--- title: 3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug description: You can cook gourmet meals and snacks in the microwave. Read on for simple recipes, like poached eggs, that take two minutes or less. canonical: https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-05T13:37:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:23.490Z article:section: Health og:title: 3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug og:description: In two minutes or less og:url: https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug twitter:description: In two minutes or less twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Beth Lipton / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Beth Lipton / Health.com Contributor Oct 5, 2015 1:37 PM UTC by [Beth Lipton / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Beth Lipton / Health.com Contributor Oct 5, 2015 1:37 PM UTC We’re not saying you should cook _all_ your meals in the microwave, but just using this handy oven for reheating leftovers and making popcorn is so last century. In fact, you can make some surprisingly gourmet things in the microwave (given the tiny amount of time and effort required.) Read on for simple recipes that take two minutes or less. ### Carrot-Ginger Soup  Beth Lipton Serves: 1 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (preferably grass-fed, like [Kerrygold](http://www.amazon.com/Kerrygold-Pure-Irish-Butter-Unsalted/dp/B001LNPHNA/ref=as%5Fat?tag=healthcom04a-20&linkCode=as2&)) 2 medium carrots (about 4 oz.), chopped 1 large clove garlic, chopped (about 1 ½ tsp.) 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger ½ cup water Sea salt Place all ingredients into a large mug. Cover loosely and microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and microwave for another 45 seconds to 1 minute. Pour into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer back to mug and serve. ### Chocolate Mug Cake  Beth Lipton Yield: 1 cake 2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder (such as [Navitas](http://www.amazon.com/Navitas-Naturals-Organic-Powder-Pouches/dp/B001E5E0Y2/ref=as%5Fat?tag=healthcom04a-20&linkCode=as2&)) 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (such as [Carrington Farms](http://www.amazon.com/Carrington-Farms-Organic-Virgin-Coconut/dp/B00CPZPYLS/ref=as%5Fat?tag=healthcom04a-20&linkCode=as2&)) 2 Tbsp. almond flour (such as [Bob’s Red Mill](http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Almond-Flour/dp/B010NBN1TM/ref=as%5Fat?tag=healthcom04a-20&linkCode=as2&)) 1 Tbsp. water 1 Tbsp. maple syrup Pinch of salt 1 large egg ½ tsp. vanilla extract Whisk all ingredients together in a large mug. Microwave on high until just cooked, about 1 minute. **Optional frosting (because, frosting!)** 1 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 Tbsp. cacao 1 Tbsp. maple syrup Whisk together and spoon on top of cake just before serving. ### Poached Egg  Beth Lipton Serves: 1 1 large egg Pour ½ cup water into a large mug. Crack 1 large egg on top; sprinkle lightly with salt. Cover loosely and microwave for about 50 seconds to 1 minute, until egg white is just set and yolk is still a bit runny. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the poached egg out of the mug; serve. [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/09/09/microwave-snacks-you-can-cook-in-a-mug/?xid=time) _More from Health.com:_ * [Could Microwave Meals Actually Be Good for You?](http://news.health.com/2014/10/14/could-microwave-meals-actually-be-good-for-you/?xid=time) * [How to Soften Hard Brown Sugar Fast](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20867956,00.html?xid=time) * [How to Dry Herbs in the Microwave](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20811109,00.html?xid=time) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/"},"headline":"3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug","datePublished":"2015-10-05T13:37:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:23.490Z","description":"Forget popcorn: it's time to go gourmet","url":"https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Cooking","Recipes","Healthy Eating"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Beth Lipton / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4059600/microwaveable-snacks/","name":"3 Easy Microwave Snacks You Can Cook in a Mug"}}]}] ```