5 Gluten Free Mug Cake Recipes
A collection of the BEST gluten free mug cake recipes made with oat flour—including 3 eggless & vegan mug cakes! Grab a mug and whip up a fluffy single-serving cake in the microwave in under 3 minutes. How to make a healthy chocolate mug cake, vanilla funfetti, banana bread, pumpkin, & pineapple upside down.
For more microwave recipes, try my Microwave Keto Mug Biscuit, 3-minute Breakfast Apple Crisp, or a Microwave Omelette without an omelette maker!
Microwave Mug Cake FAQs
What is a mug cake & why are they so popular?
A mug cake is a single-serving microwave cake cooked in a mug. It’s the quickest way to satisfy a cake craving—without an oven or any baking equipment! Though they don’t taste exactly the same as oven-baked cakes, microwave mug cakes are popular because they’re tasty and convenient. You can make these gluten free mug cakes with only a handful of ingredients, and they cook in 2-3 minutes!
What is a gluten free mug cake made of?
- Oat Flour—or gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Sweetener—maple syrup, honey, or granulated sugar.
- Baking Powder.
- Milk—dairy or dairy free.
- Fat Source(s)—eggs, oil, nut butter, and/or fruit puree.
- Flavorings—cinnamon, vanilla, etc.
- Mix-Ins—like chocolate chips, sprinkles, whatever you like!
Try my Microwave Mug Meals & Mug Breakfasts for more mug-inspired fun!
Are mug cakes safe to eat?
Yes, microwave mug cakes are safe to eat! They just need to be microwaved long enough to fully cook any raw wheat flour or eggs. If you make any of the eggless and vegan mug cake recipes, you won’t need to worry about undercooked eggs. And, although raw wheat flour carries some contamination risk, raw oat flour does not—so these gluten free mug cakes are quite safe to eat.
How to Make Gluten Free Mug Cakes
Can you use gluten free flour to make mug cakes?
Yes, you can make a gluten free mug cake with gluten free flour! These recipes use oat flour, but gluten free all-purpose flour can work as well. I prefer oat flour mug cakes because of their light and fluffy texture—just be sure to use certified GF oat flour if needed for Celiac or a gluten sensitivity
How do you keep a gluten free mug cake moist?
Nobody wants a cake that tastes dry, so you need enough moisture in the recipe. Ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk can all get the job done excellently. Even vegan mug cakes can turn out deliciously moist with the help of ingredients like nut butter, nondairy milk, applesauce, mashed banana, or pumpkin puree!
For Vegan Mug Cakes
What can I use instead of egg in a mug cake?
Although some mug cake recipes use eggs, you actually don’t need to put egg in a mug cake. The vegan mug cake recipes below use plant-based alternatives instead of egg—like nut butter + nondairy milk, along with fruit mash or puree (apple, banana, pumpkin). With a bit of baking powder to make the mug cake rise, the end result is deliciously fluffy and satisfying!
How to Make Mug Cakes in the Microwave
Cooking Questions
- How do mug cakes work? Basically, a microwave oven emits microwaves that excite the molecules in the mug cake batter, causing it to heat up and cook. Microwaves are fast and efficient, so these healthy mug cakes will cook in 1-3 minutes. However, the exact time varies depending on your microwave and how powerful it is (i.e., the wattage).
- Why are mug cakes chewy? Usually, a chewy or rubbery texture means it’s overcooked. Make a note of how long you cooked it and try the recipe again, cooking for 30-60 seconds less than last time.
- Why did my mug cake explode? If a mug is too small and/or over-filled with batter, it will overflow in the microwave. Tall narrow mugs are more likely to overflow because of how the heat is distributed, so wider mugs tend to work best. I use a 14-16oz mug for these oat flour mug cakes so there’s plenty of room for the batter to rise.
How do you make the best microwave mug cake?
- Before cooking, check the wattage of your microwave. Mug cakes will need a longer cook time in a lower-wattage microwave, and a shorter cook time in a higher-wattage microwave. The wattage is usually listed somewhere inside the microwave door.
- Use the recipe cook time as a starting point, then test & check. Unfortunately mug cakes are not an exact science—even microwaves with the same wattage can cook food differently. You’ll need to test these healthy mug cake recipes to find the right cook time in your microwave.
- Start with less time & work your way up. At first, try microwaving for at least 30 seconds less than the suggested cook time. Then, continue in short intervals until a toothpick comes out clean. When you find the best cook time for your machine, make sure to write it down!
- Watch how to make gluten free mug cakes with oat flour in my Vegan Mug Cakes video, or try my Gluten Free Mug Brownie!
Mug Cake Cook Time Guide
700-watts | 3 minutes 30 seconds |
800-watts | 3 minutes 5 seconds |
900-watts | 2 minutes 45 seconds |
1000-watts | 2 minutes 30 seconds |
1100-watts | 2 minutes 15 seconds |
1200-watts | 2 minutes 5 seconds |
1300-watts | 1 minute 55 seconds |
Most of these oat flour mug cake recipes cooked for 2 minutes 45 seconds in my 900-watt microwave. Conversions are listed above for different wattages, but these times are NOT exact. Start with less time initially as you test out a recipe. (Even if your microwave is 900-watts, too!)
How to Convert Cook Times based on Microwave Wattage
I used a simple microwave wattage conversion to figure out the various mug cake cook times. To demonstrate the calculation, I’ll use the funfetti mug cake recipe as an example.
- Multiply the cook time (in seconds) by the wattage listed in the recipe. Since I cooked my funfetti mug cake for 60 seconds in a 1000-watt microwave, multiply: 60 seconds x 1000 watts = 60,000.
- Divide that number by your microwave’s wattage. Let’s say you want to cook this mug cake in a 1300-watt microwave, so you divide: 60,000 / 1300 watts = 46 seconds.
- The result is the cook time (in seconds) needed in your microwave. Use 46 seconds as a starting point—but start with less time at first (i.e., 30 seconds) as you test & check!
Gluten Free Mug Cake Recipes
Whether you’re looking for healthy & gluten free options or just some conveniently eggless mug cake recipes, there are loads of flavors to explore here! For GF & vegan mug cake recipes: try the chocolate, pumpkin, or banana mug cake. For fun oat flour mug cakes made with eggs: try the vanilla funfetti mug cake or the pineapple upside down breakfast mug cake.
Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
Vanilla Funfetti Mug Cake
Banana Bread Mug Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Mug Cake
Vegan Pumpkin Mug Cake
Vegan Gluten Free Mug Cake Base Recipe
To make gluten free mug cakes in different flavors, try this oat flour mug cake base recipe! Customize it with your favorite flavorings and mix-ins to make whatever cake you’re craving. I designed this as a vegan mug cake base so it’s easy and eggless. But if you’d like to make it with egg, you can: just substitute 1 egg for the nut butter + milk, and microwave for at least 15-20 seconds less.
Vegan & Gluten Free Mug Cake Base Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oat flour, (or gluten free all-purpose flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 Tbsp fruit mash/puree, (banana, applesauce, or pumpkin)
- 1-2 Tbsp sweetener, to taste, (maple syrup, honey, or granulated sugar)
- 1 Tbsp nut butter
- 1 Tbsp milk of choice
Optional Flavorings & Mix-Ins
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp mix-ins, (chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, etc.)
- whatever you like!
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt & seasonings).
- Separately, mix wet ingredients (fruit mash/puree, sweetener, nut butter, milk, and optional vanilla).
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, until integrated. Stir in any desired mix-ins.
- Spray inside of mug (14-16oz) with cooking spray. Add mug cake batter.
- Microwave 2 minutes 45 seconds, or more/less depending on your microwave wattage. (I tested this recipe in my 900-watt microwave—see cook time guidance below and adjust for your microwave.) Test to see if a toothpick comes ou tclean.
- Allow to cool 1 minute in mug. Place a plate on top of mug, then flip and tap mug with a spoon to remove mug cake. Rest 3-5 minutes before cutting and eating.
- Best enjoyed immediately!
To make gluten free mug cake with an egg:
- Replace 1 Tbsp nut butter + 1 Tbsp nondairy milk with 1 whisked egg.
- When cooking, microwave for at least 15-20 seconds less as you test to find the right time in your machine.
Notes
Mug Cake Cook Time & Microwave Wattage
Check your microwave wattage and reference the times listed below—but these times are NOT exact! Start with at least 30 seconds less than the time listed, then continue to cook in short intervals, testing with a toothpick as you go. You will need to experiment to find the right cook time in your microwave.- 700-watts: 3 minutes 30 seconds
- 800-watts: 3 minutes 5 seconds
- 900-watts: 2 minutes 45 seconds
- 1000-watts: 2 minutes 30 seconds
- 1100-watts: 2 minutes 15 seconds
- 1200-watts: 2 minutes 5 seconds
- 1300-watts: 1 minute 55 seconds