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Get It NowMy 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- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I originally made this recipe with erythritol, but once I switched to this allulose blend, my keto mug cake turned out 100X more moist.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.
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
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.
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Instructions
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 Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
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
246 Comments
Faith
1YES 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
1This 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.
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!
Lisa S
1“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
1I 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!! ?
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.
Karen
0Can I sub unsweetened cocoa powder for the unsweetened baking chocolate?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Karen, I don’t recommend doing that in this recipe.
Margo
0National Fruit Compote Day. Husband wanted fruit compote. Did he plan what to use it on, nope. Dinner is done so I ask him what’s this supposed to go with? Keto Chocolate Mug Cake [again, first time I have made mug cake]. Turned out wonderfully [and now I know what size my mugs are!] and was a perfect complement to the mixed berries fruit compote.
karin
0I really appreciate that you offer alternatives to microwaving for those of us who don’t like to use one. That is super helpful and considerate.
Collene
0I was so delighted to make this for my sister who has sworn off bread and sugar- and she loved it! (I did too!) She was pleased that it wasn’t grainy and the texture was light, as well as being filling.
I used Whole Earth Allulose Baking Blend and Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour. Oh, and I used 2 squares of 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate because it seemed a hassle to break a square in half evenly and thought…having a bit more of chocolate would only be a good thing, right?!
Stephanie
0How many squares of chocolate do u use for 3/4 oz?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Stephanie, I recommend weighing your chocolate to get the correct amount.
Sharla Lamken
0Loved it! And fast and easy!
Win
0I live in Australia and Besti products are not available here.
Allulose is also not approved for sale in Australia.
I read somewhere that the Coles Supermarket has a sweetener that is 99.5% Erythritol and 0.5% Monk Fruit Extract. How does that compare with the breakdown for Besti Monk Fruit and Allulose? Would that be suitable to use in your recipes as a replacement?
Apparently Woolworths has Lakanto Monk Fruit and Erythritol but I can’t find out online, the break down.
I have Natvia, which is powdered Stevia, could I use that… or maybe a mix of Erythritol and Stevia?
I would really appreciate your advice.
Thanks
Win
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Win, Besti is not available in Australia yet — you can sign up here to be notified when it’s available in your country. In the meantime, check the keto sweeteners guide for alternatives.
Cynthia Needham
0I had a serious craving for some chocolate last night. Remembered seeing Maya’s recipe for Chocolate Mug Cake and scooted into the kitchen, followed the recipe, put a dollop of Cool Whip on it and the craving was more than satisfied. Very decadent and easy to make. Thank you, Maya. Kept me from rummaging through the frig. and pantry and finding nothing that I wanted.
Geri Reti
0This was so good! I made one recipe, divided in 2 smaller ramekins. It was plenty for a dessert with whipped cream! My husband liked it too!
Whitney
0This was so yummy and filling! I couldn’t even eat the whole thing. Absolutely delish with whipped cream on top ?
Wendy
0This was delicious! I think the unsweetened chocolate gives it an edge over other mug cake recipes.
April
0This was so good! I added a handful of chocolate chips to the batter, it was amazing.
Courtney
0Loved it! The consistency and flavor was SO good! Making again for sure!
Jenny
0This is the best mug cake I’ve tasted so far. It is extremely filling!
Ronni
0So easy, and tasty. I used a couple of squares of really good extra dark chocolate instead of the unsweetened, then cut out the sweetener. Not sweet, but just right for me, put a dollop of homemade pumpkin butter on top, yum. Great recipe!!
Christal
0This is an awesome recipe I added extra sugar free chocolate chips and cocoa instead of unsweetened baking chocolate and cut back on sweetener to 3/4 Tbsp making it again for sure. Yummo!!!
Elizabeth
0This recipe is very easy and good.
Kathy Barnhill
0Just fixed this recipe. It was amazing. Got thumbs up from my husband!
AngieStella
0Loved it, quick, easy and so yummy
Cheryl
0Perfection! Because of a nut allergy I used sunflower seed flour. I also did not have any baking chocolate so I read on another website that for 1 oz of baking chocolate you can mix 3 Tbl of cocoa and 1 Tbl of butter into a paste. I used about 3/4 of it in this recipe. It came out moist and delicious!! I will definitely make again. Thank you Maya!!
Cinthia Meza Reyes
0So delicious!!!!
Sarah
0yummy and super easy to make. I used the Natvia brand of monk fruit sweetener and noshu chocolate baking chips. I did add some chocolate chips on top of the batter before I put it in the microwave. It’s nearly like a self sauce pudding. Mine was lite moist and had a bit of sauce in the bottom of the mug. Yum
Amiryssa Helland
0I have made this a few times now and it never fails to impress me! I am not keto but i am low carb due to pregnancy and this mug cake has been a God send! The latest that i made I added peanut butter to the middle and it is amazing! Peanut butter lava cake, Im not 100% sure if pb is keto but if you have one you can use add it! So good! I do follow the recipe exactly except i add a little more butter and coco chips because i tend to like it a little more moist and that makes cleaning the mug so much easier!
Lissa
0Terrific recipe as usual. I had to make a couple of tweaks based on what I had on-hand. I used 1tbsp cocoa powder, 1tbsp coconut flour and 2tbsp of straight-up allulose. Even with this, the cake was amazingly moist and tender. Maya’s recipes never fail to impress.
Sonja
0This mug cake was fabulous!!! (I used Earth Balance and erythritol rather than butter and monk fruit.). Thank you so much for helping me satisfy my sweet tooth. ❤️
Angie Mortimer
0Can I use cocoa powder if I don’t have unsweetened baking chocolate?
J
0Another poster said they mixed it with melted butter and it worked well. They said they used 3 Tablespoons cocoa and 1 Tablespoon of butter and mixed it into a paste before they added it. It was Cheryl’s post on August 2021, if that’s any help. 😀
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Angie, Sorry, cocoa powder would make this recipe too dry.
Kerri
0Followed the recipe and it was delicious! Used Lily baking milk chocolate chips (keto friendly) and monk fruit for the sweetener. Much better than other chocolate mug cakes that I have had that have weird aftertaste
Tony
0I tried the chocolate version (obviously) and it was amazing! Very indulgent and one of the best recipes I’ve ever tried. I used 85% Lindt chocolate (not for baking) which melted well with the butter and “cooked” it for exactly 60secs in a 800w microwave to perfection! I didn’t have any cream: which is a shame, although perhaps excessive for my breakfast muffin alternative! It was a little sweet for my (British) tastebuds, so I’ll halve the sweetener next time. I’m looking forward to trying the peanut one next! Thank you very much.
Yolanda
0Awesome. Was craving chocolate. Ideal desert share, will make this again. Hubby loved it as well
Ava
0Can you use coco powder instead of chocolate?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ava, Sorry this recipe needs bakers chocolate to work.
Glad
0Do you think I can use unsweetened cacao powder in place of the bakers chocolate? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Glad, Sorry, these ingredients are not interchangeable. Your mug cake would likely turn out very dry using cocoa powder.
Melissa
0Omg!!! Just made this for myself and my 11 year old diabetic son. Added a spoonful of peanut butter to the center of the batter before baking and a scoop of whip cream on top after. I’m loving it and he just yelled out “omg this is so good!!” Kid tested and mom approved:)
Vlatka
0Delicious recipe, quick and very satisfying. Love your webpage, so much useful information and great recipes! Best wishes from Croatia.
Michelle
0Really satisfying. I added a pinch more sweetener. It really satisfied desire for chocolate cake. Making one serving at a time reduces the urge to overindulge. And speed at making it was a big plus. I don’t like baking or cooking.
Payme
0This looks like a very delicious recipe, one that I definitely will try. My only “constructive criticism” is that your suggestions of equipment .. fancy cream maker and double-walled mugs .. are expensive and never will be on the shopping list of people who can’t afford them. I would appreciate seeing some affordable alternatives that have been tested to work. example .. a straight-sided wide-mouth mason jar for the “mug” and a hand blender for the whipping cream. Of course, we, your readers, can figure these things out, but I, for one, find it somewhat offensive that the assumption appears to be that everyone can afford the fancy items. It’s hard enough to put food on the table, and keto-specific ingredients are spendy. The recipes can be made without the fancies. You include alternative ingredients to change up flavours so it would be reasonable to include alternative equipment that will do the job at an affordable price. Thank you P.S. Its perfectly fine if you don’t publish this comment … I didn’t know how else to message you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I share the equipment that I personally use, and the price points vary. This is a mug cake, you can use any mug you like. Hope you enjoy the recipe.