even #1 on Google's top trending TikTok recipe search list — and it's easy to see why. It involves adding heavy cream to canned cinnamon rolls, then baking them as usual. According to fans, the trick will make store-bought cinnamon rolls extra fluffy and hard to resist.
5. Pack charcuterie boards in tackle boxes.
If you've ever wished you could take a charcuterie board on the go, you'll adore the snackle box hack. The idea uses a tackle box — which normally houses hardware or jewelry supplies — to store ingredients. This way, you can transport your spread (or snacks for the kids) while keeping everything separate. Love it.
6. Use onion rings to make round eggs.
The next time you're preparing breakfast sandwiches with English muffins, rolls, or bagels, try this TikTok food hack from @kalejunkie. Add an onion ring to a warm pan, then cook your egg in the ring. This will create a perfectly round fried egg, which will fit neatly on your bread of choice.
7. Turn rice cakes into peanut butter cups.
In 2022, rice cake peanut butter cups practically broke TikTok. Simply spread peanut butter on a rice cake, then coat it with melted chocolate. Once the concoction sets, you'll have a deliciously crunchy snack that tastes just like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
What's more, you can make this treat with other nut butters (like cashew butter) and dairy-free chocolate, making it a gamechanger for various food restrictions.
8. Use spirulina to make dreamy cloud smoothies.
The year 2021 saw the rise of cloud motifs, but the trend doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. By 2022, clouds entered the food space, as proven by the pretty cloud smoothie hack. The recipe features a clear glass lined with dollops of yogurt and filled with a blue spirulina smoothie, resulting in a dreamy drink.
9. Drizzle pancake batter to make breakfast "spaghetti."
Shared by TikTok user @brianaarchuleta, this food hack lets you enjoy nothing but the crispy edges of pancakes. It involves using a squeeze bottle to drizzle pancake batter on a hot skillet, resulting in "pancake spaghetti." From there, you can serve it in a bowl and add your favorite toppings. Not to mention, we can see this being a hit with kids.