Of course, if a chocolate mug cake isn’t your thing, I hope you’ll at least try my other keto mug cake recipes. Protein mug cake and vanilla mug cake are popular alternatives, and there’s also an angel food mug cake in The Easy Keto Cookbook. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, though, you have to try this version. It’s one of my favorite keto recipes and will really hit the spot for that chocolate fix.
What Is Mug Cake?
Mug cake is a single-serve cake made in a mug. It’s traditionally cooked in the microwave for a healthy dessert that’s ready in minutes, but you can also bake it in the oven if you like.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for low carb chocolate mug cake, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below. (Besti also works the same way in larger cakes and other keto desserts— try it in my keto chocolate cake, sugar free dessert, or keto birthday cake!)
Get Besti For This Recipe Get Almond Flour For This Recipe
Salted Butter – Personally, I prefer grass-fed butter for the best flavor, if that works for you, but dairy-free options are listed below. If all you have is unsalted butter, you can use that and just add a pinch of salt. Unsweetened Baking Chocolate – This makes for a more moist keto mug cake than using cocoa powder. We are adding sweetener separately, so make sure this is 100% unsweetened baker’s chocolate, not a sweetened sugar-free chocolate. Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – The main flour I use in almost all my keto baked goods, because it produces such a great texture. Don’t use almond meal or coconut flour, it won’t turn out. If you need substitution options, see below. Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Besti is my favorite natural sugar substitute! The original version of this recipe used erythritol, but the monk fruit allulose blend makes a far superior, super moist mug cake. Paleo followers may prefer to use coconut sugar for the sweetener. Baking Powder – Make sure it’s fresh so that your cake rises well, and if it’s important to you, double check that it’s gluten-free. Egg – You’ll need one whole, large egg. Vanilla extract – Optional, but highly recommended for the best flavor.
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 in there keep it ultra moist. In fact, it’s probably the moistest keto mug cake I’ve ever had.
How To Make Keto Mug Cake
This section shows how to make keto chocolate mug cake, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below. If you have dietary restrictions beyond just keto, you can make these substitutions as needed:
Dairy Free – If you need the keto chocolate mug cake to be completely dairy-free, you can replace the butter with coconut oil, or use ghee if you’re dairy-sensitive but not strictly dairy-free. When you substitute one of these, just add a pinch of salt to compensate for the salted butter. Egg Free – Replace the egg with a flax egg or other egg substitute. Nut Free – Don’t replace the almond flour with coconut flour, as the batter would be way too dry. If you need a nut-free option, you can substitute sunflower seed flour for the almond flour, though almond flour does produce a better flavor and texture.
The original recipe for keto mug cake uses the microwave, making it ultra fast to prepare. If you prefer the oven, no problem! We’ll cover both ways, and you can decide:
Microwave Method:
Oven Method:
Toppings For The Best Keto Mug Cake
It’s delicious on its own, but even better with toppings! For the ultimate keto mug cake, top it with: I mix in the same mug for convenience, but if you want to be extra sure, you could whisk the dry ingredients separately first in a small bowl, and then add to the mug. As long as you don’t overcook your low carb chocolate mug cake, it won’t be dry! You want it to be spring-y, but not dry. You’ll need either a large 12-oz ramekin or two small 6-oz ramekins.
Keto Whipped Cream – Make it with or without sweetener. Melted Chocolate – The batter for the keto mug cake uses unsweetened baking chocolate, but for topping I recommend sugar-free chocolate chips, which are sweetened. Chopped Nuts – Any kind of keto nuts will work, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds. You can also stir them into the batter. Keto Vanilla Ice Cream – My favorite topping! Peanut Butter Drizzle – Microwave some peanut butter with a bit of coconut oil, then drizzle over the cake. Berries – Chopped strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries are all keto friendly.
Storage Instructions
Store: If you find yourself with some extra low carb chocolate mug cake (I don’t know how this would happen!), you can store it at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can store these keto mug cakes right in the mugs if you like, by just covering with plastic wrap. It’s really best fresh, though. Reheat: It’s fine to eat the mug cake cold or at room temperature, but if you want to heat it, you can microwave it again. It can help to spread a thin layer of butter on top before reheating, to prevent drying out. Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Let it thaw in the fridge and then re-heat in the microwave or oven until just warm.
I don’t recommend making the mug cake batter ahead of time. The melted butter and chocolate will solidify as they cool, and the baking powder will lose its effectiveness if it sits with the wet ingredients for too long without cooking.
More Keto Mug Cake Recipes
If you like this chocolate keto mug cake, try these variations of other mug cakes:
Keto Vanilla Mug Cake Keto Lava Cake – Not an actual mug cake, but still a quick single-serve dessert. Mug Flax Seed Muffin Angel Food Cake Mug Cake – Find it in The Easy Keto Cookbook!
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