Banana Mug Cake

Banana Mug Cake is the perfect single-serve dessert or easy breakfast, made with minimal prep time and simple ingredients like ripe mashed banana, gluten free flour, brown sugar, and chocolate chips, ready in under 5 minutes!

Mug cakes are the perfect sweet treat without having to make a whole cake! For more ideas, check out this Oatmeal Cookie in a Mug, Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie, and Chocolate Mug Cake!

This banana mug cake is the perfect treat, dessert, or easy breakfast, and it’s ready in under 5 minutes so you can make it any time you’d like! All you need is a few simple ingredients, a microwave-safe coffee mug, and a microwave. Add a handful of mini chocolate chips or walnuts, or any of your favorite toppings that go well with a banana bread flavor.

The cooking time for mug cakes can vary from microwave to microwave, so add more time as-needed. Serve this with vanilla ice cream for a late night dessert, or with a hot cup of coffee for a quick breakfast. Top with some extra banana slices for decoration, or add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for a banana chocolate cake!   

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bananas. This delicious banana mug cake is a lot like banana bread, so obviously we’re going to need some mashed banana! Try to choose a banana that’s on the more ripe side.

If your banana isn’t ripe yet, poke a few holes in the peel with a fork and microwave the banana in 30 second increments until it’s soft enough. How long it takes will depend on how close to being brown the banana is. 

If you want the mug cake to look decorative, save 2-3 slices for topping at the end. 

Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour. I use gluten free cup-for-cup flour, so if you’re not gluten free you can still use the same amount of regular flour. 

Keep in mind that the type of gluten free flour blend that you use will impact the flavor and texture of your mug cake. Try to choose one that has xanthan gum in the blend, which helps by replacing the gluten and keeping the mug cake from crumbling. 

Sugar. I use brown sugar because it gives the cake a deeper flavor with some subtle molasses notes. Brown sugar also brings more moisture to baked goods. 

You can also swap this one-to-one with white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. 

Butter. As a rule, I always use unsalted butter. I like to add the salt myself, so I can control exactly how much is going into the recipe. The butter is added fat, which helps keep the cake moist, and moisture which also helps with the texture. 

For a lighter or dairy free version, swap the butter with unsweetened applesauce. You can also use vegetable oil or coconut oil.  

Egg. Egg acts as a binder holding everything together, and also adds some fat from the yolk. 

Baking Powder. Leavening helps the cake rise and become more fluffy and less dense. We’re only adding 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Any more than that and it may give the mug cake some off-flavor. 

Cinnamon. This adds some flavor, but you could also use pumpkin pie spice. Or, add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice. If it works in banana bread, it will work here.

Salt. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness and enhances some of the other flavors. 

Vanilla Extract. This adds some flavor, but you could also use almond extract. This only needs a small amount, so 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract will be enough. 

Chocolate Chips or Walnuts. Adding nuts gives some extra crunch to the cake. You can also use dark chocolate chips for sweetness and gooey chocolate flavor, or almond slices. 

How to Make Banana Mug Cake

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and sugar (except chocolate chips). 
2. Add the butter to a microwave safe mug. Try to choose a mug that’s on the taller side, because the cake will rise while it’s cooking. Microwave the butter for 1 minute, or until just melted. 
3. Add the dry ingredient mixture and all of the remaining wet ingredients (vanilla, egg, mashed banana) to the mug and use a fork the mix everything together. Don’t over-mix! If there’s a few streaks of flour in the batter, that’s ok. Gently mix in chocolate chips and place some fresh banana slices on top and a few extra chocolate chips.
4. Discard the fork, and microwave the mug for 2 minutes. If needed, add an additional 30 seconds, until the mug cake is cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean. It should pull away from the sides of the mug slightly. The exact time can vary depending on the microwave. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or extra chocolate chips.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Ripen Bananas Quickly

This recipe calls for an overripe banana. If you don’t have one, there’s a few quick ways to turn ripe bananas into over-ripe bananas!

1. Microwave. This quickest way to ripen a banana is by microwaving it. Poke the banana a few times with a fork, then microwave on a plate for 30 seconds at a time, until the peel turns dark and the banana is soft. This is a fastest method, but the brown bananas won’t be as sweet or give the cake as much banana flavor as they would being ripened in the oven or ripening naturally. 
2. Oven. You can also bake bananas to ripen them quickly. This is a good method if you’re making a full loaf of banana bread and need multiple bananas for a recipe. Set your oven for 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the bananas with the peel on for 15-20 minutes, until the peel turns dark. Let them cool completely before using. 
3. Paper Bag. If you’re great at planning ahead, you can ripen the bananas on the counter a few days beforehand. Just place the bananas in a brown paper bag with an apple. The apple will release ethylene gas which will naturally ripen the bananas faster. This takes longer, but you’ll get the most of the sweet banana flavor. 

Storage

If you make this microwave mug cake ahead of time, let the cake cool completely and place plastic wrap on the top of the mug. Refrigerate for 1-2 days for the best quality. You can also take it out of the mug and store it in an airtight container with a paper towel. 

This is best when just out of the microwave, so I recommend making this banana mug cake recipe ahead of time by mixing all of the dry ingredients together and storing them in a ziplock bag. Then all you have to do is stir in the wet ingredients and microwave. 

My Favorite Banana Bread Recipes

• Gluten Free Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Strawberry Banana Muffins with Crumb Topping

Recipe Variations

• Swap out the banana for pumpkin for a pumpkin mug cake!
• For a sweet craving, try adding white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips for some variation, or drizzling with caramel syrup. 
• For a vegan banana mug cake, swap the butter for vegetable oil and make sure the sugar is vegan-compliant. The egg can be swapped for 3-4 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce. 

Cooking Tips 

• Mix everything together until just combined, similar to how we’d mix a muffin batter. If the cake batter is over-mixed, it could cause the mug cake to be chewy. 
• You can serve this with a drizzle of melted chocolate or chocolate syrup, brown sugar glaze, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a sweet dessert, and honey or a drizzle of maple syrup for breakfast. What you top it with depends on your sweet tooth!
• I usually mix everything together in the mug, but if you’re having issues with your banana bread mug cake sticking to the mug then mix everything together in a separate bowl and add some non-stick cooking spray to the mug first. 

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

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