15 Simple Snacks To Make At Your Dorm
Living in a dorm is not the ideal lifestyle; although you have to admit, it creates a lot of funny memories to look back on. As college students, we may not have much time to cook, but having a kitchen would still be convenient. Well, kiss that goodbye in a dorm. Florida State’s dorms do have kitchens but not on every floor and they’re not always clean. In your dorm, you have a microwave, a refrigerator with an attached freezer, and possibly a blender if you thought to bring one. The list of restricted items is endless: no skillets, no toaster ovens, and no grills (leave the grills at home folks). Below are some crazy creative recipes that require only your freezer, refrigerator, and microwave–you heard me right, that’s all you need. Here are some snacks that are dorm-approved:
1 . Overnight oats
This has been a growing trend for people who are in a hurry to leave in the mornings and are lacking the time to get in a good breakfast. Simply mix together your preferred type of milk with some yogurt, a serving of steel-cut oats, your favorite fruit, and a flavoring of some kind. Examples could be a dash of vanilla or almond extract, or even cinnamon. Go easy on the cinnamon, this is not the cinnamon challenge, a little goes a long way. Don’t like your oats cold? Warm them up in the microwave for a minute or two. Here’s a popular version along with some ideas for add-ins.
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2. Yogurt parfaits
Hi, my name is Taylor, and I am addicted to yogurt. It’s true, I eat anywhere from one to three servings a day. It’s just too good. This came about when I was attempting to recreate the açai bowls, but I didn’t have any açai. Yogurt seemed like a good substitute, I prefer nonfat greek. This is no ordinary yogurt with a couple strawberries and some granola, we go all out. Taking one serving of your preferred type of yogurt, add bananas, blueberries, strawberries, your favorite granola, a form of nut butter, and some honey. If you’re craving some chocolate, drizzle on nutella or some chocolate chips. This can really be done anyway you like, just go all out.
3. Scrambled eggs
Fun fact: eggs can, in fact, be made in a microwave. Put as many eggs as you would like in a bowl or mug, whisk them up with some milk, add salt and pepper, then put them in the microwave for a minute. Once this is done, stir them one more time before putting them back into the microwave for another minute or so. When you think of snacks, you probably don’t think of eggs, but they make for a quick, protein-filled breakfast.
4. Mug cakes
Mug cakes are the latest obsession for late-night snacks. There’s no mixing ingredients or worrying about leftovers, simply add the liquid and cook it in the microwave. However, if you are a person who prefers homemade baked goods, there are plenty of recipes to make a single serve mug cake on your own.
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5. Energy bites
Energy bites are the perfect healthy, bite-size snack for those looking for healthy snacking alternatives. Plus, there’s no baking involved. There are a few ways to go about making these and various options for additional add-ins. The base often includes oats, a nut butter, honey, and flax seed. Add some slivered almonds, chocolate chips, coconut shavings, and more for extra flavor. Once it is all mixed together, roll them into balls and place them in the fridge for storage.
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6. Homemade easy mac n’ cheese
I know, I know, they sell this in the store, but who doesn’t love homemade? Simple warm noodles until al-dente, in a mug, then add butter, milk, and your favorite cheese and warm until melted. Stir and enjoy. Remember those videos by the brand Tasty that are so satisfying to watch?
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7. Chocolate bark
This is like making your own chocolate bar. Simply break up semi-sweet chocolate, or use chocolate chips, and pour a little bit of milk or coconut oil over them, then warm it up in the microwave until melted. On a baking sheet, spread out the chocolate in a thin layer, sprinkle dried fruits or nuts over the top or swirl in some peanut butter. Place it in the freezer to harden. After an hour or so, break it up into pieces.
8. Yogurt bark
If you don’t like chocolate, or just want to make a bark the healthy way, smooth out your favorite yogurt on a tray, sprinkle desired toppings and place in the freezer. Just like the chocolate, you will want to wait until it is hard enough to break into pieces. As far as snacks go, it couldn’t get any easier.
9. Protein brownie batter
Ingredients:
1 scoop of chocolate protein of choice
A packet of instant jell-o mix of choice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup of milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Peanut butter powder (regular peanut butter works here too)
A brownie batter you can eat? Yes, please. This is also slightly healthier than your average batter. Taking your protein of choice–chocolate flavor would work best–mix instant jell-o mix (vanilla or cheesecake flavor recommended), peanut butter (if you chose to add it), a tablespoon of baking powder, and milk until you have a thick batter consistency. Feel free to throw in some chocolate chips to top it off. This is the perfect, rich batter we can actually scrape the bowl for.
10. Stuffed sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes can make for great snacks, depending on what you top them with. Taking a sweet potato, rub oil on the outside and place in the microwave, on a plate, for five minutes. If you are opting for a savory flavor, sprinkle a little salt on the skin for extra flavor. Once finished, slice it down the middle and top with cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits, or marshmallows, butter, and brown sugar for a sweet snack.
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11. Nachos
Nachos are not just for the oven anymore. Pick out your favorite toppings, some of them could be bacon, refried or canned beans, rotel chiles and tomatoes, and cheese. Warm up the beans and bacon first, then sprinkle them over a hefty pile of tortilla chips, and place them in the microwave for a minute or so. Add the cheese last and warm until melted. Top with guacamole and sour cream and enjoy.
12. Rice cakes
Rice cakes can be super boring, but they are such a quick snack and can be manipulated in whatever way you like. Savory snacks: spread hummus on the rice cake, top with sun-dried tomatoes, and sprinkle of red onion. A sweet version: peanut butter, sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey.
13. Egg sandwich
Now that we know eggs can be made in the microwave, let’s move on to level two. Taking a mug, put in bacon bits and an egg and cook in the microwave. Then sprinkle cheese over the top and warm it long enough just to melt the cheese, flip it over onto the english muffin and there you have it, an egg sandwich. This recipe is perfect for instructions and topping ideas.
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14. French toast in a mug
I’ll admit, I was worried, but it is pretty tasty. Taking a slice of bread, or a slice of a baguette–if you prefer your french toast to be crispy, and cut it into cubes. Place these in a mug along with eggs, milk, cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla, already mixed together. Cook in the microwave for about two and a half minutes.
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15. Microwave quesadilla
This came about when my roommate and I were really hungry, but didn’t have the money or energy to go get food. We grabbed our leftover tortillas and some cheese and assembled them together, similar to how you would a normal quesadilla. We cooked it in the microwave for a minute and a half to two minutes. While we went the plain route, you could use different cheeses, add some shredded chicken, or cut up tomato. The possibilities are endless.
