This Keto Chocolate Mug Cake is a quick & easy low carb treat with a brownie texture and rich chocolate flavor. Gluten-free and with built in portion control – it will satisfy your chocolate craving without blowing your carb budget!
This keto chocolate brownie mug cake recipe has been popular here on IBIH for quite a few years now. I decided to dust it off and update the post a bit for those of you that haven’t come across it yet.
The thing I love about keto mug cakes is that they are so easy (and fast!) to make, and that you aren’t committed to an entire bowl or pan of something. Portion control is so much easier when you are only making one or two servings of keto dessert at a time, instead of an entire chocolate cake!
I knew I wanted to do a keto chocolate mug cake, and definitely wanted it to have a brownie-like texture.
It took some experimenting (oh the things I do for you), but I finally hit on the right combination to get both the taste and texture that I wanted. Not too dry, with just the right amount of gooeyness! You could almost call these keto chocolate mug brownies – and you wouldn’t be wrong.
This keto chocolate mug cake was warm and comforting, and perfect with some whipped cream or sugar free vanilla ice cream on top.
In fact you almost need something creamy to break up the richness of the brownie. I used Rebel Natural Vanilla (not sponsored, I just like the brand) for this photo shoot and the results were delicious.
I added walnuts to mine because nuts are a must in brownies as far as I’m concerned. I’m listing them as optional though, because some crazy people out there don’t like nuts in brownies. Oh the humanity!
Keto Mug Cake FAQs and Variations
How do you bake a keto mug cake?
Typically, since mug cakes are all about convenience, they are cooked a microwave oven rather than a traditional bake oven. That being said, you can absolutely bake a mug cake in your regular oven. To do so I recommend a ramekin instead of a mug, a bake temperature of about 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and about 10-12 minutes of baking time.
If using a microwave as this keto mug cake recipe (and many others) call for, please be aware that microwave strengths and mugs vary – I found this out the hard way when testing this keto mug cake recipe out.
I had been using the same microwave-safe mug for several tries with great results, then I made the last one with a thinner walled mug and it was WAY overdone. So I’m giving you the shortest likely time, and if it’s too gooey just throw it back in for another 30 seconds until it’s the consistency you want.
Once you go over it’s trashed, so err on the conservative side if your microwave is really strong, or your mugs are really thin walled.
Same goes on the other side of the coin, if your mugs are really thick or your microwave oven is whimpy, you might need to add a little time to cook them all the way through.
I divided this keto chocolate brownie mug cake into two portions – but you could just as easily make it in one large mug or small bowl and microwave it for a minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
What ingredients are in a keto mug cake?
The ingredients used in a keto mug cake will vary based on the flavor, but typically they are made with almond flour, coconut flour, a sugar free sweetener like erythritol or xylitol, coconut oil or butter for the fat to make it tender, and baking powder to help it rise.
This particular chocolate mug cake also contains vanilla extract, a good quality cocoa powder, sugar free chocolate chips, and either pecans or walnuts.
How many net carbs are in this keto chocolate mug cake recipe?
This keto mug cake contains only 2 grams of net carbs, but a whopping 6 grams of protein. So it’s basically health food – especially if you throw a few berries on there. You’re welcome.
Can this chocolate mug cake be made dairy free and Paleo?
Yes! The only dairy in this mug cake recipe is the butter, so you can replace that with ghee (which is free of milk solids) or coconut oil with great results. To sweeten it, you can replace the erythritol (which is a natural sweetener but highly processed) with either honey or maple syrup for Paleo diets.
Keto Chocolate Brownie Mug Cake – Low Carb – Gluten Free
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Warm and comforting, this keto chocolate mug cake is the quickest way to low carb brownie bliss there is! Gluten free too!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons superfine blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar substitute
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar free chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small microwave safe bowl (about 30 seconds in microwave).
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour batter into 2 small greased mugs or ramekins.
- Microwave for 1 minute. (add another 30 seconds if necessary).
- Serve with whipped cream or sugar free vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 2g
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: Keto desserts
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mug cake
- Calories: 216
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
Teresa says
I went completely by the recipe but using just one mug and then split it with my daughter who is NOT on a low carb diet and even SHE loved it! I’ve only been doing low carb for a month and have been searching for recipes that will keep me on track and help make me feel like I’m not deprived. This one is AMAZING! 16 pounds down in a month and feeling very hopeful! Thank you for the recipe:)
Tracy James says
Love this recipe! I’ve made it in the microwave many times, but tonight decided to bake it in a ramekin (11 minutes at 350) – flipped it out once it had baked and voila! Lava Cake! Instead of the Lindt squares, I use Sinless Raw sugar-free chocolate (85%), yum! I’ve used the original and raspberry bars…tonight I used the smoky hot pepper variety and the results were great!
Ashley says
I love these brownie mug cakes! They are quick and easy to make! I split mine into 3 cups for fewer carbs….and so I can eat them with a serving of vanilla CarbSmart ice cream. Delicious!! Definitely recommend!!!
Cari says
This one is my favorite for the contest. I have done a lot of mug cakes since starting Keto and this one is great with some Halo Top ice cream!
Alicea says
Delicious! Didn’t have coconut flour in hand, but it still came out perfect. Thanks for a great recipe. I did both servings in one mug at 1 minute 30 seconds. Perfection!
JJ says
Ok so I lost the recipe card that I had written this down on, and when I came here to get the recipe again I realized I have been making this for months now with no coconut flour in it. It is a regular, we eat it for dessert about once a week and it’s light and fluffy and has a great cake texture. So if you are looking for a great mug cake (I bake mine at 325 for 15 minutes or so) then just leave out the coconut flour and this recipe is perfect for that. Now I need to make a batch as written and see how they are actually supposed to taste!
tamz79 says
This is delish!! But I have a question, when I input the ingredients to MyFitnessPal it says the calories are double what you put the aprx calories/fat/carbs as, I’m curious why that is? Am I imputing something different than you? Thanks again! This is such a great fix for choc cravings while on Keto!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
The MFP database is notoriously inaccurate and riddled with errors.
Brittney says
This is also 2 servings in case you didn’t catch that. ..not assuming you did not, but just in case. :)
I haven’t tried it yet, but I may on Sunday. It looks good.
Debra says
I didn’t catch the 2 servings. Needless to say, it did not turn out well. :( Please resize that so other seniors don’t mess up what looks to be a delicious recipe.
Evelyn says
It seems . . . odd . . . you ask that a recipe be changed because you didn’t pay attention to what it actually said. I’m a senior. I can read just fine! Please don’t imply that seniors need ridiculous accommodations to make sense of recipes. Geez.
Bobisu says
This recipe is for 2 cakes!
Tinas_Low_Carb_Log says
Did you put that the recipe is for 1 serving or 2? Because the 1x as written is for 2 servings and 2x is for 4 servings etc…
Nina Severini says
This was so so easy and good! Barely took 45 seconds in my microwave. Also I split these up and refrigerated one covered in plastic wrap until the next day and it cooked up fine. Thank you thank you Melissa!
Shay says
I was needing a chocolate fix … while on this low carb diet… I must say this is great!!! So happy I found your recipe Melissa … I followed it to a T… moist yummy and sweet n just the right portion for two! Thx u
Jenny says
This is the best low carb brownie recipe that I’ve tried!! I love the delicate sponge texture & the gooey chocolate bar pieces in the center…WOW! Thanks so much!