There are many reasons to love living alone: being able to leave your discarded clothes on the floor a little longer, singing your lungs out to musical soundtracks, or dining in your underwear, to name just a few hypothetical examples. One thing that’s not so fun is figuring out how to cook for a party of one without wasting food or getting fed up with leftovers. And if you have a sweet tooth, it can be even more difficult. Fortunately, there’s a new viral food trend that can help: single-serving desserts.
Single people know the struggle of craving a lone homemade cookie or sticky warm slice of cake and ending up with enough to feed your entire office the next day (not that they’re complaining), but now with so many single-serving recipes to choose, you may not have to save the slightest crumb; Plus, they’re simple enough for even a novice baker. In fact, you may not even have to turn on the oven. With this single-serve cooking trend on the rise, there’s something for every type of home cook and every type of sweet tooth.
Whether you like fruit or chocolate, hot or cool and creamy, healthy or rich and decadent, you can get your fix in the perfect portion. The best part is that you don’t need any fancy equipment, but if you plan to become a regular single-serve dessert maker, you might consider investing in a mini cast iron skillet and/or mini pie pans to up your game. . That being said, some of these recipes need little more than a mason jar or mug (which you probably already have on hand) plus your ingredients to get started. Ready for dessert?
Ahead, find 10 options straight from culinary experts that will make your solo cooking adventures that much sweeter.
Single Serve Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
“Hands down, my single favorite dessert is a skillet chocolate chip cookie,” says Jenna Moran, founder, CEO and creative director of Whimsy and Spice. “My mom always made this for my birthday and it’s one of the first recipes I reproduced when I learned to cook.”
To make one for yourself, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees, then combine 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter in a bowl and use a fork to mix until just combined. . Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 egg yolk and mix until all ingredients have been combined. In another bowl, combine 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Add contents of both bowls and mix well, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Press the mixture into a greased mini cast iron skillet and bake. “This should only take about 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are lightly browned (the center won’t be quite set, but don’t worry about this, it will still cook out of the oven),” says Moran. . “Let the cookie cool and once it has cooled, voila! Your single-serving skillet chocolate chip cookie is ready to eat.”
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Serves Two
Joy Wilson, founder and “head of sweet tooth” at Joy the Baker, has been having fun with what she calls micro-batch baking these days, so of course she has a couple of delicious single-serving dessert recipes. up his sleeve, starting with one that is ideal for those looking for something sweet in the morning. “This recipe for just two lemon poppyseed muffins will make you feel like you woke up early for a hot muffin from the best bakery in town,” Wilson tells TZR. “These two muffins are easy to make and perfect for you and your sweetie, or you and…you. I like them best served fresh out of the oven with a generous amount of softened salted butter.” Get the full recipe here on the Baking Expert’s website and start your day deliciously.
Single Serve Cinnamon Roll
Aren’t you crazy about lemon flavored treats? No problem. Wilson also has a single-serving cinnamon roll recipe that is so satisfying. “There’s literally nothing better than a warm cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven, but sometimes a pan full is just too much to commit to,” says Wilson. “This single cinnamon roll recipe bakes up just as fat and juicy as the center cinnamon roll on a pan, but it’s just one and it’s all yours!” Wilson. Can’t wait for tomorrow to make one? Head straight to the full recipe here for everything you need to get started baking.
Banana and chocolate cream personal cake
As Pastry Chef and Culinary Director of the super popular Biscuit Love in Nashville, Lisa Marie White whips up treats for a crowd all day, every day. But when she’s in the mood for a little treat just for her, she has a recipe for a Mini Chocolate Banana Cream Pie that always fits the bill. “Because I occasionally have a craving for chocolate, well who am I kidding I always do, this acts as a smaller version to satisfy a sweet tooth in the best way since I don’t have any business (or force of will) to have a whole cake in my house”, he explains.
Do you want to prepare one for yourself? Process or crush one or two of your favorite cookies into crumbs and use to line your mini pie or pie plate. “If you don’t have a personal pie pan, use your smallest bowl or cup,” says White. “Now, take 1/4 cup of heavy cream and pour it into a microwaveable coffee mug and heat about 35 seconds. Place your favorite chocolate, broken or chopped into small pieces, in a glass or metal bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chunks and let sit for three minutes then start beating. Start in the center and once it has come together, widen your circle or beat until the mixture becomes velvety smooth.” This silky mix is your go-to chocolate ganache.
Next, take 1/2 to 2/3 of the ganache and pour it over the cookie dough, then place a few thick banana slices on top, gently pressing them into the chocolate ganache, and leave in the fridge to set. Take the rest of the ganache and add 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream and mix well, then place this mixture in the fridge to chill. Once completely cool, beat until stiff. Use this as your next layer of the mini cake and return to the fridge to set. Top it all with fresh whipped cream (sweetened with a touch of sugar, if you like). “Depending on your mood, you can garnish with sea salt flakes, chips, or chocolate curls—whatever makes you happy,” adds White.
Individual ice cream in mason jar
If you’ve never tried the viral mason jar ice cream from a few years ago, this might be your perfect single-serving dessert. Spruce Eats has a totally simple recipe that requires no cooking and is ready in a couple of hours. Simply add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/4 vanilla extract, 1/8 salt, and any other ingredients you like for flavor (fruit, crumbled cookies, candy, etc.) into a mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake the mixture for a few minutes or until doubled in volume. If you can dip the spoon in and it comes out well coated, you’ve achieved the desired thickness. Then pop the jar in the freezer for two to three hours, or when it has the texture of soft serve ice cream, and enjoy.
drowning
For a single-serve parfait that requires even less effort, try this Italian classic. “When I was traveling in Italy a few years ago, I came across my all-time favorite single dessert: affogato,” says Jessica Randhawa, owner and head chef of The Forked Spoon. “Affogato consists of sweet vanilla ice cream topped or ‘drowned’ with hot espresso. A sweet mid-afternoon treat or after-dinner snack, this espresso ice cream is just what you need to survive the hot summer months.” We’d say it works for any season, too. Don’t have an espresso machine at home? No problem, Randhawa says you can easily substitute fresh strong coffee instead.
Single Serve Chocolate Muffin
Michelle Lopez, the baker behind Hummingbird High, is also jumping on the single-serve dessert bandwagon, with a little help from Molly Yeh’s cookbook, Home is where the eggs are. With just a handful of ingredients (many of which you probably already have in your fridge and pantry), you can easily whip up this moist and chocolaty cake (frosting included) just for yourself. Get the full recipe here.
Single Serve Peanut Butter Cookie
Sarah Fennel of Joke Bakery doesn’t hold back when it comes to her delicious baked goods on the gram. Recently, she showed off a peanut butter cookie recipe that yields just two cookies (okay, you’ll have to suffer for a few seconds), and made all of her fans rush to the kitchen. Using just peanut butter, unsalted butter, brown sugar, a single egg yolk, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt, it’s totally easy to make and only takes about 15 minutes of your time. Get step-by-step instructions here.
5 Minute Molten Chocolate Mug Cake
You can always count on Half Baked Harvest for delicious, healthy dishes, and recipe developer Tieghan Gerard’s Molten Chocolate Mug Cake is no exception. In fact, it’s quite legendary. To make it, gather coconut oil, an egg, milk, vanilla extract, honey or maple syrup, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, brewed coffee, and semisweet chocolate chunks, and keep going. the recipe here. for greater gratification in just a few minutes. Top with a scoop of ice cream if you have it and maybe even some sprinkles because you only live once.
Single Serve Apple Crisp
It’s apple pie weather, but if you need something a little smaller, and you want it fast, try this Apple Crisp from Pinch of Yum to satisfy your seasonal craving. The full recipe (which you can find here) only takes five minutes, and you can make it in your microwave with ingredients you probably already have. Hello comfort!