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GET IT NOWThis Cinnamon Swirl Mug Muffin Makes A Cozy, Healthy Breakfast Minutes
This cinnamon muffin in a mug has been my go-to on busy mornings when everything feels a little chaotic, but I still want a warm, homemade breakfast. Here’s why I’ve made it more times than I can count, and why you should, too:
- Soft, fluffy, and moist texture with a cinnamon swirl – This mug muffin tastes like a sweet, moist vanilla muffin with a warm cinnamon ribbon that instantly takes it up a notch.
- Ready in 2 minutes – Mix everything right in the mug, pop it in the microwave, and breakfast is done before you even have time to think about skipping it.
- Actually good for you – I love that it’s naturally gluten-free, nut-free, packed with nourishing flaxseed and coconut flour, and has no refined sugar.
Whether you need a sweet, healthy treat or are just craving a healthy-dessert-for-breakfast situation, my cinnamon muffin in a mug is sure to satisfy. Especially with a scoop of almond ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top… just saying. Make it with me!
“Yum! I just made this as an alternative to my usual eggs for breakfast. I topped mine with a little whipped heavy cream just to add a little bit of decadence. It is delicious, and I love the addition of flaxseed meal.”
-Ann
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my muffin in a mug recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- 2 Healthy Flours – I used a combination of Wholesome Yum Organic Coconut Flour (which absorbs just the right amount of moisture) and Golden Flaxseed Meal, which work together to give this mug muffin an amazing texture. You can also use brown flaxseed meal instead of golden, but I prefer golden because it’s milder. I don’t recommend substitutions for the coconut flour, because it’s very unique and absorbent compared to anything else.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is the sweetener I always use because it keeps baked goods (and microwave mug muffins!) super moist. Plus, it tastes and measures just like sugar, is natural, and has no aftertaste.
- Milk Of Your Choice – I used unsweetened coconut milk beverage this time, but have also made this recipe with almond milk and dairy milk.
- Unsalted Butter – I originally used unrefined coconut oil in this recipe and you still can, but it tasted very coconutty. If you’re not a fan of that, use butter like I do now, or choose a refined coconut oil for a neutral taste that’s still dairy-free. But my personal favorite option in my testing without dairy was butter-flavored coconut oil.
- Egg – For structure and rise. For an egg-free option, replace the egg with 1 extra tablespoon of golden flaxseed meal + 3 extra tablespoons of milk. The result will be more dense, though.
- Baking Powder, Sea Salt, & Cinnamon – For lift, flavor balance, and of course, that cinnamon swirl. You can add a splash of vanilla extract if you like, too.
How To Make A Muffin In A Mug
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a microwave-safe mug, stir together the coconut flour, golden flaxseed meal, Besti, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg, milk, and melted butter or coconut oil. Stir until smooth with no dry spots. Let the batter sit to thicken a bit.
- Make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, mix the remaining Besti and cinnamon. Spoon it over the batter in a little pile, then gently swirl a couple of times. Don’t overmix to keep that ribbon effect!
- Microwave the muffin in a mug. You can also bake in the oven if your mug is oven-safe. Enjoy your cinnamon mug muffin while it’s still warm — and I highly recommend whipped cream on top!
My Recipe Tips
- You can add a little more milk if the batter seems too thick, but be careful not to add too much. It should look similar to a flax egg, so on the thicker side.
- Grab a pretty large mug or ramekin. The batter will expand a lot as it cooks, more than doubling in volume, then settle and shrink to its final size. If your vessel is too small, it’ll overflow.
- I prefer a butter knife for folding in the cinnamon mixture because it’s long and skinny, and easy to make nice swirls. A small spoon can also work. I don’t recommend a larger spoon, that tends to just mix it all into a uniform mixture and it’s not the same.
- If you want to keep the entire recipe in one mug: You can melt the butter in the mug first, then stir in the dry ingredients, and finally the eggs and milk. I just prefer the way it’s written here because the dry ingredients mix better that way. I just use a 3-4 oz mini bowl to melt the butter. Another mug works, too.
- Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it’s ready.
- Feel free to add mix-ins: Try stirring in raspberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) instead of the cinnamon swirl.
Muffin In A Mug (With A Cinnamon Swirl!)
It takes just 2 minutes to make my cinnamon swirl muffin in a mug! It's soft, moist, and sweet, with no refined sugar or white flour.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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In a mug, mix together the coconut flour, golden flaxseed meal, half of the Besti (1 tablespoon / 14 g if making one serving), baking powder, and sea salt.
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Add the egg, milk, and melted butter or coconut oil. Stir well, until smooth, making sure no dry ingredients are left at the bottom. Let it sit for 2 minutes to thicken.
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Optional step: Depending on your coconut flour, if the batter is very stiff, you can thin it out with more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until thin enough. It should be easy to stir, but not liquid; the amount will depend on your brand of coconut flour.
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In a small bowl, combine the remaining Besti and cinnamon. Spoon the cinnamon mixture in a heap in the center of the mug on top of the batter. Use a small spoon or butter knife to fold or swirl just a couple of times. (Don’t over-stir to keep the marble effect.) Level the top with the back of the spoon if needed.
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Microwave option: Microwave the muffin in a mug for 1-2 minutes on high power, until set. Check that an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Oven option: Bake in an oven-safe ramekin or mug at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 10-20 minutes, depending on your container's shape.
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Let the mug muffin cool for a few minutes to improve its texture. Enjoy warm.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 mug muffin, or the entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the perfect texture and nail the cinnamon swirl.
- Storage & meal prep: This is generally a make-and-eat recipe, but you can keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days if you need to. You can even meal prep several at once.
- Reheat: Warm it back up in the microwave. If it feels a little dry, I like adding a small pat of butter before reheating.
- Note on serving size: I made it the entire mug for a filling meal, but I’ve also enjoyed half as a snack, and that was plenty for that purpose.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Muffin In A Mug
More Recipes In A Mug
If you liked this mug muffin, here are a few more cozy recipes you can whip up just as easily in your favorite coffee mug:
234 Comments
Tracie Fisher
1Omg, made this again tonight! Used 1 tbsp of butter and microwaved for 1 minute. Soooo good. Last night it was dry and hard. Tonight light, fluffy and buttery! My life is complete! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You’re welcome, I’m glad it worked this time!
Julia
0Simply Amazing… Now I keep my house cool, so in mins my coconut oil solidified…yet I kept going added a tbsp of hot water, still no.. So, I added a tbsp of fresh blueberries, and ran the cinnamon mixture through the mug with a knife and just cooked it for 2 mins.. Heaven on earth sweetheart .just Amazing! Had to use erythritol packets five make up a Tbsp… So GooD! Grateful for your siTe! Namaste GiRL…gr8 cooking!
Regina
0This tasted slightly “fishy”, probably due to the flax seed meal. I grind my own and keep it refrigerated so it won’t go rancid; Otherwise it was a pretty good muffin.
Theresa Burnette
0It was a bit too dry… tasty but dry.
Barb
0Can you substitute the golden flax seed meal with anything else? I hate to buy a whole bag of something for one recipe. Thanks much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Barb, You won’t achieve the same texture, but the recipe will still work if you use almond flour in place of flax seed.
Linda
0Can I substitute butter for coconut oil?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, Yes, that can work.
Janet
0This was so delicious! Loved it. I find most keto foods, especially small baked goods, too eggy so I substituted two eye whites, replacing the yolk. It was too dry, my fault, so the next time I’ll make a flax egg as Maya suggested in the comments.
Helen
0Added a few pecans and it was absolutely delicious!! Thank you!!
Anna
0Is it really over 500 cals for the whole mug? It’s also only 4g of protein in a serving and 7g of carb. I was excited until I saw the macros…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anna, Yes, it makes a large muffin and is very filling. I’ve never been able to finish the whole thing. This recipe has 3 grams of net carbs. It’s not a very high protein recipe, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you might like my protein mug cake more.
Emily
0Same! And a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It was great!
Nancy Nichols
0Can I replace the coconut flour with pecan flour, 0 net carbs/ Tbls and the coconut oil with olive oil or ghee? I am allergic to all coconut, but not nuts. What would the net carbs be for these substitutions?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nancy, Unfortunately, coconut flour isn’t easily replaced with nut flours because it is very absorbent. You may be better off with my keto chocolate mug cake, which uses only almond flour.
Jessica
0What can I use to substitute the coconut oil?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jessica, You could use butter instead of coconut oil.
Pamela
0This recipe sucks!! I had to add extra cream/ milk..cooked this for 5 minutes in microwave was Still raw and gooey..cooked dumped into pan in oven to crisp and brown and finish rawness of middle..this is a really poor recipe..was very disappointed..will NOT be making this junk again! Wanted to leave Zero stars but forced to add 1..
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Pamela, We reserve recipe ratings for actually following the recipe. 🙂 Yours didn’t work because you added extra cream/milk, it won’t work if you do that. Hope you get the chance to try it as written.
Denise
0Not sure what you did Pamela, but mine came out perfect and is sooo tasty!
Debbie
0I just made this for an afternoon snack. Love it! I’m a bit of a lazy cook so I looked at the ingredients, glanced at the instructions, and started with melting my coconut oil in my mug, then adding the rest of the ingredients leaving the egg to the last, swirled the cinnamon in, cooked for one minute and it’s delicious. A keeper and a great snack. I find it funny though that the nutritional info is based on half a muffin. Who would eat a half muffin? 🙂
Judie McKnight
0I’m so glad I read all the comments, as I didn’t realize that it was for 1/2 muffin. I was eating it as I read this, and then had to stop 🙁 so I didn’t eat the whole thing. It is fantastic!
Carol BURTON
0Delicious!! I added heavy cream Because my coconut flour needed more liquid. Probably 3 tablespoons worth
Maria Alejandra Jorge
0Excellent !!! ♥️♥️♥️
Linda P
0I love cinnamon. It smelled so very good, this may be a go to recipe.
Thank you!
Peggy Woychik
0This recipe was so delicious and easy to make. I will definitely be making it again.
Kim
0So good!! I added unsweetened cacao chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, and a little chopped pecan
Delicious
Ann
0Yum! I just made this as an alternative to my usual eggs for breakfast. I topped mine with a little whipped heavy cream just to add a little it of decadence. It is delicious and I love the addition of flax seed meal. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sue
0Try this recipe! It won’t disappoint. I desperately need to get back on track with the low carb way of eating. This inspired me!
Tina
0Hello,Can I substitute the coconut flour for almond flour and how would be the measurement,same amount or different?
Thanks,Tina
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tina, I’m sorry you can exchange coconut for almond flour in this recipe. Each of these flours has very different behaviors and are not interchangeable.
Lucy
0wOw this is great congratulations you are amazing thank u bye.
Megan Weber
0Delicious!! Thank you for a simple recipe that satisfies sweets cravings.
David Steinberg
0where’s the video? I’d like to watch to see what I did wrong. Mine looked nothing like the picture.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi David, The video is located on the recipe card. If you cannot see it, double-check that your browser isn’t in ‘Reader Mode.’
Kat
0Hi Maya. Can I use ground flax seed vs. flax seed meal? What is the difference between them?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kat, Yes, that’s fine. Those two products are the same.
Tami
0This was quite yummy! I added an extra egg to mine. I thought that it made it have more “lift” and mixed better.
Tami
0What a treat! Delicious easy muffin I usually eat the whole thing. It fills me up until lunch! Thank you Maya for another fantastic recipe. I eat it right out of the mug. The video is great too. I didn’t have to add any water. I love having another option for breakfast.
Suriya
0A great basis to experiment with keto nut free!
I’m new to keto (1 week) and am in the experimenting phase. I’ve been looking for recipes without almond flour to reduce the omega 6:3 ratio. I also don’t like the after taste of sweeteners and generally prefer to go without. I tried this recipe for breakfast with some modifications. I added 2 cut up strawberries (34g) and reduced the cinnamon to <1tsp and added vanilla extract. I divided the recipe in half and added 6g Erythritol to half. I cooked each half for 90s and it came out perfectly. Both were yum. I enjoyed the sweeter version while eating it but had the after taste. I ate the whole recipe (ie 2 serves). Net carbs 7g and am feeling quite full 🙂
I’ll definitely try the recipe again (without Erythritol) and keep tweaking until I get it right for me. I’ll also consider some egg replacements.
Your website has been a great resource. Please post some keto, vegan, nut free recipes. Quite an ask I know. Thanks again.
Pat
0This was amazing! It was so satisfying 1/2 was plenty for an after dinner treat.
ANNE
0So easy, so delish!
Amber Freeman
0I like this recipe but I do suggest using just egg whites if you feel it’s a bit too eggy (I did). Also, a great combo with this was sugar free maple syrup. Overall, a tasty, nutritious, quick way to start the morning.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amber, This recipe will be a bit dry without the egg yolk, you may want to try the recipe with a flax egg instead.
Niccii
0How to do the flax egg? Thank you in advance
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Niccii, A flax egg is 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water. Let it thicken for 5 – 10 minutes before using.
Dorothy Bogan
0Just wanted to say I warmed it up on the second day and it was better! Moisture must have been all on the bottom of the mug! I will try again! Maybe if I have all the ingredients out and ready first and mix it quicker it will work better! I am new to cooking and probably let it sit out to long while I mixed up the cinnamon and sweetener topping ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dorothy, Yes, the longer the cake batter sits, the thicker it will get. If it gets too thick you can add a small amount of cream or almond milk to thin it out.
Dorothy Bogan
0Mine turned out way too dry! I kept adding teaspoons of almond milk as you said but never could get it right? Maybe I should have tried water? I ate half! Wonder how the other half will taste tomorrow or if there is any way to moisten it?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dorothy, You can drizzle heavy cream on top before you reheat it. That should help you add the moisture you need.
Alison M Largin
0My 7 year old asked for a cake in a mug for breakfast, and not a keto recipe. So what did I do? Made this! LOL! I added a little extra sweetener for her tastebuds. She says it is good, just a little too cinnamonny. I think it’s delicious! I also added a little slab of butter on top when I pulled it out of the microwave, because….butter….yes! Thanks for a great recipe. I’ll add this to my breakfast recipes.
Andrea
0Wow this recipe is delicious and very simple instead of 3 tbsp of coconut oil I used 1 tbsp of avocado oil (ran out of coconut oil) and it was still delicious! I’m printing this recipe and eating it to my go to keto desserts. Filling and really satisfying very comforting. Thank you! Xx
Kristi
0I just made this and I did not like it…… I looked through the comments to see if I could use almond flour an how much I would need, and I made it. I did forget to swirl the cinnamon and sweetener, but they got put in it. It took 2 minutes to cook and towards the bottom it is verry greasy and crunchy. I, most likely, will not be making this again. I wish I could give it a better review.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kristi, Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out the way you wanted. It sounds like you made a few changes to my recipe, so it’s not really fair to leave a rating for my specific recipe when you made something different. I test repeatedly using specific ingredients and method. It wouldn’t really work right if you stir in the entire cinnamon and sweetener instead of swirling it in, and swapping in the almond flour may have unexpected results as well. I hope you get the chance to try and rate it as written.
Jackie
0Can I use almond flour instead of flax seed? If so, how much?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jackie, You won’t achieve the same texture, but the recipe will still work if you use almond flour in place of flax seed.
Yasmin
0I tried this recipe today and my husband and I enjoyed it. I did find it a little greasy though so wondered if you think the recipe would work with half the amount of coconut oil?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Yasmin, I have never made the recipe that way but please let me know the results if you do.
The Nicols
0I was skeptical, at first. But, after making it, I must say it’s fantastic! Satisfied my desire to eat my husband’s cinnamon rugelach. So good! I topped with sugar free whipped cream. Thank you!
Kyler
0What do you think the recipe would call for using only flaxseed flour? My girlfriend is allergic to coconut so we can only use flax flour.
Sam W.
0Omg. So delicious. I did do some substitutions bc I didn’t have all the listed ingredients. I used paleo flour packaged mix (almond, arrowroot,coconut, and tapioca), and I had to use regular sugar bc I didn’t have the other (no issue though, bc I’m not on a keto diet). Anyway, this was so moist, filling, and delicious. Will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kyler, Flaxseed is difficult to use alone. It really does best when paired with another flour. Can she tolerate almond flour? You could try subbing the coconut flour for 2x the amount of almond flour.
Marion
0Loved it. How can anyone eat just half of it?!! One question – are your dry tablespoon measures level, not heaped?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Marion! Yes, all measures are level, not heaped.
Fernanda
0Omg this is amazing!! I replaced the flaxseed meal with almond flour, and used the same amount of butter instead of the coconut oil. Added 1/2 tsp of water. Topped with keto cinnamon roll frosting (2 tsp of cream cheese and 1 tsp of swerve confectioners, softened on microwave). My tummy is very happy right now and sweet tooth is GONE!
Steph
0Outstanding! Literally eating this right now! Used 3 Equal packets (ugh I know) haha and cooked for 1.5 mins. Superb! Light-years better than those ones you spend heaps of money on to only get a crummy aftertaste. Thanks a million. The only thing that really made me smile this week throughout this nonsense. Oh yeah, and my bike ride on a pretty trail.
Christine
0Delicious! I used melted butter, added a couple of dark chocolate chips, used monkfruit sweetener but reduced the total amount of sweetener by half. Had it for breakfast. But like another reader, didn’t realize the nutritional information was for half a muffin until I read some of these posts. Ate the whole thing! (Kudos to those who have the will power to only eat half. LOL). But it is so rich and filling, I probably won’t need lunch? definitely my ‘go to’ recipe when I can’t face another plate of bacon and eggs and avocado……..
Judy Tilford
0I have made the cinnamon as mon swirl mug cake this morning…..it was delicious. However, while entering into My Fitness to track, calories are coming in at 561. On checking, coconut oil, 3 tbsp, is 351calories. This makes a nice treat but could only ever use occasionally as a treat due to the high calorific value.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judy, This recipe makes 2 servings – the nutrition info on the recipe card is accurate per serving.
Maria Esther Rodriguez
0Good afternoon, I need a cake for 8 to 10 people, you can pass me the recipe for this number of people?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maria, You can scale the recipe on the card to change the number of servings. I would follow the instructions for baking in the oven. Enjoy!
Cindy Tee
0OMG! I made this mugcake and it tasted good (a bit oily) but after I input the ingredients into my macro tracker I found that your nutritional info was WAY off! The 3 Tablespoons of coconut oil alone amounted to 365 calories and 40g fat! I have just pretty much blown my entire day thanks to this misinformation.
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Cindy! Glad you liked the recipe. The serving size for the recipe listed on the recipe card is 1/2 of the mug cake. It sounds like you calculated the whole recipe as one serving. We use the USDA food database to calculate our nutritional information because it is the most reliable source.
Patti
0Just made this. Mine turned out a little dry- I probably microwaved too long, but adding a little slab of butter helped. Thank you for so many wonderful recipes!
Laura Taff
0This is fantastic. It feels like you’re eating a breaded food. So yummy! I used almond flour rather than the flax because that’s what I had on hand, and I only put 1 tbs coconut oil. I was worried about it tasting like coconut oil since that can overpower other food tastes. I just added extra water till it seemed like muffin batter consistency and it turned out so good. I feel so satisfied right now since I havent had any kind of muffin or cake in a month. This is going in the favorites list.
Laura
0Hit the spot on a craving day! Cinnamon was a nice change from all the chocolate recipes!
Donna
0This was an easy recipe to make. I didn’t find coconut flour in the market so I substituted with almond flour and it was delicious!
Danelle
0Thank you so much for this! 🙂
Carla
0This was delicious! I doubled the recipe but only used one egg and two tbsp of mayo for the other egg. I was worried that it might taste eggy if I had used two eggs. I didn’t use all of the coconut oil, only four tbsp for the doubled recipe. I made a keto friendly cinnamon roll icing for it. It tasted just like a cinnamon bun/roll with icing on it! I love cinnamon anything, pretty much! I also topped it with a little bit of Cool Whip, when I was ready to eat it. I used a small mason jar instead of a mug and cooked it in the microwave. Thanks for sharing!
Brenda
0Just tried this recipe eating while commenting very delicious already thinking of different things to add thanks
Adrienne Mcnally
0Thanks so much for this recipe. I turned mine into a hamburger bun using a soup glass cup. I omitted the erythritol and salt used 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp o flaxseed. Added thyme and sunflower seeds. Delish!
John
0Definitely a keeper. Delicious Keto option. Very moist (due to the oil content). I’m not a big fan of coconut so I substituted vegetable oil for half of the coconut oil. Will try to see what happens when I substitute all coconut oil out next, and then also swap almond flour for the coconut flour.