5 Snacks You Can Make With A Mug And A Microwave

Courtesy of my eleven-year old daughter and TikTok I have recently been introduced to the foodie fad that is mug cakes. Let me tell you it is a revelation, but more on that in a moment. Other than giving me even more reasons to eat cake, it also got me thinking about the different types of snacks you can make using a mug and a microwave. Because with two secondary school aged children, trust me when I say it is ALL about the fast snacks. And from my point of view, it is even better if they are ones they can make for themselves.

Here are our top 5 microwave mug snacks:

1. Egg Fried Rice

You’ve probably never thought to cook egg and rice together in a microwave before, especially not in a mug. However, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. Well OK, so we’re going to cheat a little, but isn’t that what microwave cooking is all about?

Crack an egg into the mug and stir with a fork until the yolk has mixed with the white. Take a pouch of microwave rice and pour it into the mug until it is half full. Mix the rice and the egg together. Use scissors to chop some spring onions into the mug, along with some chopped red pepper, a teaspoon of frozen peas, and a dash of soy sauce. Stir until combined.

Put in the microwave and cook on full power for 60 to 90 seconds, making sure to stir halfway through. Once cooked, stir again to separate the grains of rice and there you have it microwave egg fried rice!

2. Popcorn

Listen, I know you can already get those pouches of microwave popcorn, but where’s the fun in not being able to see the corn actually popping? So, we are all up for microwave mug popcorn instead.

Put some oil or butter into a mug and half fill with popcorn kernels. Put the mug in the microwave and cook on high for between 2-4 minutes, making sure to keep a very close eye on it and getting it out as soon as all the corn has popped. Don’t worry, part of the joy of making microwave popcorn is watching it pop, so you’ll love this part.

Now you could of course eat it plain just as it is, but we like to add all kinds of different flavours to ours. Here’s some inspiration for you:

  • Like it sweet? Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Shake in some cinnamon powder for a bit of added spice.
  • Prefer savoury popcorn? Shake in some salt.
  • Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder to some melted butter before cooking the popcorn, for delicious chocolate popcorn.

We’d love to hear what flavours you come up with so remember to tell us in the comments below.

3. Microwave Mug Cakes

So, this is where it all started, our obsession with microwave mug meals. Honestly, this is the easiest thing to make in the microwave, so much quicker than a normal bake in the oven cake, and the results are sensational every single time. Just like any other cake you can choose what flavour and type you want to make, but to give you an example we’re going to share a recipe for a chocolate microwave mug cake that you are absolutely going to love!

Make sure you’ve got your biggest mug for this one, because just like any other cake it will rise, and you don’t want it spilling over the top. First up, you want to mix together all of your dry ingredients, so add in 4 tablespoons of self-raising flour, 4 tablespoons of caster sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Now it’s time for the wet ingredients. Stir in 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of milk, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and a couple of drops of vanilla essence. The mixture is going to look very gloopy, that’s exactly what you want.

Put the mug in the microwave and heat on full power for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. What you’re looking for is a cake that has risen almost to the top of the mug, but is still a little bit gooey in the middle; a bit like a brownie. Remember that food is really hot when you first get it out of a microwave, especially in the very centre, so be careful before you go diving straight in with the spoon.

A few variations you can do on the chocolate microwave mug cake is adding some chocolate chips, or putting a spoonful of chocolate spread on top before you microwave it. The chocolate spread will sink a little, so that when it’s cooked it will give you a deliciously gooey centre.

Like we said, the world is your oyster when it comes to microwave mug cakes. Vanilla sponge, blueberry muffin, carrot cake… it’s up to you to experiment and find the one that works the best for you.

4. Macaroni Cheese

My daughter absolutely loves macaroni cheese so to know there’s a quick and easy version that takes mere minutes in the microwave is a proper mum win. This particular recipe uses just 4 ingredients and is the perfect snack to fill those hungry after school tummies.

So again, we’re going to cheat a little bit here, and use fresh pasta to save you a bit of time. Now obviously true macaroni cheese would be made with macaroni pasta, but if you can’t find fresh macaroni, any pasta is totally fine. Don’t worry, no one’s going to judge you. Half fill your mug of choice with fresh pasta and stir in 4 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 a teaspoon of cornflour, 4 tablespoons of grated cheddar cheese, and perhaps season with a bit of salt and pepper. Microwave on high for 60 second, before stirring  and checking that the cheese has melted. If it has, take it out, if not give it another 20-3o second blast.

Top with more grated cheese and be prepared to have your tastebuds wowed!

Pizza

Yes, you’ve read that right, pizza. You can make pizza… in a mug… in the microwave. Minds blown! Obviously, it’s not going to have the same texture as a stone baked pizza, however all the pizza tastes are right in there, as there none of this having to knead and wait for dough to rise. This literally takes just 5 minutes.

Grab a mug and mix together 4 tablespoons of plain flour, 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, a pinch of salt, 3 tablespoons of milk, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover with 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce  – you can use the shop bought stuff or use some passata with a few added dried herbs. Now it’s time to add your toppings. How about:

  • Mozzarella and pepperoni
  • Ham and pineapple
  • Chicken and mushroom
  • ALL the cheese – cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan etc.

Microwave on full power for between 1 – 1 1/2 minutes until the pizza has risen to the top of the mug and the cheese has melted.

So, what do you think? Would you ever have believed these tasty snacks could all be made using just a mug and a microwave? It’s a gamechanger.

Try them out and see what you think and then tell us in the comments below which one’s your favourite microwave mug snack

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