3-Minute Microwave Mug Pancake

Breakfast isn’t the easiest meal to pull off during the week. It’s great if you’ve got pre-prepared meals or convenience items on hand, but sometimes you want to send the kids off to school with a nice, homemade hot breakfast.

Enter: the microwave mug pancake.

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My kids love pancakes but making them in the morning is kind of an event that comes with a lot of dishes and leftovers. I discovered these single-serving protein-packed microwavable cups from Kodiak Cakes, but at nearly $3 a pop they’re not the most economical breakfast option.

{Please note: This post is not sponsored. I just love sharing healthy kid-friendly options that have worked in my home with other moms!}

I wanted to see if I could replicate the concept with a homemade version using their pancake mix. I like it better than traditional pancake mixes because it’s made with whole grains and has way more protein and fiber, but if you have regular pancake mix on hand you can totally use that in this recipe, too.

So the next time your kid wants pancakes for breakfast but you don’t feel up to it, make them one of these! You mix, cook, and serve all in one mug or ramekin, and the microwave does all the heavy lifting. Breakfast has never been easier.

Microwave Mug Pancake Recipe

1/4 cup Kodiak Cakes pancake mix (or 1/3 cup traditional pancake mix**)
3 Tb. water
1 Tb. melted butter, vegetable oil, or canola oil (don’t use olive oil in this recipe)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Mix all ingredients in microwave-safe mug or ramekin (BTW HOW CUTE ARE THESE?!?!?). Microwave 2 minutes on 50% power.* Continue cooking in 30-second increments on 50% power until your pancake is cooked. You’ll know it needs more time if the center of the top still looks wet. Drizzle with syrup and serve!

*Note: Microwave cooking times vary. Once you figure out how long your specific microwave takes, you can just cook it that long from the beginning without having to check it every 30 seconds.

**Using traditional pancake mix will yield a fluffier pancake than the Kodiak Cakes mix, which produces a cake that is more dense.

You can totally customize your pancake. Try mixing the following in before cooking: