Chocolate Mug Cake (gluten-free, paleo)
An easy, delicious and healthy chocolate mug cake that’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo. I think it’s the best chocolate mug cake recipe out there.
I remember scrolling through the TV a while back and seeing something on one of those daytime talk shows about “mug food.” Meaning, things you could microwave in a mug (ie – mug cakes, pizzas, etc). I may have chuckled out loud. And figured it was the latest novelty that’d be here today, gone tomorrow.
But a funny thing happened the other day. I got a massive craving for chocolate cake. And while I actually contemplated baking an entire chocolate cake…my brain *thankfully* kiboshed that notion. Phew. Because you guys know that I have no will power, so an entire chocolate cake sitting on the counter staring at me all day was just the worst of bad ideas. Especially with Christmas indulgence happening next week.
Watch this quick video of my Chocolate Mug Cake recipe
It’s easy to make this mug cake, but it always helps to watch a step-by-step tutorial video. And you can subscribe to my YouTube Channel for weekly cooking videos.
Sooo, I decided to investigate this whole easy chocolate mug cake phenomenon. I mean, could you really bake a chocolate cake in a mug? And have it turn out halfway decent? Hmm. I was doubtful, but up to the challenge. Thus began my adventure to make not only the best chocolate mug cake (obviously), but one that’s gluten-free and paleo-friendly. A healthy chocolate mug cake if you will.
Are you ready to hear the end result? Not only did my mug cake turn out, but it’s damn good as well! Like a real deal chocolate cake. In a mug. Holy smokes! You guys have no idea how much the wheels in my brain are turning with new recipe ideas now.
The Best Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake
So let’s chat quickly why I’m loving this recipe. First, it’s perfectly portioned. Which means if it’s 9pm and you get a hardcore craving for chocolate cake (ahem), you can whip this thing up in less than two minutes to get an individual chocolate cake the size of a cupcake.
Next, which I just mentioned above, is that it’s seriously done, cooked, baked in less than two minutes in the microwave. I actually debated calling this recipe a 2-minute chocolate mug cake, but since each person’s microwave wattage and power differs…I didn’t want to hang my hat on that two minute mark. For me, I’ve found my chocolate mug cake cooks best at one minute thirty seconds. But you’ll have to play around with yours a bit to find that perfect cook time.
Lastly, this thing is healthy. Seriously. The ingredients are super simple and clean – almond flour, raw cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, coconut oil and an egg. Yep, it has no milk, so it’s dairy-free.
I did attempt it without the egg (switching the other ingredients around a bit) as I saw some reviewers say that the egg made it chewy, but those reviews were for mug cakes using wheat flour. And wheat flour (which contains gluten) already has binding and chewiness to it. Since we’re using almond flour, I’d say the egg is definitely needed.
Here’s a Few Other Chocolate Mug Cake Tips
- Don’t use a huge mug as it’ll dwarf the cake. Well, I guess it’s fine if you’re just cooking for yourself, but if you’re presenting these as dessert I’d stick to a smaller mug. I switched to smaller 9-oz coffee mugs (pictured), which were the perfect size.
- You can absolutely mix everything together in the mug you’re gonna use. But I find it’s easier to mix it in a measuring cup, then pour it into the mug.
- If you’re watching the mug cake cook in the microwave, you’ll see it shoot straight up like a cylinder (or soufflé) as it cooks. Don’t be alarmed. As it cools, it just collapses right back down again.
- These cakes will be HOT when you take them out of the microwave. Let them cool for a couple of minutes before digging in.
- Play around with the cook time that works best for your microwave – which could range from 45 seconds to 2 minutes. Less time and they’ll be more moist and brownie-like.
Lastly, get creative with add-ins, like a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips, a sprinkle of cinnamon or some grated orange (yum). You can also dust the top with organic powdered sugar and fresh berries.
For more gluten-free and paleo chocolate desserts, make sure to check out my Amazing Paleo Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chia Pudding, Flourless Chocolate Cake (nut-free!), Black Forest Mug Cake, Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Hazelnuts and Sea Salt, Molten Chocolate Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream, Chocolate Covered Bananas and Paleo Brownies. Enjoy!
Chocolate Mug Cake (gluten-free, paleo)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Optional Toppings
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Organic Powdered Sugar
- Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and other fruit
- Chocolate Chips
- Zested orange
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a measuring cup.
- Pour the batter into your mug and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.
- Enjoy plain or top with coconut whipped cream, powdered sugar or berries.
Lisa's Tips
- Make sure to read the tips above and watch the video for a chocolate mug cake that turns out perfect every time!
- If you would like to use the oven instead of microwave, you can bake this in a 3 inch ramekin at 375 degrees Farenheit for 20 minutes. But, if you don't want to just bake one mug cake and utilize your entire oven space, then I suggest making my Molten Chocolate Cake
Nutrition
Recipe originally posted December 2016 and updated May 2017 to include the video.
Very good! Just the right amount of sweetness & so simple to make. Great recipe 😃
Hi Jenie – Wonderful! This really is the perfect chocolate treat :)
This recipe is super good! The texture is so on point (unlike many other cup cakes)! Not too sweet, very chocolaty, with a sweet hint of coconut. Made it many times during quarantine 😆 I also like to add a pinch of salt to mine! And sometimes a bit of ground coffee, both work well!
You can never go wrong with a pinch of salt :) Glad you loved this mug cake!
This was fantastic! Could I replace the maple syrup with Stevia? Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Tonya- I believe you can! But you might have to play around with the amount as stevia has a different amount of sweetness :)
Since I am not a fan of microwaves I baked it in a tiny glass dish for 15 min and it came out moist and smelled like a mini chocolate cake :) It was not very sweet so I topped it with some raspberries and I imagine a scoop of vanilla ice cream would do as well!
I really like the combination of almond flour+egg and I think a it would work well with some chocolate chips, like a mini brownie so I am gonna try that next time :) if you make one portion like this, you can experiment and try something different like every day! :D everything mini is better, especially if something wouldn’t work out, hihi
Hi Barbora- Sounds great with raspberries and vanilla ice cream! Happy to hear you enjoyed this one :)
I used carob powder instead of cacao, hazelnut meal in place of almond and macadamia oil in place of coconut. It came out really well! Very sweet on account of the carob + maple syrup but that works for me and the hazelnut meal gave it a nutella kind of flavour which was lovely.
Hi Meg- Interesting substitutions! Glad the recipe turned out great :)
I really want to make this however I can not figure out whether you used unsweetened or sweetened cocoa powder? Also did the cake come out kind of sweet because I don’t really enjoy non sweet cakes :))
Hi there! I normally use unsweetened cacao powder. And this cake is sweet enough for me, but if you’re someone who likes things more on the sweeter side, you can use sweetened cacao powder instead :)
I agree, this is definitely the best chocolate mug cake out there. I am not gluten-free or paleo but this recipe takes the cake (mug-cake that is). Its simple and delicious. I have made the mug cake as per the recipe and also a slightly lighter version with only one tablespoon of cocoa powder and one tablespoon of maple syrup; both are fantastic. I was worried that the whole egg would make the end result taste too “eggy” but I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t. I love Downshiftology for all your clean, simple, and delicious recipes.
Hi Dawn – I’m glad you enjoyed this mug cake so much! Can’t wait for you to try a few of my other baking recipes :)
I made this tonight and it was so easy. I will make this again and again.
It satisfied my chocolate craving but not my sweet tooth. I added powdered sugar on top but that did not help. The cake was still a little bitter. I will add some stevia next time or maybe use some agave, as I said I will be making this again and again.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Geri- Glad you loved thus mug cake recipe! It’s the perfect quick chocolate treat and definitely a Downshiftology favorite.
You know, it’s not bad. I am not following a keto diet, but I am gluten free. I added some chopped chocolate (and sweetened it up a bit). It was good, but it needed some more lift to give it more of a cake-like structure. When I tried it again, I added 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and that gave this mug cake a very light, fluffy texture despite being high in protein. I highly recommend this change. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Shauna – Thanks for the quick tip! Glad the extra bit of baking powder helped your cake to rise.
So quick and simple and a lovely little after-dinner treat without being too naughty. It took a couple of tried to work out exactly when to stop the microwave so it stayed moist, but I didn’t mind having to eat all the failed ones first. Haha.
Hi Courtney – This is definitely the perfect little chocolate treat :)
Thank you, this sounds incredible, I can’t wait to try it! Would it work to use raw cacao nibs instead of powder do you think? 🤔
Hi Rebecca – no, you do need to use powder in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
I found it very dry but nice flavour…followed recipe exactly. A bit of a shame the dryness ruined my first sweet experience in a while
Sorry to hear that. As I mentioned in the post, every microwave oven cooks a bit differently due to different wattages. I’d recommend reducing the amount of time you cook next time, for a more fudgy texture.
Quick and delicious recipe! I have made other mug cakes before that have been terrible but this one has turned out well twice! I microwaved for a minute and a half and topped with some vanilla almond milk and a bit of raspberry jam (low on fresh fruit at the moment!)
Thank you for the delicious dairy and gluten free treat!
Hi there- I’m so glad you found a chocolate mug cake recipe that works for you! Love the additional toppings you put on this as well :)
Delicious Lisa! Topped ours with raspberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Can’t wait to make this again! Thank you!
Hi Monica- Sounds absolutely delicious with berries and ice cream :) Always a perfect combo.
Another winning recipe! A perfect chocolate fix for the “stay at home“ time we’re in. Super easy and everything is in the pantry. I added chocolate chips to make it extra chocolatey. Plus there’s no leftovers to be tempted to eat later. Thank you Lisa!
Hi Jacquely- This is definitely one of my go-to chocolate recipes as well for a quick chocolate fix :)
I just made this, and it is delicious!! But I wanted it to be healthier, sugar-wise. So I only used 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and used almond extract, because I’m running low on vanilla extract.
I topped it with coconut whipped cream, and a “chocolate donut” seasoning from Flavorgod. It came out so good!! Thank you!!
Hi Lexi – Awesome! Glad you enjoyed this mug cake and I love the additional toppings you used :)
Do you think I can leave out the maple syrup and just use dark chocolate chips instead? I don’t want to use refined sugar nor do I have maple syrup or agave syrup. I’d love to try soon
Hi Camille – I haven’t tried this without maple syrup, but you can definitely try. However, with most chocolate desserts, you will need a smidge of sugar to counterbalance the richness of the chocolate.
I made this with no added sweetener as I am on a sugar ban right now.
Instead, I dialled back the cocoa a little, added dessicated coconut, a tiny pinch of sea salt flakes and served with yoghurt. After ten days without any sugar, this variation was naturally sweet enough for me and provided that chocolate hit i was missing.
This cake is good! I doubled the recipe and did two in the microwave. I do think you need to eat it with ice cream or jam. I’ve tried both and they add a little more sweetness.
Hi Natasha- You can never go wrong with ice cream and chocolate :)
It was so goood ! It’s the perfect quick dessert recipe i needed ! Thank you 🙏🏼
Hi Amra – Wonderful! This really is the perfect quick chocolate treat :)
Hi Lisa, just wondering if I can use a flax egg?
Hi Rocco- I haven’t tried using a flax egg, but I’m sure it would work just fine!
Hi Lisa
Thank you for the lovely recipes. Could you use liquid stevia in this mug cake and if yes, how much would you recommend please?
Hi Gel – I’m sure you could, but you might need to add a little more liquid to balance the wet/dry ratio. And I don’t use liquid stevia so I’d just add to taste. :)
I just made this and it’s super good! My microwave is a low wattage so I cooked my cake for 2 minutes. Fluffy, fudgey, and moist! It’s very rich but I like that. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe… currently stuck in this whole lockdown and I was craving cake!!!
Hi Mallory – So glad this caked turned out so moist and fluffy! Definitely a go-to chocolate recipe for when you’re craving it :)
I love this recipe! I’ve already made the chocolate mug cake a few times. It’s quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious! I have topped it raspberry chia jam recipe. :)
Hi Annette – Wonderful! This definitely is a great recipe to pair back with the chia jam :)
Have made this several times and it’s so good!! First time I microwaved it for 1 min 30 seconds and it was too dry. So the last two times I’ve done 1 min and it’s the perfect fudgey moist texture! I recently switched to a paleo diet and this has been perfect for those chocolate cravings! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi April – So happy you enjoyed this chocolate treat! Can’t wait for you to whip up tons more of my paleo recipes now :)
Delicious and Easy! Not overly sweet… just sweet enough. My coconut oil was in solid form and that didn’t seem to make a difference.
Hi Arian – Such a great and easy chocolate recipe to keep on hand :)
This could not be any easier! It is the perfect quick dessert to cure a chocolate craving. You literally dump, mix, and microwave. It is rich but doesn’t feel bad for you because the ingredients aren’t that bad for you! Another hit!
Hi Sharon – This really is the best chocolate treat since you can make it in under 10 minutes!
Can I use agave instead of maple syrup?
Hi Sherry – Yes, you can use agave :)
Was so easy and so good!! Perfect healthier treat for that sugar craving
Hi Madison – It really is the best quick little chocolate treat :)
Hi Lisa,
Can any flour be used? I.e. a gluten free baking flour mix?
Thanks!
Hi Reenie – I’ve only tested this recipe with almond flour and each GF flour bakes differently, but you can certainly give it a try with a GF flour blend. If it works well, let us know! :)
So good! I enjoy your recipes! How much erythritol should I use instead of maple syrup?
Simple, easy to follow recipe and yum!!!!!
Hi Mary – So glad you found this recipe easy and delicious :)
That was good, rich and decadent. Added a few chocolate chips and it actually veered towards too chocolatey- if there is such a thing! Thanks!
Hi Sarah- I’m so glad you loved these mug cakes! Yep, this recipe is already super chocolatey, so adding chocolate chips might be a bit sweet!
Just made this and my mind is blown. So easy and delicious and pretty healthy too. I’m genuinely worried I won’t be able to stop myself making one of these every day.
I did 1.5 minutes and wish it was a little fudgier so I’d say listen to Lisa – do 45 seconds, see how it’s going and then more if necessary.
Hi Alex – It’s definitely a dangerous chocolate treat because of how easy it is!
Yum yum yum!! Easy to follow and delish.
Hi Gina – This seriously is the best quick chocolate recipe :)