In my quest to do things on a smaller scale, I often experiment with cooking and baking. One of my favorite breakfast foods is a muffin. I know how to bake a dozen or two in the oven, but that takes time and planning–blech! Baking can also take up a lot of space, which is a challenge in an RV kitchen. But that’s no problem as long as you have a microwave.

Chances are you’ve seen Instagram and blog posts of single-serve microwave recipes for muffins, cakes, and other foods that are usually baked in large quantities. I looked for a small-scale muffin recipe. I found a few and did a few tweaks to create my own version. Here is how I get my morning muffin on when I’m in a hurry.

What you’ll need

• 1 single-serve instant oatmeal packet (My favorite flavor is maple and brown sugar.)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup mashed ripe banana, applesauce, peanut butter, or pumpkin butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Optional mix-ins (I like a few chocolate chips, but you can also use shredded coconut, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped nuts, or whatever.)

What you’ll do

Mix all ingredients together in a large mug. I suggest the larger the better because you don’t want the mix bubbling up over the sides when the microwave is going. I microwave the mixture for about 2 minutes, but you might have to experiment with the cooking time. If you’re not sure if the muffin is baked thoroughly, stick in a toothpick; it should come out clean.

What you’ll end up with

Pop your steaming muffin onto a plate or just enjoy it right out of the mug. Of course, nothing is as good as fresh from the oven, but I find this recipe surprisingly good when I’m in a hurry or just too lazy to bake a whole batch. Please comment below and let know what you think, or if you have ideas on how to change up the recipe.