Mugged: We try (almost!) all of Buzzfeed’s ’18 Microwave Snacks You Can Cook In A Mug’ PART TWO

Aaaaand, we're back! Parte dos of this marathon of microwaving is now available to you! Let's get started, shall we?

Cinnamon Roll In A Cup

Two disclaimers: One, you have to mix up the frosting as well as the batter, and if I haven't made it clear enough, I am lazy. Two, this doesn't really taste like a cinnamon roll. It has cinnamon and sugar and cream cheese, but the effect is decidedly un-cinnamon-roll-like. With that being said, this is one of the most successful of the microwave cake items I've tried. The crumb is tender and moist, which I think has a lot to do with the applesauce, so don't skip it. Eating this brought me back to my (gluttonous) childhood, when I would take Hostess snacks carrot cakes from the freezer and heat them in the microwave. Mmmm, nutrional ignorance.

Coffee Cup Coffeecake


Pretty big dud, I'm afraid. First of all, the process is far too tedious: mix the crumb topping with your fingers in a separate small bowl, then mix the batter in a large measuring cup, then put them both in a mug to cook? Not to mention the fact that ingredients list is a little long, including the real nuisance of "half of an egg". Again, why not just make a regular coffee cake if you're willing to go to that much effort? Finally, the results were mediocre at best, hardly warranting the work that went into it. The topping tasted nice, but the cake itself was dense and chewy, and tasted a little too eggy. If you're really determined to have some microwave coffee cake, may I suggest taking the crumb topping recipe and using it with the Cinnamon Roll in Mug recipe? And did I mention this thing has 655 (?!) calories? No thanks.

French Toast In A Cup


Pretty simple, though you do need to use an extra dish. This one yielded some very serviceable French toast, though it was more of a bread pudding/French toast hybrid. I'd certainly recommend this as an easy way to use up that last little bit of bread that's no longer very fresh.

Baked Oatmeal In a Mug


This one baffles me. It was bland, with an unappealing spongy texture, and I don't understand why you wouldn't simply make perfectly delicious microwave oatmeal rather than ruin it in a mug. If baked oatmeal in a pinch is high on your wishlist, use this recipe instead (which is very, very easy) and keep them in the freezer. Then, just thaw or reheat and your good to go!

Instant Blueberry Muffin

(Sorry, but there's no matching pic for this, because this was the first recipe I tried, and by the time I remembered that I needed to take a photo, my sweet children had devoured it.) While not bad by any means, this tasted absolutely nothing like a muffin to me. I think that has much to do with the fact that it contains flax instead of flour. Again, not bad, just not muffin-y. The results were nutty and not too sweet, with a pleasant texture from the flax. Use this one when you want something healthy on a cold winter morning.

Cheesecake In A Mug

[caption id="attachment_2107" align="aligncenter" width="462"] Totally not gross-looking. Totally.[/caption]

I'm afraid I couldn't get this one to work, though I tried. The mixture was always lumpy for me, and honestly, it didn't taste that great even if it had been smooth. I say just stir together some cream cheese and sugar, dip in some strawberries and call it a day.

Strawberry Mug Pie and Meatloaf in a Mug
I refused to do either of these. I apologize and offer my excuses to you for your consideration:
Regarding the strawberry pie, I think I'm justified, because nowhere in the recipe does it say to use your microwave. And if I'm starting up my oven to test a pie recipe, then what has all of this been for, anyway? So, I deemed that one disqualified.

And the meatloaf? Setting aside the fact that few people have small amounts of ground beef hanging around waiting to be cooked in a mug, I have to tell you that I have microwaved ground beef before. I'm not exactly proud; it was college. You understand. I was trying to make meatballs, and the results were terrible. Scarringly so. I took one look at this recipe and my stomach lurched. So the more intrepid among you, feel free to try this one and report back. As for me, I'm far too frightened and skeptical. Again, apologies.

However, because I felt a little bad, I decided to test an extra recipe to make up for it. And what better way to celebrate the end of these taste-tests than with some funfetti cake? This recipe is super quick and very tasty, though I heartily recommend a dollop of whipped cream on top. This is also a good one for making 3 year-olds' eyes light up. The link to it is here.



Hey, we did it! High fives all around! While I personally don't plan on microwaving anything other than popcorn and water for a while, I wish you luck in your nuking endeavors. Be sure to let us know if you try any of these out!