Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

This chocolate mug cake is the perfect dessert for one or two people. No leftovers calling you to the fridge!

Over the years, I’ve received a lot of requests for clean eating mug cake. It was never something I grew up with or even heard about until I got into food blogging. But apparently, it’s a thing. So I set out to create this clean eating chocolate mug cake recipe and had to remake it again and again because something about the microwave changes the way the ingredients come together. It was a hard recipe to master at first, but now that I have the hang of it, I’ve made it successfully a few times and I have to say…. it’s DEFINITELY a thing!! Wow!

A fan on Facebook sent me a specific recipe and asked me if I could help her clean it up.

Thinking that this would be yet another mug cake failure, I was not overly enthusiastic about trying it, but figured it was still worth another shot since they come together so quickly.Clean Eating Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

Persistence is a good thin in the world of mug cakes. Because man, when you get it right, it’s so worth the effort! I would happily enjoy this in place of any birthday cake or any other type of celebration cake. It’s super easy, super fast and super chocolatey delicious. Scouts honor!

It does pack a punch in the caloric department, but as a once in a while treat, it can’t be beat! It’s positively sinful!!

WHAT IS MUG CAKE?

Mug cake is a single serving cake you bake in the microwave in a mug. You don’t want to make this in a different type of cup because it won’t with stand the heat generated by the cake. So you absolutely must have a mug.

Most mug cakes are made in a standard size mug, unless otherwise indicated. You won’t need a giant mug for this. These are meant to be small servings so you don’t have any leftovers.

HOW TO STORE MUG CAKE

Sadly, mug cake does not keep well like other cakes. You can certainly put half of this in the fridge overnight, but it won’t be as good in the morning. They tend to harden when they sit for too long. So eat up!

MORE HEALTHY CAKE RECIPES:

CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE RECIPE:

Clean Eating Chocolate Mug Cake

Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

You'll want to make this delicious dessert again and again! But be warned, you'll need a large mug (a small or regular sized mug won't get the job done.).
3.75 from 4 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 372kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. white whole wheat flour
  • 6 tbsp. coconut sugar
  • 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 3 tbsp. milk
  • 1 tbsp. oil

Instructions

  • Whisk together the dry ingredients in your mug. Be sure they are well combined.
  • Add the wet ingredients and mix well again.
  • Microwave for up to 5 minutes on high. My microwave is older so if you have a newer one, you may only need 3-4 minutes.
  • Note: The cake will rise up over the mug during cooking. Don't panic. It sinks back down again. Promise!

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5the recipe | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2.7mg

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85 Comments

  1. graciouspantry says:

    I’m not positive on the raw sugar. I know that Sucanat is clean, but I’m not sure if that’s the same thing or not. I’ll have to research it.

    Agave is not clean. It’s very processed. Stick to honey or maple syrup to keep it clean.

    Clean eating is about the ingredients, but it’s also about the processing. Regular unbleached flour is not whole grain. It’s processed white flour.

  2. graciouspantry says:

    Oh! Turbinado sugar. I believe that is clean. 🙂

  3. queenofwhirled says:

    This kept coming out way too dense and rubbery. It was hard to get a fork into even fater only 2 minutes in the micro.
    Tonight I made it with 1/3 egg beaters all whites and it was MUCH fluffier.

  4. Do you have a recipie for dry chocolate cake mix? Could I just quadruple this recipie?

    Thanks!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      I don’t, sorry. You can quadruple the recipe, but make sure you have a nice baking pan to cook in. Not sure if it would need an adjusted cook time or not. I’ve never tried.

  5. have you ever tried NUstevia? it has absolutely no aftertaste. i hate regular stevia also. i can only find it at wholefoods

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      No, unfortunately it contains the flowing agent maltodextrin, a food grade carbohydrate derived from grain. It’s not clean.

  6. Hi, just some input ladies regarding the stevia. YES indeed, it you put in too much the aftertaste is just plain GROSS. When I first started using it I ended up throwing a whole bowl of oatmeal in the garbage….but the problem with the aftertaste means you are using TOO much. Part of the measuring problem is it comes in different concentrates. It can come very concentrated! The one I buy I Iikely use about a TENTH of a teaspoon in a yogurt. and it is not meant to leave the same intense sweetness as sugar, but it can sure take the edge off of plain oatmeal or yogurt if a person is trying to use less sugar. Just start by using less sugar and a TINY bit of stevia until you get used to HOW MUCH works without getting the after taste in things such as plain oatmeal or yogurt. Also from my experience, stevia just never does the trick in coffee…it doesn’t work until there is too much and makes that gross aftertaste. Same with baking…it just looses its sweetness. I think anything hot or that turns hot it just doesn’t seem to be the best choice. Oh but it is great in chai or earl grey teas with frothed milk, num. But just use a little weensy bit. 🙂

  7. Oh and for something like a cake, maybe stevia would work best not in the actual cake,….but might be nice if a person used it to make a drizzle icing of some sort with unsweetened chocolate and a tiny bit of stevia ?…I have used stevia a lot and found it really helped me to eradicate sugar…especially in my breakfasts such as oatmeal, yogurt and homemade brown rice puddings. I just put the stevia in AFTER anything is cooked.

  8. Stevia is also good in fruity smoothies or milky smoothies 🙂 but like I said…tiny tiny bits only.

  9. Oh, 6 tablespoons of coconut sugar seems like just a lot of ‘sugar’. I can see why ppl ask about the stevia…I’ve tried a lot of baking with stevia with no success so to put it in the actual microwave mug cake likely would not work. It just would come out NOT sweet tasting….and if you put too much stevia will just come out gross tasting. Good luck finding ways to reduce the sugar. I still think maybe a drizzle icing might work. 🙂

  10. Can it be made gluten free? My daughter is celiac.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      This particular recipe needs the gluten. But I’m working on a Paleo version which will be gluten free.

  11. Devin MacDonald says:

    This was fantastic. I made the whole recipe in 2 different parfait bowls, splitting it between the 2 and it was the perfect treat for my husband and I. Lots of coconut sugar, but the coconut flavour was really yummy! I also used coconut oil! Topped with natural PB, OMG YUM!

  12. Quick question- Ive moved to the UK, and I’ve found that its hard to get certain ingredients here then back home in the states. what could i sub for the coconut oil?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Ashley – Now that I’m here in Ireland, I’m finding the same. On this one, any oil will do. Enjoy!

  13. Hi! I am new to clean eating and I LOVE your site. It makes it SOOO easy! This cake is so divine! It really hit my sweet spot tonight. I just was craving something tasty and chocolate and half of this was JUST what I needed! Thanks!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Stacy – My pleasure! 🙂

  14. Claudine B. says:

    Just made this…eating it as I type….yummo!!! I used unsweetened chocolate almond milk…that’s all I had in the fridge for ‘milk’. Thank you

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Claudine – My pleasure! 🙂

  15. Is there any other way to cook it? I don’t use a microwave ;0)

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Kellie – Not on this one. This recipe is specifically made to be cooked in a microwave. Sorry. You might try some of my brownie recipes though…

  16. Jeannette says:

    Could you use a whole egg instead of 2 egg whites?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Jeannette – Sure!

  17. Laurie Savageau says:

    I just made this and put sliced strawberries on the top!! YUM!!! The texture is different than I expected but the taste is wonderful!! Thank you for the recipe!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Laurie – My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it! 😀

  18. Just what I needed tonight! Thank you for the recipe. I used whole spelt flour as I find it works well in quick baked goods. I used a whole egg and my cake was a bit chewy. The coconut oil and sugar gave it a nice taste without being overly coconuty. I cooked mine too long, but I will enjoy tweeking that to see what works best in my microwave. Definitely a keeper – so easy AND clean!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Deana – Fabulous! So glad you enjoyed it! 😀

  19. Heather B. says:

    I am going to try this ASAP! 🙂 It sounds great. I’m still learning how to eat clean and I have been craving chocolate. I’m especially curious to try the coconut sugar. I can’t get used to the bitter aftertaste from stevia. I hope I like coconut sugar because I haven’t found any sugar alternative that I enjoy. Does anyone have any other suggestions of what I can try? Thanks!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Heather B. – For me personally, coconut sugar has an aftertaste when it’s used in large amounts. But for this, it was fine. If you’re worried about it, try sucanat instead. There’s no aftertaste for that.

  20. I always tend to eat a bit too much than I need, and ive been looking for a healthier option for cake mugs. Though I substituted coconut sugar for normal sugar, used whole wheat plain flour, used macadamia oil and a tiny bit of honey I think my cake turned out well.
    It’s nice knowing even though you’re eating cake that it’s a little bit healthier. Thanks 🙂

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Serena – So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂

  21. It says two servings ,,,Do you divide into two mugs ?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Di – You can, but I just cooked it in one mug and divided it. Less dishes…

  22. I don’t have access to white whole wheat flour… how should I adjust he recipe for all purpose flour? And why only use the egg white?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Ariana – You could use regular whole wheat flour if you want to keep it clean. But it will be a bit more dense when it’s done. If you don’t care about it being clean, then you can simply replace it with regular AP flour. In such small amounts, you should be able to use the same measurements, although I can’t vouch for that completely because I haven’t tried it myself. I used the egg white to cut down on fat content.

  23. Eden Passante says:

    Love this idea! Perfect for a guilt free chocolate fix!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Eden – Thanks! It sure it! 🙂

  24. Hi, Tiffany,

    Two nights in a row I made your “Chocolate Mug Cake” (1/2 recipe each night) and both times it was delicious. As a bonus, I added Heath Toffee bits in the mix. Only had regular white flour on hand. The 2nd time (tonight) I nuked it 2:15 vs last night at 2:30. Tonight’s came out nicer. THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT 🙂

    1. Mayra – Thank you so much! I’m really happy you enjoyed it! Interesting to note the time difference. Thanks again! 🙂