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My 3 ingredient mug cake is the ultimate quick and easy chocolate fix. No flour needed, it’s super moist and fluffy and cooks up in under two minutes.
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Everyone needs a simple and fast chocolate fix for when the cravings strike, and this 3 ingredient chocolate mug cake is a savior.
It doesn’t need any flour or granulated sugar, and it literally takes two minutes to make. It’s super moist and fluffy and tastes even better with a little more melted chocolate on top. I like to use the microwave for it, but I’ve tested it in the oven too.
If you love mug cake recipes like us, try my almond flour mug cake, muffin in a mug, brownie in a mug, and protein mug cake next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This was by far the easiest and best tasting mug cake I’ve had and it’s gluten free.” – MJ
Ingredients needed
- Egg. The egg provides the fluffy texture of the cake and gives it structure. Use a room-temperature egg.
- Chocolate. While any chocolate works, I prefer dark or semi-sweet chocolate for the extra richness. Also, try to use a chopped chocolate bar versus chocolate chips because bars melt so much better.
- Butter. Unsalted, please. I tested this with coconut oil and margarine and it did NOT work, so please do not use those.
How to make a 3-ingredient mug cake
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Prep. Combine the melted chocolate, melted butter, and egg in a bowl. Whisk until combined.
Step 2- Microwave. Transfer the batter into a mug and microwave for one minute.
Step 3- Cool for 30 seconds before enjoying.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Beat the eggs until foamy. Many mug cake recipes tell you to 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. I find this differentiates between a super moist mug cake and a dry one.
- Eat immediately. This is the kind of dessert that you make right there and then. The longer it sits, the less moist it will remain.
- Consider the mug size. The cooking time of mug cakes may vary depending on the type of mug you are using. The cake cooks faster and more evenly in shallow and wide mugs.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Once the mug cake batter has been made, transfer it into an oven-safe ramekin and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out ‘just clean.’
I don’t recommend keeping the cake to enjoy later or making it in advance. It just loses it’s moist and rich texture.
More minimal ingredient treats
- 3 ingredient cookies
- 2 ingredient peanut butter cookies
- 3 ingredient fudge
- 2 ingredient fudge
- Or any of my desserts with few ingredients
If you tried this 3 Ingredient Mug Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
3 Ingredient Mug Cake
Video
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.
- Distribute the cake batter into a mug and microwave it for 60 seconds. If the mug cake is still too wet on top, microwave in 10-second increments until set.
- Remove the mug cake from the microwave and let it sit for a minute before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published August 2015, updated and republished March 2025.
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!