This Low Carb Mug Cake is made with Matcha green tea powder and Coconut Flour for a Nut-Free single-serving dessert that will blow your mind!
Years ago, before I had kids, I had a *killer* morning routine. Of course I did though – I had all the time in the world to just care for myself. Moms – you know what I am talking about right?
I used to get up, drink a mug of hot lemon water, work out, shower and then drink one or two yerba mate, matcha or green tea lattes, in the most leisurely fashion, of course.
High heels, fancy purses, good hair for days and happy hour after work with my man and our friends.
Coffee was something I reserved for the weekends. Once I became a parent, that all changed. I became a hard-core coffee addict, drinking multiple cups of coffee per day. I am sure it also had something to do with moving to Seattle, the unofficial coffee capital of the country.
Nevertheless, caffeine and I aren’t super compatible.
My body has always preferred the steady caffeine boost from green tea, yerba mate or matcha. I’ve gone off and on coffee over the years but struggled to get back to my morning green tea habit.
That is until I started drinking really good quality matcha late last year.
Now, even though I don’t start my days all about me anymore, I am here to say that I am finally back to starting my day with hot lemon water and then a matcha latte.
I am back to having coffee on the weekends or when at a great coffee shop and it’s more like a treat. It feels good and my body is much happier.
WHAT IS MATCHA?
If you aren’t familiar with matcha, it’s a high-quality green tea powder made from the actual whole tea leaves and contains significant antioxidants that are known to have cancer-fighting properties.
High-quality matcha is shade-grown during the last three to four weeks before harvest.
I am VERY picky about which matcha brands I will use and my current favorite is Encha Matcha. I am a fan of Encha because they grow their matcha in Japan on a single farm (single-origin), it’s organic, thoroughly tested for heavy metals and radiation, and tastes great!
When it comes to sipping matcha, I only use single-origin, organic ceremonial grade. For cooking (and this matcha mug cake recipe), culinary or latte grade is just fine (and a bit cheaper!)
LOW CARB MUG CAKE INGREDIENTS
- Egg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- Matcha (Latte grade or Culinary grade are fine)
- Monkfruit
- Melted Butter, Ghee or Virgin Coconut Oil
- Coconut Flour
- Gluten-Free Baking Powder (this one is also corn free!)
- Sea Salt
This Low Carb Mug Cake is based on my popular Vanilla Mug Cake but re-imagined. It’s nut-free, uses monkfruit sweetener in place of traditional sweeteners and is high in protein.
I highly recommend this as for breakfast OR topped with some white chocolate chips as an easy single-serving dessert!
MATCHA MUG CAKE TIPS
- I recommend a good quality matcha bowl, bamboo whisk and bamboo scooping spoon set. It really makes a difference when it comes to creating a matcha paste base that is smooth and grit-free.
- This recipe uses monkfruit. It is a natural sugar substitute that is low carb and has a more neutral taste than stevia.
- You can substitute stevia if you are used to the flavor. Personally, I found it was too strong to pair with the matcha so I suggest starting with a very small amount and adding as needed.
- Any plain, unsweetened milk will work.
- Microwave ovens vary and can significantly impact the cooking time. For reference, ours is 1000 Watts and 2 min is perfect. Start slow and keep adding time to figure out the perfect formula for your microwave.
- Believe it or not, the type of mug you use can also impact the cooking time as material and thickness impact the transfer of heat. So once you find a perfect mug/cooking time formula, stick with it so you can ensure consistent results.
MORE MUG CAKE RECIPES:
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This Low Carb Mug Cake is made with Matcha green tea powder and Coconut Flour for a Nut-Free single serving dessert that will blow your mind!
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
- 1.5 Tablespoons monkfruit sweetener see NOTES
- 1.5 Tablespoons melted butter or Ghee or virgin coconut oil
- 4 teaspoons coconut flour (4 tsp = 1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch finely ground sea salt
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Begin by cracking an egg in a mixing bowl or measuring cup. Add vanilla extract to the egg.
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In another bowl, whisk matcha powder with plain, unsweetened almond milk until completely smooth.
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Pour matcha mixture into bowl with egg. Whisk until well combined.
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Add monkfruit, melted butter, coconut flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix until smooth and transfer to a microwave safe mug.
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Microwave for 1 min 45 seconds to 2 minutes (depending on your microwave). Allow to rest for 30 seconds. Serve and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: Please note that this recipe was originally published in March 2017, but was updated in May 2019 with new photos, nutritional information, recipe tips, and more helpful information.
How would I go about making this into a regular sized cake? Coconut flour is the most difficult gf flour to work with, imo. I’m just not sure if I would need to maybe quadruple everything, or tweak other ingredients? Have you tried this at all on a larger scale?
Hi Cristy, I haven’t tried scaling this recipe. And you are so right on about how difficult coconut flour is to work with. My best guess would be prepare to have to play around and test A LOT and use up a lot of ingredients in the process. I would start by 8x the recipe and baking in a small loaf pan, then start tweaking from there. Let me know what the result is if you wind yup playing with it!
The color reminds me of the Grinch. The taste is like a Christmas present. I bought matcha to add to my smoothies but wasn’t wild about the taste. I thought I’d give it a try in a recipe. Glad I did, it’s wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you liked it Tamara!!
I’ve been reading great things about Matcha, but I’m not 100% on board yet with the taste. I think it’s how I’m making it AND the brands ive bought. I hate spending money on something new that I might not like.
** Does the mug cake have the same benefits as drink a cup of matcha tea?
That’s a great question Vicki. I have to be honest and tell you that I am not 100% sure it does. When I make matcha to drink, I keep the water temperature below 170F. When cooking with Culinary Matcha (either oven, stovetop or microwave), I am imagining that the temperature would get higher and could potentially damage or destroy some of the beneficial properties. I am not a doctor or nutritionist so I can’t say for sure but that is my best guess.
I love matcha! This is the perfect way to use it.
Thanks so much Jennie!
Mmm! I need to try this asap!
I am addicted to this right now Gina!
I love mug cakes, I can’t wait to try this!
Hope you love it Lisa!
So creative. Love how easy it seems to come together too.
Thanks Christine!
We like Harney & Sons a lot for black tea (we drink their Earl Grey frequently), but didn’t realize they sold matcha, too. Probably because I haven’t looked — we always order the same thing from them! 🙂 Anyway, mug cakes are so cute, and love the idea of using matcha in one. Thanks!
My Mom loves Earl Grey – I’ll have to order her some to try! Yes, you have to try this – it’s soooo good!
Can’t wait to try this! I love love love matcha green tea everything! But I’ve never heard of monk fruit. How does it compare to agave?
Hi Ruby! Monkfruit is totally different than agave as agave is a liquid and adds moisture. Agave is also super refined and has a lot of fructose. Monkfruit is similar to stevia but without the chemical taste – super generic description but hope that helps!
That is different recipe. I do want to try this.I love eating healthy food.
Hope you love it Mary!