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This keto mug cake recipe is truly the easiest low-carb dessert. It’s rich, chocolatey, and ready in under a minute. 2 grams of net carbs!
Craving more easy keto desserts? Try my keto donuts, keto truffles, keto brownies, and keto no-bake cookies next.
Not everyone in my house is on the keto train, so I sometimes need a single-serve dessert to satisfy my sweet tooth. Que, my keto chocolate mug cake.
No one would guess anything is missing from this recipe–because there isn’t. It’s made with many of the same ingredients as my hot chocolate mug cake, just with a few swaps to cut the carbs in half.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Ready in one minute. Seriously, this cake bakes in just one minute, thanks to the magic of the microwave!
- Diet-friendly. It’s naturally low in carbohydrates, gluten-free, and easy to make vegan with one ingredient swap.
- It keeps you on track. One mug cake satisfies my sweet tooth for the day and helps me not raid the pantry after dinner.
- Make it in the oven or microwave. Obviously I prefer the microwave, but when I’m making more than two cakes, I’ll use the oven.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Wow, what a great recipe, easy and very satisfying keto dessert. Eager to try the other mug cake flavor options” – Dale
Ingredients needed
- Coconut flour. My favorite high-fiber, low-carb flour for baking. Sift it to remove clumps.
- Cocoa powder. I used sifted, unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Brown sugar substitute. For flavor and moisture, buy it at the store or make my homemade brown sugar substitute using molasses and allulose.
- Baking powder. The leaving agent that gives the cake its rise.
- Salt. Just a pinch to balance out the sweet ingredients.
- Butter OR coconut oil. To add a richer texture. I prefer using melted butter, but coconut oil also works.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs.
- Milk. I used unsweetened coconut milk, but any dairy or dairy-free milk can be used.
- Chocolate chips. Skip the expensive store-bought kind and make your own sugar free chocolate chips.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make a keto chocolate mug cake
Step 1- Prep. Grease a microwave-safe bowl or mug.
Step 2- Make the batter. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter remains. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 3- Microwave. Transfer the cake batter to the greased mug and microwave for one minute.
No microwave? No problem!
If you’d rather not use a microwave, or if you’re making multiple mug cakes at once, you can bake them in the oven.
Simply prepare the recipe as instructed, then transfer the batter to a greased, oven-safe ramekin. Bake at 180C/350F for 8-10 minutes or until firm on top.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid overcooking. Mug cakes are notoriously fickle and can easily get overcooked. My rule of thumb is to cook them for one minute. After a minute, if the cake feels underdone, let it sit for 30 seconds to firm up. If it’s still undercooked, continue microwaving in 15-second intervals.
- Pick a bigger mug or shallow cereal bowl if you’re worried about it expanding as it cooks.
- Add the milk last. The milk should only be added to thin out the batter. Add it one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency of cake batter.
Variations
- Make a keto vanilla mug cake. Swap the cocoa powder for extra coconut flour and add one teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Add some mix-ins. Peanut butter, walnuts, pecans, or fresh berries are all great options. Just make sure they don’t exceed 2 tablespoons in the recipe.
- Top the keto mug cake with sugar-free chocolate syrup and keto whipped cream for a more decadent treat.
More mug cakes to try
All of my mug cake recipes can easily be made low carb with a few simple swaps. Here are a few favorites:
Keto Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar substitute or any keto granulated sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 tablespoon keto chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease a microwave-safe bowl or mug.
- In a small bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and whisk together until a smooth batter remains. Fold through the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into the greased mug and microwave for one minute.
- Remove the mug cake from the microwave and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 2022, updated and republished June 2024
I used 4 tbs of almond flour as that’s what I had on hand and a drip of vanilla as well and it worked out lovely. I really appreciate the fast & easy recipes.
easy and delicious.
Very good chocolate mug cake. Great idea for the craving! Thanks for the recipe.
EXCELLENT, very chocolate-y, it’s hard to believe it’s a ‘diet’ dessert.
Unfortunately I think in my city (shops) there is not brown sugar substitute. What do you think?
Yes, there is brown sugar swerve 😊
I’m considering playing around with this for variety since it’s perfect as is. If we can get this to be vanilla, we can make it anything. Hmmmmmmm, Arman? Otherwise, this Mug Cake..my Mom from 1960s (think Betty Crocker Cook Book) she ‘powered’ everything, so you could powder the top with keto confectioners which gives it contrast. Or my favorite..Spider Webs-changing out chocolate chip for butterscotch/caramel chips with a thin caramel spider web for contrast and flavor variety. Thank you again for all you do, Arman!
I have made this several times. So easy and delicious.
I used coconut flour and instead of chocolate chips, I used pecans. Tasted good but little dry.
Wow so easy to make. And also keto. Amazing.
Love mug cakes and now we can enjoy them agsin after having to cit out carbs. Thanks!!
The Chocolate Mug Cake was so easy to make and tasted DELICIOUS!!
This certainly satisfies the sweet tooth.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I look forward to trying more .
I made the carrot mug cake but used (2 tbls almond flour and 1 tbls oat flour) and the whole egg. Topped with cream cheese frosting. It was delicious! Will try the other recipes you have as well, thank you!
Not bad at all…satisfied the cravings!