Microwaved mini muffin in a mug

I’m not sure how it happened, but the microwave mug muffin is suddenly an Internet sensation. I’m a believer in making muffins in large batches and freezing, so I admit I’ve only taken interest in the individually-made microwave version recently.

My kids love to eat anything from a cup (ever since my mother-in-law gifted our entire family personalized photo mugs), so I decided to give it a go. Turns out, mug muffins are a perfect warming treat for our family’s “fun Friday” breakfast! Try my coconut-cinnamon roll muffin this week. And by the way, if you mix ¹/₄ cup of unsweetened dark cocoa powder into the batter and leave out the cinnamon, the results will be dessert-worthy.

I make the batter in a small bowl, then pour into a mug coated with cooking spray, which means you miss out on that cool viral-video moment of mixing everything up in the actual mug before it heads off to cook. But those videos are really sped up, and actually there are a lot of ingredients that have to get poured into a cup to make just one muffin (and what about making more than one?). So, a bowl it is.

My recipe is for two muffins (perfect romantic retreat food!), but it will scale up no problem. And here’s a bonus: You can save time by making the batter in advance and leaving it overnight in the refrigerator. Just add a couple tablespoons of extra milk and about 15 seconds extra cooking time.

I like to use a mix of almond flour or coconut flour to add filling fiber, protein and satisfying fat, plus just a little regular flour (either all-purpose flour or any gluten-free 1-for-1 substitute) for a fluffy texture. Note that coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so you may have to add extra liquid depending on how much coconut flour you use. But somehow eating a muffin with a spoon makes the recipe more forgiving, so feel free to branch out and make this your own.

Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.”

Coconut-Cinnamon Roll Micowave Mug Muffin

2 tablespoons almond flour (meal)

1 tablespoon coconut flour

2 tablespoons quinoa flour (or other gluten-free substitute or all-purpose flour)

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, plus 1 teaspoon

³/₄ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch kosher salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or neutral oil)

¹/₄ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

¹/₄ cup milk

¹/₂ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons low-fat cream cheese

Cinnamon, to garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the egg, oil, yogurt, milk and vanilla, then whisk until well mixed.

Coat two 8-ounce mugs with cooking spray. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each mug. Top each with 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Divide the remaining batter among the 2 mugs. Sprinkle with cinnamon and the remaining teaspoon of brown sugar. One at a time, microwave on high for about 1 minute 15 seconds, or until the muffin is dry on top (timing will vary by microwave). Let cool a few minutes before eating. Serves 2.

Per serving: 290 calories; 17g fat (9 g saturated fat; 52 percent calories from fat); 27 g carbohydrates; 19 g sugar; 120 mg cholesterol; 410 mg sodium; 9 g protein; 2 g fiber.