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This healthy mug cake is rich, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. Low in calories, it’s made with no eggs or butter and ready in under a minute!
Love mug cake recipes? Try my peanut butter mug cake, coffee mug cake, and protein mug cake next.
Watching my calories doesn’t mean I say goodbye to sweets. Quite the contrary, actually.
My low calorie mug cake has been a staple in our house for quite a while. It’s easy to make and allows me to satisfy my chocolate cravings without going overboard.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Microwave and oven instructions. I prefer the microwave method since it’s quick, but if I’m making 2-3 mug cakes at a time, I’ll typically use the oven. So, I included instructions for both.
- Secretly diet-friendly. Without even trying, this mug cake is dairy-free, vegan, AND easy to make gluten-free or low-carb if needed.
- It’s just so easy. Just mix all the ingredients together and pop it in the microwave. One minute later, and voila! A mini chocolate cake all for yourself.
- Customizable. This recipe has plenty of wiggle room to swap the ingredients or change the flavor.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Wow, this turned out so good! Perfect dessert to help with a sweet tooth when you are dieting and so easy!” – Casha
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour. Also known as plain flour. Be sure to sift it thoroughly if your flour has clumps.
- Sugar OR sugar substitute. To keep the calories super low and the mug cake sugar-free, opt for a sugar substitute (granulated). If you are fine with some sugar, any works- brown, white, coconut sugar, etc.
- Cocoa Powder. To give the mug cake the chocolate flavor, use good-quality cocoa powder to really bring out the flavor.
- Baking soda. To give the mug cake some rise and texture!
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness, especially in cakes.
- Oil of choice. For the rich texture of the cake. Oil also replaces the need for any butter or margarine.
- White vinegar. It acts as a leavening agent, especially when mixed with baking soda.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any baked good or cake!
- Water. To bind the ingredients. I also tested using unsweetened almond milk, but I didn’t notice a big flavor difference, so I used water to keep the calories lower.
- Espresso powder. Optional, but I find it enhances the chocolate flavor without imparting strong coffee flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips. Another optional mix-in, but as you can imagine, chocolate chips make everything taste better!
How to make a low calorie mug cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Grease a microwave-safe mug or ramekin with cooking spray.
Step 2- Make the batter. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips if using.
Step 3- Microwave. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and let sit for 30 seconds before enjoying.
How to make this in the oven
If you’d rather make the healthy mug cake in the oven, you certainly can. Simply grease an oven-safe ramekin or small baking dish (4 or 6 inches) with cooking spray. Make the cake batter and pour it into the ramekin. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let it sit for a minute before enjoying.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid overcooking. Everyone’s microwave models differ, so I suggest microwaving the mug cakes in 30-second intervals. After a minute, if the cake feels slightly soft, let it sit for 30 seconds and see if it firms up. If not, continue microwaving in 15-second intervals until done.
- Use a bigger mug or cereal bowl if you’re worried the cake will overflow as it expands.
- If the batter is too thick, add a splash of milk.
Variations
- Make it extra gooey. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of water and reduce the cooking time to 45 seconds or until the tops are just barely done.
- Cut the carbs. Use a keto brown sugar substitute and sugar-free chocolate chips.
- Make it fat-free. Swap the oil for unsweetened applesauce.
- Enhance the flavor. Fold in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or top the cake with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
More low calorie desserts you’ll love
Healthy Mug Cake (Low Calorie)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour gluten-free, if necessary
- 2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice sugar or sugar substitute
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 teaspoon oil of choice vegetable, sunflower, coconut, etc.
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar scant 1/2 teaspoon * See notes
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1-2 tablespoon chocolate chips of choice optional
Instructions
- Grease a microwave-safe bowl or ramekin generously with cooking spray.
- Add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. If using chocolate chips, fold them through.
- Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until done. Remove from the microwave and let sit for 30 seconds, before enjoying.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an oven-safe dish or ramekin (4-6 inches).
- Add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. If using chocolate chips, fold them through.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cake looks done. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 seconds, before enjoying.
Tried and amazing, you can vary with flavours of protein powder.
Quite sweet! I will reduce the amount of sugar next time but nice recipe! Kids loved it and it’s just the right amount. Thanks!
So welcome, Kerry!
Taste is good!
This was so yummy!
judging off of the reviews and the texture i got after mixing everything, it’s probably a good recipe, but i put it in the microwave for 1:30 minutes and it came out like a line of rubber. i will try again tommorow for 30 seconds!
Amazing! My go to mug cake recipe
Wow this turned out so good! Perfect dessert to help with a sweet tooth when you are dieting and so easy!
This was AMAZING! I loved the taste of this so much. I used granulated Swerve as my sweetener, and I broke up, into small pieces, a few squares of plant based Hershey’s bar and used those as my chocolate chips! I can’t believe how good this tasted. And it really satiated my craving for dessert.
Lovely recipe! Perfect when you are craving something sweet but aren’t wanting to commit to full on baking! Thank you!!
SO GOOD!!! I was skeptical but holy cow… I replaced the granulated sugar with maple syrup and omg I am probably going to make this every single night for the next month straight lol I’m amazed at how good it is!
Haha thanks Kris!!
This is such a good dessert!
This is the best thing on the internet
Oh my gosh, this is so good that I had to make an account just to rate it. I had no vinegar so I used baking powder, put it on for 1:10 (although 1 minute would’ve had my perfect texture) and it was sooo delicious. I’m in disbelief this is 100 calories but the ingredients don’t lie! Thank you! This is my new favorite recipe lol!
OMG! This is so good. I didn’t use vinegar, espresso or chocolate chips but I did use regular sugar and it is AMAZING!!!! Next time, I will try using Stevia. Highly recommend and will be making again. Cooked it for 1 1/2 minutes in my microwave and it was perfect.
The best single serving mug cake ever!
Hi, I made the chocolate cake mug this evening. we like the chocolate taste, but it lack some moisture.
I will make it again, maybe i will add a teaspoonof applesauce.
DELICIOUS. I didn’t think it was going to taste this good. 10/10 recommend.
😀 thanks Rose!