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    Home / Desserts

    Almond Flour Mug Cake

    Last updated: Jan 25, 2023 · Published: Jan 19, 2023 by Elizabeth Shah. This page may contain affiliate links.

    60 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This gooey, chocolatey vegan almond flour mug cake bakes right in the microwave. An easy, healthy dessert ready in just 5 minutes!

    This healthy mug cake recipe is gluten free, oil free, refined sugar free, and refined flour free. Just like my almond flour molasses cookies and almond flour lemon pound cake, it's also dairy free and egg free. And it tastes absolutely, decadently, delicious!

    Close up of mug cake with whipped topping.
    Chocolate almond flour mug cake with aquafaba whipped topping.
    Jump to:
    • What I love about this chocolate lava mug cake
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Pro tips
    • Substitutions and variations
    • How to serve this cake
    • FAQs
    • More whole food, plant-based desserts
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    What I love about this chocolate lava mug cake

    First, I love how ridiculously simple this cake recipe is. In 5 minutes, I can have a chocolatey desert ready with just: 1 measuring cup, 2 measuring spoons, 1 mug, and a microwave.

    (Actually, I kind of love/hate this, because it's almost too easy to make desert now!)

    Toss in some chocolate chips (optional), and you have an ooey, gooey, chocolate lava cake--straight out of your microwave! With the chocolate chips, the texture is somewhere between a cake and a vegan mug brownie.

    Finally, I love how simple it is to make a little, 'personal' cake with no eggs, no dairy milk and no oil. Everything about this recipe is healthy, and trust me, you'll never miss the bad stuff.

    Ingredients

    • almond flour - I have not tried this recipe with other flour.
    • cacao powder - or substitute cocoa powder.
    • cornstarch
    • baking powder
    • maple syrup or date syrup
    • vanilla
    • pink Himalayan salt - omit if sodium free
    • plain, unsweetened plant milk 
    • dark chocolate chips (optional) - choose vegan/dairy free. 
    Ingredients.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Follow these photos and instructions to help make it great, every time. Please also see the full recipe card at the bottom of this page.

    Whisking dry ingredients in a mug.

    Step 1. Add the dry ingredients to a mug, and whisk well to eliminate any lumps.

    Stirring wet ingredients and chocolate chips with a spoon.

    Step 2. Stir in the wet ingredients. Then add chocolate chips if using. Next, cook in the microwave, and enjoy!

    Pro tips

    Texture/doneness. You can adjust the texture of the cake by adjusting the cooking time. In my microwave, 1 minute on high power resulted in a moist, somewhat gooey cake. Another 15 to 30 seconds gives you a firmer cake. I recommend starting with 1 minute, then adding time in intervals of 15 seconds, if desired.

    Also, the mug cake will firm up as it cools, so you can simply let it rest rather than cooking longer, if preferred.

    I personally prefer my mug cake a bit underdone and gooey and warm--straight out of the microwave!

    Chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are optional in this recipe, as they add some saturated fat and aren't healthy for some people. But I do enjoy them occasionally, in small quantities, and they make this cake fudgey, almost the consistency of a mug brownie. So I recommend them unless your diet restricts them.

    If you choose not to use them, you can add a bit more plant milk for a moister cake, if desired.

    Salt. You can skip the salt here, but I find just a pinch really enhances and complements the chocolate in this recipe.

    Time saving. While it's best to whisk the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ones, this isn't absolutely necessary. When I'm in a hurry, I just dump everything in and stir well to eliminate as many lumps as possible.

    Note: I do like to use a whisk to break up lumps in the dry ingredients, then switch to a spoon, as it's easier to get all the finished batter off the spoon than the whisk.

    This recipe also saves time by using just 1 measuring cup and 2 measuring spoons, plus the mug. So you clean up is a breeze, since you don't have too many dirty dishes!

    Close up of mug cake with powdered sugar topping.
    Chocolate mug cake with powdered sugar made from erythritol and cornstarch.

    Substitutions and variations

    Check out these ideas for ingredient substitutions, and creative ways to adapt this recipe to your liking. I haven't tried all of these myself, but please give them a try if you don't have everything you need on hand or just like to experiment.

    Substitutions

    • Cacao - I use cacao because it's full of healthful antioxidants, but you can substitute cocoa powder.
    • Maple syrup or date syrup - both work well here, though maple syrup is a bit sweeter, and date syrup has more nutrients.
    • Almond flour - this recipe was specifically designed to use gluten free almond flour, so I can't recommend a substitution at this time. If you do want to try another flour, I'd recommend eliminating the cornstarch. I use it here to help the dry ingredients bind to the wet, as almond flour doesn't soak up wet ingredients.
    • Chocolate chips - I like to use cacao nibs in place of dark chocolate chips for a healthier dessert. Note, they are a bit bitter, so use sparingly.

    Variations

    • Orange zest chocolate mug cake - add a tablespoon of orange zest to the cake for a bright note of citrus flavor.
    • Raspberry chocolate cake --toss in a few fresh chopped raspberries.
    • Walnuts or hazelnuts - toss in a tablespoon of finely chopped nuts.
    • Peanut butter chocolate cake - swirl a tablespoon of peanut butter into the cake batter.
    • Dark chocolate-coffee cake - replace 1 tablespoon of plant milk with espresso or strong coffee.

    How to serve this cake

    We like to eat this cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar made from erythritol and arrowroot powder. Or, for a creamy, fancy presentation, we sometimes top it with some aquafaba whipped cream.

    But probably my all time favorite way to enjoy this chocolatey cake is hot and gooey, and topped with a small scoop of plant-based vanilla ice cream. Yum!

    FAQs

    Why do mug cakes turn out mushy?

    A mushy mug cake happens when the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is off, or the recipe doesn't use the right ingredients. Also, a very undercooked mug cake can be mushy. This recipe was tested with several ingredient ratios and cooking times, until I felt it was just the right combination of gooey and cakey. 🙂

    What's the difference between almond flour and other flours?

    Almond flour is finely ground nuts (almonds!) rather than a grain, as is the case with traditional flours. It's naturally gluten free.

    However, it is higher in fat--though almonds are a healthy source of fat--and does not behave like other flours when baking. For example, it doesn't absorb wet ingredients like traditional flours do. It also tends to cook/burn faster.

    For these reasons, you can't simply swap almond flour for other flours in recipes.

    Is this mug cake healthy?

    This almond flour mug cake is made with unrefined, whole food, plant-based ingredients. It is perfectly healthy as an occasional treat--unless you have a nut allergy or need to follow a very low fat diet for health reasons.

    How to store/freeze this recipe

    Cover and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. I have not tried freezing it, but imagine you could store in the freezer for up to a month in an airtight container.

    Happy, whole food plant-based cooking, y'all!

    -Elizabeth xo

    I LOVE hearing from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram  or  Pinterest, or drop me a note in the comments.

    More whole food, plant-based desserts

    • Close up bowl of aquafaba whipped cream.
      Aquafaba Whipped Cream
    • Vegan Pound Cake with Lemon Icing
    • Vegan molasses ginger cookies on marble countertop.
      Vegan Molasses Ginger Cookies
    • Healthy Apple Crisp - 4 Ingredients

    📖 Recipe

    almond flour mug cake with spoon and whipped topping.

    Almond Flour Mug Cake

    This gooey, chocolatey vegan almond flour mug cake bakes right in the microwave. An easy, healthy dessert ready in just 5 minutes!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print SaveSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 4 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 minute minute
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 203kcal
    Author: Elizabeth Shah

    Equipment

    Microwave oven (I have not tried this in a conventional oven.)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup almond flour I have not tried this recipe with other flour. See notes.
    • 2 tbs cacao powder or substitute cocoa powder.
    • 2 tbs cornstarch
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 tbs maple syrup or date syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 tablespoon +/- plain, unsweetened plant milk Use up to 1 tablespoon extra to thin the batter if needed. See notes.
    • pinch pink Himalayan salt (skip for sodium free)
    • 1.5 tablespoon dark chocolate chips (optional) choose dairy free. Reserve 5-6 for the top, if desired. See notes.

    Instructions

    • Add the dry ingredients to an 8 ounce or larger microwave safe mug or ramekin. Whisk together to eliminate any lumps. (See notes.)
    • Add the wet ingredients, and stir well to combine.
    • Stir in the optional chocolate chips, if using. Add the 5-6 reserved chips to the top.
    • Microwave on high power for 1 minutes for a moist, gooey cake. Add time in 15 second increments for a firmer cake. Note: the mug cake will firm up as it cools or in the fridge if leftover.

    Notes

    See the Pro Tips in the article above for additional tips. 
    Why 2 servings? I made this several times before calculating the nutritional content, and I found it very hard to finish an entire recipe myself. When I ran the calculation, I saw why! One recipe is over 400 calories. So I recommend sharing it with someone, or just saving half for the next day. I have not tried making ½ the recipe, but if you cook in 15 second increments, you should be able to find an appropriate time that works for your microwave. 
    Almond flour. This recipe was specifically created to use almond flour, and I haven't experimented with other flours, so can't recommend them at this time. Almond flour requires other starches (flour or cornstarch, for example) to soak up the wet ingredients, so you can't simply do a 1:1 swap. 
    Dry and wet ingredient steps. It's easier to eliminate lumps when you do this in 2 steps, however, it's fine to just place everything in the cup and stir together. Just do your best to eliminate all of the lumps. 
    Batter thickness. Depending on the brand of cornstarch I used, and the desired density of the cake, I found it necessary to use anywhere between 2-3 tablespoons of plant milk. The batter should be thinner than frosting, but not so thin you can pour it. 
    Chocolate chips. Adding them to the mug cake will make it extra chocolatey, and ooey-gooey. But you can eliminate the saturated fat and save about 40 calories (total recipe) if  you leave them out. 

    Nutrition (approximate)

    Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0.04mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Please share it!Mention @HealthyMidwesternGirl or tag #HealthyMidwesternGirl!

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    60 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rebecca

      January 20, 2023 at 4:10 am

      5 stars
      Hi Elizabeth,

      Love this recipe, just need to mention that under the instructions, it's stated at nr. 4 at in 15 minutes increment after the 1 minute. Typo?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Shah

        January 20, 2023 at 10:15 am

        Hi Rebecca, Yes! You are right, it should say seconds and I've corrected that. Thanks so much! Apparently, I'm not used to writing recipes for food that cooks in seconds rather than minutes :)))))

        Reply
        • Clara

          November 09, 2023 at 2:48 pm

          5 stars
          Hey! I've just tried the recipe
          And after 1 min, came out perfectly, perfect consistency and sooooo gooey and chocolatey and moist!!! Good job on this recipe 👌

          Reply
          • Elizabeth Shah

            November 10, 2023 at 12:25 pm

            So glad you liked it!

            Reply

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    Hi, I'm Elizabeth Shah

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