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 chipsÂ
- 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
Heather says
Thank you, thank you!! Low carb on Valentine’s Day was sooooo much easier because I got to share these chocolate beauties with my honey. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Awwww, so glad you both enjoyed it!!
Al Luna says
Just made these – taste great!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you liked them Al, thanks!!
Dawn says
Looks good. Melissa you crack me up. You sound like mr wonderful on shark tank when you tell the raisen eater they are dead to you.
Mellissa Sevigny says
LOL thanks Dawn! What can I say, I REALLY hate raisins in brownies!!!! ;)
K. says
OMG I followed this as written and it’s amazing. I used regular organic cane sugar and would love to find a different substitute!
I ate both servings. SO GOOD.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you liked it! I still make this anytime I need a quick chocolate fix! I use granulated splenda or ideal depending on what I have in the house. Others like Swerve sweetener so you might try that as well!
tess says
Sorry, Mine didn’t quite turn out. It had an egg-like texture. I didn’t have coconut flour, so I just used shredded coconut instead. Everything else was the same. Any suggestions?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Use coconut flour next time. Shredded coconut is not the same and you’ll end up with custard instead of cake.
Katie says
Ok, I was skeptical about microwaved, sugar free, flour free cake. Just tried it using swerve and it was so flipping freaking good and rich, my husband fought me for it. This one is a keeper.
Silvia says
THANK YOU SO MUCH! this is the best mugcake I have ever made! I used half of the recipe to make only one cake … I should have made the whole thing.. it’s way too good! I topped it with coconut shreds and almonds.. YUM :D
Sarah says
These were awesome even without whipped cream or lc ice cream. Thanks for the recipe, I will make this often!
Eleora3 says
Just made this as I’ve been brownie-less for a while as I’m following a low carb diet. But today I needed a brownie fix and wanted to stay mostly true to my new lifestyle and was too tired to bake something intense. This was FANTASTIC. I made both servings in a square bowl and ate them both :) Perfectly light, delicious with pecans and chocolate chips. Didn’t even miss the whipped cream. I will be making this again, and I agree–I want to make this as a regular cake or cupcakes in a larger recipe as well.
Sarah says
These have almost become a nightly treat… it’s becoming a problem :) I replace the butter with coconut oil so the brownie is paleo. I’m obsessed!