Rats are scavengers. They don’t care what they eat—if it’s edible, it’s good enough. And this is the premise for one of TikTok’s latest trends: the rat snack. We’re not talking about fancy recipe videos here. In fact, quite the opposite—these snacks are cobbled together and unconventional.
Let’s be honest, whether you’re on TikTok or not, everyone has their go-to rat snack. “If you have ever drizzled chocolate syrup on Ritz Crackers or dipped your French fries in ice cream, you’ve had a rat snack,” notes Better Homes & Gardens. “If you have ever declared to someone, ‘I swear, it’s delicious. I used to eat it all the time growing up,’ you have a rat snack.”
But if you’ve got room in your life for even more strange snacking habits, we’ve got some weird and wonderful inspiration below. You’re very welcome.
What is a rat snack?
A rat snack is the kind of food you go for when you’re hungry and can’t be bothered to make a whole meal. But we’re not just talking about simple toast and vegan butter. Rat snacks still prioritize flavor, it’s just that the ingredients are pulled together from whatever is on hand at the time.
“Now, people aren’t interested in hyper-stylized content, they want what’s genuine, they want relatability,” Abbey Sharp, RD, told Bustle. “These rat snacks are becoming more popular because people often don’t see themselves making the smoothie bowls that they see on Instagram, but they can pull together a piece of cheese and a pickle with a pinch, because they have it on hand, too, you know?”
As Sharp says, rat snacks are the height of relatability. Because who really has time to cook convoluted recipes every single day? Sure, cooking can be fun and creative, but when life gets in the way, rat snacks are our savior.
8 of the best vegan rat snacks on TikTok
For vegan inspiration on the best rat snack pairings, check out our list below.
@eatkyoot
1 Potato chips and chocolate
This is perhaps one of the easiest rat snacks because all you need is a bag of chips and your favorite vegan chocolate. As @eatkyoot demonstrates here, all you need to do is pop the chocolate on top of the chip, and voilà: you’ve got a mouthful of salty-sweet crunchy goodness.
@sarahkendray
2 Pickles, vegan tenders, and hot sauce
According to TikToker @sarahkendray, mixing pickles, vegan tenders, and a splash of hot sauce is an 11 out of 10 snack. Okay, so it might involve a little more time because you have to cook the tenders first (which is super easy, especially if you’ve got an air fryer on-hand), but the end result is weirdly satisfying.
@ecotokcollective
3 Peanut butter toast, pickles, sriracha, and soy sauce
A lot of the weird snack combinations on TikTok involve pickles. And it makes sense, they add the perfect punch of acidic flavor and crunchy texture. Here, @ecotokcollective combines them with peanut butter on toast, sriracha, and soy sauce for a weird and wonderful combination.
@drewlederman
4 Hummus and raw onions
Got hummus but no carrots, bread, or breadsticks? Don’t worry. If you’ve got a red onion on hand, you’ve still got a tasty, crunchy snack, at least that’s what @drewlederman believes.
@clairecancook
5 Nooch popcorn
Nooch popcorn involves a little more prep than your average rat snack. In fact, it actually involves turning on the stove. But don’t worry, as demonstrated by @clairecancook, it’s still quick, easy, and deliciously satisfying. Plus, it will help you top up your vitamin B12 levels, too!
@munchwithdes
6 Syrup and pineapple
Sweet syrup on top of sweet pineapple sounds like it’s going to be a sweetness overload, and honestly, for some people, it will be. But if you’ve got a big sweet tooth, this fruity, gooey combination, which @munchwithdes tries here, might just be the rat snack for you.
@worldveganguides
7 Potato chip sandwich
If in doubt, a potato chip sandwich is always a great snack idea. It’s crispy, it’s crunchy, it’s salty, and it’s satisfying. We love finding new ways to eat potato chips. Maybe line up some vegan chocolate to eat with them for dessert? Just a thought.
@holistichoodchick
8 Rice cakes, peanut butter, and bacon bits
On their own, rice cakes are a pretty bland snack choice. But if you add some peanut butter, they become instantly more appealing. On top of that, you can add bananas, strawberries, hemp seeds, or even vegan bacon bits (and more potato chips, maybe?), just like @holistichoodchick does here.
For more on vegan snacks, read:
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Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
