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.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
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. 👀
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.