Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake with Almond Flour

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
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Updated on 07/6/21
Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake with Almond Flour

The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 7 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 mug cake

A mug cake is one of life’s great pleasures, particularly a chocolate one – and if it is gluten-free, then all the better. Mug cakes take less than 5 minutes to prepare and less than 2 minutes to “bake,” meaning that when the cake craving hits, you can expect to satisfy it in 7 minutes or less (you’re welcome). Moreover, mug cakes generally call for ingredients that you already have in your pantry (ie: no one makes a special trip to the grocery store when mug cake making).

In this instance, the cake is chocolate and is made with almond flour, so – you guessed it: it is gluten-free. However, you would never know that to be the case from the way the cake looks or tastes. Moreover, the almond flour called for here means that your cake gets an added dose of nutty protein, and who doesn’t love that?

Serve this cutie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream, if you’re feeling fancy, then aim for a “bake” time of just over 90 seconds for a not-to-be-beat ooey-gooey version.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake with Almond Flour ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  2. Combine the oil and brown sugar in a 12-ounce microwave safe mug. Use a fork to mix to combine.

    oil and brown sugar in a cup

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  3. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix again. Then, stir in the buttermilk until combined.

    Add the egg and vanilla, to the sugar mixture and stir in the buttermilk

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  4. Add the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder to the mug. Use a fork to mix to combine.

    Add the almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder to the mug

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  5. Add the chocolate chips and mix a final time.

    Add the chocolate chips to the mixture in the mug

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  6. Place your mug in the microwave and microwave on high for 1 minute and 40 seconds for a gooey cake or up to 2 minutes for a set cake. The cake is done when the top is lightly sticky but not wet.

    chocolate cake in a mug

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

  7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or desired toppings.

    Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake with Almond Flour served with ice cream

    The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Recipe Tips

Mug cakes are best if enjoyed when their centers are still just a bit gooey, so be sure not to overbake them. A minute and a half to two is the sweet (pun intended) spot.


Because all microwaves are slightly different, if you pull your cake and it is still a bit too gooey for your taste, you can return it to the microwave for an extra 5 to 10 seconds, or so.

Recipe Variations

For a dairy-free mug cake, substitute dairy free milk for the buttermilk.


If you do not have buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk.


If you do not have Dutch process cocoa powder, you can substitute natural in its stead.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
897 Calories
64g Fat
72g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 897
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 64g 82%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 188mg 63%
Sodium 447mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 60g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 251mg 19%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 436mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)