Coffee Mug Cake

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5 from 160 votes
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My coffee mug cake recipe makes for a sweet, fluffy that’s topped with an addictive cinnamon streusel. It’s ready in under a minute, and my family swears it rivals coffee cake!

coffee cake in a mug.

If you’re craving more microwave mug cake recipes, definitely try my vanilla mug cake, peanut butter mug cake, or hot chocolate mug cake recipe next!

Table of Contents
  1. Why I love this recipe
  2. Key ingredients
  3. How to make a coffee mug cake
  4. Arman’s recipe tips
  5. Frequently asked questions
  6. Coffee Mug Cake (Recipe Card)
  7. More single-serve desserts

Sometimes, we just want a taste of something sweet to satisfy our cravings or to pair with our morning cup of coffee. That’s where my single-serve coffee cake mug cake comes in handy!

It’s made with a handful of pantry staples and, of course, a healthy dose of cinnamon. A minute of mixing and a minute in the microwave, and you’re rewarded with THE perfect mug cake for cinnamon and coffee cake lovers. 

Why I love this recipe

  • Wholesome. It’s made with almond and coconut flour, meaning you don’t have to stress about heat treating all purpose flour aka it’s gluten-free.
  • Quick and satisfying. This is the kind of dessert you make when you crave coffee cake but don’t want to put in the effort to make a full recipe.
  • Easy to make. It’s even easier than my vegan coffee cake recipe!

Key ingredients

  • Almond flour. I recommend blanched almond flour over almond meal, as the blanched variety is lighter and makes for a fluffier cake. 
  • Coconut flour. Gives the mug cake a cakey texture. 
  • Baking powder. Helps the cake rise and become fluffy. 
  • Maple syrup. Adds sweetness while also keeping the middle of the cake moist and fluffy. Honey or agave nectar work.
  • Cinnamon. A must for the traditional coffee cake flavor! I’m a fan of Saigon cinnamon as it has the most authentic cinnamon flavor. 
  • Vanilla extract. For flavor. 
  • Egg. Ideally, room temperature eggs are preferred. 
  • Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but dairy milk works. 

For the streusel topping:

  • Almond flour. Again, try to use blanched almond flour.
  • Sugar. I like brown sugar for the topping, though any sugar works. 
  • Almond butter. Gives a buttery crumble topping minus the melted butter or oil.
  • Cinnamon. For flavor. 
  • Milk. To mix.
  • Powdered sugar. To mix with water to make a glaze. 

How to make a coffee 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.

cake batter in a mug.

Step 1- Mix. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix until smooth. 

coffee mug cake with streusel on top.

Step 2- Make the topping. Combine the almond flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir in the almond butter until it’s thick and crumbly. 

baked mug cake.

Step 3- Microwave. Grease a microwave-safe mug and pour the cake batter into it. Sprinkle the topping and microwave until fully cooked. 

homemade glaze on mug cake.

Step 4- Glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar with water and drizzle over the top.

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Cut the calories. Use 3 tablespoons of egg whites instead of a whole egg. 
  • Adjust the consistency. As all coconut flour brands differ, you may need more than half a cup of milk (the suggested amount). Continue adding more milk to the batter until it is smooth and thick.
  • Microwave in intervals. Your cake may need more or less time, depending on the wattage of your microwave. I suggest heating it in 20-second intervals, checking between each, until it’s firm around the edges but still slightly soft in the center.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this in the oven?

Yes! If you’d rather make this in the oven, replace the microwave-safe bowl with an oven-safe ramekin or similar. Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

coffee mug cake.
coffee mug cake recipe.

Coffee Mug Cake

5 from 160 votes
My coffee mug cake makes the perfect single serving treat that takes less than a minute to make. It's fluffy, moist, and topped with an easy streusel. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!
Servings: 1 serving
Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 1 minute
Total: 2 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

For the optional streusel topping

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl or mug, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, and baking powder, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla extract, milk, and egg and whisk lightly. Add the mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just combined.
    cake batter in a mug.
  • Prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the almond flour with the cinnamon and sugar and mix well. Add the almond butter and mix well until a thick, crumbly mixture is produced. Add a dash of milk if desired. Top the mug cake with it.
    coffee mug cake with streusel on top.
  • Microwave for one minute. If the mug cake is not fully set, microwave in 20-second increments until it is.
    baked mug cake.
  • Let the mug cake sit for a few seconds. If desired, drizzle with a glaze (2 teaspoons powdered sugar and a touch of milk).
    homemade glaze on mug cake.

Notes

* Start with 2 tablespoons of milk then adjust accordingly. If the batter is too thick, add more.
Oven Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a large ramekin and set aside. Follow directions as above and once ready, bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Variations
Mix-ins. Add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or chocolate chips. 
Top it with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a more delicious treat!
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 188kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSodium: 345mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 273IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 214mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 9g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

More single-serve desserts

Originally updated July 2023, updated and republished January 2025

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This mug cake is delicious!! It has an great cinnamony taste and I love the almond butter streusel! I put it on all of my healthy mug cakes now, and it brings them all to a whole new level of amazing!

  2. I got in right away when I seen the mug coffee cake. Quit the make up real easy and it was a nice change instead of just eggs or fajitas I got to eat good old coffee cake with my coffee. That was great. Good job on your ingredients ratio.

  3. 5 stars
    Great little Keto coffee cake!! I added 1/2 Tbs. Ground Flax seed for fiber and 2 Tbs. Chopped Walnuts. Might add a little more cinnamon and sweetener next time, just my preference. I’m very happy to find this recipe! Definitely will make for breakfast frequently!

  4. 5 stars
    I seriously can’t believe how good this is! Based on the ingredients I didn’t think I was going to be blown away. Cake tastes moist and rich even without butter or oil somehow. Crumb is amazing on it. One of my new regulars in my rotation of treats.

  5. 5 stars
    This is a lovely recipe. I have an almond allergy, so I substituted tigernut for the almond flour and walnut butter for the almond butter and it turned out amazingly. Thank you for the great recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    We recently got a microwave and have been trying all sorts of mug cake recipes but this is the best I’ve tried so far by far – 5 stars from me!

  7. 5 stars
    I really liked this recipe. It was sweet and extremely delicious. The topping was really good as well. I highly recommend this. It was also super simple to make.

  8. 5 stars
    Every time I make a mug cake with egg, I always regret it. It always comes out…eggy. Yet I keep trying. : / I unfortunately didn’t like the taste of this either and didn’t finish it.
    Just a helpful comment, though: For the topping, in the list of ingredients, mention “optional” or something similar next to the milk. I poured a Tbsp of milk in, assuming all the streusel ingredients were required. THEN I read the next step which mentioned only adding in a splash if desired. So my streusel was definitely liquidy and not actually a streusel.

  9. 5 stars
    This mug cake is delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe! Definitely worth the time in the oven.

  10. 5 stars
    honestly this is a pretty great mug cake. i make a lot of mug cakes so i am qualified to say so. the topping was my favourite part because almond butter tastes amazing – next time i’ll layer it in the middle of the mug cake as well as the top, half and half so i get it in every bite 🙂

  11. Thank you for sharing your creations!
    For this recipe, what size mugs would you recommend?
    Thank you so much!

  12. Thank you for this amazing recipe! I had it for dinner with keto cream cheese frosting instead of the crumble and just loved it!

    1. Hi there! Sure thing- if you go to myfitnesspal and add in all the ingredients, it will give you a full breakdown 🙂

  13. typical of someone with a raging sweet craving, I misread the recipe and used vegan butter not almond butter in the streusel topping, so I’ve got some strange frosting/cake batter stuff on the top – still takes good though!

  14. Hi ! Can I use oat flour instead of almond / coconut flour ? I am in a calorie – restricted diet abs those are off limits for me at this time. Thanks

  15. Let me tell you something. I have made at least half the recipes on your site and I frickin LOVE every single one of them. I am a body building(bikini division) and I’m all about the healthy, low sugar, low carb, low cal snacks that satisfy the sweet tooth. And damn these recipes deliver! Even my husband (who is NOT a fan of healthy foods or protein powder) is crazy about these. You KICK ASS!!!

    1. Hi Risti, start with a tablespoon at a time and continue adding, until a thick batter is formed 🙂

  16. How much coffee do you put in your cake,and what kind. You haven’t put anything about coffee.

    1. Hi Susan- A classic coffee cake traditionally doesn’t have coffee in it, rather to be enjoyed with coffee. 🙂

    1. Hi Nikki- Traditional coffee cakes don’t actually contain coffee- The name stems from having it WITH a coffee 🙂 Hope that helps!

  17. I know this defeats the purpose of your healthy version, but…will this same recipe work with all purpose flour and regular milk?

    1. Hi Stephanie! No worries, and all purpose and regular milk are totally part of a healthy diet 🙂

      It will definitely work 🙂

  18. I made these for my siblings with oat flour and stevia and they loved it! I topped them with homemade carmel sauce. I love that you have so many gluten and sugar free recipes. It makers it much easier to be on such a diet. They are so easy and yummy! Thanks!

  19. Ahhh! I just stumbled upon your site randomly and it’s so awesome. I’ve honestly been drooling over your recipes for about 10 minutes now. Keep up the good work dude! 🙂

  20. I’ll skip the coffee and just take one of these coffee cakes. How about trading it for a slice of my mum’s homemade eggnog cake ;)?

  21. If I could get away with it, I would probably just eat streusel topping on it’s own and scrap whatever was under it. Love.that.stuff. And I’ll have my coffee cake with coffee… duh.

    1. So, we actually can use an egg white instead of the whole egg! I love that! I wonder if I could do that for all your mugcake recipes, could I?

  22. Woah, man this looks SO GOOD. 🙂 It’s not breakfast time yet, but I may just have to make this for tomorrow’s breakfast. O_O And 1 minute in the microwave? You can’t beat that!

  23. This sounds so good! I’ve actually never had the coffeecake from Starbucks but this looks even better than the one I’ve seen there!

  24. Wait, does coffee cake not have any coffee in it? Gah I must sounds so lame but coffee cake in the UK always has coffee in it! Not that this needs it, it sounds amazing and the idea of having the perfect cake to go with coffee sounds perfect!
    Then again most Brits are obsessed with tea… And we do have tea cakes… That are more like English muffins than cake… We sure like to confuse people!

  25. Don’t fight it. Just embrace it and let the Starbucks fetish lull you!
    Coffee with….. anything I guess. As long as coffee is involved I am all set 😉

  26. I don’t think I have ever gotten a sweet treat at Starbucks, but I would be all over this coffee cake! No doubt your version is by far tastier

  27. Well who needs Starbucks when we have your blog?!! 🙂 Lazy days do prevail sometimes though. But seriously, you are going to do me in with all this deliciousness! Wait, I forgot this is healthy…I’ll take two!

  28. I am looking for an amazing pumpkin custard that is paleo.. (that I can eat instead of pumpkin pie) Do you have any recipes of this kind? I love your ideas, you are so creative. Thank you so much.

    1. I have a pumpkin cookie dough which I love- It’s not custard like in terms of consistency, but is like pumpkin pie filling 🙂

  29. Thanks to you Arman, I never have to spend $$ at Starbucks 🙂 I like my coffee best with a scone. I am addicted to them recently (as long as they have ‘chips’ in them, chocolate, cinnamon, white chocolate…) I like using ramikins for my microwaveable creations. Most of my mugs are too big for these cakes and they make the cake look like it’s for a baby

  30. Nommy Nommy Nommy, this is totally love in my tummy! UNTIL IT GIVES ME A STOMACH ACHE AND HIVES – ahem, almonds! LOL!

  31. The only Starbucks cake/dessert I appreciate is their Nutella-stuffed cookies. Have you tried one? Do they even sell them there? Please recreate that!!! They are addictive.

  32. You’ve done it again! Gorgeous mug cake Arman, and oh for that streusel topping!!! And I haven’t had the Starbucks version yet, so may need to sample that also!

  33. You’re totally obsessed with Starbucks, but I don’t mind because I kind of am too. I do love a good coffee cake! Our on-campus coffee shop only serves the Starbucks coffee, so all of the baked goodies are made in-house. They just created a whole grain croissant that’s possibly one of the best things I’ve ever had, so I’ve been having my Americano with that lately.

    1. Okay, so- I totally ordered an Americano and I swear the brew was stronger? I did, however, also see Oprah’s drink on the menu too lol!

  34. Coffee cake is one of my all-time favorites! I surprisingly haven’t tried the Starbucks version, but I’ll gladly nom-nom this 1-minute version anytime. And Starbucks in the airport is the best thing ever!! (In fact, it’s the only time I ever get Starbucks.) Also, have you noticed that rediculous outrage over Starbuck’s holiday cups this year? Talk about a #FirstWorldProblem!

  35. I am totally in favor of your Starbucks fetish! 😉 As long as it keeps bringing tasty recipes like this…fetish on, friend!

  36. nothing can beat a freshly made coffee cake with streusel, streusel is a must! I love my coffee with oatmeal!

  37. Yummy! Do you know how shocked I was to find out that coffee cake doesn’t taste like coffee? At first I was disappointed, but then I realized it was another excuse to drink coffee. I’ll take it!

  38. I am SO hungry right now and these sinful pictures aren’t helping at all – this is 100% my post-work treat today!