Just 3 Ingredients (or four if you add the optional sweetener) and one minute is needed to whip up this delicious moist, fluffy and satisfying chocolate cake! Clocking in around 100 calories, it is also naturally paleo, gluten free, refined sugar-free and comes with a tested vegan option!
Three ingredient mug cake
Kitchen gadgets- You have one up on me this time.
Over the last few months, I’ve barely used any fancy or large kitchen gadgets. Besides the odd use of the oven on occasion, I’ve mainly stuck to mixing bowls, microwave safe bowls and a frying pan or two.
Here I was thinking I was some culinary genius who scoffed at the blender, the food processor and the thing that made curly fries spiralizer. However, after three unfortunate attempts of this recipe making do by hand, I realised I had to surrender and turn to the one gadget I knew would blitz this batter to perfection- The blender.
This recipe is nothing new in terms of ingredients but the concept- Hello time saver. The infamous 2 ingredient pancakes took the internet world by storm with the mere use of two generally static staples- The banana and the egg. You mash the two together, fry in a pan and suddenly a stack of pancakes appear. Add some cocoa powder and BAM- Chocolate pancakes.
However, seeing as I’ve been on a recent microwave cake recipe bender (as evidenced by vanilla and tiramisu here!), I wanted to take a stab at trying it out in the microwave. I mashed away by hand, whisked in the eggs and added cocoa powder and was presented with……something very visually unfortunate.
Not only was it visually unfortunate, I clearly didn’t mash the banana well enough as I was alternating between bites of cocoa eggs (gross) and chunks of warm banana (hello, sunshine). I tried two more times before calling defeat and chucking it all in the blender.
The result of number 4? Cake. Chocolate cake. Fluffy, moist and delicious chocolate cake with no gross cocoa egg pieces.
Oh you cheeky blender. Smoothing out my chunks.
So when zucchini was suggested as this month’s key ingredient, I winked at my blender, whipped my hair back forth (a la Willow Smith) and twerked around my kitchen. Just kidding, I just added some chopped zucchini to the batter.
3 Ingredient mug cake
So here I’m sharing an easy, healthy 3 ingredient chocolate cake which literally takes 1 minute. Before you whip YOUR hair back and forth thinking I can’t count and that there are 4 ingredients, I made the zucchini optional, along with several other suggestions. I tried this out on several friends with different add ins and they all worked too (see recipe for ideas).
I also had to use up the 10 bananas.
Ho. Ho. Ho.
This healthy 3 ingredient chocolate cake is fluffy, moist and is the perfect healthy treat to satisfy a chocolate craving, STAT. It’s naturally paleo, gluten free, grain free and THE ideal balanced snack- Protein, carbs and healthy fats in tow.
BONUS- For my vegan friends, I DID test it out using a flax egg, however I added an extra 1/4 cup of dairy free milk to give it more moisture.
Make this 3 Ingredient 1 Minute chocolate Cake (or four, if you go the zucchini route) and let’s not diss our kitchen gadgets again.
Correction. I shall not diss my kitchen gadgets again.
3 Ingredient Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 small extra ripe banana almost brown is perfect
- 1 small egg for the vegan option, use 1 flax egg*
- 1-3 tablespoon dark cocoa powder I like a rich taste and usually go 3 T
- 1-2 tablespoon granulated sweetener of choice optional
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk optional- see notes**
Optional ingredients
- 1/4 cup mixed berries
- 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- Chocolate chips to top
Instructions
Microwave version
- In a high speed blender or food processor, pulse the banana, egg, cocoa powder and optional sweetener until a very fine batter is formed.
- Grease a small cereal bowl or mug very well. Pour the batter in there and cook in the microwave for 60 seconds or longer, depending on desired texture.
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.
Notes
** For a more moist cake, add up to 1/4 cup dairy free milk.
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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 😀
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!
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! 🙂
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! 🙂
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.
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! 🙂
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 🙂
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
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!
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! 😀
I love zucchini, and I love chocolate, so this dessert is for me!
😀 Let’s call it the Joanne 😀
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 🙂
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)