There comes a time in every girl’s life when she needs a chocolate mug cake.
Perhaps it’s one of those days where you just want to curl up on the couch all day and watch bad Lifetime movies about stolen babies (ladies, you know what I’m talking about).
Or maybe you just ran four miles for the first time in your entire life and unless you counteract it immediately with a dessert, the universe will be thrown out of balance and implode, and the entire 2012 apocalypse will be all your fault.
Or maybe it’s your birthday and everyone forgot so there was no cake. Okay, sorry, that last one was kind of depressing. Anyway, my point is, sometimes you just need a bite of cake to make things right. Just a bite.
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Love peanut butter and chocolate? Check out my No-Bake Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars or Peanut Butter Fluff Cups.
What Makes This Mug Cake The Best?
I was never a fan of mug cakes because all of the versions I’ve tried have turned out rubbery and just not at all delightful. Until I found this recipe, which for me is the one. This is why I like it:
- It’s not overly sweet. (If you want it sweeter, add more sugar or some chocolate chips.)
- It’s small. Other recipes I’ve tried have just been too big and they make me feel like I just over indulged. This one is just a few, rich, delightful bites.
- There is no egg. I find that eggs make mug cakes rubbery or spongey and they also mean that you can’t scale the recipe in size. If you want a small cake, you can’t just split an egg in half, right?
- There are a lot of variations. Add chocolate chips, use nutella, jam, or caramel sauce in place of the peanut butter, vegan-ize it by using soy milk in place of cow’s milk… lots of options.
Don’t be tempted to leave out the peanut butter (or jam, or whatever you drop in the center) because it helps keep the cake moist and rich. It simply wouldn’t be the same without it.
Make it a Vegan (Dairy-Free Mug Cake)
With one simple swap, this Chocolate Mug Cake can be made vegan. Simply swap the milk with your favorite non-dairy milk and you’re good to go! Life is good.
So, shout out to Jessie at Made From Scratch for experimenting with mug cakes until finding this perfect mix. You just saved the universe from imploding!
“The One” Chocolate Mug Cake
Servings 1Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.03)
- 2 tsp sugar ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder ($0.02)
- a pinch salt ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 Tbsp milk ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter ($0.13)
Instructions
- In your mug, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt). Make sure there are no clumps.
- Stir in the vegetable oil and milk until the mixture is smooth. Drop a tablespoon of peanut butter into the center and push it down into the batter.
- Microwave on high for one minute and then enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
Love microwave mug cakes? Check out my Funfetti Mug Cake, or Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake!
How to Make a Chocolate Mug Cake – Step By Step Photos
Add 2 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt to a microwave-safe mug. Stir them together very well.
Add 2 Tbsp milk and 1 Tbsp oil, then stir until it forms a batter.
Drop a dollop of peanut butter (about 1 Tbsp) down into the center of the batter.
Microwave on high for one minute and you’ve got yourself a cake with a melty, peanut butter center! The cake turns out extra light and fluffy and the peanut butter kind of sinks in as the cake rises up around it. So magical!
Every bite has a light cake and a gooey, rich bit of melty peanut butter. Absolutely perfect.
And then five or six delightful bites later, you’re done and you don’t feel like you do when you “accidentally” eat a whole pint of ice cream. …not that that ever happens. 👀
Delicious. A lot of mug cakes can be spongy in an almost rubbery way but this one is truly like cake. The molten peanut butter in the middle is the cherry on top. I used 2 tablespoons of sugar since virtually all mug cake recipes call for 2 tbsp and I assume 2 tsp in this recipe is a typo. If you try this recipe thinking it’s a low sugar version I think you’ll be very disappointed.
Cake it self is not sweet enough and is bitter from the cocoa and lack of sugar, peanut butter save the whole thing
Not very good had to add ice cream. Not enough sugar in the mix
Dreadful. Chocolate Sahara.
It’s not very sweet, but it’s still good. I’ve tried adding various sweeteners and I think the best one is just adding some toppings after the cake is made. Changing the recipe will throw off its marvelous texture, and texture is just as important as taste to me.
This was really good, but not quite as sweet as I would have liked. I think adding a tablespoon or two of brown sugar would make this perfect. Side note- if you’re like me and only have huge coffee mugs, you can double the recipe :)
Dry, powdery,flavorless and not sweet at all. I won’t use this one again.
Want wanted sweet that wasn’t going to be a long process on an after-work evening at 7:30pm. It also needed to be soft due to recent dental surgery. This hit the spot! So delicious and easy.
I’m only giving it a 4 out of 5 because, it is very hard to swallow
Beautiful texture though and I love the taste
You truly can’t go wrong with this recipe. Tonight I had the bright idea of making it with a blop of tahini instead of the peanut butter (inspired by the Bon Appetit “tahini hot fudge skillet cake”) and it is SO good.
I loved this recipe personally but I think it can also be ate without the peanut butter because I have never really liked it so I would suggest that too for people that don’t like peanut butter. But all in all this recipe was phenomenal.
This was such a perfect mug cake with chocolate chips, a little powdered sugar and a cold glass of milk 🥰. Can’t wait to make it again with different toppings!!
I love this recipe and have used it for years when I need a sweet treat! I use Nutella instead of peanut butter and cook for about 45 sec in the microwave! Love it
First time I’ve ever commented about a recipe. Geez, people can be mean! This worked really well for me and was super yummy! Definitely mug sized, which is awesome. I used coconut sugar, coconut oil and soy milk, plus chocolate chips instead of peanut butter. With a scoop of ice cream – yum!!! I’m going to have to be careful I don’t make too many, lol.
This recipe is good if you want a single bite of cake. If you want the hint of a mug cake. The suggestion of cake.
That tasted like someone chewed up some peanuts, spit it on the floor, let it harden, sprinkled some coco powder on it, and then ate it in absolute desperation. Recommend growing some taste buds.
I’ve tried so many mug cakes, and this is the only one I keep coming back to. It’s also absolutely wonderful with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
The peanut butter part wasn’t my favorite so I substituted it out for Carmel choclate chips instead.
Delicious and so easy! I used 3 tsp sugar, based on the comment and swapped the pb for Nutella. Thank you!!!!
This was very good. Followed everything exactly except adding a bit more sugar and some chocolate chips. The texture was great– fluffy and moist, especially with the warm, melty peanut butter middle. The flavor was very good too, but I felt like it was missing a little something. Maybe a splash of vanilla? Will definitely make it again!
I have made this recipe many times for my husband so he doesn’t eat an entire pan of brownies, although I usually do have to make 2 mugs. Since I know he likes things sweeter than I do I use heaping teaspoons of sugar instead of level teaspoons, and I stir in some mini chocolate chips. They always disappear quickly.
It always over flows my mug, it comes out liquidy for me so I experimented with dry ingredients. Ehhh 3/5
you rock! Thanks for posting. I printed and put it on the inside door of my baking cabinet. The cake is good too. I substituted a block of ganache for the peanut butter.
Yum!
Ha! Only 5 star comments get posted. I posted my opinion with 2 stars…apparently can’t take criticism! Cause mine was deleted.
Cathy, we don’t delete comments. The first time someone comments it gets held in moderation until we can confirm it’s not spam. I think it’s just as important to show negative comments as positive comments because those are real experiences and I don’t think it’s fair to give people the unrealistic expectation that every recipe will turn out perfectly every time.
This is so good! Is there anything you can suggest instead of oil to lower the calories?
You could try applesauce but we haven’t tried it I’m not certain it would work!
I see your comment down below dude. Relax.
Way to dry…no “molten” and not sweet…cocoa powder over shadows. Yukky
So, how did you fix it?
This was so good! I did substitute the oil with my cannabutter and you couldn’t even taste it. Absolutely delicious and moist.
Disclaimer, if you try this start with a small amount along with the oil until you know how it will affect you.
I made a vegan version of this cake and boy was I blowing away. Not only did it taste good, but it also had the perfect cake texture.
This was perfect for a midnight sweet tooth snack! I don’t like things too sweet, and this was great! Thanks
Totally excellent! I followed the recipe to the letter and am now enjoying the best mug cake I’ve ever had.
I love that it’s small. I feel like it really helps my self-control because if I finish it and want more I have to do all the “work” to measure out all of the ingredients all over again (which I’m usually too lazy to do). Versus if I make a whole pan of dessert, there’s not much stopping me from eating several servings at once. Thank you for the recipe! :)
This is really good! I’ll probably add another teaspoon or two of sugar next time, but that’s personal preference and not absolutely necessary. I’m not normally a crunchy peanut butter fan but I think it would taste wonderful in this if I happened to have some.
I looooove this recipe. I make it all the time!! Like some other people, I do 1 tbsp of sugar and microwave for 45 seconds max. Chocolate chips or icing are also a great addition. I’ve made this with water instead of milk, and just now with coconut milk instead of regular milk. You can’t go wrong with it!!
This is the first mug cake I’ve ever made and was pretty good. I used unsweetened almond butter instead of peanut butter. I would make this again for a quick chocolate fix!
Just made this followed recipe to the T and it was delicious. Next time I will add a few chocolate chips to the peanut butter 👍🏻 perfect size
Thank you for such a good treat
This made for a great little chocolate fix. It’s the first time I’ve tried a microwave cake in a long time because they always turned out rubbery and dense but this was light as anything. I added a little coffee powder and extra tsp of sugar and it was just sweet enough for me.
There’s a typo in your video – the opening headline reads budgebytes.com instead of budgetbytes.com. Love the mug cake! It is my birthday tomorrow and this will be my cake. Thank you!!
Not the best texture and too Much cocoa powder but I fixed it with more milk and sugar
Yum! Only change for me was cashew milk because I don’t do dairy. So fluffy and tasty. Love the chocolate and peanut butter combo. Delicious, quick and easy. This will be my go to recipe. Will try maybe throwing in some chocolate chips with the pb next time.
Sooooo good. Used half oil, 1/2 light mayo. Decreased cocoa powder to 1/2 tbsp and added a bit of vanilla. First time tried it with natural peanut butter, which I didn’t love. It probably needs the sweetened Pb. Second time I used a dollop of Nutella – heavenly! Served with vanilla ice cream – like a fresh warm brownie. Yum! Loved that I didn’t half to use half an egg like some recipes call for, and as someone else pointed out, this one has much fewer calories than other choco mug cakes.
Best mug cake ever! Texture is amazing!
This sounded so good that I had to try it RIGHT NOW but I didn’t have any cocoa powder. 😩 But I did have some envelopes of Swiss Miss. I used two Tbsp of it instead of the cocoa powder and sugar, and otherwise followed the recipe. Turned out Great!
I made this every week. It is the BEST mug cake recipe out there.
The cake itself was fluffy but kinda watery/bland. I used Nutella instead of peanut butter which was good.
I wish I’d used pineapple or raspberry jam instead of peanut butter, and I did substitute Hellman’s mayonnaise for cooking oil, just for the little bit of egg content, and a little vanilla extract.
1st attempt was great except for the center part, because I’m not a fan of peanut butter
Amazing! I added 4 dark chocolate squares in as well to melt in with the peanut butter and it was sensational 👌🏾
I made this for the first time today. I used raspberry jam in place of the peanut butter. It was the perfect size and delish.
It’s good! I added chocolate chips on mine but I think I should have used pure maple syrup instead of raw cane sugar! It may make it a bit sweeter
Take this as a sign to make this for your Valentine’s Day treat. Doubled the recipe, but had separate mugs that we microwaved each for 45 seconds. Perfection.
Why pay 20 bucks for a lava cake at a restaurant when you can customize here! I had peanut butter in the middle of mine and my partner had cherry jam in his. Paired perfectly! Thanks Beth, this one is a keeper!
Can this recipe be doubled?
I would think so, but I haven’t tried it. My instincts say that the only adjustment you’d need is to increase the microwave time. But I’d need to test it before offering a suggested cook time.
This is unbelievably good and definitely the best mug cake I’ve ever made. 45 seconds was perfect for my microwave.
This is delicious and I’ve made it about 5 times now. Perfect for when I want a brownie but I don’t actually want to make brownies. I did not add extra sugar, just topped it off with a few chocolate chips and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. If yours is turning out dry, lower the microwave time. I do mine for 45 seconds and it’s just right.
The texture is spot on. I used almond milk as that is what I had on hand then a dollop of Nutella vs. peanut butter. Delicious!
This was simple and delicious. I used coconut oil and had a few mini chocolate chips on top. The only thing I would do differently next time is cook it a bit less. I love that it wasn’t overly sweet.
I knew I wanted it to be sweet, so I upped the sugar to 1 tbsp even before reading the comments. I also cannot recommend Nutella highly enough with this. Absolutely delicious, and so easy!
This was SOO gross! Definitely not my type, but the recipe was fine!
My sister loves this. i tried it without the chocolate and it was good!
This was so quick and easy to make and delicious! I made exactly as listed. It is not overly sweet but still satisfied my dessert craving. Maybe I will add a few chocolate chops on top for icing next time.
Good flavor but dry
I made this and shared it with my grandson. I put chocolate icing (homemade) in the middle. It was amazing! We loved it! 👍💞
Just tried this with marshmallow fluff instead of peanut butter and it was amazing!
Increase sugar to 1 Tablespoon
Decrease cocoa powder to 1/2 Tablespoon
Add chocolate chips
I added icream Carmel and a bit of icecream chocolate syrup
DELICIOUS! Love the texture.
Used almond milk & American Dream nut butter and omg this is amazing and way less calories than all the other ones I’ve seen.
fills that sweet tooth
Best mug cake recipe! Nice and fluffy chocolate cake. I like to switch it up and add chocolate chips and quick PB frosting on top! Thank you for the recipe!
So easy, so delicious, not too sweet, and doesn’t have any of the additives that are in the mug cake mixes you get at the grocery store. I am sold!
Amazing! It really is the best mug cake recipe ever! I reduce the cocoa and add a few chocolate chips. Have to be careful not to microwave for too long. I keep mine in for just under a minute otherwise it gets dry. Really great for when you crave something sweet :)
I have tried a number of mug cake recipes. This one is hands down the best!
Save your time and ingredients. Tastes terrible!
The rating of 4.61 has determined that this is a lie 🤷🏻♀️
I just tried this tonight, but as I’m counting calories, I eliminated the oil, substituted with apple sauce, used stevia instead of sugar. Came down from 345 calories to only 181. LOVE IT!!!! (It is very small, use a small mug).
This is my first time trying this recipe and it was really good. However I added chocolate chocolate for a more chocolatly flavor.
Wow! I never realized you could make mug cake at home without buying some packaged convenience version. Just joining all of you here in 2021, eating mug cake at 2 am…
Very nice, quickly made comfort food. Good that it is not too big.
Made with honey, hasselnut paste or something else, as we don’t have peanutbutter.
This mug cake has saved me and my sweet tooth on more than one occasion during this COVID stay-at-home period. The first time I made it to the recipe, and it was good but not sweet enough and the texture wasn’t my favorite. Reading other comments, I increased the sugar to 1tbsp and then played with the cocoa ratio. Now I use just a half tbsp of cocoa and prefer it that way, with a few extra chocolate chips on the top. I also think a whole tbsp of peanut butter makes it too salty, so I use about a half tbsp as well (never measure, just get a small dollop). I’ve also made it with just water instead of milk (dairy and non-dairy), and it comes out just as well. Perfect recipe to have on hand for when you just need a hit of chocolate without turning on the oven or getting a bunch of dishes dirty.
THE best mug cake. I have made probably 10 of these over the last few years, never been happy with them. This one is soo delicious and you can use it as a base and then alter it however you like. So so so good! Thank you for sharing!
It is by fr the best mug cake I’ve ever had. I added Nutella and peanut butter.
Omg. This is surprisingly good! Like I’ve made chocolate mug cakes before, and this was so good (even after I accidentally put a little over a tablespoon of sugar in!). I also used gf self raising flour, cause it’s all I had. It it was still amazing!
Perfection.
Not too sweet, not too rich.
Very easy to make and the cake is actually so yummy….. you can add ice cream to it. Best and easiest comfort food/desert. Love it!
My husband had gone to bed early and I felt like having dessert so tried this as my first ever mug cake! Not sure why I’ve never made them before as it turned out great and was so simple. Mine rose right to the top of the mug!
I probably would make a few tweaks next time but that is more for my taste and the ingredients we have at home. For example I found the peanut butter quite intense as we use the type that contains 100% peanuts so maybe add less or like others have suggested using jam or nutella.
I’ve been making this mug cake since back when the recipe was first posted. Tonight, I used Biscoff spread in it for the first time and it was wonderful. Highly recommend!
The cake was pretty good, but there was just one little thing. I think there was too much baking soda, it ended up tasting really bitter, and I don’t know why. This always happens with my mug cakes, and I read the directions at least 4 times.
The recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda is much more concentrated and would definitely ruin it.
I just made this for my boyfriend and he loved it.
To add on, I’ve never seen a mug cake recipe call for baking soda. They always use baking powder. The two are not interchangeable.
Just made this tonight. I actually opted to use less oil (I used coconut) and it turned out great all the same.
I made this and it was absolutely horrible. No sweetness at all and very dry.
Best mug cake I’ve ever had. The warm, gooey peanut butter center is EVERYTHING. Added a few chocolate chips and used oat milk. Perfection.
Agree with the suggestions for more milk and more sugar (at least 1 tbsp). This mug cake is so good with a spoon of ice cream on top. Overall a very easy recipe when you’re stuck in the house without sweets!!!
It was great! Per comment suggestions I used a tablespoon of sugar and used jam instead of peanut butter. I used some hommade peanut butter on the side like a frosting and it tasted amazing! Just what I needed.
This recipe did not work. It did not rise so I got an inch of cake. It was also very dry and somewhat bitter.
Yes, I agree about it being quite bitter.
This was a great recipe and I agree that it had the perfect cake texture. I also think that the sweetness was perfect, though I did mix in about a tablespoon of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. I also added a little more milk and some vanilla.
This is super good. I actually liked that it wasn’t too sweet, however I did find it dry. Peanut butter doesn’t add a whooole bunch of moisture because it’s so thick and sticky – I would like to try it with Nutella. I’m sure jam is very good too. Also I like that it’s teeny tiny because I don’t have to feel bad about eating it haha
I love this a little too much. I increase the sugar to 1 Tbsp, add a little vanilla, and use a spoonful of jam instead of peanut butter. I’ve used blackberry jam and orange marmalade and both have been good. What I think made a big difference for me was when I started using Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa. It just seems way more chocolatey. Oh and I usually make a recipe and a half cause doubling it would be crazy. 😆
Really great recipe for satisfying my crazy chocolate cravings without feeling guilty after!! Next time I make it I’ll probably add a bit more sugar, maybe an extra teaspoon, but that’s it. Otherwise this is an excellent low-effort dessert
Far too often I have to talk myself down from whipping up my favorite mug cakes because the portions are just too much for me to stomach. This is definitely smaller than most recipes, but is just the right size to satisfy a quick craving!
I have a sweet tooth so I doubled the sugar, added a splash of vanilla and a sprinkle of chocolate chips along with the peanut butter. It was still not too sweet, and very yummy. The texture is fluffy but still has a good cakey chewiness. I will definitely make this again!
I’ve made this at least four times and the trick is adding more sugar (I use one tablespoon) and chocolate chips or another sweet candy. Nice fluffy and chocolaty treat :-)
There were a couple things that bothered me a bit from these recipes.
1. It’s really quite small. I put it in a normal-sized mug and it barely took up even a third of the space.
2. As said in previous posts there is not a lot of sweetness to it. If I make it again I will likely add quite a bit more sugar. I don’t like super sweet stuff but this could definitely use a bit more.
I do have to say the texture was spot-on! It was airy and fluffy and literally the best cake texture you can get, in my opinion!
I loved this! I knew looking at the ingredients and the amounts it wouldn’t be too sweet. I was just looking for a nice little dessert that wasn’t too many calories and would fulfill my craving, this was perfect! I drizzled some dark chocolate syrup and it was great, just what I needed.
If you’re looking for something more sweet, I’d double the sugar, peanut butter, and add about 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.
If you want any hint of sweetness, this recipe isn’t for you. I don’t like overly sweet desserts, but needs twice as much sugar, especially with the peanut butter adding salt. Also it’s designed for tiny mugs. Yes, the description says it’s a smaller portion but it’s really minuscule. Double it and double the sugar too.
I use this recipe ALL THE TIME. Like, on a weekly/bi-weekly basis, because that’s just how often I crave cake and this is the most convenient solution (maybe not the best solution for my health but I digress). I tweak the recipe (less peanut butter, more sugar, generous milk/oil and baking powder) and find that it improves the dryness of the texture. The original is really not very sweet at all. I also smash up whatever chocolate I have on hand and put it in, since I usually don’t have chocolate chips available. The base recipe isn’t perfect, but the combination of ingredients is so easy and tasty that this deserves 5 stars.
Mine came out kinda dry. Don’t know if it was because I let it sit too long before eating it but the flavor was delicious
Just made this cause me and my boyfriens was craving desert anything I couldn’t believe my eyes, they turned out pretty good and only took 2 minutes to make it, I mean talk about a miracle… Thanks a lot.
Hooray!
Forgot to put the sugar in. You also have very small mugs.
Oh no! Luckily it’s a small batch that you can try again.
I like the idea of adding peanut butter! I’ll give this a try and if turns as good as yours I’ll add it to our post:
https://thefoodellers.com/en/chocolate-mud-cake-in-a-mug-recipe
Thanks
I had used Chatfields premium carob powder and kalot superfood almond butter with almonds, cinnamon and walnuts as substitutes. I like the not so overbearing chocolate & sweet but the texture is throwing me off, i think it’s because of the almond butter. Its a mixture of thick, not brownie thick, kind of moist?, and dry.
I ended up dripping some vanilla extract on top to help moisten and give some flavor.
The chopped walnuts mixed in did help with the flavor but not too much.
Next time i may go for a jam in the center and chopped strawberries and walnuts.
Happy to hear the subs worked for you Taylor! I love carob too!
My BFF was messaging me about craving dessert, but not up to spending either a lot of time on her tired feet, or a lot of ingredients. I knew she’d had a bad week, and loves PB and chocolate as much as I do, so I went on a hunt and found this! She is still moaning (too tired) but I am moaning too – with delight! I had to make it – scribbled it down on the back of an envelope (no room in my tiny kitchen for the laptop) and bing bang boom – dessert! I probably could have put it back in for a couple seconds – mine came out softer – more fudge-brownie than cake – but since I prefer brownies anyway I am delighted! I did add some chocolate chips (never too much chocolate for this girl!), and they melted into the batter. Yum! That envelope is now magneted to the fridge for next time :-)
Following you on Pinterest now! Thanks :-)
It’s so easy and good in a pinch!
I have been looking for the perfect mug cake, you are SO right about them normally turning out rubbery. Gross!! I CANT WAIT to try this tomorrow!! Too full from your amazing Mexican Red Lentil Stew I made tonight for the first time. Love the website and budget breakdowns,
1,000 thank you’s!
Let us know Kara!
I used hot fudge instead of peanut butter and cranked up the sugar to a full tbsp. Omg, amazing!
I dropped a scoop of nutella in the middle and omg it tastes amazing!
Okay.
Have candida overgrowth, and haven’t done sugar for about 8 months. I also lay very low on grains. So, I substituted a packet of stevia for the sugar and used garbanzo flour. Also used almond butter instead of peanut butter. So delicious!
Best cake in a cup recipe EVER!!! I add lots of chocolate chips, which I think gives the recipe an even better consistency. But overall…five stars!! I make it all the time (which is actually probably not a good thing)!
The cake came out absolutely perfect! I enjoyed every bite. I microwaved mine for 1minute and 10seconds. My fiance couldn’t eat his because he was full after dinner,so i ate his too,lol! I drizzled some chocolate frosting on top. Just amazing!
thanks for posting re: leaving out peanut butter, Laura– I was wondering if could get away with that
I made this tonight…doubled it. However, I didn’t have any cocoa powder. Instead I used two packets of hot chocolate mix….chocolate milk instead of regular….added a little vanilla and extra hersheys syrup. Left out the peanut butter. It turned out really well.
THIS IS TRULY “THE ONE” GREAT JOB!
I cooked mine a little too long but, it was still the best yet.
I added a few chocolate chips to mine. I would cut back on the salt next time.
Will definitely make again and again.
And…you are right, half Cup is plenty for this treat.
So uhh…I accidentally read 1/4 t of salt, added that, then checked how much baking powder and died a little. I didn’t waste it though.
It was not a total disaster, surprisingly. Kind of reminds me of those salted almond chocolate bars. With a tiny bit of whipped cream it probably would have been great.
This is the first mug cake I have tried, and it was delicious! Based on people’s comments, I added mini chocolate chips and substituted 1 tsp vanilla for some of the milk. Also my milk was almond milk, as that was all that I had, and I used gluten free flour. A lot of substitutes, but still great! Easy to make gluten-and dairy-free anyway.
Oh my God! Awesome! I didn’t have AP flour so used self rising. My hubby gave it 7 of 10, he felt it was to sweet. I say a 10, and exactly right.
I guess in an odd man out. While it’s texture is wonderful I feel it lacks in flavor. I doubled it when I made it and it was a touch dense, needed milk to drink. Added chocolate chips, Pb. And topped with marshmallow fluff. Needs like…vanilla or something. Will test further.
This mug cake was absolutely the best ONE I have EVER TASTED and the only one that worked. I always make a double or triple batch all the time and it’s not even a healthy obsession any more ♥️
I really like this one, it’s so simple.
I never leave comments on recipes but I love this mug cake so much, its just about the only one I ever use. I do add a full tablespoon of sugar instead of just 2 and it gives the batter almost a brownie batter consistency but it still cooks up just a well! It hits that sweet craving I get every so often perfectly.
You are not at all wrong! This mug cake is ‘The One’! So absolutely delicious (as is everything else on this site)!!!
I love the idea of a mug cake, and with this recipe it finally worked. I used only 1tsp of sugar and added some low calorie syrup. 1minute was a bit much in my microwave (cake set completely, but the peanut butter saved it). I guess I just have to make it again (and again and again.. ;)
Can I bake in the oven ?
This one is specifically designed for the quick intense burst of heat that you get with a microwave. You might be better off just using a recipe designed for a conventional oven. My friend at dessertfortwo.com has great small batch dessert recipes. :)
I’ve made this recipe so many times, but the craving hit today and unfortunately I didn’t have any milk. I took a chance and substituted the milk for water and I’m happy to report that it didn’t make a significant difference 👍🏻
This is perfect! Has anyone tried leaving out the tablespoon of cocoa powder and adding an extra tablespoon of flour instead? I have a friend who is not crazy about chocolate and I would like to make her this but use strawberry jam in the middle and maybe put a dollop of whipped cream on top when it’s done.
I’ve been doing mug cakes for years, but have never found one that i love (and of course there have been a lot of fails/total throw-aways) BUT THIS ONE!! The name suits it so, “The One” is amazing.
Tonight i made a double in a larger ramekin, and its perfect.
You can never go wrong with a brownie & peanut butter!
I’ve done so many mugcakes the last 10 years. All of them I’ve made once only, never found one I actually like. But ofcourse, I desperately try to find one when the PMS jumps me with a sledgehammer.
And finally, The One, that name is no lie. This is the one that will be made more then once. Love it! ❤️
This is the best cake in a mug recipe ever! I’ve tried this recipe twice already, once using a tbsp of peanut butter and the other with a tbsp of Nutella, and the Nutella one is a awesome way to instantly satisfy a chocolate craving! Love all of your recipes Bec!
I’ve made many mug cakes in the search for the One and this one’s the best. The portion isn’t too much and the lack of egg takes the usual rubberiness that tends to happen with mug cakes. Great job!
This. Was. Perfect.
I’ve tried other mug cake recipes and they always turned out just a bit too complicated or undercooked or overcooked and rubbery. I used some almond butter I had from a different recipe and it was so tasty! It was fluffy and chocolatey and it fit perfectly in these tiny coffee cups I got from IKEA which have never seemed big enough for coffee or small enough for espresso. I guess I’ve found the perfect task for it and the perfect mug cake!
This is super yummy, but it makes for a very small serving, only half a mug. I’d double the recipe next time. Thanks for this, I was craving something sweet that wasn’t fruit!
The taste and ingredient ratio is great but the consistency was far too dry for me with an 800W microwave at 1:00 min cook. I added an extra tablespoon of milk and cooked for 50 seconds and this gave me the damp brownie-like cake I was looking for. Otherwise excellent little recipe that hit the spot. I used 70% dark choc powder with Whole Earth PB. Peeeerfect!
I used natural PB which is apparently really salty – the saltiness mixed with the non-sweetness of the cake itself made for a not super pleasant dessert. I had to add some agave to the top just to make it taste like a dessert and not just a spoonful of salted peanut butter. Next time I’d double the sugar and make sure to get unsalted peanut butter…
I made this with King Arthur’s gluten free flour and it turned out very good.
This was pretty good! I will probably add some more sugar next time. Instead of peanut butter, I mixed in some chocolate chips and topped it with a pre-made fudge frosting topping. The cake is pretty dense, so I will also probably layer the cake with some melted chocolate to help cut through the dense feel of the cake. Great, quick dessert!!!
The best mug cake ever! Indeed “the one”. I didn’t have cocoa powder so I substituted nesquick and added an extra tbsp. Swapped pb for cookie butter. It was so good I made another one with Nutella while the baby was still napping :)
I will say the texture was nice.. Spot on 1 min cooking time. However this was not sweet at all.. Next time maybe would add a bit of vanilla or milk cubic plate chips and maybe a packet of splenda or more sugar. The only sweet came from the pb. But a good basic start.
Wow auto correct… Let’s try that again.. Milk chocolate chips not *cubic plates lol
Thanks great recipe! I found this while looking for a different but quick and easy “dessert” to use in a youth cooking class I was teaching. Fit the bill perfectly. They loved it!
PS My first taste test at home, late at night and with grocery shopping not till the next day… . No peanut butter, no choc chips not even any jam!!😲… In desperation I chopped up 1/2 a small chocolate coated peppermint pattie.. . Yum!!!! Was THAT ever good! Sometimes desperate substitutions are the best 😊
WOW now I want that!!
Seriously best mug cake I have ever had (and I have had a few!) I substituted the PB for Jam and added some shredded coconut. Delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Wowsa! Great recipe!! Quick and simple, and very tasty! Lovely smooth cake texture, with just enough peanut butter for a gooey kick! I drizzled a little chocolate syrup on top to add a little sweetness. I also wanted a bit more, so I added 1T of flour and 1T of milk to the batter. Has anyone tried this without oil or a substitute for the oil?
Calories: 365
Protein: 7.5 g
Carbs: 29.5 g
Fat: 23
I made this recipe and loved it! After making it a few times, I substituted the peanut butter for peanut butter morsels so it’s not as sticky, and nesquick instead of the cocoa powder because it’s not something I have on hand. I love this recipe!
Loved it, the texture was great and it really satisfied my sweet tooth I added an extra 1 1/2 tsp of sugar because it was a little bitter but overall it was something quick, that I would have again to satisfy my sweet tooth
Delicious! I made the healthy version:
– Raw Honey (about 2 tsp) instead of sugar
– Vega chocolate protein powder instead of four
– Vanilla soy milk instead of milk (I added more at the end because the batter was more of a dough)
– No chocolate chips and less peanut butter
It was still really delicious (if a bit uglier than the one above :)
Ok not what I expected. Didnt taste good at all. Something is off. Tried adding a bit of vanilla and didn’t help. Prefer other recipes better. Sorry.
This was so good! Next time I will decrease the cooking time a few seconds, but just what I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth without making an entire cake, eating too much of it, and feeling guilty later.
Delicious. First attempt at a mug cake, tried it with peanut butter and one with strawberry jam- we all sampled- we loved them!
Ashamed to say I still had doubts even after reading all the positive reviews!
The doubts were for nothing, the cake was delicious!
Chocolatey, moist and good size!
Very moist, simple recipe, easy and fast. I would increase the sugar. It was not sweet enough for my taste. Overall I will keep this one on my list.
I used pumpkin puree (from a can) in place of the peanut butter and it was delicious. Chocolate and pumpkin so good together! This recipe is so adaptable.
Wow! Truly the best cake mug recipe out there. I subtracted all of the dry ingredients and used 4 TBSPs of cake mix (any flavor). My favorite flavor was funfetti mix with a dollop of funfetti frosting in the middle and then garnished the top with rainbow sprinkles. Pure heaven if you have a sweet tooth like me
I agree with other commenters that is is hands down the best mug cake out there.
I make it pretty often and it’s very versatile. I always use only 1/2 Tbs oil, 1 Tbs coconut sugar & non-dairy milk but then I vary the filling: PB, chocolate chunks, jam etc… works perfectly all the time.
This was the best mug cake recipe I have come across! All the other recipes make a giant, rubbery cake, and this one was moist and just the right amount. I made a few small changes and it was amazing.
-I used baking soda instead of baking powder because I didn’t read the directions.
-I used half the recommended amount of oil.
-I stirred in the peanut butter to the batter.
-I put a small dollop of blackberry jam in the middle.
-I sprinkled a teaspoon of water over the top of the batter before microwaving. (this is the key to moist cake)
It came out like half baked brownie batter! Yumm!
This was delicious! Thank you! I had white whole wheat flour and that worked well. I picked your recipe to try because of the smaller size and because it didn’t require chocolate chips. If I had peanut butter AND chocolate chips in the house, I would just eat a few bites of them and not bother making myself a tiny cake lol. Next time I might take a few seconds off the cooking time (I did the full minute), and sprinkle some sea salt on top. Thanks again!
I used dark cocoa powder, added a tsp of brown sugar, used cashew milk and crunchy peanut butter. Sprinkled with caramel and sea salt! Absolutely delicious!
OMG so delicious!!
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Very straightforward and suprisingly moist – this will definately be my go-to sweet fix from now on.
This really is “The One”! Absolutely delicious on its own! However, I don’t like PB, so I subbed strawberry cream cheese as a dollop in the middle. I also added a tablespoon of chocolate chips and a dollop of strawberry cream cheese mixed in. So delicious and flavorful! Thanks for this <3
*Strawberry preserves mixed in
Long-time reader and I make this mug cake recipe ALL the time. SO good — I’ve recommended it to several friends and they love it too! I’ve made it with non-dairy milk, ww flour, and/or coconut sugar (or other sugars) and it still works great. Pro tip: Tonight I made it with Nutella for the first time. Oh. Em. Gee. Life changing. I’m a choco-peanut butter freak, but Nutella brought it to a whole ‘nother level.
I was really craving a chocolatey treat during a late study session and found I had all these ingredients and gave it a shot. YUMMMM!! Exactly what I was craving and way better than I imagined 3 minutes of my time and a microwave could create!! The small portion makes it easy to indulge without feeling terrible about it. Highly recommend.
Great recipe – when I last did exams I made this so often I suspect I could have just made a full sized cake tbh. But great to have something smaller to play with. So much better than all the floury omelettes that other mug cakes give you! It can be pretty dependent on your microwave so worth experimenting. It helps that in New Zealand we are lucky enough to get chocolate peanut butter from one of the best producers in the country, so that’s a huge plus :)
So glad I found this! I’ve had a couple mug cakes and they’re always super rubbery and just kinda oddly textured. This was amazing! Nothing quite like sitting with your own delicious chocolate and peanut butter cake at the end of a rough day. Keeping this recipe for sure.
I really didn’t care for this and probably won’t make it again. Then again, I’ve never made a mug cake before and wasn’t sure what to expect so it could’ve just been that I don’t care for mug cakes.
Ughhhh this is TOO GOOD. So glad I found it at the END of my maternity leave and not sooner. :) Perfect remedy when you need a warm sweet treat!!! Also, instead of milk, I subbed my leftover coffee with milk from this morning (I’m notorious for taking an entire day to drink a cup…) and it added just a hint of coffee and was perfect! Will make this one again and again.
I really like this. I probably eat it once or twice a week. I got tired of mixing it all up every time, so I made a x16 batch (with some added powdered sugar because I like it a bit sweeter). Mostly easy measurements with some simple math. once I had it mixed up, it was just 3tbs mix, 2tbs milk, 1tbs oil, and whatever mix-in you like. I personally use peanut butter mostly, but cream cheese works surprisingly well. Caramel made the whole thing a bit too heavy however.
I don’t own a microwave, could I make this in the oven using a small loaf tin? What temperature/time would you recommend?
I don’t think this one will work quite the same in the oven. I haven’t experimented with it, but I think it needs that fast zap of heat to work right.
EXCELLENT!!! As a single man who is cooking-illiterate and who loves chocolate cake, this is perfect for me. When I go to the grocery store, I pass through the bakery section eying the chocolate cakes. I somehow manage to resist buying any of them, but I am left wanting. After all, a single person with a whole chocolate cake is a bad thing – at least for me it is; it wouldn’t last very long.
Enter “The One” Chocolate Mug Cake! This is so easy even I can make it! One of the best things about it is the size; it is enough to satisfy my chocolate cake cravings, yet not so big as to overload with a lot of nutritionally bad things. As I am also a huge fan of peanut butter, it’s like “the icing on the cake”!
Totally didn’t expect this to work! Just too easy! I used Splenda and 2% milk to keep the calories down. My doctor says I’m allergic to peanut butter, so I used almond butter instead. I also used a gluten free flour – as I have a gluten intollorance. I’ll use more Splenda next time to make it a little sweeter, but overall, I’m impressed!
Do you know what the calorie count is for this mug cake?
Seriously the best mug cake recipe ever!!!
This is the best by far microwave cake I’ve made. I used melted butter instead of oil as I just don’t like oil in cakes (healthier I know, but too bad). Then instead of peanut butter, I added Nutella. Delicious! Yes less healthy than peanut butter but very yummy and in the UK, we’re generally less keen on peanut butter in sweet stuff. Served with a dollop of natural yogurt to give it a healthy twist!
Orange marmalade works beautifully in this (I made the chicken in peanut sauce and was a little peanuted out).
I also am super lazy and decided to scale the dry recipe up into a mix that I could just measure out, add the wet stuff, and go (instead of dragging out half my pantry ever time I want a tiny cake). If anyone is interested:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 4 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Approx 1/3 – 2/5 tsp salt (as a pinch is somewhere between 20-24 tsp, this one I admit is a little awkward. You could always just omit the salt from the mix and add it in when you go to make each serving, before adding the wet stuff.)
To every 3.5 Tbsp of mix, add the 1 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1 Tbsp center filling of your choice.
Store in air tight container. (Probably shelf stable, but I’m keeping mine I’m the freezer anyway.)
Hi! I love this recipe so much! My favorite is the gooey PB center. I’m trying to be good with a low-carb diet/lifestyle and plugged this recipe in MyFitnessPal to see. As amazingly tastey as it is I needed a “healthier” version. Scrolling through all the comments and it looks like people are adding more to it! :P
Here’s what I did to cut out over a third of the calories: I substituted the 1 tbsp of PB with (Reese’s) 1.5 tsp PB baking chips. Stir the chips in the batter. Bake the same time. Perfect!
Thanks Beth! I adore your site!!!
I had a terrible sweet tooth last night. I wanted to make the All Edge Spiced Brownies, but wasn’t in the mood and too lazy to use the oven. So, I made the Chocolate Mug Cake. I added two teaspoons of sugar, because I LOVE desserts that are sweet. Also, I added some Nutella, chocolate chips and walnuts. The Mug Cake satisfied my sweet tooth, and it was so good. Thank you, Beth for this awesome recipe!!!! :-)
Danggggg, best cup cake I’ve ever made! Perfect consistency and not too sweet! I usually put half the amount of sugar recipes call for but I didn’t need to for this one. Thanks Beth!
Love this recipe! It’s my go-to mug cake.
Not being a huge fan of peanut butter, I tried it with chocolate chip and Nutella. I think I’ve eaten about 5 servings since I first tried it. Yesterday afternoon. 😝 lol
It works REALLY well with Nutella. Not that I’d know first hand or anything ;)
I have made this several times now. I LOVE it and my waistline will never be the same, but I DON”T CARE. LOVE!
I have always loved this recipe. There are times I add more sugar other times I don’t depends on the sweet tooth. Most recently I discovered that I had some left over Andes Mints so I got a little inspired and stuck about 5 of them in the middle instead of peanut butter. It was heavenly It was rich sweet minty chocolate. The mints melted perfectly to keep things moist. Good thing I don’t have enough mints to do it again cause I would eat it all the time.
Very tasty! I doubled it (because I’m a glutton…hehe) and microwaved it for 1:20, since it seemed like it would need a little more time. It turned out delicious!
OMG!!!! This cake is perfect!! Thanks Beth for another great recipe!
This is the most perfect mug cake! I used Reese’s chocolate/peanut butter spread in the middle and it was super yum. I rarely make mug cakes because they are always too heavy and too big. But this was light and the perfect size!
I just made this but didn’t have any milk. I had moosetrack vanilla ice cream though. So I used ice cream instead of milk, stirred in two tablespoons of Nutella instead of pb, and added some water to make the batter more smooth. Cooked for 55 seconds. It was a weird consistency but tasted yummy with the ice cream.
I made this mug cake gluten free by using Cup4Cup GF flour in place of the flour. It turned out amazing & my husband keeps asking me for it!!
I’ve made this often and it was soon good!
I was a little skeptical about a cake being made in the microwave, but it worked! It came out a little spongy but nice anyways :)
This cake came out perfect and just the right size. Other mug cakes are far too big and dense for me and make me feel bloated after. This had the perfect ratio. I did increase the sugar by 1 extra tsp.
Awesome! I’m not messing with buying little baked goods for a nighttime snack at the grocery store anymore. These are cheaper, fresher, and much lighter in calories.
With peanut butter, I did up the sugar to a tablespoon on my second “cake”. What can I say, I have a sweet tooth! But I tried it with raspberry jam instead and with that, I didn’t need any sugar added. I personally really prefer the jam option to peanut butter, because the jam gets really hot and falls to the bottom, so when you stick your spoon in you get this even chocolate fudgey cake and a bit of really warm, sweet fruit topping.
I didn’t like the vegetable oil taste, so I subbed in coconut oil and it was awesome (if you like the taste of coconut- pretty strong!).
i just did the same thing and added some dried coconut flakes to the dry mix – coconutty deliciousness! :)
Wow, delicious and so simple! I used peanut butter and threw in a few chocolate chips too. Stamp of approval from Hubby!!
Any ideas for making this in the oven? Our microwave broke & we haven’t replaced it yet. Thanks!
Hmm, not sure. That would take some experimentation.
Jill, for oven brownies I would recommend Beth’s other recipe, Fudge Brownie Pots! Equally delicious.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/02/fudge-brownie-pots-for-two/
Jill, My hubby & I don’t have a microwave but I’m a choco’holic so I just *had* to try this, lol. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes in a toaster oven (or reg oven). I made one yesterday in a little 2 cup glass Pyrex bowl & it came out perfect. :)
PS… Beth – I LOVE your website! :)
Thanks for sharing that! I’ve had people ask, but never tried it in the oven! :)
Just made this using water (I didn’t have any milk on hand) and hot cocoa powder. Water gets the job done; it still tastes great but I can see how it’d be even better with milk. Next time (and there most definitely WILL be a next time)!
I just tried this recipe and realized I didn’t have milk, so I substituted with About half a tablespoon of melted butter and 1.5 tablespoons water (figuring milk functions as a liquid and a fat). Came out great!
This was so yummy! I only added half the peanut butter and used nutella instead of the other half of pb. This was the first microwave cake I’ve ever had and I loved it! This is the best site ever. I actually made your sausage, pepper and onion pasta for dinner. It was requested by my husband. Thanks for keeping my family and I fed so well and so cheap. :)
Just made this.. Used cookie butter (speculos) in place of peanut butter, so yummy
This was yummy.
Just made this after a long day. Such a great treat and so chocolatey! I used agave instead of sugar, and the taste was great. Thanks for sharing this!!!
I love this recipe and have made it many times. I’m wondering how one could make a change in flavor. Perhaps a lemon, vanilla or strawberry? I just don’t know what to substitute for the coco since it’s a dry ingredient. Let me know if you have any thoughts.
Thank you!
It would definitely take a little experimenting to get the dry/wet ratio right if you take out the cocoa powder. Once you get the amount of flour right, though, you could add just about any flavor extract that you like. :)
As usual, this recipe was delicious. I added a little cinnamon and cayenne, too!
I think its recipe is PERFECT, I never want to make a whole cake again when I can simply make a single serving for myself! The cake turns out SO moist and not too sweet, which leaves room for you to be creative with it. I’ve made this with nutella instead of peanut butter, and also with coconut peanut butter. The fact that the cake isn’t overly sweet, makes the additions for the cake perfect. I think the future I’ll be using oat flour instead of regular and using coconut oil instead of veg. I have tried subbing reg milk, for coconut milk and it turns out just fine!! Great basic recipe that leaves room for creativity to add whatever you want!! Thanks SO much!! Makes single life a little easier! Plus, no obscene amount of dishes to wash after! Haha.
I loved it. Just perfect. I had to use almond milk since we don’t have cow’s milk and it was perfect. I may try using coconut oil next time as another reader suggested
This was awesome. It really hit the spot on a rainy, cool day when chocolate was needed in my life. I made it exactly as directed but added just a splash of vanilla; maybe 1/4 tsp. Delicious!
Made this with Stevia and no peanut butter and it was very good. I was actually surprised when I pulled it out of the ‘wave and saw the little cake in there! After a minute cook time mine wasn’t gooey at all, so I think next time I’ll try adding a few chocolate chips.
This was absolutely wonderful. Sweet, chocolatey and salty peanutty at the same time and so easy!
I did not have flour, so I substituted with buttermilk pancake mix instead, it came out awesome!!!! Thank you!!!!
I just made this deliciousness tonight. Oh my gawd it was so good. I used gluten free flour because my kid is celiac, and I added chocolate chips. It was also surprisingly large and filling.
I think this recipe is great as-is, but after playing with it on and off several times, I’ve started using coconut oil for the oil, and vanilla almond milk for the milk. It makes the texture come out perfect, plus the added sugar in the vanilla almond milk makes it just sweet enough. And of course there is the bonus of being dairy-free. :)
I will switch up the oil next time. That sounds good. I used almond milk to make it vegan and it was great
This is PERFECT!!!!!!!! So easy to make! And it is the perfect amount for just a little sweet craving without feeling gross and eating a whole cake.
Good, but needs tweaking, in my opinion. It’s got a lot going for it, so with some more sugar and chocolatey goodness, it’ll be perfect!
Nutella next time. Extra couple tsp’s of sugar.
Three stars as-is, but making it a tad more sinful will knock it outta the park!
I thought the texture was very nice, but I found the cake extremely short on sugar. I would definitely use this recipe again, but with more sugar. Perhaps brown sugar would make it brownie like!
That sounds good!
Was craving something chocolatey, but didn’t want a huge amount. This definitely hit the spot! I used whole wheat flour (I’m pretty much out of all purpose), and it tasted just fine.
Just made this with no cocoa powder as I’ve given up chocolate for lent! Great recipe, just added another half tbsp flour, splash extra milk and drop of vanilla essence – was delicious! Used strawberry jam instead of peanut butter too! Thanks!
I found this site yesterday & now I’m back after doing a search for egg-less mug cake- this site is apparently my new home. Anyhow, it’s 1am, I’m out of eggs & milk, so I subbed yogurt (recipe +1 tbsp) & halved the oil, instead stirring in the oily peanut butter & it came out cake-in-ma-face good.
I also halved the sugar & it was still sweet enough, but I eat dark chocolate (like 80%, tastes-like-dirt chocolate) so I may not be the best source for that, but try it. But yeah- this is the first mug cake with these limited ingredients that didn’t come out a gummy mess. (Not gonna lie, I ate the gummy messes. Chocolate’s chocolate, yo.)
Oooh, I love the yogurt idea! I’m going to have to try that. :)
I made this just because it seemed amazing. And it turned out to be wonderful! Delicious! I can’t wait to make it again.
I wanted to comment on my test since a few people wondered about substituting applesauce. I substituted the oil with unsweetened applesauce and the sugar with Stevia and did coconut flakes instead of Peanut Butter. It settled the chocolate urge for about 85 calories but my boys did the full fledged and I did have to take a bite of theirs just for comparison purposes of course ;) and the texture was only slightly different but still not to bad for a mug cake. It is doable but the original is a little bit better.
In case anyone was wondering, this works very well if you just straight up omit the cocoa powder. You might want to add some vanilla or some chips of your chosen flavor if you end up going that route, though!
I made this just now and it is perfect! I’ve tried several other recipes and this is the best one. The portion size is lovely. I added chocolate chips instead of peanut butter. I also used soy milk as that’s all I had. I really like the texture. It is light and fluffy and wasn’t tough at all or dry as some other recipes can get. (I think the recipes with an egg can make it tough actually) I’ll definitely be making it again! I’m an avid baker and experimenting with microwave cakes is something I’ve been trying out just for fun over the past few weeks. This is the best one yet!!
Added a little raspberry jam to this – amazeballs has never seemed a more appropriate adjective!
This is by far the best mug cake recipe yet! I tried making them with other recipes, that included egg, but they turned out gross. I up the sugar a bit and cook for 45 sec to get a gooey, chocolaty and sweet mug of cake. My go to recipe to satisfy my sweet cravings!
Yay! Mug cake, portion control, no egg, used almond milk and butter…what’s not to like! Thanks!
First, your blog has made it into my bookmark bar on my browser. I bet half of the views you’ve received since two weeks ago were from me :D
Second, I tried this with the expectation that this would be /too/ simple and I would mess it up. But not so! I made a marshmallow sauce with chocolate, cinnamon, and nutmeg and subbed the peanut butter for that. I ate it, then made a mess. In my food pants.
Thanks for the recipe! Keep up the good work!
Oh, btw, the new website is absolutely beautiful! Congrats, Beth!
OMG! This is the best mug cake recipe. So simple, I can make it during commercial break. lol! I’ve also tried some fun variations….a splash of vanilla in the mix, a spoonful of chocolate flavored pb in the center, or a mini candy bar in the center. Fabulous!
Awwwww yeah. This is definitely the best mug cake I’ve made. I used brown sugar instead of white because that’s all I had and it turned out great!
Holy buckets! I have an entire pinboard devoted to “mug cakes,” and I’ve tried a LOT of them (more than I should probably admit…I have a bit of an addiction.) But this is — hands down — the best recipe I’ve found. I love that it doesn’t have an egg because I agree, they usually turn out rubbery with egg in the recipe.
I used dark cocoa powder for a richer taste (and it’s what I had on hand) and substituted the PB for Nutella. Oh my sweet heavens…it is perfection in a mug!!! Thank you!
P.S. I love your blog. So many of my favorite recipes are from you, so I shouldn’t be surprised that this one is amazing, too!
Tried with applesauce and with oil. The flavor is a little different but the texture is still spot on.
FYI I didn’t have any cocoa powder and decided to use a packet of hot chocolate. Works just fine, but not very sweet. I will have to retry once I get cocoa powder ;-) but I imagine it’s very similar.
I recommend upping the cocoa and sugar to 1 tbsp each, dropping the salt, and mixing in bittersweet chocolate chips. I also added in a little rum, which was very good!
As written, this recipe is inedible. It *needs* more sugar or chocolate chips. I can still taste the vegetable oil.
I was skeptical whether this would actually taste like a cake but I tried this out today and it’s just fantastic! Just like an oven baked one. You’re right that it isn’t a very sweet though! I like my cakes plenty sweet so I’ll probably be adding a ton more next time I make it. I’m not happy that it’s so easy to make because now I can see myself eating this every day and that’s just not good for my health!
Since we’ve started a 7 weeks lent on Wednesday (no religious reasons, simply to shed a few pounds), yesterday the “no sweets” rule hit us both hard, I guess we were really hypoglycemic, so I decided that, before we would lose it and ravenously stuff a chocolate bar down our throats, I’d rather make this …. it saved our lives and probably also our marriage, LOL! We were both satisfied afterwards, but not feeling we might have sinned (a bit of flour, cocoa powder and oil hardly counts as sinning, right ;)). This will be our life saver whenever the craving gets overpowering. Beth, you are a SAINT <3
Didn’t have pb on hand so I just tried it without–you’re right, it does lessen the texture a bit. But still delicious! thanks loads!
I ate the BATTER of the cake. Delicious :) I had SR flour and no baking powder though :/ :D
This was wonderful – satisfied my sweet tooth AND I had everything on hand already! Unfortunately, the bf wasn’t a fan (he would prefer something else instead of the PB, or icing – but I don’t keep anything like that on hand so too bad for him!)
FABULOUS …. thank you. I’m off to try this NOW
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I like this recipe but most of the kids I made it for said it wasn’t sweet enough :( … However, I only buy “natural” peanut butter without sugar added so, that may be why. I experimented by using one tablespoon of sugar instead of 2 tsp. and it turned out great! My friend added Jam to the cake batter instead of peanut butter and she said it made up for the little sugar! I will try that next time. Also, I am dairy-free and used water instead of milk (didn’t have an alternative milk on hand) and surprisingly, it was wonderfully fluffy and perfect!!!
Great recipe, made for a fun experiment with my younger daughter. Very moist, and delicious!!
Used applesauce instead of oil – turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe, thanks for it and for adding the in-process pictures! I realised that I had to add a bit more milk so that it would turn out well, because the tablespoons you’re using are apparently a bit smaller than mine.
one mug chocolate cake has been one of the most failed attempts so far in my kitchen. I am surely going to try this one and hopefully save the planet from exploding :) thanks for this recipe
So easy! So tasty! So perfect for after dinner! I’ve never made a mug cake before – though I’ve seen them many times before… your recipe intrigued me. I’m going to mix up the dry ingredients in a few individual snack size baggies so I can whip this up after dinner in a blink of an eye! Fresh chocolate cake right out of the oven! Thanks for this tasty, easy finish!
Looks AMAZING Beth! Hmmm…if you used a large marshmallow and topped it with cherry jam, would that constitute a personal mug black forest cake?
Some recipes call for a chocolate cookie crust on top of everything else, but a baked pie shell works just as well. Use what you like best. The baked shell will lower the richness factor by a little bit.
Chocolate topping
I don’t really keep cocoa around the house, but I have successfully turned this into a molasses cookie by cutting the sugar just a tad, dropping in molasses, and substituting 1 tsp of ginger powder and 1 tsp of powdered clove for the 2 tsp of chocolate. You can keep the peanut butter in there; it’s still delicious :)
I found your amazing blog last weekend and this is the third recipe of yours I’ve made this week. The first two were delicious and this – despite my creative substitution to make up for the lack of cocoa powdwer – was no exception. The hardest part of this recipe is resisting the urge to make and devour a second cake.
I added raspberry preserves instead of peanut butter. yum!
Yum! I used a tsp of cinnamon instead of the cocoa powder and it was fantastic. Gonna try adding some vanilla extract next time :)
Okay, I’ve gained 5 lbs since discovering this cake three weeks ago. I make one almost every night, I can’t stop. It’s too good. Thanks for all of your great recipes and work that goes into sharing with us. Much appreciated.
I’ve been following your blog for quite a while without commenting, but this mug cake was so good I had to comment! I always found other mug cakes to be too rubbery (because of the egg) and this recipe has my ideal serving size, sweetness and consistency. Thank you so much!
So quick, easy and delicious! Thank you!!
Love this little cake. Thank you.
Needed something sweet after lunch, so I gave this a try. It was great! I used Jiff Chocolate Hazelnut spread for a little extra chocolate. I have sent links of this page to some of my friends for them to give it a try.
This was awesome! I made it with hot chocolate mix & unsweetened almond milk….still came out yummy. This is the best chocolate mug cake I’ve made so far. Leaving out the egg really makes a difference. Thank you so much for the recipe! I can’t wait to try these other ideas people have posted!
I just made this and am enjoying it as I type. Personally, I am a nutella fan but it’s not very budget friendly. However, Jif (the peanut butter brand) now makes hazelnut spread in chocolate and mocha cappachino which are both considerably cheaper and almost tastier. I used the mocha cappachino and it is wonderful.
This was fantastic! I substituted the flour for brown rice flour, substituted almond milk for the milk and I used coconut sugar in place of white sugar, and in spite of all my hippy substitutions it still turned out great. Thanks!
Hi, this is my first post here. I’m a new convert to your site & actually having FUN cooking & trying out your recipes! Made this mug cake tonight & it was easy, tasted great, just enough of a treat. Awesome! I made two – one for hubby & one for me. His had the peanut butter & for mine, I used a large marshmallow. We liked them both but the marshmallow one was really good.
fabulous! didn’t have any cocoa powder so i grated a chunk of solid baking chocolate. worked great!
Wow, this is great! I alsways made this cake with egg, but it is much better without! Thank you!
I have been waiting for a great simple recipe of this to appear as I live by myself and making an entire cake is insane. The only catch for me was that I don’t have a microwave at home.
So I decided I would make a few dry batches (like another comment mentioned)and take them into the office for my chocolate craving post lunch. In order to make them with only water, I added in about a 1/2 Tbsp dry milk and the oil and then put the packages in the refrigerator. At work all I did was dump it all in a mug and add in 2 Tbsp water. This could be a dangerous discovery. Thanks for the recipe!
OMG. This was soooooo yummy! Thank you, thank you, thank you
Thank you so much for this recipe. I tried it with cherry preserves in the center and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Delicious!
I just subbed 4 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix for the cocoa powder & sugar and used Trader Joe’s unsweetened soy mil and it still worked! It was pretty sweet, but still did the trick!
I’ve made this about 5 times now. I usually use Better’n Peanut Butter, almond milk, dark cocoa powder and granulated sugar substitute and it is always delicious. I find 1 minute is perfect for my microwave.
Oh, I also tried it with pumpkin puree instead of PB once and it was good. I bought some fancy preserves today just to try with this cake soon.
Seriously, this is the best thing.
Delicious! Thank you. I also used Nutella. Using this mug cake will satisfy my sweet tooth for years to come.
I could see using Andes Candies mints in the center. Also the green mint chips, cherry chips and all the other flavors of chips you can find in bulk bins. A different flavor every day of the week.
I found your blog through a friend’s blog and this recipe has made me the happiest person on the planet. Seriously. I’m making it tomorrow for dessert!
I just made this. I skipped the peanut butter and added mini Ghirardelli chocolate chips instead. This was not only delish, but fun to make too! Thanks Beth!
It took longer to eat it than to make it….I used nutella instead of peanut butter yum! Thanks for the recipe!
Jen – Thank you so much for sharing your tips and experiences!! Greatly appreciated :D
I seriously had to comment on this again because I’ve been making it almost DAILY since you first posted! I am obsessed! Since I have probably made different variations of this cake over ten times now, here’s some info your readers might be interested to know:
One reader asked about a substitution for the cocoa powder, and you mentioned carob. I accidentally used carob powder one time because I keep the carob and cocoa containers next to each other in the pantry and they look virtually identical. I added a little more cocoa powder on top when I realized my mistake, but it was mostly carob. I found I actually PREFERRED it to the cocoa alone, because I like a super chocolaty flavor (I have been adding over a tbsp of cocoa/carob to my mug cakes instead of just 2tsp) and carob powder is naturally sweet and not bitter like cocoa powder.
Speaking of sweet, if you have a sweet tooth (like me) and especially if you are using just the cocoa powder, I recommend upping the sugar to 1 Tbsp (which is the same as 3 tsp).
I also like to add a smidgen of vanilla extract, just a few little drops straight from the jar. If you have it on hand already, it just adds a little extra flavor oomph.
I have also recently started adding about a tsp of greek yogurt and it’s incredible! Sour cream would also be delicious. It really makes the cake moist and intensifies that awesome chocolate flavor. One of my favorite dark chocolate cake recipes calls for sour cream, so that was where I got the idea. Definitely recommend if you have it on hand.
This mug cake is seriously amazing and can be taken in SO many different directions. As somebody else mentioned, I find that around 40-45 seconds yields a more soft and gooey consistency, which I prefer. Sometimes I leave out the peanut butter and drizzle caramel topping on after it cooks instead! I want to try nutella next and also cookie butter as a previous commenter mentioned.
Thank you sooo much for posting this recipe, but be warned – it’s ADDICTING!!! ;)
What a difference 15 seconds makes!! Made this a couple weeks ago & microwaved for 1 minute. It was not good…dry, burnt chocolate taste, peanut butter ended up in a ball…my husband & I only got through a couple bites each. :( I was so disappointed since it seemed so yummy from the photos & was so easy to make!
Tonight I cooked it for 45 seconds and it was PERFECT! Soft & more of the gooey-ness I had hoped for. Next time I’m adding chocolate chips!
I made this tonight! It was so good. I added an extra tsp of sugar. I should have added more peanut butter and pushed it in more. I’m going to try Nutella next time. This is good recipe.
This is an awesome recipe, I put nutella in center instead of peanut butter and doubled the amount of sugar since I like sugary cakes :) I think next time I will add a dab of vanilla extract, it will make this more flavorful. Thanks so much!
I used gluten-free flour and it turned out great. I’ll probably add more sugar or something next time though because I have a huge sweet tooth ;^)
Oh & i used self-raising flour instead of all-purpose since i didn’t have baking powder.
Very nice, I used white chocolate spread instead of peanut butter & it was awesome!! This despite the fact that i mistakenly put in two tablespoons of chocolate powder & had to add some more milk to even things out a bit lol
So very good! My favorite mug cake I have made! Don’t think I will ever use another! I use almond milk and almond butter and about 50 sec.in my microwave and it’s Awesome!
I was surprised it wasn’t rubbery. I think I’ll add a touch more sugar next time. Less than five minutes all together (including washing the dishes), and it satisfied that sweet craving. Thanks.
Made vegan (with almond milk) and in a toaster oven (20mins @ 350)…it worked! I think next time I may sweeten it up a little bit!
OMG, just finished eating this one…. so yummy and simple. I used some leftover cherry sauce instead of peanut butter and it was so good. I think I’m going to portion out the dry ingredients into ziploc baggies so all I need to do is add the wet ingredients and microwave for next time! Thanks Beth!
This will be my last comment today I promise LOL. This recipe looks so good! I think I have all the ingredients but I’ll probably use a little less oil. I have chocolate chips too! Thanks again!
-Kat
Made three of these already! Very yummy with nutella inside and ice cream on top.
The most inconvenient part for me was dirtying three measuring spoons for such a tiny amount, so while I was making my last one, I measured the dry ingredients into separate little plastic baggies to have on hand for next time! Just add oil and milk :)
YUM! The problem is that now I want to make 2 at a time…. :p
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any All Purpose Flour and Baking Powder so I had to use Rye Flour and Baking Soda. I just really wanted to try it out as I love easy and simple recipes. And unfortunately it did not turn out as well as I had hoped (Rye does not go well with chocolate, and the bitterness of the baking soda did not help as well).
Also my microwave seemed to be too strong so it was a bit dry when I got it out. I think it has real potential though and I would really like to give it another try again with proper ingredients and some adjustments tomorrow. (:
I keep trying to cut out some of the oil, and it never turns out. I guess I just have to stick with what works!
Beth, this was so good! I have also been searching for the perfect coffee mug chocolate cake and I think I’ve found it with your recipe! Instead of the peanut butter, I added 2 tbs of peanut butter frozen yogurt – delish! The amount of sugar was perfect, too. Thank you SO much!
Amazing with speculoos cookie butter!
Amazing with speculoos cookie butter!
Bless you sweet girl…I’m in mug cake heaven!
This is just great! I just made one and I love it. Thanks a lot
I just stalked your blog for almost an hour. I’m in love!!! Thank you so much for all the cheap eats.
~Stephanie
Finally made this, and wow, what a great little recipe. Everyone should try this! The cake is not too sweet, and a dollop of whipped cream on top would be the icing on the cake. I made mine with peanut butter, but I think a chocolate centre will work better, so next time i will throw in some chocolate chips. A must try…
Hey I found this site from lurking on 4chan (on the cooking and food board /ck/) I am impressed that they actually suggested something this amazing. keep up the good work. I love your recipes, especially this one.
I’m eating this as I type. You are so right – it is not too sweet and tastes really, really yummy. I added some calories by putting a tablespoon of PB Chocolate ice cream on top and mixing the whole thing together- Heavenly! Next time I will try it with only 1 t. of sugar if I add the ice cream.
Just in case anyone wants the calorie info, it’s 321 calories for each of these. I just entered it in on My Fitness Pal (as I was eating a delicious mugful!) YUM!
Awesome! I just introduced you as my favorite Blog of the month! :)
Oh my! This could be dangerous!!! Is it bad that I after the first one I decided to make another? :)
I think I know what dessert is going to be tonight!
Love it! I agree with your comments about other mug cakes. I was never much of a fan…but this sounds delightful!
Your blog is one of my absolute favorites! Great recipes, great prices, and your narrations are fun :) I’ve made many recipes from your blog and each time my husband goes CRAZY for them! Thank you!
can’t wait to try this with TJ speculoos cookie butter…yum!!
I decided to use sugar-free strawberry jelly instead of peanut butter and I topped it with just a touch of chocolate syrup. It was excellent! This mug cake has the perfect texture. Will be making again with raspberry jelly next!
OMG genious! Has anyone tried caramel instead of peanut butter? I am allergic.
Made this last night. Loved having just enough for one serving. Thank you!!!
Laura – Have you ever had carob? I think they make it in a powder, but I’m not sure. I also wonder if replacing the cocoa with powdered milk and then adding a smidge of vanilla extra would be good. I know most people don’t have powdered milk just laying around, so maybe if you don’t have that just add an extra teaspoon of flour to make up for the cocoa powder being gone. Either way, I’m sure it will take some experimenting.
Beth, any idea of substitutions to get rid of the cocoa powder? I love cake and LOOOOVE peanut butter, but am allergic to cocoa and all things chocolate. If you’ve got any ideas, I’d love to hear them :)
awesome!
Oh, WOW! I love that this isn’t super sweet. I surprised the family with these tonight and they got rave reviews. They had a choice of Nutella or Peanut Butter, but didn’t know for what, and both turned out great. I would imagine that dulce de leche or caramel would be outstanding too.
I just made this with 4tsp of Nesquick chocolate powder instead of the cocoa and sugar. Surprisingly, it turned out great!
i’ll have to try this out with that home made dulce de leche recipe. i’ve been impressing my family with recipes off this blog. thanks!!
Ummmmm I think I love you this is going to be awesome!!!!
This is such a great concept…I love that it is so easy to make vegan!
this was so incredible, quick, and easy! One minute was perfect for my microwave as well. I loved the addition of peanut butter for the center, and I added a tbsp of mini chocolate chips to mine also. Perfection!
So fun Beth!!! My 8 year old daughter just made one all by herself. I’ll tag you in the picture on Facebook.
I love this! I think you could call it Quarter (like 25 cents) Cake. =)
I’m happy that there is no egg and a smaller version. I think I just found my dessert!! thank you!
My 2 year old and 4 year old were able to help me prepare it and were so excited to eat something they helped make. Thank you for such a great recipe! :)
I’m not sure how this would work in a regular oven… I think it kind of depends on the fast “zap” of a microwave to work, but not sure.
baking instructions for humans who don’t own microwaves?
I think that would change the consistency considerably. Whether that change would be good or bad, I’m not sure :P
Do you think this would work with applesauce in place of the oil?
Oh boy…this looks awesome! Yum!
AMAZING! I love how simple and easy this recipe it. Perfect portion-control. PINNED!
Have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for sharing!
This is great for the grandkids!