Name: Banana Bread Mug Cake
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon; salt (- pinch); 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp maple syrup; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 banana (- mashed, ripened); 1 tsp walnuts ( - chopped); 1 tsp mini chocolate chips; banana slices ((optional))

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Craving a sweet treat, but don't have the time or energy for full-on baking? Then try this 5-minute Banana Bread Mug Cake for a quick and tasty dessert (or breakfast) - and all you need is a microwave!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Equipment
Toasty's Tips
FAQ
Other Mug Cake Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
💬 Reviews

Why You'll Love This Recipe

These Microwave Mug Cakes are a super fast and easy way to make warm, fresh and tasty sweet treats without needing to take out the oven. Ready in less than 5 minutes, these are a go-to favourite of mine when I don't have the time or energy to turn on the oven to bake a full-sized cake. Why are these so popular?

Super quick and easy - all you need are 5 minutes, a few ingredients, a coffee mug, and a microwave. This is so easy to make, even for beginner cooks!
Minimal clean-up - you can prepare everything in the mug, and eat right out of it too! It makes clean-up a breeze.
Customizable - you can easily mix in your favourite ingredients and toppings to suit your tastes. There are so many flavours you can try at home!
Simple ingredients you have at home - no need for any fancy foods here. All you need a few staple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen or pantry.
Vegan - make this vegan with a few easy ingredient choices such as using plant-based milk, honey, and dairy-free chocolate chips.

Ingredients

Please see recipe card below for exact quantities.

Banana - make sure to use a ripened banana - the browner and more spotted it is, the sweeter it'll be!
Flour - I'm using all-purpose flour, but you can use cake flour as well.
Maple syrup - I prefer maple syrup for its natural sweetness, but you can also use honey, agave nectar, or granulated sugar as well.
Unsweetened almond milk - I like unsweetened almond milk for its low calories and no added sugar, but you can use whatever milk you like.
Vegetable oil - canola oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or melted unsalted butter are fine to use as well.
Baking powder - to help our ingredients rise and puff up into a cake.
Vanilla extract - for a splash of vanilla flavour.
Ground cinnamon - for those warm and cozy banana bread vibes.
Chopped walnuts and chocolate chips - optional toppings that give some crunchy texture and gooey sweetness when the chocolate is melted.

Instructions

mashing banana for banana bread mug cake

STEP 1: Mash half of a ripened banana onto a plate.

mixing ingredients for banana bread mug cake

STEP 2: Into a mug, combine and stir the dry ingredients.

STEP 3: Pour in wet ingredients, and mix with dry ingredients until mixture turns into a smooth batter.

STEP 4: Top with crushed walnuts, chocolate chips, and banana slices (optional).

STEP 5: Microwave for 80 seconds or until cooked. Cooking times may vary depending on your microwave. Let it cool for a minute, then enjoy!

Equipment

All you need for this recipe is a microwave oven, and a coffee mug! It's important to make sure you use a large enough mug for this recipe, as the batter will rise and expand when cooked in the microwave. At a minimum, I recommend using a mug with a capacity of at least 10-ounces (283 ml) for this recipe, to ensure it has enough room to allow the ingredients to expand and puff up.

Toasty's Tips

All microwave ovens differ in power, so cooking times may vary. I suggest starting with 80 seconds, checking for doneness, and then adding additional cooking time in 15 second increments as needed.
Check for doneness - poke a toothpick into the middle of the mug cake to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, it's ready to eat. If batter sticks to the toothpick, add more cooking time.
Customize your toppings - while I'm using walnuts and chocolate chips, you can choose your own ingredients to top this with (or skip them altogether!). Raisins, pumpkin seeds, other nuts - it's totally up to you! You can also choose to mix them into the batter, rather than using them as toppings.

FAQ

Can I add protein powder to my mug cake?

Yes you sure can! Protein powder is a great way to bump up the nutritional profile of this recipe with a boost of protein. If you do add protein powder (or any kind of dry ingredients such as powdered supplements), make sure to offset the added dryness to the recipe with a splash of milk or other liquid.

Do I have to use a coffee mug? Can I use something else?

Certainly! Though the term "mug cake" suggests the use of a coffee mug, you have flexibility when it comes to choice of container as long as it's microwave-safe and comparable in size to a standard coffee mug (at least 10 ounces). Ramekins or microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowls are great alternatives.