Over Spring Break during my senior year of high school, one of my friends from the previous year’s graduating class flew home from UCLA to visit his family and spend some time at home. He texted me before the plane took off down the runway, asking if I’d be home that evening and would have a few minutes for him to stop by after dinner with his mom.
Later that night, he drove over and handed me a package, explaining that he loved that particular store located near the college campus, popped in frequently, and thought it’d be the perfect gift for me. He also revealed that he had been slightly stressed about packing the present in his luggage—he didn’t want it to break!
I opened up the bag and peered inside…
To find a baker’s dozen of gigantic cookies from Diddy Riese!
He laughed at my surprised look, followed by the huge grin that started to spread across my face. As I slowly sifted through the different flavors, he shared that he had swung by the bakery as his last stop before driving to the airport to ensure the cookies were as fresh and soft as possible. What an amazing friend!
I tried to eat just one cookie each day, but… With the stress of college decision deadlines quickly approaching, the thirteen cookies disappeared in just over a week! Out of all of the varieties in that package—chocolate chip, M&M, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate chip, and snickerdoodle—the latter was actually my favorite (yes, even as a chocoholic!) because of its rich buttery flavor paired with the cozy cinnamon. I was so glad that my friend had given me four of those!
And that particular cookie served as the inspiration for today’s recipe, this Skinny Single-Serving Snickerdoodle Mug Cake! Because I don’t live near that bakery—and really don’t want to know how many calories are in each of their snickerdoodle cookies!—I created a healthier alternative with the same irresistible flavors. Even better, this sweet treat is ready in just a few minutes!
Unlike many traditional mug cake recipes that depend on a full egg and a few tablespoons of butter (umm, that’s at least 270 calories alone right there—yikes!), this lighter version contains only ¼ teaspoon of butter and no eggs. That’s right! We’re shaving off tons of calories, but this mug cake is still just as moist and tender.
How’d I do it?
With my favorite ingredient in healthier baking: Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt provides that same moisture as extra butter for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your mug cake a little protein boost too, and that extra protein in the Greek yogurt helps imitate the protein from the egg white that gives a traditional mug cake its structure.
Instead of the tablespoon or two of granulated sugar in other mug cakes, this one is sweetened with powdered stevia and vanilla crème stevia, one of my new favorite finds. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly. It’s very concentrated, so a little goes a long way! I love SweetLeaf’s products, both for the powdered stevia and vanilla crème stevia, and you can find these at many health-oriented stores, as well as online. (You’ll use them in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
I have a secret ingredient that gives this mug cake that classic buttery snickerdoodle flavor… Butter extract! It’s similar to vanilla extract, and almost all grocery stores should carry it. You can find it near the other extracts on the baking aisle. (Walmart stores also sell a big bottle on their wedding aisle!) It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages, and it’s also fairly inexpensive!
Finally, you can’t have snickerdoodles without that cozy spiced coating… So you’ll sprinkle a combination of granulated Swerve and cinnamon on top just before popping it in the microwave.
I also have a secret trick to ensuring that the mug cake turns out with a perfectly tender texture, like cupcakes you’d bake in a regular oven… Microwave it at 30% power! This lower power better simulates a regular oven and prevents the cupcake from turning rubbery. I use it for all of my single-serving microwave recipes—it works like a charm!
Ready to make your own? After you do, leave me a comment—or share a picture with me on Instagram! I’d love to see your mug cake!
| Skinny Single-Serving Snickerdoodle Mug Cake | | Print |
- for the mug cake
- 3 tbsp (23g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ⅜ tsp powdered stevia
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tbsp (23mL) nonfat milk
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp butter extract
- 18 drops vanilla crème stevia, or to taste
- for the topping
- ¼ tsp granulated Swerve
- tiny pinch of cinnamon
- Lightly coat a 1-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered stevia, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, Greek yogurt, and milk.* Stir in the vanilla extract, butter extract, and vanilla crème stevia. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until just incorporated.
- Spread the batter into the prepared ramekin. Prepare the topping by stirring together the Swerve and cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of the mug cake batter. Microwave on 30% POWER for 2 minutes 35 seconds (2:35). Let the mug cake cool for at least 2 minutes to allow the center to finish cooking through before enjoying.
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.
Extra vanilla extract may be substituted for the butter extract; however, the mug cake will lack that iconic buttery snickerdoodle flavor.
You’ll use two types of stevia in the mug cake batter because too much of either type results in a very bitter aftertaste to the mug cake. Other sweeteners may be substituted in place of both the powdered stevia and vanilla crème stevia, but you may need to adjust the amount of flour or milk depending on the type of sweetener that you use. You’ll need the equivalent of 2 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar.
If the 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.
For the topping, Truvia, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar may be substituted for the granulated Swerve.
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 12-14 minutes to start.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein}
This looks permit for me as I love sweets but I’m trying to loss some extra pounds. Thank you for serving these up 😉
I hope you enjoy the mug cake Teddy! 🙂
Aw thank you so much Amy 🙂 i believe all mug cakes should be like this: cozy, tender, healthy… Real comfort food that is good for both our body and mind!! All of your mug cakes are like that, this one expecially!!:)
I’m so glad you loved this mug cake Sam! That means a lot to me! 🙂