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This 3 ingredient mug cake is the ultimate quick and easy chocolate fix. No flour needed, it’s super moist and fluffy.
Mug cakes are a life-saver for when you are craving something sweet right after dinner or on days when you are not at all in the baking mood.
Add this chocolate version to your favorites. It is the easiest chocolate treat you can make in less than 5 minutes including the preparation time.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Only 3 ingredients. This chocolate mug cake is made with three simple ingredients. And yet, it ends up rich and chocolatey with the perfect cakey texture.
- No flour and sugar. This mug cake is made without flour which makes it gluten-free. It doesn’t contain granulated sugar either, instead, relying on the chocolate chips for sweetness.
- No oven. While you can bake this mug cake in the oven too, this recipe features microwave instructions. Cooking this chocolate cake in the microwave is ten times quicker than baking it in the oven and the result is equally as good.
Make this 3-ingredient chocolate mug cake next time you are craving a dessert but don’t have time to make anything complicated and time-consuming.
Ingredients needed
Making a full-on chocolate dessert with just three ingredients feels exceptionally good. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it.
- Egg. The egg provides the fluffy texture of the cake and gives it structure. Use a room-temperature egg.
- Chocolate. Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe for a rich chocolatey flavor.
- Butter. Unsalted.
- Confectioners sugar (optional). Sifting powdered sugar over this chocolate mug cake right after it’s done cooking makes it look good and adds a touch more sweetness.
How to make a 3 ingredient mug cake
The fact that this mug cake is made in the microwave makes this recipe so easy. Here’s how to make a chocolate cake in less than 10 minutes.
Step 1 – Melt the chocolate. Add the chocolate chips and butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 15-second intervals until the chocolate is fully melted. Don’t forget to mix the chocolate in between the microwaving sessions.
Step 2 – Beat the eggs. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to beat the egg until it’s frothy.
Step 3 – Combine and cook in the microwave. Gently fold the melted chocolate into the foamy eggs. Mix just enough to get both mixtures fully combined. Transfer the cake mixture to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium for 30 seconds. Microwave on high for an additional 45 seconds to up to a minute to get the cake fully set.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar and enjoy.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Beat the eggs until foamy. Many mug cake recipes tell you to just whisk the eggs with the melted chocolate. However, beating the eggs until foamy is always a better idea as it results in an airy and fluffy cake.
- Eat immediately. Unlike oven-baked cakes that need to be cooled before they are eaten, a mug cake like this one should be enjoyed immediately for the best texture and flavor.
- Consider the mug size. The cooking time of mug cakes may vary depending on the type of mug you are using. The cake will cook faster in shallow and wide mugs.
Variations
- Use milk chocolate. If you don’t have to keep this recipe dairy-free, feel free to use milk chocolate chips for a sweeter flavor.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Unlike oven-baked cakes, adding chopped nuts to this mug cake is not the best idea as the microwave steams them and makes them softer. So, just sprinkle them on top once the cake is cooked.
- Add cinnamon. If you enjoy the combination of cinnamon and chocolate, add ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the melted chocolate mixture.
- Serve with a pinch of salt. Adding a pinch of flaky salt on the chocolate cake will enhance its flavor and take it to the next level.
Storage instructions
We highly recommend you eat this mug cake right after removing it from the microwave. This is when the chocolate mug cake has the most perfect texture and rich flavor.
But if for some reason you didn’t eat it immediately, allow the mug cake to cool, then cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate it for up to a day.
Reheat the mug cake in the microwave for 20 to 25 seconds before eating it.
More mug cake recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can bake this mug cake in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and bake the cake until it’s fully set and a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure the mug you are using is oven-safe.
There are many ways to make this mug cake sweeter. You can use a sweeter chocolate variety, add some powdered sugar to the eggs while beating them, or top the mug cake with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
Yes! I’ve tried this with a pre-formulated egg substitute (just egg) and also flax eggs and it has come out very well.
3 Ingredient Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate and butter and melt in 15-second increments until melted.
- Add the egg to a bowl and whisk until frothy. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Microwave the cake batter for 60 seconds. Let it sit for one minute before enjoying.
Oven version
- Pour batter in an oven safe dish and bake for 10-12 minutes on 180 degrees celsius for 10-12 minutes, until desired consistency.
This was by far the easiest and best tasting mug cake I’ve had and it’s gluten free!
So where is the zucchini in the recipe or am I missing something 😅
We are updating it haha 🙂
I quadrupled this recipe and baked it in a 9×9 baking dish for about 40 minutes. Came out wonderful. About to go get another piece of dessert, totally guilt-free!!!!
🙂 Love it, Lydia! Thank you SO much for the feedback!
Love it! Do you think a chocolate protein powder would work? I usually use a casein protein to make mug cakes.
You can use my low carb mug cake recipe, it’s suited for protein powder 🙂
Looks delicious, but need to sub the banana for something else. Any ideas? Thank you 🙂
You can try sweet potato or pumpkin!
Tripled it with just 1/2 cup almond milk (vs 3/4). It’s was very moist and spongy. My wife is dairy free because of breast feeding our daughter who does not tolerate it well (weird right?). I’m sure someone could improve on what I did, but we really enjoyed it. It makes a lot with the milk. Filled three fairly large glass baking dishes and we walk had more than we expected to eat. I also added some chocolate chips just to bump up the taste a little, but it would be good without.
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Hello, like the other vegan poster, I tried this with flax eggs and it came out like a gooey gob as opposed to a flourless cake texture. Any suggestions?
Hi Tt- I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you- I’d recommend you try this recipe if it didn’t work for you- https://thebigmansworld.com/2016/05/26/healthy-one-minute-brownie/
Thanks for giving the oven option
You are so welcome, Karen!
It’s no problem! Thanks for the quick reply.
Hey! I dont see zucchini on the recipe. How much is the optional amount to add? I’m very interested in trying this! Thanks!
Hi Jenn! Apologies for that- I used just under 1/4 cup, drained! 🙂
Like four years ago, I tried a recipe for a mug cake and it was so disgusting and rubbery that I vowed never again. Lately though, I’ve been trying to eat better, yet am still desperate for cake and sweets, so I decided to give this recipe a shot. Wasn’t disappointed! The texture was absolutely fantastic, which I really wasn’t expecting given the ingredients and the cooking method. It really was great. I made it with only the three prime ingredients, and do think it needs to be sweeter, but I’ll try a little dash of sweetening agent next time. Thanks for the recipe!
🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback, Lindsey- I’m so glad you gave them another chance! Definitely do add some sweetener for a sweetener taste 🙂
I tried the vegan version of this and it just turned into a thick chocolate pudding. Any suggestions?
Hi Kate! It shouldn’t have been like pudding- Maybe you used a little too much banana? Try adding more cocoa next time 🙂
Looks yummy 🙂 Does the cocoa override the banana taste? I don’t like mashed bananas or the taste of overly ripe bananas. But I love the taste of chocolate 🙂
Hi Debbie! To be honest, the banana does come through in taste- I’d recommend adding more cocoa powder and some sweetener 🙂
Added zucchini and cooked for 2 min in microwave! It does the trick to get your chocolate fix! Thanks for the recipe! Yum!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Kellyn! 🙂
I was unsure of how banana, egg and cocoa could make such a delicious snack, but since banana egg pancakes are a favourite of mine I gave it a go – YUM! I added the agave and also a pinch of baking powder to help it rise. I used 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa and added some chocolate chips too. This was a deliciously chocolatey treat!
😀 thanks so much for the feedback, Lucy- This makes me ridiculously happy! 🙂
Mine turned out really bitter, but I’m not a big fan of maple syrup. I’m also pretty new to clean eating. Any ideas??
Hi Kayla! If you add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite granulated sweetener, that should help 🙂 Or maybe your banana wasn’t ripe enough?
great recipe ! I added in raspberries instead of zucchini ! 🙂
Oh yum! That sounds delicious!
This looks so good but I do question the calories as a banana has about 100 cal and a small egg has 60. That’s 110 right there not accounting for the other ingredients. I might try half a banana and use egg whites to keep the cal. count down. Looking forward to trying it out.
Hi guys! Big time chocolate lover here. I’ve searched for a bunch of recipes and tried them all, and i have to say this is by far the easiest and tastiest one out there! The banana is an amazing touch here, and the fact that I don’t have to get my kitchen and clothes all dirty with the flour and baking powder is a joy. I would suggest adding walnuts in there for those of you who love nuts with your desserts. I also don’t have coco powder, so for those of you who don’t, melting 2 table spoons of Kirkland chocolate chips is a perfect alternative. One thing to note is that I had to microwave it for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to get the real puffy texture. Maybe it’s just my microwave, but that’s a thing to keep in mind while following this recipe. Other than that, this tastes amazing!
Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂 Your additions sound absolutely delicious 🙂
Do not under cook!! I made that mistake and took a few bites, tasted like chocolate eggs… but I sent it back to the microwave for a few more minutes and it came out delicious, no more chocolate eggs! I used a banana, an egg, 2 tbsp cocoa, and 1 tbsp maple syrup and I had to microwave it for four minutes. Perfect afternoon snack for the littles!
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know- It’s really dependent on the microwave- My one is 50-70 seconds but some can be up to 5 minutes! It’s SO good with a tablespoon of maple syrup 🙂 Hope the little ones enjoyed 😀
I did the oven version. It took about 16 minutes. Texture was great! Taste was a bit bitter.. I’ll have to tweak it to see if I can change that (maybe I’ll add a pinch of salt and vanilla?), but other than that, great recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Update: I just drizzled some maple syrup over it and it did the trick 😉
It sounds good. But would have been more enjoyable to read if I didn’t have to read around the Pinterest Facebook Twitter bar on the side that covered up the words, and the ad that kept scrolling in the way.
I’m sorry it was showing up like that- I’ll speak to my ad network team to sort that out 🙂
This sounds great and easy, but I try to stay away from bananas because of the high GI count. Can you suggest a different fruit that might work? What about peaches?
My favourite way to enjoy zucchini is to look at its pretty green colour as I pass it by in the store 😛 And I feel like spatulas don’t get enough love. I broke one of mine a few weeks back and honestly didn’t know what to do with myself…
LOL. Silly goose. OR in pancakes.
Zucchini is such a cool ingredient – it goes SO WELL into desserts!!
Right? Thanks Jess!
On behalf of all the volume eaters (me me me!) out there, who can’t stop at just one piece of delicious cake, I thank you! I’ve been wanting to develop a recipe for a chocolate mug cake and honestly didn’t even know where to start. Thankfully you did all the work for me, so I can enjoy this thing while binge watching Grace and Frankie on the ‘Flix. Bravo, Arman! I say bravo!
This comment deserves a post in itself. Thanks Julia. Let’s toast to the ‘flix now. (My room mate is watching Gilmore Girls….vom)
You know my thoughts. I only have positive things to say about you and your amazing recipes – even if I cannot eat more than 1/2, I still think they’re genius!
🙂 Thanks Gigi 🙂
I love zucchini, and I love chocolate, so this dessert is for me!
😀 Let’s call it the Joanne 😀
Ah the blender…. I am trying to decide what kitchen gadgets I need to buy here (we have one week left before moving from a hotel apartment to our rental house) and I think a blender will have to be one of them. I am hoping a blender will double up as a food processor…maybe! Others on my shopping list include a filter coffee machine and a slow cooker!
Loving the simplicity of your recipe! 🙂
YES! Trust me, if you get a good one, it can pass as a food processor too! 😀
Yum cocoa eggs! It’s probably a delicacy in some country. My favorite way to use zucchini is pan fried and dipped in some sort of creamy sauce. The most under appreciated kitchen appliance is the broiler. It’s amazing for melting cheese on top of things.
That sounds delicious!
My mom was just bragging about all the mug cakes she’s been making lately and now I’m seeing them everywhere online. You’d think something this easy is something I would’ve done by now, but I’ve still never made a mug cake!
Kitchen gadget? Ummm, how ’bout a corkscrew? Can you think of another kitchen item that can make people so happy?
You need to try it! In fact, I’ve got a whole week planned…just for you.
Of course you’d think a corkscrew :p
YUMM!!! Zucchini is the best in baked goods. It gives the best texture. And makes me feel good I am getting veggies. So then I can eat more cake 🙂
Definitely! Thanks Shannon 🙂
Another amazing microwavable treat from the Big Man!! This looks so tasty and I can’t wait to get home from school and make it 🙂 xoxo
Thanks so much, Whitney! 🙂
I was hoping for eggy pieces of cocoa, so I guess I’ll mash by hand while I whip my hair back and fourth. I loled at this post as I do with all of them. You’re a gem.
Sometimes a blender or food processor really makes the recipe! I’m currently drooling over everything I see in this post. I’ll take the fritters, frittata, and finish it off with your chocolate cake 🙂
Thanks so much, Michele! 🙂
Dear Arman, I cannot believe how soft and moist this cake looks. Admittedly, I do not own a microwave, but love the single size portions and how easy this recipe is, so I will be making the oven version. Have a wonderful day my friend, Catherine
Thanks Catherine! 🙂
Oh oh oh–I love zucchini noodles, hands down! But I’ve been getting bored with them, so I’ll have to try these recipes!
An underrated kitchen gadget is a pair of chopsticks! You can scramble eggs with them, eat anything with them, and stir with them!
That’s so true! Love chopsticks! My sister is so uncoordinated with them!
Yessss finally a recipe that I think I could use my Nutribullet for and not a food processor. I’m always looking for easy single-serving desserts considering I’m incapable of going to bed without dessert.
😀 you and me both. I’ve polished off many a Ben and Jerry’s 😀
I’d say this was totally worth whipping out the old blender for! You can’t even it tell it has zucchini it it. It’s looks like fudge deliciousness that I need in my mouth ASAP.
Right? Thanks so much, Sarah! 🙂
YESYESYES.
So good!
The zucchini recipes are gorgeous! The chocolate cake, I want to have it, too. I’ll alternate between zucchini recipes and chocolate cake. I think that will make for a fine time! 🙂
Thanks so much, Julie! That sounds splendid 😉 Balance!
I have to try this. Chocolate cake for breakfast that’s actually healthy seems impossible, but so exciting!
YES! 😀
Time save and 3 ingredients!? you are talking my lazy summer cooking language!
Thanks so much, Jess! 🙂
Looks so rich! Love how easy this but that’s dangerous too! Pinned
Thanks so much 🙂
Looks so decadent!! I bet this would work with aquafaba instead of the flax egg and I just happen to have some leftover form last night’s chickpeas! I’m going to try it!! 🙂
Someone did try it with that successfully! 😀
Now – this is my kinda chocolate cake – ready in a jif and with a veggie and fruit in tow! Thanks Arman for twerked around your kitchen and coming up with this! Now we need you to start posting videos of said twerked around your kitchen.. 🙂
Haha oh dear that would be terrible!
“Hello, sunshine” Haha…the thought of warm bananas mixed with chocolate eggs just made me not hungry real fast. But I’m glad you stuck with it because this cake looks crazy awesome! 1 minute? Say what!? That’ll teach you to make fun of all those fancy schmancy kitchen tools! Blender: 1, Arman: 0.
if i didn’t like zucchini, this would make me a convert. but good thing i ADORE zucchini, so now I just will be OBSESSED with all these recipes. can we have a tasting party?
Yes please!
I love zucchini in baked goods. it goes into just about everything when I dane to get myself involved with baking!
Seriously, it’s so versatile!
I’ve tried 3 of your recipes and always skeptical they will work because I was a pastry chef. They are all fantastic. This one is my favorite little miracle.
Thanks so much, Dianna- That means the world to me!