Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two

Brimming with chunks of fresh apple & warm chai spices, these Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two are ready in less than 10 minutes...

Have I ever mentioned to you all that fall happens to be my favorite season of the year? (I am pretty sure you guys have probably heard about my love of all things autumn at least a hundred times since I started this blog, but humor me, okay? ;) ) 

One of my favorite fall family traditions is our annual pilgrimage to a farm/apple orchard/pumpkin patch in Pennsylvania to go apple & pumpkin picking. We have been going to this very same farm each October for 6 years now. In fact, my daughter's first visit there is while she was still in utero. 

Flash forward 6 years later to the weekend before last when we once again visited our favorite farm to go apple picking. Except this time my sweet daughter happens to be smack dab in the middle of the Ferocious Fives. 

I am not even sure that the ferocious fives is technically a thing, but let me tell you all that my husband & I experienced the full brunt of it's wrath a couple of Sundays ago. And if it isn't already a thing, it totally should be. 

I won't get into all of the sordid details, but let's just say that we ended up leaving after only being there for an hour with my daughter screaming bloody murder the whole way back to the car. Did I mention that this farm is an hour & a half drive away? Yep.

Bailey's Nutella Mug Cake

Ready in less than 3 minutes, this Bailey's Nutella Mug Cake is a fudgy, yet fluffy chocolate cake for one that is drizzled with a simple Irish cream glaze...

For years, I have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day without giving it very little thought as to why. I mean, I am not Irish. (There may be a teeny fraction of a percent of Irish blood in me somewhere. ;) ) I am not Catholic. I have never even traveled to Ireland. But without fail it is a holiday that I gleefully and willingly take part in year after year. 

In my younger years, St. Patrick's Day was a blur of green beer, dancing to bands with Irish sounding names, and seeking out the nearest local "Irish" pub. In more recent times, it has become the perfect excuse to enjoy some of my favorite Irish-inspired foods. 

It wasn't until this past week that I actually asked myself why. Why do we- Americans who may be 100% Irish or 100% not Irish- celebrate St. Patrick's Day each and every year? The former history teacher in me got the better of me, and I did a little researching...

Guilt-Free Snickerdoodle Mug Cake

This Guilt-Free Snickerdoodle Mug Cake is a comforting, low calorie, perfectly portioned for one microwave dessert!

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Pure Via®, but all my opinions are my own.

As I mentioned to you all in yesterday's recipe post, I am tackling the holiday sweets monster head-on now.  I figure a head start will give me somewhat of an advantage and hopefully help me keep the annual holiday weight gain in check.  

I do still plan to bake lots of the holiday goodies that my family loves, but I will also be keeping a few lower calorie, low fat dessert recipes in my arsenal to keep me from devouring half a pumpkin pie or a half dozen of frosted sugar cookies. 

I am a firm believer in not trying to dodge my sweet tooth cravings. That will eventually lead to a sugar and butter induced binge for me.

But what I can do is trick my sweet tooth into thinking that it is indulging in a sweet treat... ;)

On a recent shopping trip to my local Walmart, I picked up a box of Pure Via 40 Count Packets and knew right away that these would become a very important weapon in my arsenal against the holiday weight gain. Pure Via is made from the pure, sweet extract of the stevia leaf. That means no artificial processing or preservatives, folks. It is all natural, non-GMO, and the best part? ZERO calories! :)

Reese's Stuffed Peanut Butter Mug Cake

This moist, perfectly portioned peanut butter cake for one is ready in under 3 minutes and is the perfect excuse for stashing away a few of the Reese's cups from the kids' trick or treat loot...

Every Halloween there always seem to be a few different candies that I covet from the bowl we have been handing out to trick-or-treaters or from my kiddos' orange plastic pumpkins- Reese's peanut butter cups always make that short list for me.  Typically, I prefer them frozen.  I pop them in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, sometimes longer.  Then unwrap and enjoy...

Perfection. ;) 

There is only one other way that I really love eating them & that is all melty and ooey, gooey.  Yes, two extremes- frozen solid or messy melty.  There is no in-between with me when it comes to Reese's cups.

Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake {A Recipe Makeover}

This perfectly portioned for one Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake can be ready in just 4 minutes...

My Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake is perfect for a fall evening (or afternoon... or morning ;) ) when you are craving a delicious, moist, perfectly spiced slice of pumpkin cake or bread, but don't have the time or motivation to bake a whole loaf or cake.  You can whip this up in literally less than 4 minutes, folks.  

And it is a perfectly portioned taste of fall for one.  (Also good for those of us trying to not to overdo it on the fall baked sweets! Built-in portion control, my friends.)

I originally shared my recipe for Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake in October of last year. And because this is another Frugal Foodie Mama Recipe Makeover, here is a one of the photos I used in the original post...

I knew I had to remake this recipe because that photo was not doing this delicious and quick recipe proper justice.  

I did tweak a few things in the recipe itself.  Swapped out the white sugar for brown, but nothing too major.

Yield: Serves 1

Author: Carrie Robinson

Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake

This perfectly portioned for one Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake can be ready in just 4 minutes.

prep time: 3 min cook time: 1 min total time: 4 min

ingredients:

• 2 tbsp flour
• 3 tsp brown sugar
• 2-3 dashes of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1-2 drops of vanilla extract
• A  small handful of white chocolate chips (optional)

instructions:

How to cook Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake

1. In a mug, mix together the flour through the baking powder. Add the oil, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla and mix well.
2. Drop in a few white chocolate chips, if you feel so inclined. You could also pop a handful of pecans or walnuts in there. Mix to cover the chips or nuts. Microwave for 1 minute.
3. Top with whipped topping, if desired. Enjoy!

Created using The Recipes Generator

This pumpkin mug cake is seriously the best thing ever to happen to my microwave in the fall. ;)   

Which fall dessert would you like to turn into a less than 5 minutes, single serving wonder of microwave baking?

If you loved this recipe, you might also like my...

Pumpkin Spice Latte Layer Cake

Carrot Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Triple Spice Pumpkin Buttermilk Pie

Have a mean sweet tooth? Satisfy it daily by joining the Desserts First recipe group on Facebook! :)