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Sometimes, lazy mornings call for a low carb, paleo mug cake. So do busy, I-have-five-minutes-to-make-breakfast mornings. And let’s not leave out random afternoons when you want dessert more than an apple. Or your next breath. You’re among friends here; we get it. Really, there’s no bad time for an easy vanilla mug cake and this particular keto vanilla mug cake is better than most.
Any time you’re hungry, need a treat and want to keep it keto, this easy vanilla mug cake is your BFF. Some might tell you that you’re asking for too much to expect fast, delicious, and healthy from one little keto mug cake recipe, but you’re not.
You can have your cake and eat it, too, when it’s a keto vanilla mug cake! Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Considerations for Paleo Vanilla Cake in a Mug
What makes this paleo mug cake stand out from all the other healthy mug cake recipes floating around out there? Well, first it’s an ultra moist low carb almond flour mug cake with a delicate crumb and burst of vanilla flavor. Add a dollop of whipped cream (coconut cream for paleo!) and you’ve positively crossed into heaven. Mmmm. It has all the rich flavor of a decadent dessert like sugar-free vanilla pudding, all in cake form.
But the best part about this keto vanilla mug cake? It’s without a doubt the little specks of vanilla bean seeds! Blueberry pancakes are just better with ’em. Really, life is better with vanilla bean seeds. Or at least vanilla cake in a mug recipes are.
But you can’t use just any ‘ol vanilla bean seeds in this gluten-free vanilla mug cake. You need to choose quality, grade-A vanilla beans. That’s what puts this keto vanilla mug cake recipe at the top of the list! Grade A vanilla beans have more moisture, aroma, and seeds.
If you’re selecting vanilla beans at the store, choose ones that are plump, shiny, and smooth. Avoid those that are dried out if you want the best flavor available.
Here is a great place to get quality vanilla beans if you don’t have any yet. Or if you’ll be using them a lot, you may want to stock up on these.
I’ve personally kept them in an airtight container for months, and they are still excellent! That works out well because it’s nice to have them on hand any time you get the craving for an easy vanilla mug cake. Which may or may not happen rather often. Ahem.
Now, you can just use vanilla extract if you’d prefer, but it won’t have the same rich flavor. You’d have to use a full teaspoon of the extract to achieve the same depth of flavor, but the alcohol would leave an aftertaste so at most you should use half that amount.
However, if you don’t have quality vanilla beans on hand and you do have a hankering for a vanilla microwave mug cake, go ahead and use that extract!
You deserve a treat!
Sweeteners for Paleo or Keto Vanilla Mug Cake
There are many low carb sweetener options available to you that will make this sugar-free mug cake still taste sweetly decadent.
If you’re not worried about making this a particularly low carb vanilla mug cake, you can use coconut sugar. If you do want to minimize your carbs, your best bet is to use either erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Sticking with granulated or crystallized options keeps the consistency as cake-like as possible.
If you’re still learning low carb, paleo, keto sweeteners…no worries. I’ve got you covered with a comprehensive sweetener conversion chart.
How To Make a Vanilla Mug Cake – No Milk
Not only is this easy vanilla mug cake sugar-free and gluten-free, but it’s also dairy free. And with a super easy tweak, this keto vanilla mug cake also becomes a paleo mug cake. How cool is that?!
Are you ready to see how easy this is? Hold on to your hats, friends, because this is going to change your world. Or at least your breakfast time.
And your mid-afternoon snacks. And maybe your midnight cravings.
You start by melting your coconut oil in your mug or ramekin. Then you add in your scraped vanilla bean seeds and milk.
The key to making this moist vanilla mug cake dairy-free and low carb is using unsweetened almond milk which you can buy at the store or make homemade almond yourself (so easy!). No real dairy milk in this recipe!
Next, add all your dry ingredients and the egg. Mix thoroughly and smooth the top. Now, if you’re wanting to make this a paleo mug cake, simply use this homemade baking powder recipe for the paleo version.
You’re going to microwave this easy vanilla mug cake for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until firm (but not too dry!). Then, serve it up with whipped cream or your favorite frosting. Of course, to keep it a paleo mug cake you’ll use whipped coconut cream and not dairy.
And just in case you don’t already have a favorite frosting, this keto cream cheese frosting is delish. I mean, lick the bowl yummy. You’re going to love it.
Psst… now that you know how easy it is to make a paleo mug cake, you might want a few other recipes that are just as simple. Here are a few favorites at Wholesome Yum: my classic keto chocolate mug cake, cinnamon swirl mug muffin (sweet!) and two-minute low carb English muffin (savory and awesome for a sandwich!). For a fall seasonal twist, try pumpkin spice mug cake — you can replace the GF flour with almond flour and the sugar with Besti sweetener, for a low carb version.
Can You Make Paleo Mug Cake In Advance?
I get it. You’re busy and have places to go, things to do, and cake to eat. I feel you. So here’s what I suggest.
You can’t mix up the batter in advance and let it sit, because the baking soda will react. But, you can get a jump-start for those days when you’re running late (or the cravings are crazy for cake!).
Simply mix all of the dry ingredients into a mason jar you want to cook it in, ahead of time. Then, just add the wet ingredients right before cooking. Ramekins with lids work great, too, but divide the batter into 2 of they are small, so they won’t overflow.
This is such an easy way to indulge your cravings for cake already, but if you want to make it even easier to enjoy this easy vanilla mug cake, that’s your best bet! Enjoy!
Tools To Make Low Carb Vanilla Mug Cake
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Coffee Mugs – This set of mugs would be perfect for making this delicious dessert recipe.
- Measuring Spoons – These are my absolute favorite measuring spoons. They nest together for storage.
Easy Keto Paleo Vanilla Mug Cake Recipe
Vanilla Mug Cake (Keto & Gluten Free)
This keto vanilla mug cake recipe needs just 4 minutes! Make vanilla cake in a mug with easy ingredients like almond flour and coconut oil.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Add the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, gluten-free baking powder, sea salt, and egg. Stir until well combined. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
- Microwave for about 90-120 seconds, until firm. Serve with whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream for paleo), or frost with your favorite frosting.
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Recipe Notes
I highly recommend using the vanilla bean, but if you don't have any, you can use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract instead. This will be less vanilla flavor than using the bean directly, but adding any more extract would result in an aftertaste from the alcohol in the extract.
Serving size: 1 mug cake (entire recipe)
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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148 Comments
Mary
0Made this for breakfast this morning. Served with strawberries. Very filling.
Mar
0Delicious and so easy to make 😋
Sunny
0I really liked this recipe, except for a few things. I didn’t really want the “paleo”, so I substituted the oil for butter and the almond milk for cows milk.. HOWEVER, I have yet to find a keto mug cake recipe that taste eggy or bitter (if it’s chocolate)… why do none of these recipe add enough artificial sweetener? I use swerve; should I be using monkfruit instead?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sunny, I suggest using my Keto Sweetener Guide to make sure you are using enough sweetener. If it is not sweet enough feel free to add a little extra sweetener.
Philip Blosser
0This is the first time I’ve given a rating, but my daughter and I have decided that you are the Julia Childs of Keto! There’s nothing on you site that we’ve made that isn’t absolutely ambrosia! Even this simple microwave-oven recipe. God bless you!
Eric
0As someone who can’t eat sugar, these recipes are phenomenal… I used this as a base for a strawberry shortcake and it turned out fantastic.
Anna
0I followed this recipe with vanilla extract and am not sure if because I used a mini ceramic casserole dish instead of a mug that it wasn’t baking properly on the bottom. It was mushy on the bottom part even after microwaving an additional minute. So I removed it and flipped it on a dish and microwaved another minute. Still was a bit mushy but tasted good and added whipped topping. I will try again in a mug because I know that was definitely the issue.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Anna, You may have to microwave longer because all microwaves cook a little differently.
Ariane Reeves
0Excellent flavor and texture!
Laura
0Why do several of your cake recipes call for both almond flour AND coconut flower? Can we use just one type for the whole amount or does it affect the taste or consistency of the batter?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Laura, Yes, the mixture of the two flours does make the texture of the cake more like wheat flour cake. To replace the coconut flour with more almond flour, you’d need to reduce the almond milk. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture, so the batter would be very liquid without it unless you omit some (or possibly all) of the milk. Unfortunately, I don’t have an exact amount to use, since I haven’t experimented with that version yet.
Alice
0Can I use vanilla paste instead of the bean?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Alice, Yes that will work just fine. Just be sure to watch out for sugars in vanilla bean paste if you are low carb or keto.
Lori
0Wow! This is so good exactly as the recipe states. I undercooked mine by about 10 seconds because I like it moist. Ate it with the cream cheese icing and blueberries. This is going to get me through a lot of hard craving days! Thank you!
Lucy
0This was great ! I used whipping cream
Instead of almond milk, doubles the vanilla
Extract , loaded it with bake believe white chocolate chips, and made a frosting by whipping heavy cream to stiff peaks. It was great with my coffee
Emily Boronkay
0This is fantastic. I make it with vanilla extract.
Thank you for saying to smooth it with a spoon because following the directions, my ‘batter’ is soupy. I have ended up adding an extra tbsp of coconut flour every time I have made it. Possibly a large egg here is larger than yours. But that extra tbsp creates a batter and 90-100 seconds later I have deliciousness!
Thank you
Karl
0Thanks for the recipe. I replaced the almond milk with pumpkin I had on hand and added some pumpkin pie spices. It was converted to a decent fall treat. I’d experience more to perfect it but it was a good start.
Di
0YUMMY thank you I needed something sweet and this was perfect
April
0This mug cake was so simple to make, yet tasted so good! I cooked it for 90 seconds and the texture was perfect – not too moist or too dry. I used vanilla extract and included a few sugar free mini chocolate chips. The bits of gooey chocolate with the vanilla made a great flavor combo. I think next time I may try lemon extract with a few blueberries. I can’t wait to try the chocolate version!
Amber
0I didn’t have vanilla beans, but I saw “cake batter” flavoring in the store and used 1/4 teas. of it in place of the vanilla. Used powdered erythritol mixed with some cream and a drop of vanilla. Made it very yummy! I will definitely try it with vanilla beans.
Eve
0This worked much better the second time, when I didn’t forget the baking powder. I won’t make that mistake again, although it still tasted good. Next time I think I’ll cook it longer, based on the suggestions to other people who had problems with gooey bottoms or centers. My microwave must be less powerful than some others. I was too lazy to make cream cheese frosting this time, so I just spread on a bit of plain cream cheese. Maybe next time I’ll make the frosting.
Also, as one other person commented, it is large enough to be supper by itself, unless you have someone to share it with.
Anthea Herring
0Flavor was good, but I misjudged the size of the container needed and it nearly blew up in the microwave lol. I used a capful of Madagascar vanilla and it was delightful!
Pinchi
0I am new to keto. This was a real treat for me as I love vanilla cake. My husband loved it too! Thank you
Staci
0This really hit the spot! WholesomeYum continues its track record of GREAT recipes!
Only flaw was it was about twice as big as I needed, so it became dinner when I should’ve been eating meat & veggies. 😉
next time I’ll cut it in half and save half for tomorrow. 🙂
Karen Whyte kemlo
0What did I do wrong? Tested like an egg that had been hard scrambled.. Soggy but tough…. Not a cake texture… Followed the recipe exactly I’m sure it’s something I’ve done wrong…
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, It sounds like your mug cake overcooked. I would shorten the cook time closer to the 90 second mark.
M
0I have been looking at recipes for mug cake for a while. I’m following a low carb diet due to being diagnosed with diabetes. Well, I gave in and tried this tonight. I shared it with my 13 year old son. We both loved it. It was so tasty and the recipe was easy to follow. I didn’t have vanilla pods so I used your advice and used sugar free vanilla extract I found on Amazon. I’m trying to look for your book on Amazon as I will definitely buy it. What is it called? Thank you again for sharing this recipe
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi M, I’m so glad you loved the recipe! The book is called The Easy Keto Cookbook. You can get it through the link.
Lily
0The vanilla definitely came through, but unfortunately so did the egg. I did measure the other ingredients out, and suppose large is a relative term for egg size – maybe putting a metric or imperial measurement of a beaten egg would help?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lily, It would be really difficult to find the perfect sized egg every time.
Sue
0I made French Toast for my non-keto family and I struggled to not eat any, so I tried this for the first time. I added a bit of maple extract and the vanilla extract (no vanilla bean) it was great! Instead of frosting I melted some butter with Lakanto monk fruit syrup and poured it over. Yum! Craving satisfied! I believe the coconut flour further nailed it for me. I get tired of almond flour. Love your blog and the book!
Sr. Mary Magdalene
0Your recipes are so simple, fast and with few ingredients. I have made Paleo tortillas, strawberry shortcake in a mug and want to try donuts-but have no donut pan. Thanks so much
Nicole
0Like most people, I tend to experiment. I have already tried a couple different other mug cakes and they were drier than I preferred. This one looked intriguing to me. I made the following changes. I used butter instead of coconut oil, I used honey as my sweetener and I used diary free creamer for my milk (coconut and almond). I also did an almond extract flavor instead. I am def going to try this with lemon extract too. Regardless, it was very moist and tasty and filling. Thanks!
Kristin
0So yummy! I topped mine with a thin layer of sugar-free strawberry preserves. I will definitely be making this again!
Eric
0I made an anise icing for this mug cake. Tablespoon of sweetener teaspoon of water quarter teaspoon of anise extract and one-and-a-half tablespoons of cream cheese. I allowed the mug cake to cool a bit inverted it on a plate, and drizzled the icing over it. With a mug of coffee it was excellent. I found that waiting a few minutes before microwaving the mug cake, it Rose a little higher in a mug making it lighter in texture.
Ginny
0I did a trial run on the Vanilla Mug Cake using the suggested amount of vanilla until I can get the beans and everything else as listed. The icing was great and the cake flavor pretty good (I really am looking forward to those vanilla beans)! But I think the texture of mine turned out a bit spongy compared how the photo looks. Any suggestions for that cakier texture?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ginny, If you are looking for a cakier texture, you can add a small amount of coconut oil or butter. Around 1 tsp should help.
Chantelle Weiss
0This is one of our favorite family desserts, it’s so easy to throw together and tastes amazing. I make some homemade whipped cream to out on top, the perfect afternoon sweet treat or fantastic dessert. Yum!
Kisa
0We have made this several times. My daughter and her best friend (they’re 13) just made these for a family dinner and everyone but the dads wolfed them down. To say they’re delicious is an understatement.
Ivie
0I was so suspicious of this mug cake concept but I must say it is actually THE best keto pastry I’ve ever had! I’ve bookmarked this recipe to my home screen. Ugh I’m in love
April
0Tried this today but instead of using vanilla I used a little less than 1/2tsp banana extract and added about 4 walnut halves chopped. First taste of banana I’ve had since starting keto 6 months ago. Super moist and tasty! Thank you
Sierra
0I tried this and it turned out a bit eggy! What type of sweetener (powdered or granulated) should I have used? Even though it was eggy, it still tasted good. Just had a strange texture!
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Sierra, this recipe uses granulated monk fruit allulose blend (I always specify powdered if a recipe calls for it, though). The texture is definitely different than a conventional cake because of the rapid cook time.
Kassandra S Hunt
0I absolutely adore all of your recipes. The mug cakes (chocolate and now vanilla) have really made a huge difference in keeping me on a low carb diet. Wholesome Yum is my go to website to find delicious food that complements my lifestyle. I have preordered your book and look forward to having all of those yummy recipes at hand. Thank you! Thank you!
Maureen
0Hope you can help me. In a lot of your recipes you put ‘tablespoons’ Do I put a heaped tablespoon in or just a level one? I follow a lot of your recipes but that is the one thing that fazes me ! Therefore I’m a little unsure when it comes to this recipes or any cake making. I’ve ordered your book off Amazon just hope it comes through to the U.K , can’t wait !!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Maureen, It would be a measuring spoon sized 1 tablespoon, and you’d measure it level, not heaped. Hope this helps! Thank you SO much for ordering my book – it means a lot to me – and yes, it’s available on Amazon UK as well. 🙂
Yvette
0Oh my goodness this recipe is fantanstic!!
I was searching to make my husband a treat for his birthday but still stay Keto and this hit the nail on the head!
Thank you so much.
Julia
0This was the best texture keto mug cake recipe!!! I have tried many-all of which are too oily, too dry, or flavorless! This recipe hits the nail on the head. 10/10
Mela
0Best vanilla mug cake i have ever make!! So fluffy and delicious. The flavour and texture is so incredible i wish i could eat 3 more haha! I only put half tbs of sugar as i added 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. And turned out perfect! I can definitely see myself making this every weekend.
Kathy
0It raised really awesomely in the first minute, then collapsed. Any thoughts as to why?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kathy, the sudden temperature change in the batter helps your cake rise quickly, but it can also cause sinking. It can also happen if your baking powder is too old, so check to make sure it’s fresh!
Marsha
0If I won’t use coconut flour, should I increase the almond flour a bit?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marsha, I’ll share my reply from another commenter who asked the same question: “To replace the coconut flour with more almond flour, you’d need to reduce the almond milk. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture, so the batter would be very liquid without it unless you omit some (or possibly all) of the milk. Unfortunately I don’t have an exact amount to use, since I haven’t experimented with that version yet.” Let me know if you try it!