The microwave mug muffin is suddenly an Internet sensation.
I’m a believer in making muffins in large batches and freezing them, so I admit I’ve only taken recent interest in the individually made microwave version.
My kids love to eat anything from a cup, so I decided to give it a go. It turns out that mug muffins are a perfect warming treat for our family’s fun Friday breakfast.
To make this dessert worthy, mix 1/4 cup of unsweetened dark cocoa powder into this coconut-cinnamon roll muffin batter and leave out the cinnamon.
I make the batter in a small bowl, then pour it into mugs coated with cooking spray, which means you miss out on that cool viral-video moment of mixing everything up in the mug before it cooks. But there are a lot of ingredients that have to get poured into a cup to make just one muffin (and what about making more than one?), so using a bowl for batter works better for my family.
My recipe is for two muffins, but it can be scaled up. You can also save time by making the batter in advance and leaving it overnight in the refrigerator. Just add a couple tablespoons of extra milk and about 15 seconds extra cooking time.
I like to use a mixture of almond flour or coconut flour to add filling fiber, protein and satisfying fat, plus just a little all-purpose or gluten-free flour for a fluffy texture. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so you might have to add extra liquid.
Somehow eating a muffin with a spoon makes the recipe more forgiving, so feel free to branch out and make this your own.
Coconut-Cinnamon Roll Microwave Mug Muffin
Start to finish: 5 minutes; Servings: 2
2 tablespoons almond flour (meal)
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons quinoa flour (or other gluten-free substitute or all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch kosher salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or neutral oil)
¼ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons low-fat cream cheese
Cinnamon, to garnish
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla, then whisk until well mixed.
Coat 2 8-ounce mugs with cooking spray. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each mug. Top each with 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Divide the remaining batter among the 2 mugs. Sprinkle with cinnamon and the remaining teaspoon of brown sugar. One at a time, microwave on high for about 1 minute 15 seconds, or until the muffin is dry on top (timing will vary by microwave). Let cool a few minutes before eating.
Per serving: 290 calories; 150 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 17 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 120 mg cholesterol; 410 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 19 g sugar; 9 g protein.
