I know, I know, bananas are not usually low carb diet approved, but stick with me here OK?
I recently found myself in possession of several bunches of bananas that were turning all spotty and brown faster than they would realistically get eaten.
Mr. Hungry likes them, but Hungry Jr. recently decided he hates bananas because of the strings that sometimes come off of the sides. No matter that I pull them off for him, he’s annoyingly firm in his resolve to abstain.
Now that only one of us was going to be eating the rapidly deteriorating bananas, I knew I’d have to freeze some or they’d end up in the compost heap.
Back in the day that wouldn’t have been an issue, because I’d make banana bread or smoothies with the frozen bananas so they wouldn’t last long.
Since I went low carb though, I rarely use bananas anymore and didn’t want them taking up valuable real estate in my shoebox-sized freezer. So I decided to see if I could make them into a low carb mug cake.
I modified the recipe for the popular chocolate brownie mug cake, and the bananas and almond butter made for a nice soft texture – it was quite tasty! An unexpected bonus is that since these are sweetened by the banana, there is no need to add extra sweetener (though you could if you wanted to,) making them Paleo friendly as well!
Other than the banana slice garnish, which is totally optional, this entire low carb mug cake recipe only contains 1/3 cup mashed bananas. It’s packed with banana flavor, but with not as many carbs as you would imagine.
So if you love the taste of bananas like I do, you can rejoice that they are back on the menu (in moderation of course.)
This recipe makes 4 good sized banana almond mug cakes which can be microwaved in paper baking cups, small mugs, or ramekins.
The whipped cream and banana garnish are optional and not included in the nutrition information.
Banana Almond Mug Cake (Low Carb and Gluten Free)
A low carb and gluten free banana almond mug cake recipe.
- Yield: 4 cakes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
Instructions
- Melt the butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Spoon into 4 greased ramekins or paper baking cups. Place all four cups on a plate at once. Microwave for 90 seconds. Serve warm with optional whipped cream and banana slices.
Notes
Approximate nutrition info per cake: 168 calories, 15g fat, 5g net carbs, 5g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake
28
I don’t know if you will see this but I am so confused. I have redone/revised this recipe a million times and I cannot get the calorie count you have listed. With just the butter, almond butter and flour, 4 cakes come out to around 129 calories a piece (that’s not adding eggs and banana). Don’t get me wrong. These little babies are delicious. But I just can’t get close to your calorie count. What am I missing? Help!!!
★★★★★
Thank you for catching that Mary! A few months ago I hired someone to go back and update old posts with nutrition info and I never caught this typo! I fixed it now and appreciate your letting me know!!!
Just made this for dinner, lovely! I made it with almond meal as I didn’t have flour but still came out great! (oops just realised I forgot the vanilla essence) oh well was still good. cheers
★★★★★
Made these this evening and they got the thumbs up even from my high-carb-eating husband and son. I added a few dark chocolate drops for yumminess and baked them in the oven for c. 15 minutes instead of the microwave, as I don’t like cooking things in the microwave, and the oven was on anyway. Came out beautifully, and much lighter than I expected. Thank you for another popular way to use up those old bananas!
love the recipie!! should be delicious!
but I am a vegetarian… can something else be used instead of the egg?
Thanks for posting. The whipped cream seems all the more interesting when melted.
This looks great!!! I would love the slicer but would be thrilled to win anything!! Just found your site and am very excited. Gluten Free, sugarless and potato free for 6 weeks…. thank you!!!
I’ve got both! How did THAT happen?? I would be hard pressed to decide which one I like more. The Dutch Oven is probably more useful, but the spiralizer gives you access to noodles (of the veggie kind), and there is something awesome about being able to twirl your dinner onto your fork again. And I know the place to find recipes for meatballs…! ;)
Really? Meatballs? Hmmm… ;) You’ll be happy to know I decided to go with a winner’s choice, and I threw a magic bullet into the mix as well – hopefully you don’t have one of those also, but if you do and you are the winner, any one of the items would make a great gift!
Superb recipe…just made it. I think pumpkin would work well too adding whatever non sugar sweetener and spices people prefer. Would be like a mini instant pumpkin pie. Great for fall. Thanks for sharing.
Great idea, pumpkin would be awesome – totally trying that, thanks for the idea!
Oh, my, these look scrumptious, Melissa. And I even have the same little non-stick ruffled tins to make them in! Company coming Sunday for dinner and I know what I’m making for dessert! Thanks! Can’t wait to taste these!
Thanks B, hope you and your company enjoy them!!!!
I’ve wanted a vegetable spiral slicer for a while now (already on my Christmas wish list), but the Dutch Oven looks awesome! Maybe you could do a winner’s choice – then you don’t have to choose :-)
Love your site – Banana almond Mug Cake is on the menu tonight!
Thanks!
That’s a great idea, Mary!!!! I could do a winner’s choice of multiple options for future giveaways as well – love it!!!! Thanks!
I am going to try this recipe tonight it sounds delicious! I vote for the spiralizer but the dutch oven is awesome as well – lol!
Slicer. Even though I love the dutch oven, I feel like they male me want to cook with potatoes. And boo on potatoes.
I’ve gotta go with the veggie slicer. I’ve been dying to try zucchini noodles and this is the only good way I can find to make them.
My vote goes for the Lodge Color Dutch Oven.
I already have a dutch oven and we love it. but if I was the winner and had to choose, i would go for the slicer! there’s so much that could possibly be done and i don’t have one… snif…
Do you think you could just box this up and mail it to me? That’s what I want you to give away! So when I get home from work its this then sweet dreams :)
I vote for the slicer… but only because I already have that same exact dutch oven! LOL
I vote for the Dutch Oven and red is my favorite color and would really cheer up my kitchen.
Thank you much for the banana cakes recipe. Can’t wait to make it. I miss bananas and will make this today.
I vote for the Dutch oven. And thanks for this banana mug cake recipe. So glad to find a recipe that I can safely have banana w/i my carb limits!
Love the paper cup mold idea! This look so delicious!!!!!!! I vote for the Dutch oven, but tough choice!
I’ll probably do both eventually – thanks for weighing in! :) Here’s a link to similar paper cups on amazon!
spiralizer! Already have a dutch oven (which I love :))
These look delish! I think anything is acceptable on low carb as long as you keep the amount minimal. I’ve used dates, raisins, etc!
Thanks Carolyn – I agree that we can still have naturally sweet ingredients if we’re strategic about it! Still can’t wait to try your raspberry chia jam!!!
My favorite of the two is the Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer.
I vote spiralizer.
The Dutch oven!
The Spiral Slicer! :)
This recipe looks amazing. I’ve only recently gone low carb/no sugar and other than the buckets of candy i’d no longer be able to eat, I was also really bummed about bananas. :) Can’t wait to try this. I also made the shrimp with chipotle butter and the chicken salad from your summer magazine and both were fantastic. So glad I found your site!
Thanks so much Stephanie and welcome to IBIH – I’m glad you found us too! :)
this banana mug cake look sooo good, I just happen to have a ripe banana all ready just for this recipe :)
both look great, I think do the spiralizer first and then the dutch oven, Getting ready for soup
weather but the vegetables are everyday… both great choices, Thank you for a chance to own either one.
Exactly my dilemma when trying to decide which is why I enlisted your votes! Soup weather vs. versatility of the spiralizer. Will probably do both at some point so stay tuned! :)
Love the site and this recipe. I vote for dutch oven!
dutch oven! (I already have the spiralizer!)
Give away both! Just not at the same time….
Both look like excellent choices. I think I’d get more use out of the slicer, tho.
I think you should give away the Lodge Color (RED) Dutch Oven!! :) It would be the perfect giveaway now that it is officially Fall. Besides, I already have the slicer :)
Love your site!! :)
Dana
Thanks for weighing in Dana – red for fall totally makes sense! :)