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My Keto Mug Cake Is Your Instant Chocolate Fix
What do you do when you’re low carb, but need a dessert, like right now? I make this keto mug cake! Here’s why you should, too:
- It’s a rich, moist chocolate cake – Need I say more? It’s so rich and chocolaty that you’d never guess it came out of a mug! But if you’re ever in the mood for a different flavor, try my vanilla mug cake, protein mug cake, or angel food mug cake from my Easy Keto Cookbook!
- Takes all of 2 minutes – Just stir, zap, and done.
- Portion control – I developed my keto mug cake recipe to make a single serving, so you can eat the whole thing.
- Low carb, gluten-free, no sugar – It’s hard to believe this big, satisfying treat has just 4 grams of net carbs and no sugar. It’s easy to make dairy-free, too.
This keto chocolate mug cake is definitely “dessert craving” territory, but with its clean ingredients and pretty good macros, I’ve even had it for breakfast on busy mornings. Whatever your reason for a chocolate fix, make it with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto mug cake recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Unsweetened Baking Chocolate – This makes the mug cake extra moist compared to cocoa powder. Just be sure it’s 100% unsweetened baker’s chocolate — not the sweetened kind.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – This is the main flour I use in almost all my keto baking, and for good reason — it has a super fine texture that gives baked goods a light, delicate crumb. I don’t recommend using almond meal (too gritty) or coconut flour (too dry). You can substitute sunflower seed flour if you need a nut-free alternative.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I originally made this recipe with erythritol, but once I switched to this allulose blend, my keto mug cake turned out 100X more moist. Most other sugar substitutes (including most brands of monk fruit and stevia) actually contain erythritol, and so they’ll dry out the cake. Besti also shines in full-size cakes — try it in my keto chocolate cake, sugar free dessert, or keto birthday cake!
- Egg – Feel free to swap in a flax egg or your favorite egg substitute if needed.
- Salted Butter – Or you can use unsalted with a pinch of salt. If you’re dairy-sensitive, coconut oil or ghee work great.
- Baking Powder & Vanilla Extract
Unlike many other chocolate mug cake recipes, this one has no milk. Don’t worry — it’s not dry at all! The butter and chocolate keep it ultra moist. In fact, it’s probably the moistest keto mug cake I’ve ever had.
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How To Make This Keto Mug Cake
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. You can do this in the same mug or ramekin you’ll use for the cake. Fewer dishes = always a win.
- Mix up the batter. Stir in the almond flour, Besti, baking powder, egg, and vanilla. A spoon or fork works just fine — no need to get fancy.
- Microwave the keto mug cake. I’ve got topping ideas in my tips below!
My Recipe Tips
- Mix really well. I usually just stir everything right in the mug to keep it simple, but if you want to be extra thorough, you can whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first, then add them in.
- Make sure your ramekin or mug has plenty of space. This keto mug cake rises quite a lot, so you’ll want about double the space. I usually go with either a 12-ounce mug, a large 12-oz ramekin, or two smaller 6-oz ramekins.
- The flour and sweetener make a big difference in moisture. I can’t emphasize this enough! The combination of Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour and Besti sweetener gets you moist cake. I get dry results with other brands.
- Be careful not to overcook. This cake should turn out moist and almost fudgy. You can check that an inserted toothpick to come out clean, but sometimes I even stop cooking a bit early when a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it, similar to a keto brownie. Just don’t let it dry out!
- Want to bake it instead? Just melt the butter and chocolate (I use a double boiler), mix in the rest of the ingredients, pour into ramekins, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
- Take it to the next level with toppings. My favorite combination is keto whipped cream and either melted sugar-free chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate syrup (pictured here). This keto mug cake is also amazing with a scoop of keto ice cream, a drizzle of peanut butter or sugar-free caramel sauce, a sprinkle of chopped nuts, a swipe of sugar-free chocolate frosting, or simply fresh berries.
Keto Mug Cake
By
Make my keto mug cake recipe in 2 minutes — just 6 ingredients + 4g net carbs! It’s a rich, moist, sweet, and instant chocolate craving fix.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Microwave Instructions
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Melt the butter and chocolate together in a mug or large 12 oz (355 mL) ramekin in the microwave (about 45-60 seconds, stirring halfway through). Be careful not to burn it. Make sure the ramekin is at least double the volume of the ingredients, because the mug cake will rise.
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Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, egg, and vanilla (if using). Stir everything well until completely mixed together.
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Microwave for 50-75 seconds, until just firm. (Don't overcook, or it will be dry.)
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Serve with whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream for paleo), and/or drizzle with more melted chocolate stirred with sweetener.
Oven Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
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Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler on the stove. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat.
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Add the almond flour, sweetener, baking powder, egg, and vanilla (if using). Stir everything well until completely mixed together.
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Transfer the batter to a large 12 oz (355 mL) oven-safe ramekin (or two smaller 6 oz (178 mL) ones). Make sure the ramekins are at least double the volume of the ingredients, because the cake will rise. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just firm.
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Serve with whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream for paleo), and/or drizzle with more melted chocolate stirred with sweetener.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 mug cake (entire recipe)
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the best texture, a variation to bake the cake, and prevent overflowing.
- Store or make ahead: This keto mug cake recipe tastes best fresh, but if you want to, you can meal prep or keep leftovers at room temp for a day or in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just cover the mug with plastic wrap. I don’t recommend mixing the batter without cooking, because the baking powder will stop working.
- Reheat: It tastes fine cold, but if you want it warm, a little butter on top helps keep it moist. Just microwave again for 20-30 seconds.
- Freeze: Wrap in plastic wrap, pop in a zip lock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before serving.
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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Keto Mug Cake
254 Comments
Faith
2YES YES YES, SO perfect, I would never have guessed it to be Keto! In fact, I made it for me and my little brother to share, I didn’t tell him it was keto, and he said he liked it!! (he had no idea it was keto!) Moist, chocolatey, no grainy texture, flavorful, and tastes just like real chocolate cake. So YES definitely a winner! I am so making this again. Thank you!!!
Patti Patterson
2This was absolutely delicious. I drizzled a little bit of peanut butter on it while it was cooling off then topped with whipped cream. Amazing. My first try at a keto mug cake and my husband and I are definitely fans now.
Lisa S
2“We are having technical difficulties…” Oh, my goodness! This is DELICIOUS. I was experiencing a true ‘chocolate-craving-emergency’ tonight and did not want to stray from my keto eating pattern. I knew I would find something quick and delicious when I came here. Alas, I am not as good of a cook as I would wish to be, and I do not have the ideal equipment. My ‘mugs’ are rather short and fat soup-bowl style mugs rather than the tall/deep mugs shown in the picture. I had to cook these in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, and even then I had some spill-over mess. (That I had to wipe off the side of the mug and eat, of course, so it wouldn’t be messy …) At each interval, I had to ‘tap’ the sides of my mug so the rising batter would ‘fall’ a bit again so I could do another 10-15 seconds. I made my whipped cream before I did the mug cakes so it would be cold and ready. By the time two cakes were ready (for husband and myself), I was already ‘over’ my chocolate emergency (see aforementioned batter-saving sampling) and so I could not actually finish my cake, even though it was a single-serving mug. The chocolate flavor is rich and satisfying and just absolutely perfect. Quick, easy and delicious. Crisis averted!
Rachel
2I was skeptical as every mug cake I’ve made in the past was mediocre. This one is awesome. Super easy to make and you couldn’t tell it was keto if you didn’t know the recipe. I’ll be making this one again and sharing this recipe for sure!! ?
Afee
1Not keto, not health conscious, just looking for a good chocolate cake fix and this was so good!!
I used regular sugar and semi sweet chocolate chips(what I had on hand) and it turned out so fluffy and such a large portion I couldn’t finish it all
Notes for next time: some of my chocolate settled at the bottom, and I did 60 seconds but next time I’ll do 50 (and work my way up as required) to keep it a bit more moist and fudgey
Paired it with a single serve cream cheese frosting recipe and it was amazing!! Thank you!
Catherine Gallaher
0Perfection! I microwaved about 15 seconds longer because of low voltage.
Wholesome Yum D
0Perfect is what I love to hear, Catherine! I’m glad the extra 15 seconds worked for your microwave. Thanks for sharing that tip!
Wendy
0I am still a newbie with Keto. It sounds soooo delicious, but 433 calories and 38g of fat for one mug. Is that a normal Keto stat for a dessert? It just sounds so high to me for the size.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Wendy, The size of this cake is actually pretty big, so it’s not a lot for the size. You can definitely eat half if you want this for a smaller treat after a meal!
Robin Dudley Howes
0Pretty darn good! Helps the 3 o’clock sweet tooth and it’s quick! I didn’t have the unsweetened baking chocolate but I did have the unsweetened powdered cacao and it worked great. I used 2tsp. Thank you! Now I don’t have to sneak off to the grocery store and get my “bad”sugar fix!
Wholesome Yum D
0Love that, Robin! Using cacao powder was such a smart swap, and I’m thrilled it hit the spot for that mid-afternoon sweet tooth. Always feels good to have a quick treat on hand.
Mary
0I’m not keto but am trying to reduce my carbs and sugar. I made this as written except I used sugar as that’s what I had. This was perfect! Chocolatey and not too sweet. The perfect ending to my day!
Wholesome Yum D
0Mary, I love hearing that! Even with regular sugar, I’m glad it still hit that chocolatey, not-too-sweet spot for you. Sounds like the perfect way to end the day. Enjoy!
Lolo
0I just made this and it was fantastic! I cooked it in the microwave at 20 seconds, stirred, then 20 seconds and it was perfect. Added a little more powdered sweetener to the top. My new favorite. I think using unsweetebed baker’s chocolate made the big difference of keeping it moist. Thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you liked it, Lolo! That microwave method sounds spot on and I love your tip about the baker’s chocolate. So smart!
Danielle
0Just okay. I did it for 45 seconds, then another 10 and it was still dry. And needed more sweetener (and yes I used all of your ingredients so that wasn’t the issue).
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear your mug cake turned out dry, Danielle! The time can vary a lot depending on the time and shape of your mug as well as the power of your microwave, so I’d recommend less time next time if it was too dry with that timing. Hope this helps!
Maria
0Simple and delicious. It really hit the mark
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Maria! I’m so glad you thought so.
Sue Smith-Grier
0This is a super recipe for a sweet dessert when you’re doing a keto diet. The almond flour takes a little getting used to, but it’s a doggone site better than fried ice and wind sauce! I love chocolate and this really hit the spot! Thanks!
Janice Merriman
0How wonderfully decadent without the calories, sugar or carbs!!! I have been missing chocolate and “sweeties” since I began counting carbs and eating a keto diet. So easy to make and truly it is wonderful! I added .2 ounces of sugar free mini chocolate chips to the batter for a double chocolate cake! This makes a big portion but I had NO guilt in enjoying it all. Can’t wait to share this with a friend that is diabetic, they won’t believe it! May try with the WholesomeYum sugar free cream cheese frosting recipe next time…
Sheryl
0This was so easy to make and the taste was amazing! The chocolate flavor was rich and perfect.
Diane
0Great taste and texture with the baking chocolate. Thank-you for a reliable quick recipe to fill a dessert craving.
Aidan
0Oh my, my, my… just what I was looking for to ease my wife’s and I chocolate craving. We had it with some keto chocolate caramel sauce and it was heaven in a bowl. This is definitely going to be our go to crave busting favourite from now on. Thank you.
Naomi
0Pretty good for my first Keto mug cake! Just have to adjust the sweetener—I used powdered Wholesome Yum Allulose as I don’t have the Besti monk fruit Allulose blend. I did add a bit more Allulose than this recipe called for, and then added a few drops of monk fruit sweetener, but it still wasn’t quite as sweet as I would have liked—just personal preference. I used 3/4 oz of Cocoa Liquor Wafers, as I don’t have unsweetened baking chocolate, and it turned out pretty good! Paired with some keto ice cream, this was delish! Thanks Maya!
Susan
0Delicious! Thank you! Just the thing for a keto-friendly PMS fix! 🙂
Chrissy
0Super easy & delicious ?
Val
0So quick and easy to make and really delicious. Great chocolate cake in a mug.