As the semester picks up in pace, you may not always have time to make a trip to the Marketplace when you’re craving some delicious baked goods. So here’s a quick and simple banana bread recipe you can make in your dorm, in a microwave!

First, you’ll need to gather all the ingredients: a banana, flour, granulated sugar, a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil, milk, salt, baking powder and any topping you may want to add. You’ll also need a microwave-safe mug large enough to hold all the ingredients and have space for the bread to rise. Ideally, the banana should be a bit overripe, so it’s soft enough to mix in.

Bananas are always available in the Marketplace, and salt packets from the Jay’s Nest work just fine. The Marketplace also has several different types of milk, so this can easily become a vegan-friendly recipe. Unfortunately, you will need to buy the other ingredients off-campus, but they can be stored and used again for future cooking.

Once you have everything you need, it’s time to start measuring and mixing! Mash the banana and add one-third cup to the mug. One banana is roughly one-third cup, but I suggest measuring anyway to make sure you don’t add too much.

Then, mix in one tablespoon each of oil, milk and sugar. Stir and make sure the banana has been completely mashed. Add three tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt and one-half teaspoon of baking powder. I also added a dash of ground cinnamon for some extra flavor.

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly, then top with whatever you like. I chose to add some walnuts and chocolate chips on top, and I think the extra sweetness was perfect.

Microwave the mug for about one minute and 20 seconds. Stick a fork or toothpick into the center to check how thoroughly it’s been baked. If it comes out clean, the banana bread will turn out overcooked since it finishes baking while it cools.

While trying this recipe for myself, I found this step to be very important. If you have a microwave with a higher than average wattage, you may want to drop the time down to around a minute to start with, and add more time as needed. When overcooked, the bread ends up with a slightly gummy and sticky texture.

Let the bread stand for about three minutes out of the microwave. Sprinkle some extra salt on top if you’d like, and dig in!

The mug makes a perfect portion size for a quick break from studying, and it tastes great, too!