Mug Brownie: Autism Edition☕
When you try to make a microwave brownie, does the image below look like your result?
Are you tired of ~trying to make a brownie in the microwave~ by following some recipe you found online, only for it to taste like shit because the ratio of oil/sugar/flour to brownie mix is an overpowering assault on your senses?
Or maybe you don't even bother trying because the instructions are unclear and you'd rather not risk fucking it up "just in case" using a wooden spoon instead of a plastic one might make your kitchen explode?
Maybe it's even worse - maybe you did everything right and followed the instructions perfectly, but you can't for the life of you tell if the final product came out right and don't feel like setting yourself up for an unpleasant surprise.
Well, I'm here to share with you the one tried and true microwave/mug brownie recipe that works for me.
Ingredients
- A mug of some kind (doesn't HAVE to be a mug but needs to be mug shaped + microwave safe)
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons (TBSP) of brownie mix or cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/2 TBSP of all purpose flour -> 1 TBSP only if you don't want to be able to taste the flour slightly (this is what people mean when they say brownies taste "cakey")
- 1 TBSP granulated white sugar -> add another if you want to make it more sweet than tart OR only use 1/2 TBSP if you don't want to be able to taste more sweetness than tartness
ALWAYS* mix your dry ingredients together in the mug before you add in the liquids. (*The only exception being any chocolate chips you add, those can go in at the end or the start, it has no bearing on the recipe.)
Once you've done that, add the following:
- 1 TBSP of canola, vegetable OR olive oil -> the more you add, the smoother and richer it will get, but the harder it will be to cook and physically eat
- 2 TBSP water (to be added at the very end because it needs to be mixed in quickly)
Final Prep
Stir your ingredients together for at least 15-30 seconds or long enough to completely mix the dry and wet stuff together. If you've made normal brownies before, this should look like brownie mix right before it goes in the oven.
Check the wattage of your microwave. Most of the recipes I saw accounted for a 1000 watt or less microwave and recommended microwaving for about 30 seconds at full power. However, mine is around 1200w and I get the best results from microwaving for 45 seconds at full power. If you can't figure out what wattage your microwave has, just start with 30 seconds at full blast and add on 15 second intervals from there. It might take some experimentation on your part to get the recipe perfect.
When it's fully cooked, your mug brownie should look kind of puffed up like a mini lava cake. It probably won't fill up much of your mug at all, but trust me, it'll be dense. The texture might surprise you because it's a little more mousse-like than your average crispy-topped oven brownie, but the overall taste should be pretty similar.
It will also be HOT when it first comes out, so wait at least a minute and a half for it to cool down a bit and blow on your fork/spoon before putting any of it in your mouth.
TW: Trypophobia - Every single time I successfully make this recipe, the imprint of popped air bubbles looks like a bunch of little holes clustered close together. If that's something that would bother you, don't look directly into the mug when you finish microwaving it - stick a toothpick inside to gage how goopy the brownie is instead.
Additional Tips
- Drink a glass of milk milk/eat a scoop of ice cream with your brownie. This will help balance the heat of the brownie and its overpowering chocolatey taste, if that's something that's been a sensory issue for you in the past.
- Chocolate chips, being heavier, tend to migrate towards the bottom of the mug, so don't be afraid to get in there and swipe around with your utensil to more evenly distribute them around the brownie.
- Add whatever extra toppings you want! I'd recommend sweet things like bits of candy/chocolate though.
- As someone who recently had major oral surgery and hasn't been allowed to bite down or chew any of my food for weeks, this recipe is very easy to swallow and digest. If you've just had wisdom tooth surgery or something similar, as long as you use plastic utensils and make your tongue do most of the work, you should be able to eat this with ease.
- Eat slowly. Trust me when I tell you that you're underestimating just how filling this brownie will be. These have easily lasted me 2-3 meals because my sensory-specific satiety keeps burning out halfway through eating them.
- Store your leftovers in the fridge. You can just leave what's left of the brownie in the mug for this part. They keep well and you can always heat them up again!
- When you're 100% done with it, drizzle liquid soap in the mug and fill it up with water to let it soak before washing it. This will make it easier to get all the extra gunk out whether you wash your dishes by hand or use a dishwasher.
