Chocolate Chip Pancake in a Mug Ready in 3 Minutes
Chocolate Chip Pancakes in a Mug
Ingredients
- 24 g pancake mix
- ¼ cup milk skim
- ½ Tbsp maple syrup
- 15 g semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 egg white
Instructions
- Spray a large microwave safe coffee mug generously with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Add the pancake mix, skim milk, egg white, and maple syrup to the mug. Stir well until fully combined with no dry pockets of pancake mix remaining.
- Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips.
- Microwave on full power for 60 to 70 seconds. This time is calibrated for an 1100 watt microwave. If your microwave is lower wattage add 10 to 15 seconds. The pancake is done when the center looks set and is no longer wet on top.
- Allow to sit in the microwave for 60 seconds before eating. It will continue to set during this rest time and the mug will be very hot straight out of the microwave.
- Eat directly from the mug or slide onto a plate. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Oh how I love a mug cake… seriously, though. Sometimes you just need cake. No questions asked. No crazy amount of mixing and baking. Just cake. One mug, five ingredients, three minutes, and a warm fluffy chocolate chip pancake.
It works as a quick breakfast before work, a late night snack when you want something warm and sweet, or a way to give a kid something that feels special on a school morning without any actual effort on your part.
At 218 calories it fits into almost any approach to eating without requiring any mental math. And thank goodness for that because… I do enough mental aerobatics.
What Makes This Work
The egg white is the ingredient that makes the difference between a mug pancake that comes out dense and gummy and one that comes out light and fluffy. It adds protein and structure that the pancake mix alone cannot provide in a microwave context where there is no dry heat to create the same texture you would get from a pan. Do not leave it out.
The maple syrup goes into the batter rather than just on top, which means the sweetness is built into every bite rather than concentrated on the surface. It also adds just enough moisture to keep the pancake from drying out during the microwave time.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Start
Use a large mug. The batter does not look like much going in but it expands as it cooks and a small mug will cause it to overflow in the microwave. A standard 12 to 16 ounce mug is the right size.
Spray the mug generously with cooking spray before adding anything. Pancake batter sticks aggressively to an ungreased mug and you will lose half the pancake trying to get it out if you skip this step.
Every microwave runs differently. The 60 to 70 second time is calibrated for an 1100 watt microwave. If your microwave is lower wattage start at 70 seconds and add 10 second intervals until the center looks set and is no longer wet on top. If it is higher wattage check it at 55 seconds. Overcooked is rubbery so err on the side of slightly underdone.
The 60 second rest after microwaving is not optional. The pancake continues to set during that time and cutting into it too early will give you a result that looks undercooked even when it is not. Let it sit, give it the minute, and it will be significantly better.
