Dorm Sweet Dorm: No-Egg Mug Desserts for Busy Students
By Natasha LeNeave
Calling all college students with a sweet tooth and a microwave! Do you crave desserts but lack a full kitchen? Well worry no further! Here are three delicious desserts that you can whip up right in the comfort of your own dorm room: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mug Cake, Fudgy Mug Brownie, and Vanilla Mug Cake. Check the “Notes and Tips” sections to see how you can alter these recipes to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. Let’s dive into these microwave-friendly sweet treats!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Mug Cake — Recipe by BakeItWithLove
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Cool Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 4 minutes
Calories: 679 calories
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons butter (melted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate morsels, mini chips are best)
Instructions
- Whisk together your dry ingredients (¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 pinch salt) either directly in your mug or in a small bowl.
- Stir in the liquid ingredients (3 tablespoon milk, 3 tablespoon melted butter, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract), mix until smooth, then fold in the 2 tablespoon chocolate chips. Transfer the batter into a mug if needed.
- Microwave on high for 1–2 minutes. Continue heating in 30 second increments if needed until the cake is puffy, set, and springs back to the touch.
- Allow your cooked microwave mug cake to sit in the microwave for 1 minute before serving.
- Top with any additives that you would like!
Notes and Tips
- This recipe is for a single-mug cake, but you can easily double it. If you’re making more than one, microwave them individually so they cook evenly!
- Testing for Doneness: Ensure your mug cake is fully cooked by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with batter, continue microwaving in short increments, checking after each until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Be sure not to overmix the batter because that can make your cake tough. You want to mix it just until all the flour is incorporated.
- Be sure to check between every interval when you are microwaving. The cake is ready when the top is shiny and slightly sticky to the touch. (This is also where you can use the toothpick trick).
- Your mug cake should give slightly when you touch it with your finger, almost bouncy. If it has no give, it is overcooked.
- To make a vegan mug cake, substitute your favorite vegan butter with the salted butter and the milk for nut or oat milk. To make it gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 flour that includes xanthan gum for texture (*Substitutions may cause slight differences in flavor and/or texture in the mug cakes.)
Fudgy Mug Brownie — Recipe by Kirbiecraving
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 ½ tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp oil (canola, vegetable or olive oil)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- In an 8 oz microwave-safe mug, add cocoa, flour and sugar. Whisk together with a mini whisk.
- Add in oil and water. Whisk briskly until batter is smooth, making sure to break up any cocoa or flour lumps.
- Add half the chocolate to the mug and briefly stir into batter. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top of the batter.
- Cook cake for about 40 seconds at full power. (I used a 1000 watt microwave. You may need to adjust time and/or power if you are using a different wattage.) Top of the brownie should no longer be wet but may still be a little moist. Allow the brownie to cool a few minutes and then eat the brownie while warm.
Notes and Tips
- This mug cake is best eaten warm a few minutes after it is cooked. The fudgy texture of the warm brownie helps hold the crumbs together. Once it cools, the brownie loses some of its fudginess and the crumbs become looser.
- Because the brownie is so rich and fudgy, the single serving size will be small– just like your typical brownie slice. This recipe will only rise about 2/3 of the way up in an 8 oz mug.
- If you plan on making more than one serving, it is better to make two individual brownies rather than a giant one.
Vanilla Mug Cake — Recipe by Tastesbetterfromscratch
Servings: 1
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minute
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 458
Ingredients
- ¼ cup +1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 3 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sprinkles
Instructions
- Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a mug and stir together.
- Stir in milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth, being sure to scrape the bottom of the mug. Stir in sprinkles.
- Cook in microwave for 70–90 seconds* (until the cake is just set, but still barely shiny on top). Allow to rest in the microwave for 1 minute before consuming.
Notes and Tips
- Enjoy it plain or add some mix-in’s! Additional add-in ideas: Nutella, chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut, nuts, and cinnamon.
- Because all microwaves are different, it’s difficult to give a precise cooking time. Start with 70 seconds, wait 1 minute while it cools, then look to see if it is set. Add an additional 15–25 seconds if needed. Allow it to rest in the microwave for 1 minute.
- The trick with mug cakes is to stop cooking the cake earlier than you think, because you want it to be soft on the inside, and the cake will also continue to cook as it cools.
- For dairy free mug cake, substitute almond or soy milk and use dairy-free butter or coconut oil.
Living in a dorm room isn’t always easy without the means to bake. These recipes offer simple ways to work with what you have but still satisfy those sweet tooth cravings. All you need is a microwave, a mug, and a handful of simple ingredients. Let the baking begin!
