This Chocolate Mug Cake (Vegan) will totally blow you away! It’s vegan, easily made in under 5 minutes start to finish. It has an incredible chocolate-y flavour that’s so addictive!
In a mug, add in the oil, milk, sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk together for about 15 seconds. Add in the flour, baking powder, sea salt and vanilla extract.
Stir to combine for about 30 more seconds to ensure it’s all incorporated, ensuring you get the bottoms too. Add in the chocolate chips and fold in. Feel free to sprinkle some of them on top.
Place in your microwave for 65 seconds. It's okay if it's slightly undercooked because it'll continue to cook while it cools. It's better for it to be slightly undercooked than overcooked. Remove and let cool for about 3 to 5 minutes. Trust me!
If making in your oven, preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and bake in about a 3.5-inch ramekin (ensure it's oven safe) for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
GLUTEN-FREE or REGULAR FLOURYes! You can make this mug cake gluten-free! I tested both and it works beautifully. I tested both regular All-Purpose Flour in a test and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. P.S. I purposefully messed this recipe up (yes, I’m that person) so I could try and troubleshoot. Two notes – whisk in the order provided so you don’t end up over mixing the flours. Also, don’t overcook. The mug cake continues to cook while it’s cooling, so don’t overmix it.You can use dutch process cocoa or dark cocoa powder, but you'll probably want to increase the sugar by ½ tablespoon.
Best tips for making mug cakes
Making a mug cake is pretty much foolproof, but these few tips help to make a big difference. I’ve tested mug cakes over 2 dozen times (yes!), and here are the top tips I took away:
Use a wide short-ish mug (like the one in these photos!). If you have a variety to choose from, using this type of mug means the cake rises higher in a concentrated space. I’ve found this helps with cooking.
Ensure to stir it all together. Don’t go whisking it for minutes on end, but ensure your entire mug cake is mixed. Since it’s such a small container it can be easy to miss the bottom. Just ensure you incorporate everything. Sometimes I scoop from the bottom up a few times to ensure this.
Adjust your time based on your microwave. The times I’ve provided should work but yours may need an extra 10 seconds. It’ll cook edges to centre so just check the centre that it’s mostly cooked…BUT:
BUT, don’t overcook. This will make your mug cake gummy and rubbery and dry. Remember that the mug cake will keep cooking while it’s cooling so it’s better to slightly under bake it.
Let it cool for like 3 to 5 minutes before digging in. It really does make a difference, like how you’d let a cake or brownies cool first!
I’ve included instructions for baking this in your oven too!