A few days after I sent over the footage for this TV episode to my video editor, he sent me an email. He mentioned that while making a mug cake that evening for dessert, he remembered the super easy 3-ingredient chocolate drizzle I included in that episode, so he tried it on his mug cake…
And he called it magical! His kind note made my entire day, so I quickly typed out a response. Inside, I included that I had made a major mug cake break-through of my own when I started microwaving them on 30% power instead, and I shared an explanation of why that made a huge difference, along with my favorite mug cake recipes.
The following weekend, he sent me another email about how he tried my recipe and also made the same mug cake for his significant other and mom. He included a picture along with their reviews…
All three of them proclaimed my recipe as the best mug cake ever! My editor even went on to say it made his own mug cake recipe look like a sad pretender. I felt like I was on cloud nine for days—that’s such high praise!
So in honor of my incredible video editor, I’m sharing my favorite mug cake recipe with you: this Healthy Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake! It’s supremely rich and chocolaty, even with no eggs, butter, refined flour or sugar. And it’s just 108 calories!
True single-serving dessert perfection! ??
Like I previously mentioned, I make my healthy mug cakes a little differently than most traditional recipes! Since my healthy mug cakes contain a lot less fat than typical recipes, I microwave them on 30% power instead for a longer period of time.
If you microwaved them on high for 1 minute like in traditional recipes, that would result in tough or gummy textures. However, this lower power better simulates baking in a regular oven, so your mug cakes turn out nice and tender instead!
So now with that nerdy microwave science out of the way… ? Let’s talk about the ingredients you’ll need!
First up is cocoa powder. Use the regular unsweetened kind, like this! Do not substituted Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. In this particular recipe, they actually have a much less prominent chocolaty flavor… Almost a little dull and bland. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder gives your healthy mug cake the most chocolaty and rich flavor!
I struggled with the name of this recipe… Should it be called “flourless” or “practically flourless” instead? That’s because you’ll mix in oat flour next, like this! (Or this for a gluten-free version!) Oat flour is simply finely ground oats so… I’m not sure if it technically counts as flour. I’ll let you decide!
Tip: You can make your own oat flour at home! I show you how here.
This low-calorie chocolate mug cake only requires ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil (or butter, if you prefer!) and no eggs. Instead, it gets the rest of its moist texture from Greek yogurt! I always love baking with Greek yogurt because it adds the same moisture to your batter as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories. And it gives your treats a protein boost, too!
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your flourless chocolate mug cake with vanilla stevia. It’s another one of my favorite ingredients! Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly). It’s also really concentrated—you need less than ½ teaspoon for your healthy chocolate mug cake!
This is the vanilla stevia that I use because I love its warm flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
How decadent does that look?? There’s a reason I make this healthy flourless chocolate mug cake nearly every day! ? And with a certain holiday right around the corner… This would definitely make for a super easy (and healthy!) Valentine’s Day dessert!
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!
| Healthy Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake | | Print |
- 2 tbsp (15g) oat flour (gluten-free, if necessary, and measured like this)
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 1/16 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp (15g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 5 tsp nonfat milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅜ tsp vanilla stevia, or adjusted to taste
- optional: 1 tsp miniature chocolate chips, divided
- Lightly coat a 1-cup ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, Greek yogurt, and milk.* Stir in the vanilla extract and vanilla stevia. Gradually mix in the flour mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until just incorporated. If using, gently fold in ¾ teaspoon of chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared ramekin, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips on top (if using). Microwave on 30% POWER for 2 minutes 45 seconds (2:40). Let the mug cake cool for at least 4 minutes to allow the center to finish cooking through.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the oat flour. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this. Do not substitute coconut flour.
It’s very important to measure the oat flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That's the one I own and love!) Too much of either will make the mug cake dry (and too much cocoa powder will make the mug cake taste bitter). If your batter is too dry, add additional milk ½ teaspoon at a time until the batter resembles the texture of thick muffin batter.
I don’t recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Those will taste muted and bland compared to regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
I highly recommend using the vanilla stevia! It's one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. I buy mine online here because that's the cheapest price I've found. Other sweeteners may be substituted in place of the vanilla stevia, but you may need to adjust the amount of oat flour or milk depending on the type of sweetener that you use. You’ll need the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in the mug cake.
As written, this mug cake tastes similar to 72% dark chocolate. For a sweeter taste, increase the amount of vanilla stevia by up to an additional ¼ teaspoon.
If the Greek yogurt and milk are cold, they will immediately re-solidify the melted butter or melted coconut oil. If this happens, microwave on HIGH for 6-8 seconds or until the butter/coconut oil 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. If using a 1100-watt microwave, I recommend using 20% power instead. The mug cake will take longer to cook at 20% power. (I’m not sure how long since I don’t own one!)
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 10-12 minutes to start.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Triple Chocolate Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Peanut Butter Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Mug Cake
♡ Healthy Vanilla Mug Cake
I don’t have that sweetener, so I used 1 bsp of coconut sugar, and it was too salty/bitter. I ate it, but it wasn’t a classic desert. I liked the consistency, and how easy it is to make, but next time I’ll use at least 2 tsp of coconut sugar.
I’m honored that you tried making my recipe Jana! As I mentioned in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions), the vanilla stevia is the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. (I know it can be easy to miss that section!) If you just used 1 teaspoon of coconut sugar, that’s why your mug cake was so bitter — that’s the equivalent of 1/6th to 1/9th of the amount of sweeter that the recipe calls for! 😉 Depending on how much you like dark chocolate, I’d definitely recommend using more than 2 teaspoons. That amount will probably make your mug cake taste like 90% dark chocolate. Does that make sense? 🙂
Yes, thank you 🙂
It’s my pleasure Jana! I’m always happy to help! 🙂
I tried making this and followed the recipe but the batter was incredibly thick, I actually had to add almost double the amount of milk in order to turn it back into a batter..after microwaving it didn’t really cook but turned into a kind of cooked dough? Not sure what went wrong but didn’t work for me at all.
I’m honored that you tried making my recipe, Devika! That sounds frustrating and not like how this mug cake is supposed to turn out at all, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. 🙂
How did you measure the oat flour and cocoa powder? Did you use measuring spoons or a kitchen scale? If the former, did you happen to dip them directly into your containers of flour and cocoa powder?
You mentioned adding almost double the amount of milk — so you used a little more than 3 tablespoons in total, correct? How was the flavor — was it rich and chocolaty or on the bitter side? Finally, did you make any modifications to the recipe, besides using additional milk, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use 30% power, and do you happen to know the wattage of your microwave?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I should have a much better idea of the potential culprit and how to fix it!