A soft and fluffy single serving carrot cake in a mug is the perfect easy dessert for Easter, or for any other day of the year too!
Why you’ll love this carrot mug cake recipe
- It tastes like restaurant style carrot cake packed with sweet carrots and cinnamon, in the convenient form of a portion controlled mug cake.
- Whip up the entire cake in under five minutes, with no oven required.
- Dairy free, egg free, high protein, high in vitamin A, and just 120 calories.
- Enjoy as a quick and healthy snack, or add frosting and toppings and serve for a decadent after dinner treat. A single serving carrot cake recipe that’s made in the oven or microwave and is secretly good for you? It doesn’t get much better than that!
Also try this reader favorite Chocolate Mug Cake
Step by step recipe video
Carrot cake in a mug ingredients
Flour – You need a fourth cup of flour. I like whole grain spelt flour because it adds nutrition and gives you a lighter texture than whole wheat flour.
Oat flour, cup-for-cup gluten free flour, or white all purpose flour work as well. Almond flour does technically work, but the cake will crumble so it is best to eat this low carb version straight from the mug.
Carrots – It sounds funny, but the easiest option is to buy carrot puree in the baby food aisle of your local grocery store. Alternatively, you can puree canned carrots or steam and then puree peeled fresh carrots in a food processor.
Sweetener – Choose any granulated sugar or granulated sugar free substitute. I like to use minimally processed or unrefined sugar, such as turbinado. White sugar, coconut sugar, or xylitol are also good options. Substituting pure maple syrup or honey will yield a somewhat gummy texture, so keep that in mind if you wish to use a liquid sweetener.
Milk of choice – Use any milk in your refrigerator, including plant based varieties like almond milk or coconut milk. You will also need a tablespoon of oil (coconut oil or vegetable oil), almond butter, or an additional tablespoon of milk for a low fat mug cake.
Vanilla – Look for pure vanilla extract instead of imitation, because it gives you the most natural vanilla flavor. If using vanilla flavored milk, you may omit the vanilla extract.
Spices and dry ingredients – The recipe also calls for half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a fourth teaspoon of baking powder to help with rising, and an eighth teaspoon each of salt and baking soda. Feel free to throw in a small pinch of ground nutmeg or ginger if desired.
How to make the cake
- Begin by greasing a small mug or two small ramekins well. Set aside.
- If you want to bake the mug cake in an oven instead of a microwave, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit or 176° Celsius.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sugar or sweetener, and salt directly into the mug. Stir very well. (If using ramekins instead of a mug, simply combine all ingredients in a cereal sized bowl, then smooth the batter into the prepared dishes.)
- Now stir in the milk, optional oil or almond butter, vanilla extract, and pureed carrots until just evenly mixed.
- Microwave on high power until soft and fluffy. Time will vary by wattage of your machine, and mine takes around two minutes total. Alternatively, bake in an oven safe dish for fifteen minutes or until fully cooked in the center.
- Enjoy straight from the mug. Or let the carrot mug cake cool before going around the sides with a knife to pop the cake out onto a plate.
- If you want to make a cute double layer cake, carefully slice through the middle and frost each layer. Garnish with shredded carrot, diced pecans or walnuts, and raisins as you wish.
Frosting the mini carrot cake
The recipe tastes amazing topped with Coconut Butter or Coconut Whipped Cream.
Or I like to make a basic cream cheese frosting recipe by whipping 2 ounces cream cheese with 1 ounce butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar or monk fruit, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and a few drops milk of choice if needed. (Use plant based cream cheese and butter for a vegan cream cheese frosting.)
This is simply a small batch of the frosting I use on my Carrot Cake Bars.
Carrot cake and frosting are meant for each other. But it need not be cream cheese! You can use almond butter, cashew butter, vanilla yogurt, or a dusting of powdered sugar if preferred.
Carrot Cake In A Mug
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour (30g) (or here's a Keto Carrot Cake)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar or sugar free xylitol (24g)
- 3 tbsp cup carrot puree (jarred or steamed from fresh) (45g)
- 1 tbsp water (15g)
- 1 tbsp oil or almond butter, or additional water (15g)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Grease a small mug or two small ramekins well.
- 2. If baking in the oven instead of a microwave mug cake, preheat the oven to to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius).
- 3. Stir dry ingredients in a cereal bowl or directly in the mug. Then stir in wet ingredients until evenly mixed.
- 4. Microwave on high until soft and fluffy. Time will vary based on wattage. Mine takes around 2 minutes. Or bake in an oven safe dish for 15 minutes or until cooked through the center.
- 5. Enjoy hot out of the mug, or allow the cake to cool before going around the sides with a knife and popping onto a plate.
- 6. For a fun double layer carrot cake in a mug, slice through the middle and frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe included above). Garnish with shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins if desired.
Video
Notes
More easy mug desserts
Could you post some of the most popular recipes in larger portions ie for an an entire cake?! It would be really helpful because I end up just making a ton of small batches!
I added golden raisins, walnuts, dates, and chocolate chips to this recipe. It was absolutely delicious. I also mixed some Tofutti cream cheese, coconut sugar, almond butter, and almond milk to get frosting.
I bet that pureed carrots — like, baby food — would also work! 🙂 Definitely trying this asap!
Gorgeous recipes Katie!
I’m a bit concerned about your ‘ microwave ‘ cooking though. Surely that’s NOT a healthy option nowadays …
Blessings
Kate
After much research because of my mom telling me that microwaves cause cancer and all types of craziness, I found out that microwaving food isn’t bad for you. Take the time, do your research, there’s no need to be fearful of what you don’t know!
If I wanted to use this to make 20 single serving cakes, I suppose I could just double the recipes to 20 times? Correct?
Katie,
There are so many recipes I’d love to bake as soon as I read about them but realize that I haven’t all the ingredients on hand. Would you consider creating a “pantry list” of commonly used ingredients. (I was grocery shopping the other day and I recalled a recipe I wanted to try had dates, so I picked up a package of dates just in case I come by the recipe again!). Thanks!
You can check this out in the Recipe FAQ link at the top of Katie’s blog. Here’s the link:
https://lett-trim.today/faq-page/recipe-questions-and-troubleshooting/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thank you.
This is really good! Just whipped one up – yummo!
Hi
Thanks so much for this! Really wanted to get/make my mum something really nice for Mothers’ Day this year but the problem with cakes is that they’re sometimes really fatty and oily or just not original. Now I can make a little baby cake!! 😮 I’m going to make a love heart stencil and make lots of icing sugar hearts surround the cake on the plate.
Thanks so much again 🙂
When I was little my mother made carrot cake for me each year for my birthday. My birthday wasn’t the same without carrot cake once I started monitoring my sugar intake and not eating “sweets”. This is delicious! I have to double and triple the recipe each time! I grated raw carrots (instead of the cooked canned carrots), added a bit of nutmeg and about 2 tsp. of chopped walnuts, and baked it. The cake was so close to my mom’s that my children were raving over it! Thank you!
Katie! I luv your site! Your recipies are brilliant. So, how do i buy your book already!? I dont see an ebook or hardback. Am i missing something here? Let me know when you’ll be publishing these!
Thx
Erika
Her book is now available! 🙂
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-covered-katie-katie-higgins/1119439699?ean=9781455599707
Sweet efforts. I’ve never cooked with Stevia. Your frosting looks as light as shaving cream, and the cake firm yet soft. Good idea for carrot cake addicts. I imagine you can multiply precisely as needed, but even amounts work best–make two with one egg!
these look absolutely delicious. carrot cake is one of my most favorite desserts but rarely make it because I cannot resist it. this looks much better
What a lifesaver these recipes are- yet to try but look sensational. Can you send me the coconut butter recipe please – I am diary intolerant too.
https://lett-trim.today/2012/06/30/coconut-butter-and-coconut-oil/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Can I substitute the flour for oat flour or protein powder? Which one is healthier?
Once again, you have made my life sweeter!
I’m in the process of dieting and have been going at it since January, and lately my sweet tooth has been driving me insane!!
My friends all ordered carrot cake the other day for lunch, and all I could do was sit there and drool. Today, not being able to take it anymore, I came on here to see if you had any solutions to my problem, and OF COURSE you did!
This recipe took me about ten minutes and not only satiated my belly but pleased my non-dieting hubby. Thank you! I’ll be taking these to school with me from now on for a guilt-free lunch dessert. 😉
After this one the whole office team are fans! Thank you and Muchas Gracias!