Microwave Chocolate Espresso Mug Cake

April 13, 2020

Hey there I'm Chen.

Welcome to Chen's Plate, a food and lifestyle blog sharing gluten and dairy free recipes along with the ups and downs of my life in NYC. Hope you find what you're looking for. So excited to have you here :)

about Me

A delicious 5 minute dessert

I’ve always been the biggest sweets lover that I know. I eat them all the time and pretty much always have a stash of goodies in my home. Sometimes it’s cookies, sometimes brownies, and sometimes my favorite candies make their way into my pantry, like gummy bears and sour sweets. For me, days without sweets are few and far between!

With that being said, in the past couple of years, I have had to make some serious changes in my diet. After being diagnosed with Crohns, I spent a few years trying different foods and assessing how they affected my body and overall digestion. Some of my favorite foods just didn’t make the cut. Which is exactly why I started all of this!

Making “healthy” versions of my favorite sweet foods has become my favorite thing to do. Yep, it’s true. I turned my love of food into a full blown job and I have no regrets. I love using real, whole ingredients when I bake, especially ones that don’t make my stomach scream. Despite all of my ingredients being clean and healthy, this isn’t not one of those cakes that tastes healthy. Ya know what mean? The truth is, once you taste it, you probably won’t believe that it’s diet-friendly!

Ingredients for the single serve mug cake

To make the best microwave mug cake on the planet, you’ll need a selection of ingredients. Here’s a complete list of everything used to make this deliciously moist and fluffy cake.

1 egg
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 1/2 tbsp chocolate espresso almond butter
1/2 mashed banana
1 tbsp applesauce
1 tbsp honey
splash of vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash of sea salt
1 tbsp chocolate chips (optional, but not…)

Kitchen tools used to make this easy dessert

To make this mug cake, you’ll only need only 3 kitchen tools! It’s really that easy I promise. Start with one small mixing bowl and a mixing tool (I used a fork.) Then grab a microwave safe mug or a ramekin dish. That’s all!

How to make your microwave chocolate espresso mug cake!

In a small bowl, combine the egg, mashed banana, applesauce, honey, almond butter, and vanilla and mix super well to create a smooth mixture. Be sure to break apart any clumps of banana (these are all the wet ingredients)

Add in the dry into the same bowl: coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and mix super well

Once the mixture is mixed well, add in the chocolate chips and evenly disperse them into the cake batter

Pour the batter into a microwave safe mug or ramekin dish and smooth out the top. Optional: sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top

Microwave for about 2 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

NOTE: you can add all sorts of toppings here! I added a little extra almond butter on top, but consider adding whipped cream, chopped nuts, or even a pinch of sea salt for the perfect sweet and salty ratio.

What makes this mug cake healthier

I used a few select ingredients to achieve a delicious, but healthier mug cake.

Coconut flour: I typically use coconut flour rather than all-purpose. It makes the recipe gluten free! Which isn’t necessarily always healthier, but it makes this recipe accessible to anyone with celiac or keeping a gluten free diet.
Honey: Honey is an all-natural sweetener that tastes great and eliminates the need for added sugar.
Almond butter: I prefer to use almond butter in place of peanut butter because it’s more nutrient-dense. Plus, it tastes great!
Applesauce: I prefer to use applesauce in place of butter because it’s dairy free and easy to use! Plus, it adds a little extra sweetness to the dessert.

Substitution options for my healthy mug cake

I’m often asked about ingredient substitutions. Below are some easy swaps! Feel free to try any that you’d like, noting that there are a few that may change the taste a bit or add a slightly different texture to the final product of your dessert.

Applesauce: applesauce is typically what I use in place of oil. You can easily sub applesauce with coconut oil, avocado oil, or even olive oil!
Almond butter: You can use any nut butter in this recipe. I used this chocolate espresso one for the best flavor!
Chocolate chips: Substitute chocolate chips with the mix-in of your choice. You could use white chocolate chips or caramel chips, chopped nuts, or whatever you’d like!
Eggs: For a vegan mug cake, you’ll need to substitute the eggs. To replace the single egg in this recipe, you can use 1/4 cup of applesauce, or try using chia seeds or flax seed substitute. Just google flax egg for the exact recipe on that one!