Healthy Mug Cake
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This healthy mug cake is rich, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. Low in calories, it’s made with no eggs or butter and ready in under a minute!
Watching my calories doesn’t mean I say goodbye to sweets. Quite the contrary, actually.
My low calorie mug cake has been a staple in our house for quite a while. It’s easy to make and allows me to satisfy my chocolate cravings without going overboard.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Microwave and oven instructions. I prefer the microwave method since it’s quick, but if I’m making 2-3 mug cakes at a time, I’ll typically use the oven. So, I included instructions for both.
- Dairy-free! Without even trying, this mug cake is dairy-free, vegan, AND easy to make gluten-free or low-carb if needed.
- It’s just so easy. Just mix all the ingredients together and pop it in the microwave. One minute later, and voila! A mini chocolate cake all for yourself.
- Customizable. This recipe has plenty of wiggle room to swap the ingredients or change the flavor.
Love mug cake recipes? Try my peanut butter mug cake, coffee mug cake, and protein mug cake next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Wow, this turned out so good! Perfect dessert to help with a sweet tooth when you are dieting and so easy!” – Casha
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour. Also known as plain flour. Be sure to sift it thoroughly if your flour has clumps.
- Sugar OR sugar substitute. To keep the calories super low and the mug cake sugar-free, opt for a sugar substitute (granulated). If you are fine with some sugar, any works- brown, white, coconut sugar, etc.
- Cocoa Powder. To give the mug cake the chocolate flavor, use good-quality cocoa powder to really bring out the flavor.
- Baking soda. To give the mug cake some rise and texture!
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness, especially in cakes.
- Oil of choice. For the rich texture of the cake. Oil also replaces the need for any butter or margarine.
- White vinegar. It acts as a leavening agent, especially when mixed with baking soda.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any baked good or cake!
- Water. To bind the ingredients. I also tested using unsweetened almond milk, but I didn’t notice a big flavor difference, so I used water to keep the calories lower.
- Espresso powder. Optional, but I find it enhances the chocolate flavor without imparting strong coffee flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips. Another optional mix-in, but as you can imagine, chocolate chips make everything taste better!
How to make a low calorie mug cake
Full measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Grease a microwave-safe mug or ramekin with cooking spray.
Step 2- Make the batter. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips if using.
Step 3- Microwave. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and let sit for 30 seconds before enjoying.
How to make this in the oven
If you’d rather make the healthy mug cake in the oven, you certainly can. Simply grease an oven-safe ramekin or small baking dish (4 or 6 inches) with cooking spray. Make the cake batter and pour it into the ramekin. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let it sit for a minute before enjoying.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Avoid overcooking. Everyone’s microwave models differ, so I suggest microwaving the mug cakes in 30-second intervals. After a minute, if the cake feels slightly soft, let it sit for 30 seconds and see if it firms up. If not, continue microwaving in 15-second intervals until done.
- Use a bigger mug or cereal bowl if you’re worried the cake will overflow as it expands.
- If the batter is too thick, add a splash of milk.
Variations
- Make it extra gooey. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of water and reduce the cooking time to 45 seconds or until the tops are just barely done.
- Cut the carbs. Use a keto brown sugar substitute and sugar-free chocolate chips.
- Make it fat-free. Swap the oil for unsweetened applesauce.
- Enhance the flavor. Fold in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or top the cake with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
More low calorie desserts you’ll love
Healthy Mug Cake (Low Calorie)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 14g, gluten-free, if necessary
- 2 tablespoons granulated sweetener of choice 20g, I used allulose but sugar works
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder 5g
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 0.6g
- 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder 0.5g, optional
- 1 teaspoon oil 4g, vegetable, sunflower, coconut, etc.
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar 2.5ml, scant 1/2 teaspoon * See notes
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 0.6ml
- 2 tablespoons water 30ml
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips of choice 10g, optional
Instructions
- Grease a microwave-safe bowl or ramekin generously with cooking spray.
- Add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. If using chocolate chips, fold them through.
- Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until done. Remove from the microwave and let sit for 30 seconds, before enjoying.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an oven-safe dish or ramekin (4-6 inches).
- Add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. If using chocolate chips, fold them through.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cake looks done. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 seconds, before enjoying.
I put this recipe into a calorie tracker, and it calculated 217 cal per mug using sugar substitute, and 300 cal using regular sugar. I don’t understand how you’re calculating 96 cal.
Hi Anne! I’ve given a full breakdown (including metric measurements) in the recipe card below. The numbers are using the nutritional calculator that the recipe card provides. Other databases may differ slightly. If it’s showing you 217 calories, it’s likely using a sugar substitute that has calories and the chocolate chips.
When made as written (and not including the optional ingredients), each mug cake is around 96-97 calories.
I cooked it in the microwave for 1 minute and let it rest for 30 seconds. It was a delicious treat and I will make it again.
Love to hear that, Angela. Thanks for taking the time to leave a lovely comment and review 🙂
the easiest and best
Thanks so much Sylvie! Glad you liked it.
So good
Genuinely surprised at how lovely this turned out, so many low cal/healthy recipes end up being a flop but this was delicious
I appreciate your lovely review and rating, Gav. You are absolutely right, which is why it took a significant amount of recipe testing to get it just right 🙂 I’m glad it did it justice 🙂
This is the best mug cake I’ve ever had! Im wondering how your calories added up though. I put the ingredients into my fitness pal and it said 272 for the mug cake and I even used Splenda sugar to substitute.
Hi Mackenzie! I’ve given a full nutritional breakdown in the recipe card to show how we got to 96-97 calories a mug cake. It doesn’t include the chocolate chips and the sugar substitute was 0 calories per tablespoon. 🙂 Myfitnesspal and other trackers may vary slightly, but not significantly. It should be around 96-97 calories per mug cake 🙂
Best mug cake I’ve ever had! Actually came out looking like a large cupcake instead of a deflated one.
YES! It does, doesn’t it Catherine! 🙂 I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I just made it. It was so delicious but I can’t see how it’s only 100 cal. My calculations bring it to 203 and that is without the chocolate chip chips. The sugar is quite high?
Hi Jenni! I’ve given a full nutritional breakdown in the recipe card, including metric measurements to show how we got to 96-97 calories for the mug cake. If using real sugar, the calories will be higher. I calculate the mug cake using a 0 calorie sweetener and not chocolate chips.
I usually hate how mug cakes turn out, but this one is surprisingly good! At my first attempt it had a bit salty taste, but on my second attempt it turned out perfect ✨ It’s good even without chocolate chips
Thanks so much, Mary- you’re right, mug cakes can be so finnecky. I’m so glad you enjoyed this one 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! I’ve been looking for a low calorie dessert and this was such an incredible find! I top it with pb powder, made into a sauce of course, and a scoop of protein ice cream. Yes I know…. this adds more calories but it’s so worth it! Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Adding protein ice cream on top sounds fabulous- Thanks for the lovely comment and star rating, Alli!
This was delicious! But I don’t believe it is under 100 calories, two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of flour is already 154 calories..
Hi Madison, the recipe calls for a granulated sweetener of choice. If you’re aiming to keep things low calorie I wouldn’t use refined sugar. I’d look into allulose or a monk fruit blend. Hope this helps!
This was very good. I have tried a lot of mug cake recipes and found only a few that were good.
Thank you, Sue, for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Beautiful chocolate cake. Super moist and delicious. Keeping this recipe in my arsenal of sweet treats.
Love to hear that, Donnley!
This has to be one of my favourite sweet recipes, it is so quick and easy, and incredibly delicious, thank you 😋
PS are you sure about it being less than 100 calories!!? I add 1tblspn almond meal or almond flour so it would increase it a smidge but it’s just devine!!!
so good and amazing texture it’s truly impossible to tell it’s low calorie
Aw, thanks for the feedback, C!
Wow! I’m always so skeptical of these lower calorie desserts for one – I’ve made too many rubbery messes which end up in the trash. This on the other hand, was absolutely perfect!! Totally hit the sweet spot. I had it with a small spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Would highly recommend- you will not be disappointed!
Thanks for the lovely feedback and star rating, Claire- so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I hear you! That’s why when I develop lower calorie recipes, it has to taste like the real thing 🙂
It’s just what I needed! Fast, relatively low-calorie, and delicious! I used stevia to sweeten, but I will try monk fruit one of these days. I think I could also add 1/2 tablespoon of chopped nuts, which I will do in the future, but I was so anxious for a quick dessert that I forgot this first time. I’m also proud to say that I used a teaspoon of avocado instead of added oil, and it was just fine. I just mashed it into the dry ingredients to incorporate it before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. The scant 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar does a great job of masking any avocado flavor. And we topped the cake with whipped topping. In short (too late) I am grateful that you shared this recipe. Thank you!
Love to her that 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips with us!
This looks very yummy. I would b interested in some of your other recipes. Thank you
Tastes like pudding, and a pinch of cat food
Hi Lil Vro- with so many positive reviews and regular posts on Instagram by readers who make it, it’s unfortunate you compare it to cat food. Hopefully other recipes will get your tick of approval.
Love it, but this isn’t truly sugar-free. Flour digests into glucose and can spike your blood sugar.
Hi Carla- I appreciate your thoughts. When I develop sugar free recipes, it’s the sugar that is replaced with something else. If you want ones that don’t use flour, you can try one of my keto recipes instead.