Nearly every time I walk through a grocery store, I wander around its bakery section to check out the treats. Some of those sections have no more than a single shelf, others occupy the back corner of the supermarket, and a few take up an entire third of the store and offer selections from local gourmet cake or cupcake shops too.
The grocery store closest to my house boasts a fairly large selection of sweets and breakfast treats, so I almost always budget extra time into my shopping trips to stare at all of the goodies. Classic éclairs and fruit-topped cheesecakes, banana nut muffins and warm blueberry bagels, chewy oatmeal raisin cookies and extra fudgy brownies, buttery apple pie and fresh fruit tarts, waffles fried and glazed like donuts…
Usually, I simply look at all of the different desserts to help brainstorm new recipe ideas. But every so often… Something catches my eye and tempts me to stick it in my cart. Those instances are few and far between, but when they do occur, it’s almost always because of something chocolaty.
I’m so predictable!
Last week, a slice of six-layer chocolate cake with the most decadent fudgy chocolate frosting started calling my name as I wandered around the bakery. Somehow, even though all of my self-control and willpower flies straight out the window around that specific dessert, I managed to walk out of the store without the slice… But I made this Single Serving Clean Chocolate Mug Cake as soon as I got home instead!
A much better decision… For both my wallet and my waistline!
To make this healthier mug cake as chocolaty as possible, you’ll use equal parts flour and cocoa powder. The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour because it has all of the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, but it has a lighter and more tender texture closer to that of all-purpose. White whole wheat flour would be a great substitute, and regular whole wheat flour would work in a pinch as well. (For a gluten-free version, see the Notes section beneath the recipe!)
Pure maple syrup sweetens this cake instead of refined sugar, which makes it clean eating friendly. Remember, maple syrup and pancake syrup are two completely different things! The latter is made from corn syrup and granulated sugar, whereas the former contains only one ingredient: pure maple syrup straight from the trees. You’ll only use a little bit, so the cake’s flavor is on the “dark chocolate” side.
Whereas most mug cake recipes call for a tablespoon or two of butter and an egg yolk, this healthier one is the exact opposite! You only need ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil and no eggs. Instead, the majority of the tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking…
Greek yogurt! (I bet you knew that already, right?) It adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it provides a little protein boost too. That’s definitely a win-win in my book!
I have a secret trick to baking the perfect mug cake in the microwave. Reduce the power to just 30%, and microwave it for 2 ½ minutes. “Baking” the mug cake at 30% power better simulates baking in a regular oven because the heat will be lower and more consistent. If you tried zapping it on HIGH instead, the texture would turn out gummier, and the top of the cake would be nearly overdone while the center would be raw. So stick with 30% power!
The best part about this decadent mug cake? You don’t have to share!
| Single Serving Clean Chocolate Mug Cake | | Print |
- 2 tbsp (15g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 1/16 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp (15mL) nonfat milk
- 2 ½ tsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Coat a 1-cup ramekin or small coffee mug with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, Greek yogurt, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla.* Gradually stir in the flour mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared ramekin or mug. Microwave on 30% power for 2 minutes 30 seconds (2:30). Let the cake cool for at least 2 minutes before eating.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup. If you prefer a sweeter, less dark chocolaty taste, add additional sweetener, and reduce the milk by the same amount.
If the batter is very dry, mix in additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time. The batter should be very stiff and thick, like in the video above the recipe.
If the Greek yogurt and milk are cold, they will immediately re-solidify the melted butter. If this happens, microwave on HIGH for 6-8 seconds or until the butter re-melts; then proceed with the rest of the instructions.
It’s VERY important to microwave the mug cake on 30% power. This is set differently depending on the brand of microwave that you own. If microwaved on HIGH (full power) for a shorter time, the cake will be gummy, and the top may be overdone while the insides stay raw.
Microwave times may vary, depending on the wattage of your microwave oven. I used a 1000-watt microwave.
To bake the mug cake in a regular oven, bake at 350°F until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I haven’t cooked the mug cake this way myself and can’t guarantee how long it will take, but check for doneness after about 10 minutes to start.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein}
I don’t know why people need to be so dramatic and rude… anyway I made it and in my opinion it was delicious. To each their own I suppose
I’m so glad you loved this mug cake, Mel! That means a lot to me — thank you for taking the time to leave your kind comment! 🙂
I absolutely loved this! I had to stop myself from eating it whilst I had to let it cool down, and then eating it all at once when it was the right temperature… I had my doubts about how it would turn out as most of the mug cake recipes I’d seen were between 400-1000 calories a pop! However, I was not disappointed and it was a lovely rich dark chocolate cake which satisfied my cravings. I only had normal Greek yoghurt and soya milk, but that only increased the calories to 154 (so only by 10).
I will definitely be making this the next time I have a chocolate craving!
I’m so glad you loved this chocolate mug cake, Maddie! That means a lot to me that you plan on making it again when your chocolate cravings hit. That’s the best kind of compliment! 😉
This was really tasty. I’ve done other microwave mug cakes that were more tasty but also way more unhealthy. I wanted to try something that would satiate my sweet tooth, but not leave me feeling guilty and bloated. This was definitely the trick! One addition I made was to add a small scoop of peanut butter on top right before the microwave, pushing it slightly into the center of the batter. When the cake cooks, it surrounds the melting peanut butter and creates almost a lava cake that oozes open when you dig in. Plus, I use peanut butter without added salt or sugar and it keeps everything within the “healthy-ish” territory of this recipe. Thanks for making this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this mug cake Brian! I love that idea of adding PB right before microwaving to get that lava cake effect. YUM!! 🙂
Epic failur from start to finish. Batter was like concrete, I tripled the liquid and could barely stir it. Cooked it more than 20% longer than instructed and still raw in the middle. More recipe testing was clearly required here…
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Anne! I’d love to work with you to solve those issues. 🙂 How did you measure the cocoa powder and flour? Did you use a kitchen scale, or did you scoop them directly from the containers with your measuring spoons? Did you make any modifications, including those in the Notes section of the recipe? And what’s the wattage of your microwave? We’ll get this sorted out so your mug cake turns out much better if you try this recipe again!
I made this cake and it turned out to my liking. I used honey instead of maple syrup and added some chocolate chips on the top. It was moist and tasty.Thank you for the receipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this mug cake Sumitha! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Oh my goodness this is AMAZING!! Sooo delish! I used honey instead of maple syrup, and it tastes just like a veeryy good brownie!! I’ve literally never had such a good mug cake ever, so thank you for this recipe????. I have a cold, so this is perfect since it’s without sugar, and the internet said to avoid sugary things, but try honey instead. So thank you!
I’m so glad you loved this mug cake Kim! That really means the world to me that you’d say this is the best mug cake you’ve had — I’m truly honored! Thank you for taking the time to share that with me! 🙂 I really hope you feel better soon too!
best mug cake i’ve ever made. the texture is perfect, and i love that there’s no artificial sweeteners. this cake is my new go to.
I’m so glad you loved this mug cake Gabs! That means the world to me that you’d call it your new go to recipe — thank you for taking the time to share that with me! 🙂
I love mug cakes, I’m always looking for a healthy gooey version. I made this with a couple substitutions, I used almond flour in place of the wheat, almond milk instead of the cows milk and coconut milk vanilla yogurt instead of the Greek, and a few dark chocolate chips. Everything else I added as written, it came out so gooey good!! I will definitely make this anytime I’m in need of a chocolate fix!! Thank you for the recipe!!
I’m so glad you loved this mug cake Julie! I’m truly honored you’d say that you’d consider making it anytime you needed a chocolate fix. That’s the best kind of compliment — you just made my day! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your recipe modifications too; I always love hearing what tweaks work!
This is the fluffiest and most cake-like mug cake I have EVER come across! I did add more baking powder and more milk to make it a thick runny batter. AMAZING!
I’m really glad you loved this mug cake Alice! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂