Name: Healthy Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients: 2 tbsp apple sauce (30g); 2 tbsp cashew butter (30g // or any drippy nut butter of choice); 2 tbsp non dairy milk (30ml); 1 tbsp coconut sugar (12g // or maple syrup); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 3 tbsp oat flour (22g // homemade or store bought); 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tbsp chocolate chips (15g); small pinch of salt; Coconut whip cream; Dairy free vanilla ice cream; Maldon sea salt

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vegan cake in a bowl with chocolate chips on top

This healthy chocolate chip mug cake is the perfect quick & easy single serving dessert to satisfy sweet cravings! It's vegan, gluten free, oil free, flourless, refined sugar free yet still ultra moist, fluffy and flavourful.

close up shot of vanilla mug cake with chocolate chips on top

Welcome to the first recipe of Mug Cake Week here on Okonomi Kitchen!

Ever since quarantine was put into place, the world seems to have started to bake... A LOT. While I loveeee baking, I kind of lost my creative flow in the kitchen and started experimenting with mug cakes because how simple they are.

Why Make Mug Cakes?

they're single serving sized
they're easier to make than a full cake or a batch of cinnamon buns
they're super quick to make (we're talking under 5 minutes)
and they're fun!

I know mug cakes sometimes have a bad rep because they come out weird in texture so I made it a mission to change that and show just how tasty mug cakes can be!

For the next 7 days, I'll be sharing a new mug cake recipe here on the blog. All the mug recipes have been tested at least half a dozen times and I made sure to include some ingredient substitutes.

Plussss, all the mug cakes I'll be sharing are:

vegan
gluten free
oil free
refined sugar free
made with oat flour
less than 10 ingredients
made in under 5 minutes

Fuss free, easy and heathy! You can enjoy them as a dessert, snack or even breakfast 😉.

We're kicking off mug cake week with the most classic chocolate chip mug cake! The cake is vanilla flavoured and is super moist, fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness-- and the chocolate chips just make it extra special ♥.

How to Make Healthy Mug Cakes

Here's a rundown of what you need:

Apple Sauce: Gives mug cakes its moisture without adding any butter, oil or egg yolks. Banana puree or non-dairy yogurt can also be used.
Cashew Butter: The most neutral out of the nut butters so the vanilla really comes through but any nut or seed butter can be used.
Non-dairy Milk: I use cashew milk but any non-dairy milk will work.
Sugar: My go-to sweetener is coconut sugar and maple syrup for a healthier mug-cake. I add in 1 tablespoon of sugar to single serving cakes and find it satisfying enough but if you prefer sweeter cakes, you can add more to taste. Note that liquid sweeteners may make the cake more moist (which I personally don't mind), but to prevent this just reduce the amount of non-dairy milk by ½-1 tbsp.
Oat Flour: It's cheap, easy to make at home, readily available and a pantry staple! Plus, it yields the perfect consistency IMO. If you don't have oatmeal or oat flour, spelt flour and all purpose work well too.
Chocolate Chips: Three ways with the chocolate chips. Add it into the batter, add it on top or do both!
Baking Powder: Since there are no eggs used, this helps with leavening the cake.

Once you have all your ingredients, you simply add all the ingredients into the mug and microwave for about a minute and a half. Let it cool for a minute (don't skip this!!) and your cake is ready!

Top it off with some coconut whip cream, non dairy ice cream or keep it simple with a pinch of fancy salt (my fav).

Tips for Making PERFECT Mug Cakes

Cup size & shape: You can really use anything microwavable like ceramic ramekins, bowls, and glass jars -- just make sure they're microwave safe. I suggest also using a mug or bowl with a capacity of 8-10 oz (236-295ml) to prevent over-flowing.
Don't fill mug more than half way full: Again, this is to prevent overflow.
Cook time: This is where people struggle with the most when it comes to making actually tasty mug cakes. It really depends on your microwave but for me, a minute and a half on high (1000 W) seems to be the sweet spot for 99% of mug cakes. Start with 1 minute and then continue to microwave in 10 second intervals just until the top looks cooked. DO NOT over cook, thats when you get a dry rubbery mess. If you're unsure, always under-bake it because as it sits in the hot mug, it will continue to cook a bit.
Let it cool (!!): At least for a minute! Not only do you not want to burn your tongue, but the texture just gets waaaay better after letting it stand for a minute. Right out of the microwave, it's almost too moist.

Ultimately, you'll definitely want to experiment with mug cakes. The first 1 or 2 might not come out perfect, but you'll easily figure out the best mug size and cook time after making it a couple of times. I found that with eat mug cake, it got better and better because I knew what the perfect batter looked like before going in the microwave and what the top looks like when it's PERFECTLY cooked.

vegan chocolate chip mug cake in a white bowl with a spoon

I hope you try and love this chocolate chip mug cake as much as I do! It's seriously so comforting and tastes like a fluffy chocolate chip cookie.

Stay tuned for 6 more tasty vegan mug cakes comin' to the blog this week!

More Easy + DELICIOUS Vegan Mug Cakes to Try:

Banana Bread Mug Cake

vegan vanilla cake on a spoon with chocolate

If you recreate this Healthy Chocolate Chip Mug Cake recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

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