Watch out mug cake lovers, this might just become your new go-to! This Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake is like a short cut cinnamon roll with no kneading, no rising, and no rolling required! It’s the perfect quick fix for when you need just a couple bites of cinnamon-y sweetness without having a whole pan of cinnamon rolls staring you down all day. Or when you don’t want to pay $5 for a cinnamon roll the size of your head. Because while I love cinnamon rolls that big, I don’t need cinnamon rolls that big. 😅
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What’s with Mug Cakes, Anyway?
Mug cakes certainly aren’t for everyone, but if you’re the type of person that doesn’t like to keep sweets on hand, but does have the occasional sweet craving, mug cakes are the perfect single-serving fix. They take just enough work that I’m not tempted to make them ever day, but they’re certainly easier than making a whole dessert or going out to buy a single portion of something. They do also require a pantry stocked with basic baking ingredients, like flour, sugar, baking powder, etc.
Do I Have to Use a Microwave?
Yes, this recipe is designed specifically for the microwave. Ovens cook at a much slower pace, so this recipe would have to be tested and adjusted to compensate for the difference. Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe for conventional ovens.
Can I Use Non-Dairy Milk?
Because the milk is such a small quantity in this recipe, I do think you could get away with using a non-dairy milk, like almond or soy. You may also be able to use a non-dairy butter substitute as well, as long as it does not contain too high of a percentage of water. I have not tested this recipe with either of these non-dairy ingredients, so this is just my best guess.
Estimated Pricing
Take the pricing breakdown below with a grain of salt. This recipe uses super small quantities of ingredients that already cost pennies at normal volumes, so the calculations are definitely more in the range of a general estimate.
Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake
Servings 1Ingredients
Mug Cake Batter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted ($0.03)
- 2 Tbps milk ($0.04)
Cinnamon Butter Swirl
- 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted ($0.03)
- 1 tsp brown sugar (0.02)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
Icing
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar ($0.01)
- 1/2 tsp milk ($0.01)
Instructions
- In a small mug (about 1 cup volume), stir together the dry ingredients for the mug cake batter: flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.
- Add the melted butter and milk to the dry ingredients in the mug and stir until a thick batter forms.
- In a separate small bowl or mug, melt the butter for the cinnamon butter swirl (about 15 seconds in the microwave). Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon into the melted butter.
- Drizzle the cinnamon butter swirl over the mug cake batter, then gently fold them together until they are only about half mixed. There should be thick ribbons of the cinnamon butter swirl throughout the batter.
- Microwave the mug cake for 45-55 seconds (for a 1100 watt microwave, cooking time will vary with microwave wattage). The mug cake will create quite a bit of steam as it cooks, so don’t be alarmed. Let the mug cake cool for 1-2 minutes.
- While the mug cake is cooling, stir together the powdered sugar and milk for the icing, using the same small bowl used for the cinnamon butter swirl. The residual cinnamon in the bowl will flavor the icing.
- Drizzle the icing over the mug cake and enjoy while it is still warm.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Love microwave mug cakes? Check out my Funfetti Mug Cake, “The One” Chocolate Mug Cake, Blueberry Mug Muffin, 5-Minute Microwave French Toast Mug, and 5-Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug.
How to Make Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake – Step by Step Photos
Start by adding the dry ingredients for the mug cake batter to a small mug (about 1 cup volume): 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and 1 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts. Stir these ingredients together until they are well combined.
Next, add 1/2 Tbsp melted butter (microwave butter for about 15 seconds in a separate bowl) and 2 Tbsp milk.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until they form a thick batter.
In a separate small bowl, melt another 1/2 Tbsp butter (microwave 15 seconds or so), then stir in 1 tsp brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. This is the cinnamon butter swirl.
Drizzle the cinnamon butter over the mug cake batter, then gently fold them together, only until they are about half mixed. You want thick ribbons of the cinnamon butter throughout the batter.
Microwave the mug cake for 45-55 seconds (this is the time for an 1100 watt microwave, your time may vary with the wattage of your microwave). The mug cake will steam quite a bit as it cooks, so don’t be alarmed. Let the mug cake cool for 1-2 minutes.
While the mug cake is cooling, make the icing. Use the same bowl used to make the cinnamon butter swirl. The residual cinnamon in the bowl will flavor the icing. Stir together 1 Tbsp powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp milk until a thick icing forms.
Drizzle the icing over the Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake.
Enjoy while still warm!
Tasty! I normally don’t have luck with mug cakes, but this one is actually good! I used a pinch of salt instead of 1/8tsp.
Loved this recipe! I added cardamom to everything (for every portion of cinnamon I did half as much cardamom). I didn’t have powdered sugar to make icing, so instead I put some honey in the same mug I made the swirl as per the icing instructions, then microwaved for 5-10 seconds. Once it was warm enough to be thin and runny like warm maple syrup (which I’m definitely trying next time) I mixed in cinnamon and cardamom, then drizzled it over top. I made sure to make enough honey drizzle to cover the whole top in a thin layer, and it added sweetness to the cake that I think rounded it out nicely.
Just what I needed! I was craving something sweet but didn’t want to pull out the mixer or mess with a bunch of ingredients. I subbed for oat flour and almond milk. I didn’t do the powdered sugar topping. Delicious and no leftover to tempt me.
Delicious for a treat!
Just had this for breakfast… Absolutely delicious. Used almond milk because of run out of dairy milk and used oil in the batter (butter in the swirl)… Even better than I was expecting . Thank you so much for sharing!
You guys, 1/8 tsp of salt is way too much salt for this. You need to change it to be a pinch. It was legit salty. But otherwise, pretty good
I made this with 1:1 gluten free flour, plant-based butter, and oat milk. I’m celiac and allergic to milk. I made it like cake batter, though. I mixed all the dry ingredients, added solid butter and incorporated it with a fork until the dry batter was course like sand. This takes a little more time but made the finished product lighter. I also used half a beaten egg with the milk.
I’ve also doubled and tripled this recipe exactly as written, adding 1 min to cook time for each addition. I put a top over it in the microwave as well.
Just tried the Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake and it is excellent!!! 😊👍. I used what I had on hand walnuts instead of pecans. My husband is diabetic and has a sweet tooth. I’m going to try it with his sweetner and see how it comes out. Thank you. Great recipe.
Quick and easy to make, thanks for the alternative to chocolate mug cakes.
Do you need to adjust the cooking time if making 2 at the same time?
Hi Melissa- I wouldn’t do two at the same time, as they might not cook evenly. But if you want to try it, then yes you should adjust the cooking time. Unfortunately, since we haven’t done it that way, I can’t tell you how much you should adjust the time. Let us know the results! XOXO -Monti
Do you need to cover the mug in the microwave?
You shouldn’t need to cover it! ~Marion :)
This recipe rocks! Thank you!
Can you please make a full-size version of this recipe? I’m in loooooove with it!
I’ve made this recipe maybe 5 times and whenever I’m craving a small treat I ALWAYS turn to this recipe. It has the perfect amount of cinnamon and nuttiness from the pecans. Easily my favorite treat for when I’m wanting something nostalgic.
Would the batter and swirl work with coconut oil?
Of course! Use a 1 to 1 ratio. Happy cooking! XOXO -Monti
Well, this is a first. I never post comments, but this was so good, I had to put my 5 stars here! And bookmark this recipe immediately.
I’ve made mug cakes before, and yeah…chocolatey and rubbery (or burnt chocolate chips) were usually the result. Meh. This cinnamon bun flavour was fantastic though.
I made it in a small bowl, and perhaps the wider shallow shape contributed to the success with the cooking. I used another reader’s tip to melt all the butter at once, then scoop out half for the batter and use the other half for the icing. Then you only use two dishes. I made this with almond milk and walnuts. Delicious 😋
could you please make this recipe into a full sized cake? hehe
its so good, i always want more when i finish it. i’ve made it so many times now.
I’ll need to give that a shot!
Just want to say, this batter is AMAZING thrown into a waffle maker if you have one of those mini ones. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. Incredible!
Oooooh I love that idea! Thanks for sharing!
I just found your recipe and tried it right away and it’s a winner! I loved it. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow and the cake was moist and flavorful. This recipe is a keeper and i will make it again for sure. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh wow!! I just made this and can I just say it satisfied every craving I had for cinnamon rolls.
I changed up the method a little to reduce washing up.
I melted the butter for the batter and cinnamon swirl in a mug, took out the cinnamon swirl portion and put that in a bowl. Once melted, added the milk to the mug and then the dry. Made the swirl in a separate bowl and microwaved. Then made the frosting with a protein custard instead of icing sugar. Soo good!!
This was really good. Soft texture and oh, so flavourful without too much sweetness. Thanks.
So delicious! I made it without the icing and it was still so good.
This is the best amazing mug cake I have made so far!!! Can praise it enough. I have made it multiple times and each time it turns out perfect. Sometimes I leave out the cinnamon butter swirl when I dont feel like it, and add the cinnamon to the icing. Still delicious.
Honestly amazing. I had never made a mug cake before and this was delicious! A quick and simple way to satisfy a craving for cinnamon baked good deliciousness.
My husband and I love this recipe. It is so easy and tasty when I don’t feel like busting out a mixer or turning the oven on. Plus you have just enough. I make two, one for each of us and they are tasty.
Well that was delicious.
I used self-raising flour to make things even quicker, and left out the baking powder. As we only buy salted butter, I will leave out the extra salt in future and I think the butter adds plenty. Cheers!
This was easy and tasty. I was looking for a recipe just like this for some homemade vanilla frosting I had made for cinnamon rolls. This was so tasty my husband was already planning ways to take one to work to cook.
I made this with vegan butter and soy milk. Very delicious! I only had cashews on hand and they were a decent substitute For pecans or walnuts. I also doubled the icing. 😁
I have never tried a mug cake before this. I was just scrolling through recipes on this site and found this! I love cinnamon scrolls and did have a hankering for something a little sweet. I made this right away! Took me about 5 minutes and really does taste like a cinnamon scroll!! Amazing!!
Hooooo this hit the spot today. Absolutely delish… this is a dangerous recipe to know. Yum. :P
Absolutely delicious! I am dairy free and had no problem with the recipe when I substituted almond milk and plant butter. I did only add a pinch of salt since the plant butter I use contains salt. Will definitely be making again!
Excellent! Has saved me from buying and eating several store bought cinnamon rolls! I make mine in a 2 cup Corning French ware and cook. for 45 seconds in my 1500 above the orange microwave. It turns out perfect every time and gives me more surface are for the icing!
Thank you for this and so many other great recipes
a few tips— i don’t think you have to add the salt. i can’t have added table salt, and i thought it tasted great without it. mix it in something other than the mug itself. i know it’s a small mug recipe so it should cut down on the amount of bowls you have to use, but it’s not easy to mix in the mug and sometimes the flour gets stuck around the bottom. i microwaved it for more like a minute and 40 seconds. but it really does depend on your microwave. it 100% tastes like a cinnamon roll in cake form tho! and it actually tasted like cake, which is a feat in itself cos i’ve never gotten a mug cake to taste like cake!
First recipe of 2021! A delicious way to start a new year :-)
HORRIBLE. TOO SALTY
Thank you for providing this recipe. It helped me out of a 4 am study craving! Delicious and doe not make a lot of dishes. Some of the mug cakes I am still making a lot of dishes.
I’ve tried a lot of mug cakes and this is a great one! Perfect texture and flavor. I will make again.
Would love to try this, but I’m looking for a high protein alternative. Do you think I would be able to add a scoop of protein powder anywhere in this recipe?
I’ve not done any baking with protein powder, so I’m not sure how that would turn out. If you decide to give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Pretty great for when you when you want something sweet but don’t keep that stuff in the house, I love cinnamon rolls. I felt like mine needed a little less salt and maybe twice the icing – I don’t have a huge sweet tooth but felt like it needed it. My husband had never seen the “baking in a mug” thing before and was fascinated. Love your website, thanks!
This was a delicious recipe but now i want this in a much larger portion. Do you think if i multiply this recipe and put it in a cake pan and bake it the oven that it will still turn out well or should i alter the recipe?
Unfortunately that’s not something I could guess without testing. The cooking environment of a microwave is very different than an oven, so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
just read your suggestion, ignore my previous comment ;)
Planning to make it today, but I don’t have a microwave. Do you think it will be fine to hit it up in the oven? If so, how long?
Won’t be quite the same and you’d need to be sure your mug is oven safe.
Amazing, was a hit with the whole family. Always make your chocolate mug cake so was aprehensive of the method but those extra steps were worth it.
Note to Brits – I used Self Raising flour instead of AP & baking powder and all was fine – light and fluffy 👌
This looks delish! Could one use Half&Half in place of the milk?🤷🏻♀️ Thank you!
We haven’t tried that but you can certainly give it a shot if it’s what you have on hand.
Just made this, doubled the recipe for a bigger mug cake, microwaved for close to two minutes and it turned out great! Definitely making this again!
Beth, I just realized why I love your blog. Most recipe bloggers include long meaningless stories and commentary before sharing their recipe to increase the time people spend on the site and to have more room for ads. Your commentary is relevant and interesting (e.g. can I make this substitution, the step-by-step photos) to achieve the same length on the site to keep up your engagement and ad levels. So smart! So amazing! Thank you for giving us content that we actually care about. You are the best!
This totally exceeded my expectations. Tasted just like a cinnamon roll without all the work and all the extras laying around tempting you 😂 45 seconds was perfect in my microwave. Will be making this again and again.
Very good and simple to make. Satisfied my craving for cinnamon rolls without having to make a big cake! Thank you!
I’ve only made one mug cake recipe before (which I lost!), but this one is even better. It came out perfectly and it’s so quick to make. I think it tastes like a cinnamon swirl pastry! So yummy! Going to make this for my boyfriend later as a nice surprise. Now I just have to avoid the temptation of making it every day.
This came out amazing!!! I’ve tried a mug cake once about a year ago and it came out horribly, but I decided to give this recipe a shot. So delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing, I recently came across your website and I’m already looking forward to trying more recipes :)
Welcome April! We’re happy you found us. And had a delicious dessert success!
This was so so good. So easy to follow and so delicious! Highly Recommend.
Thank you Emma!
Soooo good. Whipped it up on this snowy morning & all the men in the house said it was delish! Super easy. Super quick & no one arguing over the last cinnamon roll😉
That’s a good morning to me!
Very tasty! I make the chocolate mug cake from your cookbook all the time and really like this cinnamon swirl version too. With the chocolate I’ve taken to substituting two tsp of the flour with almond flour. It makes the cake moister and and adds nutty flavor. Tried the same trick with the cinnamon bun version and it worked beautifully. Thanks for sharing!
Oooh sounds delicious!
So light and fluffy! Great instructions to make it perfect every time.
Soooo gooood! I don’t keep baking powder in the house because it goes flat on me so I used 1/8 tsp cream of tartar + 1/8 tsp baking soda and it turned out great!
any gluten free version?
Unfortunately I haven’t worked with gluten-free flour so I can’t help with this one. :(
I made it this morning with Pamela’s Artisan Flour (GF) and it was delicious!
Glad to hear it works with the GF all purpose substitute. :)
Definitely going to try this with gluten free flour. I have been craving cinnamon rolls!
You’re a genius! Best mug dessert I have ever made, thanks to you.
I was so excited to make this as a midnight snack for myself, that I accidentally grabbed the wrong measuring cup and used 1/2 of a cup a flour without doubling any of the other ingredients. I also didn’t check to make sure I had all the ingredients before I started. This called me to substitute water for milk. When the batter was to dry to mix, I added a couple more tablespoons of water. That should have been a warning sign that I was using too much flour. You can imagine the Frankenstein’s monster I created. My husband enjoyed, but he could eat anything. Going to try again in a week or so. I wonder if buttermilk would taste good in this? Oh, well….
First time i made it, i messed up really bad. It wasn’t edible. Right now, i just made it again and it looked a lot like the picture. But it was also definitely not edible! Dont make this, it’s a waste of money and ingredients! Still pretty fun making it tho
Welp, I went ahead and gambled the $0.45 worth of pantry staples and I (like every other reviewer) thought it was fantastic! Maybe try again…
Ha! Hooray Angela!
It worked perfectly for me! Tasted delicious and was cooked throughout perfectly. I wonder what went wrong?
I added maple syrup and canned whip cream on top with extra pecans. OMG IT’S SO GOOD!!!!!
Ohhh maple syrup!! Good idea!
This was delicious! Made it for my kids this morning and they all loved it. Can’t believe how closely it resembles a cinnamon bun! Thanks for anither great recipe!
I made this for mother’s day and it was delicious!
So delicious and easy! I am in mid-pregnancy and really just wanted something sweet and a little filling (like a cinnamon roll) and this totally met my craving. I made it immediately after seeing it on instagram thanks to it being made with very simple and staple pantry ingredients I already had on hand. (Also helped that my other littles were at the grandparents, no sharing required :D ) Will definitely make again! Your recipes are consistently some of my favorites that I try from online recipe bloggers. Yum!
(Forgot to add the rating to the first review. Please feel free to delete my one without a star rating)
Thank you!!
This recipe explains everything in such depth that i feel like a pro cook haha, thanks for sharing
I had a hankering for cinnamon rolls but not the time to make them. I made the recipe exactly as-is and it is amazing! I would recommend using a short stout mug rather than a tall skinny one like I did though. Next time I’ll try whole wheat to make it a bit healthier, and a little vanilla.
Wow, the only mug cake recipe I’ve ever had success with! I’ll admit, I often double the recipe for my bigger mugs, and it turns out excellent. I also only keep coconut milk on hand, which adds a nice fun flavor to the recipe!
I’m 8 months pregnant and this has become my emotional eating go to! Ha. My hubby is just happy I’m eating this and not making him go buy 6 packs of cinnamon rolls
Haha! I love it! :)
Beth,
I just noticed you haven’t updated the blog in a while. I hope everything is okay and you’re just taking a well deserved vacation! Your readers love you!
Yes, I took a 9 day trip to China. :) Thank you for checking on me!
Just made this to go with my morning coffee and I am astounded. It. Is. So. Good. I was worried it would get all hard and tough around the edges, as many things do in the microwave, but this doesn’t. It’s like a real, tender cinnamon roll. Thank for you making life worth living.
The cake part stands on its own, no need for the glaze. Deeelish!
My grandma would love this recipe, but is diabetic. Anyone have any suggestions for a brown sugar substitute? Could sub stevia for the sweetness, but wouldn’t get the same flavor.
Hi Taylor, This is Gina. I think Splenda makes a brown sugar substitute. I hope this helps. I remember seeing at Wal-Mart so I am sure any chain would carry it. You could also Google how to make your own and add the stevia in place of the sugar.
Before I saw this recipe, I tried so many mug cake recipes and hated them all. They were either dry or they had no flavor. I’m a discerning mug cake consumer! Then I made yours and I’m amazed at how delicious it is. I switched out the butter for margarine, and it still came out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for those incredible ideas, i really impressed by your yummy recipes. thanks again !
Made these this week and they were AWESOME!
Thanks for recipes !
Wow definitely going to add this to my list of things to try! Looks amazing <3
This was delicious. My son and I made one last night just to try it, and we’ll be making more for dessert tonight. Thanks for this recipe.
I just made this for my teen daughter and she loved it! I had a taste and it was delicious! Quick and easy too.
This was super easy and yummy–and the perfect portion size! Mine was definitely NOT as pretty as yours, though ;)
This was amazing. I moved to Australia and can’t find cinnamon rolls here (why do I even live here?), and this HIT THE SPOT. <3
While I love love love recipes , your this mug cake blog entries are my favorite part of your blog!
Used homemade cream cheese frosting instead but other than that it was very tasty
Now thems good eatin
“when you don’t want to buy a cinnamon roll the size of your head” YES! THIS! It really annoys me that portions are so huge these days, I wish businesses would have some smaller sized options that are still decadent and not some kind of “diet food”.
Anyway, this recipe sounds amazing and I will definitely try it!
Yummy ! ❤️❤️❤️
My teen daughter is eating it as we speak. She states it’s better than Cinnabon. The only thing I changed was adding cream cheese extract to the icing. Thanks Beth for anoter budget friendly and great recipe.
The worst/best thing about making a batch of cinnamon rolls is the TON of cinnamon rolls I have in the house afterwards. What a relief to be able to make one and only one “roll” and not have to eat my way through an entire pan. My body sincerely thanks you for this recipe.
Could you use half & half in place of the milk?
That should work fine. You may need to add a splash more, since half and half has slightly less moisture than milk, but the quantity is so small that it might not make a difference at all.
this looks so good! do you think it could be made in an electric pressure cooker???
Hmm, you *might* be able to put the mug on a trivet with water in the bottom of the cooker, but honestly I have no experience cooking this type of thing in a pressure cooker so I can’t offer any good advice.
thanks! if we try it out i’ll update.
This recipe is pure genius!!! Just what I needed to fix my cinnamon roll craving. Thank you for sharing!