About a year ago, I stopped by the grocery store one Saturday evening to purchase a few things I needed for the upcoming week. After loading my cart with fresh produce and whole wheat flour, I wheeled it over to the other side of the store to the refrigerated dairy shelves.
While I intended to pick up a half gallon of milk and carton of Greek yogurt before walking to the registers to pay, the bakery section caught my eye as I turned around my shopping cart. With my huge sweet tooth always on the lookout for recipe inspiration, I decided to take a little detour and wander around the displays.
As I browsed, glancing over the platters of glazed old-fashioned donuts and trays of chocolate chip cookies, I passed by a stand overflowing with single slices of cake in countless flavors, each tucked neatly inside its own small plastic container. Chocolate, vanilla, marbled, funfetti, lemon, tiramisu, red velvet, German chocolate, even New York cheesecake…
And carrot cake. With cream cheese frosting.
Which somehow managed to magically jump into my cart before I could walk away.
Later that evening, after unpacking the groceries and cooking a healthy dinner, I pulled the square slice of carrot cake out of the fridge to enjoy while watching the end of a playoff baseball game. (Sometimes, it’s really nice to satisfy my sweet tooth without creating a pile of dishes to wash in the process!)
I slowly savored half of the slice, returned it to the fridge, and sat back down on the couch to continue cheering on my favorite team, but because I pushed myself harder than usual during my leg workout that morning, my stomach still felt hungry a few minutes later. With my sweet tooth still not completely satisfied either, I reached for that carrot cake… And finished the entire slice!
When I recently started craving carrot cake again, I decided to skip the grocery store bakery and made this Skinny Single-Serving Carrot Cake Mug Cake instead. It has the same cozy spiced flavors and a sweet cream cheese drizzle, but it’s perfectly portioned and packed with nearly 6g of protein too!
To make this healthier mug cake, you’ll start with white whole wheat flour. It sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, doesn’t it? White whole wheat flour actually comes from a special type of softer white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. White whole wheat flour has a lot more health benefits than the all-purpose flour used in traditional recipes (like extra fiber), and with a similar taste and texture to all-purpose flour, it’s ideal for our perfectly tender mug cake!
Classic mug cake recipes call for a tablespoon or two of butter and a whole egg yolk, but my waistline is crying at the thought of all those extra calories! Instead, this healthier recipe only requires ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil (or butter!) and no eggs. That means the batter is perfectly safe to eat raw, if you’d like to sneak a taste test or lick the spoon!
Instead, the majority of the mug cake’s tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking. Do you know what it is? I’m sure you do… It’s Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt provides the same moisture as extra oil or butter for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your mug cake a protein boost, too!
Instead of refined sugar, you’ll sweeten your mug cake with another two of my favorite ingredients: vanilla crème stevia and powdered stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! This is the vanilla crème stevia that I buy, and this is the powdered stevia. You can find them at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I purchase both of them at those links since they’re generally cheaper online. (And you’ll use them in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Here’s my secret trick to a perfectly tender microwave mug cake… You’ll cook it on 30% power for a longer period of time, rather than on full power for 1 minute. This lower power level imitates baking in a traditional oven much better, so it doesn’t turn your mug cake gummy. Instead, it comes out with the perfect texture!
And of course, we can’t forget the drizzle! It’s super easy to whip up and simply a combination of Greek yogurt cream cheese, milk, and a hint of vanilla crème stevia. I found my Greek yogurt cream cheese at my local Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and many Walmart stores stock this brand as well.
Time for cake! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 😊) I’d love to see your mug cake and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Skinny Single-Serving Carrot Cake 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 ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 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
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 18 drops vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
- 2 tbsp (13g) finely grated carrot (not store-bought pre-shredded carrots!)
- for the drizzle
- ½ tsp Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp nonfat milk
- 1-3 drops vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Lightly coat a 1-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered stevia, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, Greek yogurt, and milk.* Stir in the vanilla and vanilla crème stevia. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until just incorporated. Fold in the carrots.
- Spread the batter into the prepared ramekin. Microwave on 30% POWER for 3 minutes 5 seconds (3:05). Let the mug cake cool for at least 2 minutes.
- While the mug cake cooks and cools, prepare the drizzle. Stir together the Greek yogurt cream cheese, milk, and stevia in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a zip-topped plastic bag, snip off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle on top of the mug cake.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat 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.
If the Greek yogurt and milk are cold when mixing up the mug cake batter, they will immediately re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil. If this happens, microwave on HIGH for 6-8 seconds or until the butter or coconut oil re-melts; then proceed with the rest of the instructions.
You’ll use two types of stevia in the mug cake batter because too much of either type often results in a 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.
For the finely grated carrots, I used the smallest holes of a box grater. The regular-sized holes of a box grater will also work in a pinch.
Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese or regular cream cheese may be substituted in place of the Greek yogurt cream cheese. If using either of those, make sure they’re well-softened before making the drizzle.
If you prefer to substitute another sweetener for the vanilla crème stevia in the drizzle, then omit the milk and use the same amount of honey, agave, or pure maple syrup. Alternatively, you may use ½ to ¾ teaspoon of granulated sugar.
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, lower sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ the rest of Amy’s skinny mug cake recipes
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♥ Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Carrot Cake Scones
♥ Classic Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♥ Carrot Cake Pancakes
♥ Carrot Cake Granola
♥ Carrot Cake Protein Muffins
♥ Carrot Cake Bran Muffins
Well this is the only way I can eat carrot cake because I don’t like all of the nuts in classic recipe! I like the frosting though! 🙂 I know exactly what you mean, my sweet tooth takes over ALWAYS at the grocery store! 😉
Same here Marina — I always pick out the nuts to eat separately! 🙊
Very interesting idea/recipe. Well done and thank you.
Will try it tomorrow.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of it! 🙂
Haha, I don’t blame you for finishing that whole slice of carrot cake, Amy! Carrot cake (with a dash of cinnamon) with cream cheese frosting, is my favourite cake flavour, so I’m certain I would have done the same!😊 This mug cake looks super delicious, and I can’t wait to try it!!😁
Whew, that makes me feel a lot better Katie! 😉 I lose almost all of my self-control around carrot cake every single time… For that same cinnamon reason! I’m so excited to hear what you think of this mug cake!
Does the nutrition info include the drizzle? Thanks for all of your recipes Amy!
Yes, it does Michelle! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this mug cake! 🙂
did not bake or turn out at all like your picture big fail
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ga! If you can describe the issues that you saw, I’d love to work with you to solve those problems so your mug cake turns out correctly! 🙂
I’m sorry but this recipe didn’t work for me. It tuned out to be a gooey paste. The batter did taste good. I had high hopes 😥. I love carrot cake and I cannot eat nuts due to allergies.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Chris! That’s not how it’s supposed to turn out, so I’d love to work with you to solve that issue. 🙂 When you say it was a gooey paste, do you mean underdone? Or fully baked through but gummy? That’ll help clarify the options of how to fix it! 😉 What’s the wattage of your microwave? Many models tend to be 1100 watts nowadays, as opposed to my older model that’s 1000 watts, so it could be that the recipe bake time needs to be adjusted for your microwave!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your interest!. The cake came out all cooked but rubbery and chewy. My microwave is 1000 wtts. I did make 2 – one using your setting and another one using 45 seconds on full power because I have made mug cakes using the latter setting before and it had worked. But still no luck 😢.
It’s my pleasure Chris! Would you be willing to try once more with the 30% power level and only 2:15 (2 minutes + 15 seconds)? The mug cake will be done cooking when the outsides look baked through but the center still looks a little underdone. While it cools for those 2+ minutes, the center will continue to cook all the way through. (That’s also another way to tell if my mug cake recipes have been microwaved for too long — when the center looks fully cooked!) Also, be gentle when mixing. Overmixing batter can result in a tough or gummy texture as well! 😉 I have a feeling those two things should help with the texture! 🙂