With a long week of finals ahead and a finite number of meal swipes remaining, feeding yourself at the end of the semester often becomes more of a burden than an act of enjoyment. Though many of us will sacrifice our health and wellbeing for the sake of our grades, it’s imperative to put in place a self-reward system to stave off burnout.

Over Thanksgiving break, I was determined to find a simple, delicious dessert recipe that could be made quickly in the comfort of my dorm room. Luckily, I stumbled across a few microwave mug cake recipes, which are low-maintenance yet extraordinarily indulgent, making them ideal treats for a well-deserved study break. Since all ingredients are combined in a single mug, cleanup is a relatively easy process as well. Better still, all you need is a microwave and no more than 10 minutes of your time to create a truly delectable confection without ever having to leave your room.

I decided to experiment with three different varieties: chocolate-chip, snickerdoodle, and brownie. Though they all smelled equally enticing when they came out of the microwave, I found the snickerdoodle version to be the tastiest of them all. However, if you have an intense chocolate craving that needs to be satisfied, the other two options will certainly do the trick.

It’s important to note that the mug cakes will be hot and gooey upon removal from the microwave, but they’ll develop a chewier texture if left to cool. Though I enjoyed them at both temperatures, it’s entirely a matter of personal preference. I also made the grave mistake of forgoing a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of each, which I firmly believe would make for an absolutely transcendental dessert experience.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Mug Cake (adapted from thecomfortofcooking.com)

Ingredients

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar, packed firmly
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp. chocolate chips

Directions

1. Microwave butter for 30 seconds or until melted.
2. Mix in sugars, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
3. Add egg yolk and mix.
4. Add flour and mix. Then, fold in chocolate chips.
5. Microwave for about 40 seconds. Serve with vanilla ice cream for maximum satisfaction.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Mug Cake (adapted from number-2-pencil.com)

Ingredients

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar, packed firmly
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour cinnamon

Directions
1. Microwave butter for 30 seconds or until melted.
2. Mix in sugars until combined.
3. Add salt, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and two shakes of cinnamon and mix.
4. Add egg yolk and mix.
5. Add flour and mix.
6. Sprinkle on additional cinnamon. Microwave for about 50 seconds.
7. Decorate with a sprinkle of granulated sugar and serve.

Brownie Mug Cake (adapted from number-2-pencil.com)

Ingredients

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar, packed firmly
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp. semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions
1. Microwave butter for 30 seconds or until melted.
2. Mix in butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and salt.
3. Add egg yolk and combine.
4. Add flour and cocoa powder and combine.
5. Fold in chocolate chunks.
6. Microwave for about 45 seconds and serve. Once again, add vanilla ice cream for maximum enjoyment.