People say this fudgy chocolate mug cake recipe is the best mug cake they’ve ever tried. And you can make it in the microwave or oven!
The best chocolate cake in a mug
This is the chocolate mug cake recipe for chocolate lovers.
Rich, decadent, and delicious, the recipe has over two thousand positive reviews from readers who’ve made the chocolate cake and absolutely love it.
So if you’ve been disappointed with other chocolate mug cake recipes in the past, definitely be sure to give this one a try, because it will not disappoint!
Readers also love this Brownie in a Mug
Microwave chocolate mug cake recipe
I could tell you that I labored in front of a hot oven all day baking this cake.
But the reality is that the chocolate mug cake took only one minute.
Yes, really.
And it is made with pantry staple ingredients you can always keep on hand, with no eggs required.
Any time you are craving chocolate, now all you have to do is head to the kitchen and whip up this easy chocolate dessert in the microwave.
You can even portion out the dry ingredients ahead of time and store the chocolate cake mix in small Ziploc bags so the recipe will be even quicker to make when you’re ready to eat.
It’s like chocolate cake meal prep!
For a larger version, try this Vegan Chocolate Cake
Chocolate mug cake flavors
Chocolate Peanut Butter: Omit the oil in the recipe below, and stir in one or two tablespoons of peanut butter (or almond butter) in its place.
Nutella Mug Cake: Instead of oil, add a tablespoon of your favorite chocolate hazelnut spread. I like this Homemade Nutella Recipe. Top with more Nutella!
Chocolate Peppermint: Stir a fourth teaspoon of pure peppermint extract into the liquid ingredients before stirring everything together to form a batter.
Dark Chocolate Coconut: Use coconut oil, and top the finished mug cake with dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and a scoop of Coconut Ice Cream.
Mocha Mug Cake: Stir half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules, regular or decaf, in with the cake’s dry ingredients.
Chocolate Orange: Add one teaspoon of orange zest to the mug before stirring.
What is your dream single serving mug cake flavor? If there are any other ideas you’d like to see that I do not have listed above, definitely let me know!
Frosting options
Feel free to decorate your single serving chocolate cake with shredded coconut, chopped walnuts or pecans, mini chocolate chips, hot fudge sauce or caramel sauce.
I used this homemade Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Or you can frost the cake however you wish, such as with store bought or homemade vanilla or chocolate frosting, powdered sugar or melted chocolate, sliced bananas, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, or raspberry jam.
It’s also wonderful topped with Coconut Whipped Cream or Almond Milk Ice Cream.
Chocolate mug cake recipe video
Above, watch the step-by-step video
How to make a chocolate mug cake
Step One: Start by combining all of the dry ingredients in a cereal bowl or small dish. Stir very well, to ensure the salt and baking powder are evenly distributed.
Step Two: Add liquid, stir to form a chocolate cake batter, and pour the batter into a microwave or oven safe dish, ramekin, or coffee mug.
Especially if you are not planning to eat the cake straight out of the mug, be sure to grease the dish well before adding the batter.
Step Three: Microwave for thirty to forty seconds. Mine is always fluffy and cooked through after this time, but you may need to cook longer depending on your microwave’s wattage.
Or bake the mug cake in the oven for fourteen minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.
Step Four: Frost the top of the chocolatey dessert and enjoy. To store leftovers… Wait, what leftovers?
Mug cake recipe ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the single serving recipe: cocoa, flour, sweetener, salt, baking powder, milk of choice, pure vanilla extract, and oil or banana.
Cocoa powder – Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder for the first tablespoon of cocoa. Dutch cocoa powder, hot chocolate mix, or additional regular unsweetened cocoa can be used for the two teaspoons.
Flour – The recipe works well with white flour, oat flour, all purpose gluten free flour, or spelt flour (my personal preference). I have not tried it with any other options such as whole wheat flour or pastry flour.
A keto mug cake version with almond flour is also included in the recipe box below.
Sweetener – This can be granulated sugar or unrefined coconut sugar or a liquid option like pure maple syrup or honey.
For a sugar free mug cake, use xylitol or granulated erythritol. Stevia technically works, but the flavor and texture are better if you go with one of the other options listed here.
Fat source – I think the cake tastes best made with coconut oil. My second favorite choice is peanut butter or almond butter. Vegetable oil is also fine to use.
If you want a low fat or fat free mug cake, many readers have written in to say it works to substitute applesauce, Greek yogurt, sweet potato, pumpkin, or mashed banana. I much prefer the taste with some fat added, but that is a personal taste preference.
Vegan chocolate mug cake
The mug cake is already naturally eggless, which means it is super easy to create a dairy free and vegan version.
Just use a plant based milk, such as coconut milk, soy milk, or almond milk. If topping with chocolate chips, ice cream, or frosting, choose vegan options for those as well.
For a gluten free chocolate mug cake, use either oat flour or gluten free all purpose flour. If you experiment with any other gluten free flours, let me know how it goes.
You may also like these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp Dutch cocoa powder or additional regular
- 3 tbsp flour spelt, white, oat, or all purpose gluten free (or try this Keto Mug Cake Recipe)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sweetener of choice
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 tsp oil or nut butter (While I much prefer the version with fat, many commenters say they love substituting applesauce or mashed banana here)
- 3 tbsp milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- How to make a chocolate mug cake recipe: Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. Add liquid, stir, then transfer to a little dish, ramekin, or even a coffee mug. Either microwave 30-60 seconds (time will depend on your microwave's wattage) OR cook in a preheated 350 F oven for about 14 minutes. If you don’t want to eat it straight out of the dish, be sure to spray your dish first and then wait for the mug cake to cool before trying to remove it. Frosting ideas are listed above in the post!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Easy Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Hi! First things first, I love your blog Katie! I’m really really health conscious so these healthy desserts are a dream come true. I need some advice. I have this friend who is completely convinced that “organic” and “healthy” are synonyms for DISGUSTING. Her birthday is this friday and I want to make her an amazing dessert that is really healthy. Her favorite flavors are peanut butter and chocolate together, so I was thinking about making your reese’s pieces frosting with this cake. My friend only likes really moist chocolate cakes, and I was wondering if this comes out moist? Thanks!! 🙂
Hmmm… it’s not the most moist cake ever. I’m like your friend, actually. I don’t like cake-y cakes. The Deep-Dish Cookie Pie or the Chocolate Bar Pie (my favorite) are much softer/less cake-y.
I was actually thinking about making the deep dish cookie pie, but
1) I promised her something with peanut butter and chocolate
2) She hates beans, and I’m afraid she’ll be able to taste the garbanzo
I’m thinking about making the peanut butter filling for the Reese’s eggs, putting it between two slices of chocolate cupcake (if I can find a single cupcake recipe xD) and covering the whole thing in chocolate in a muffin tin to make a mini reese’s cup cake. Would the chocolate in your recipe for the Reese’s egg stay relatively hard outside of a fridge?
I also had a question about Mori- nu… Do you think I’d be able to find it at Whole Foods? Also, I saw on the website that I can buy 12 packs for 23 dollars… is that a pretty fair price compared to what you pay buying it at a store? Sorry for the long post, and thanks!! 🙂
Sorry, the chocolate melts at room temp because of the coconut oil :(.
And you should be able to find the mori nu at whole foods. Ask them if you don’t see it!
Your recipes are amazing! As I no longer own a microwave I was wondering if it would be possible to make this in my simple little toaster oven? Has anyone tried this method? Would love to know 🙂 Thank you for your recipes,my 4 year old is going to love the larabar recipes!
I think some of the commenters have… I haven’t though. If you try it, let me know how it goes! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work :).
FINALLY tried your version of micro chocolate cake in a mug. I want to tweak it a little since I *hate* the taste of Stevia (but *love* the calorie savings by going splitsies with the real and fake sweeteners), but the texture is very awesome and I am impressed. Another hit, Katie! 😀
Katie, I literally had a dream about this cake last night! I made it for the first time right before bed and it was so delicious it stayed on my mind all night haha. Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe! I’m making it for my mom today for a special mini mother’s day cake. You’re the best!
Used Slimsweet (Trimedica) instead of the stevia & sugar (same measurements) and came out great (no bitter aftertaste) and truly sugar free!! As well as adding the 3 ingredient chocolate broken into pieces and it’s my “diet” go to chocolate craving killer!
Oh. My. Word. I know I’m a little late jumping on the bandwagon but I just learned of your blog a couple weeks ago. THIS IS SO GOOD. It hits the chocolate craving-BAM!!-right where it always seems to be and nips it in the bud. You’re a genius. This combined with your cookie cake makes me heap thanks on you, Lady.
This is soooo good!!!
this is agreat recipe, but when i used a different recipe calculator (calorie count.about.com) the calorie count was 330? this is using sugar and oil but even then its less than your calculation, just wondering if i’m missing something?
This is by far the best microwave chocolate cake ever. I’ve tried other recepies and they come out dry and with an odd texture, but yours was so moist and delicious! It was perfection(: thanks so much!
I have to tell you, my 3 year old made this all by herself the other day! she was SOOO proud. I had to help get her supplies together. But she dumped, poured, mixed and “cooked” (in the microwave) all by herself. Thank you. I love that she can have a “treat” that is healthy and do it herself.
Aww that is so cute! I think that just made my morning!
Omgosh, you are a genius!!! I was craving for chocolate cake and made this. Had an intense chocolate flavor and definitely hit the spot! Thank you!!! ♥♥♥
Even though I was an idiot and forgot the flour, this is still super yummy!! Kinda like hot fudge soup. I’ll make it again the right way… or maybe I’ll just keep it like this.
Hi Katie,
Your blog is awesome, I have coeliac disease AND am interested in healthy versions of chocolate treats!! When i discovered i could make cake out of chickpeas I nearly exploded. Anyway, I just tried this cake with the following recipe, gluten free and i’m trying to cut down a bit on fat due to the fact i eat so many avocados. Not sure if anyone has done the same but here is what I did, not that much difference from your recipe:
1 tbsp + 2tsp Cocoa powder
3 tbsp gf mix flour (not sure if i’m able to say the brand..let’s just say it rhymes with Pob’s and begins with a b)
1/4 tsp baking powder (gf)
bit of salt
a banana
2 tsp Agave nectar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
I whacked it all in the blender and then shoved it in the micro for 1 min, checked it and then did another 30sec (I think my microwave is from the 1970’s…or it could be the mixture differs) and voila, a yummy gooey-ish cake!! I waited for it to cool down a bit then had it with some natural yoghurt (i’m not vegan) and some blueberries…i’m thinking of making another one and having it for breakfast!
Cheers!
Congratulations! 🙂
This is a very dangerous cake, I must say! very dangerous indeed..so easy to make and so good!
I actually only used 2,5teaspoons of sugar and no frosting, I thought it was really good (my soya milk has a bit of sweetness though). So good that three hours later I made another one, buuuut I left out the cocoa powder and added about 1/4t of poppy seeds, some lemon zest and about 1t of lemon juice (reducing the other liquids) and it came out gorgeous.
This has just become my to go recipe for a quick and delicious fix of chocolate and I cant wait to continue experimenting with it… cinnamon and pumpkin pure or applesauce or carrot pure for some autumn feel. I think I will do one just now 🙂
Brilliant idea of a cake, thank you!!
I used almond flour and it turned out as a cake rather than pudding as reported by some readers! 30 seconds on high= pudding-y, 40 seconds on high= cake. 35 seconds creates a sort of chocolate fondant thing- half pudding, half cake.
However I did a lot of recipe changing to suit my diet and taste- didn’t use sugar or stevia, used 2 tbsp of egg white instead of oil and used soy milk.