One of the BEST Chocolate Mug Cake Recipes out there. Made with a handful of ingredients in just 3 minutes and 100% gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free! This is a single-serving mug cake recipe will blow your mind!
Are you making “mug cakes” yet? I first saw this idea on Pinterest (of course right?) a couple of years ago and have tried my hand at it a bunch of times. Most of the recipes I’ve seen are based on regular flour so I set out to make a couple of grain-free versions and today I am going to share my chocolate mug cake recipe with you.
It’s gluten-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly and made with just a handful of real-food ingredients!
GET EXCITED (and be sure to read the comments – this is a reader fav!)
WHAT IS A MUG CAKE?
Mug cakes, also called microwave cake, are a single-serving dessert made with a few ingredients. You mix it up and pour into a mug, pop it in the microwave and a few minutes later, you have dessert!
CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE INGREDIENTS
- Blanched Almond Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Sea Salt
- pure Maple Syrup
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Ghee or Virgin Coconut Oil
- Egg
Unfortunately, if you don’t have a microwave, you are probably out of luck on this one. You could bake the ingredients as a single serving muffin but it kind of takes away from the whole “Made in 3 Minutes” promise.
Even though this chocolate mug cake is beyond easy, I added a bunch of notes below to help you perfect this single serv treat for your taste and microwave power! Enjoy 🙂
CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE TIPS:
- Use whatever kind of non-dairy milk you have in the house. I have made this with coconut milk, almond milk, and hemp milk and didn’t notice any difference
- I like to mix the batter in a larger bowl and then pour into the mug as cocoa powder tends to be messy but you don’t have to. Yes, this does add an extra (and probably unnecessary) step but I just toss the bowl into the dishwasher.
- Microwave ovens vary and can significantly impact the cooking time. For reference, ours is 1000 Watts and 2 min 30 sec 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!
- You can substitute raw cacao powder for the unsweetened cocoa powder but you may need to increase the maple syrup a bit (or add a bit of liquid stevia) to counterbalance the bitterness.
MORE MUG CAKE RECIPES:
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
One of the BEST Chocolate Mug Cake Recipes out there. Made with a handful of ingredients in just 3 minutes and 100% gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free! This is a single-serving mug cake recipe will blow your mind!
- 3 Tablespoons blanched almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Ghee (or Virgin Coconut Oil)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 large egg beaten
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Combine all ingredients except egg in a bowl or mug. Use a fork or whisk to mix ingredients together until well mixed and there are no clumps.
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Beat egg until foamy and add to chocolate mixture. Mix or whisk until well combined.
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Microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes (depending on microwave wattage).
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Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes and Enjoy!
Recipe Video
- Microwave ovens vary and can significantly impact the cooking time. For reference, ours is 1000 Watts and 2 min 30 sec 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!
- You can substitute raw cacao powder for the unsweetened cocoa powder but you may need to increase the maple syrup a bit (or add a bit of liquid stevia) to counterbalance the bitterness.
- Use whatever kind of non-dairy milk you have in the house. I have made this with coconut milk, almond milk, and hemp milk and didn't notice any difference
- I like to mix the batter in a larger bowl and then pour into the mug as cocoa powder tends to be messy but you don't have to. Yes, this does add an extra (and probably unnecessary) step but I just toss the bowl into the dishwasher.
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 September 2013, but was updated in May 2019 with updated photos, nutritional information, recipe tips, and more helpful information.
Katie says
I’ve just made this and, holy cow, this was amazing! I totally did not expect much from this, but I was craving cake and this was perfect. Even the batter tasted good, which usually I don’t like the batter of glue free stuff. Thank you for the recipe.
EverydayMaven says
Nice Katie! So happy to hear it worked out for you. 🙂
haseena says
the first time I made this it was rubbery and dry, so the next time I let it cook for 1 minute 30 seconds and it was perfect! Doubled the milk. My friend added yogurt and that was more moist. I also like adding a tablespoon chocolate casein to bump up the protein and flavour. Drizzled with almond butter, this is such a treat. But I even have it for breakfast occasionally 😀 Thanks for the recipe!
EverydayMaven says
This is all about the cook time! So glad you played around and found your perfect “formula”. 🙂
Chelsea says
I just made this for my boyfriend and I as we were craving dessert. I love to bake, but wasn’t interested in pulling out the kitchen aide mixer. The ingredients sounded delicious, but I unfortunately wasn’t impressed. I only cooked it for 2.5 minutes and it was so tough. We could barely cut it with a fork. Neither of us finished it. The other reviews were raving so I am wondering if I overcooked it. Thanks for sharing, it was fun to try!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Chelsea,
Such a bummer! It sounds like it was cooked for too long. Every microwave is so different. Is yours very large or new by any chance? If you are up for remaking it, I suggest trying 1 minute and increasing in increments of 15 seconds from there to get a sense of your microwave. Also, as I said in my notes – believe it or not, the mug can make a difference as well (material + thickness). Either way, sorry it didn’t work out for you and thanks for reading 🙂
Kalika says
This is one of the few mug cake recipes I’ve had luck with. I make it at least once a week. I’m out of eggs and tonight I made it with a mashed banana instead and it turned out delicious and a little fudge-like:)
EverydayMaven says
So glad to hear it Kalika – I love the idea of subbing mashed banana for an egg – I am trying that tonight! Have a great weekend 🙂
Kelcey says
This really hit the spot! I added 1/4 tsp of really good vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon to enhance the chocolate flavor. I was also out of almond milk so substituted water. I am so happy to have stumbled upon this!
EverydayMaven says
So glad to hear it even worked with water! Thanks for letting me know Kelcey 🙂
Sonia says
This was my first time making mug cakes. The flavor was delicious, did come out a little dry, but it was perfect with my coffee!! Will definitely be making more!! 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Hi Sonia!
If your cake was dry, try lessening the microwave time by 15 to 30 seconds. Every microwave is so different!
Beka says
Do you know how much sugar to use instead of maple syrup? I tried 4 tsp of coconut sugar instead and it came out dry like a brick 🙁
EverydayMaven says
Hi Beka,
I always use Maple Syrup when I make mug cakes as the Syrup adds much needed moisture. You could try using more milk but honestly I am not sure since I haven’t tried it.
Katrina says
Yum! I made this tonight and it was a great and perfect treat for me. I sprinkled it with some Enjoy Life chocolate chips–good stuff. Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Katrina – great idea with the Enjoy Life chips on tip – so glad you loved it 🙂