Banana Mug Cake tastes like a slice of banana bread and cooks in just 2 minutes! It’s the perfect single-serve dessert to use up a ripe banana you have on hand.
This banana bread mug cake makes a delicious breakfast, afternoon snack, or late-night dessert. You can mix it directly in a microwave-safe mug to save on dishes.
Because this recipe calls for a whole ripe banana and a whole egg, it will fill two coffee mugs that are 10 ounces in size or one large mug that is 16 ounces or larger.
If you want to make a large single serving, use an oversized mug to avoid overflow as it cooks in your microwave. (There are oven directions below, too!)
Ingredients You’ll Need
This mug cake recipe calls for oat flour, which you can buy at the store or make at home using your blender. (Just process rolled oats or oatmeal in a blender until it has a fine texture.)
Use certified gluten-free oats if you need a gluten-free option.
Ingredient Swap
If you need to use a different sweetener, you can replace the maple syrup with coconut sugar or honey. Or simply leave it out for a less-sweet mug cake recipe.
This recipe uses peanut butter instead of vegetable oil, but you can use any other nut or seed butter you like with similar results. You can also add vanilla extract or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor even more.
For added texture, add a handful of walnuts, or make it more of a dessert with a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top. It’s easy to customize with the perfect amount of banana flavor.Â
How to Make Banana Mug Cake
1. Mash the banana.Â
To make one large serving, add the peeled banana to a 16-ounce mug and use a fork to mash until it looks relatively smooth.
2. Mix the batter.
Add the peanut butter, egg, maple syrup, oat flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon, then stir well.Â
There’s no need to mix the wet ingredients before adding the dry ingredients in this case. The mixture should have a similar consistency to cake batter, but it will be slightly more lumpy because of the mashed banana.
3. Cook.Â
Add any toppings you like, such as chocolate chips or walnuts, then place the mug in the microwave and cook at high power for 2 minutes. The center should feel firm to the touch when the cake is done cooking.
Depending on the wattage of your microwave, your mug cake might need an additional 30 seconds of cooking. Test the cake with a toothpick if you want to make sure the center is no longer wet.
Let the mug cake cool for 5 minutes. (The mug will be very hot!)
After that, it’s ready to eat.Â
Before digging in, add any extra toppings you like, such as sliced banana or an extra peanut butter drizzle.
Make 2 servings
If you have two smaller coffee mugs, mix the batter in a small bowl first, then divide the batter between the two mugs for a snack-size portion. They still cook in 2 minutes!
Looking for more healthy sweets? Try 5-Minute Freezer Fudge, Banana Ice Cream, or  Banana Snack Cake for more options.
- 1 large banana
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- â…“ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
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Place the peeled banana in a large microwave-safe mug (16-ounce or larger) and use a fork to mash until smooth.
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Add in the egg, peanut butter, maple syrup, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Stir well until the mixture looks like a lumpy cake batter. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips or walnuts on top, if you’d like extra texture.
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Place the mug in the microwave and cook on high power for 2 minutes. The cake will rise above the top of the mug as it cooks, but it shouldn’t spill over as long as you use a 16-ounce or larger size mug. The cake should feel firm to the touch in the center when it’s done cooking; add another 30 seconds of cook time if you need to.
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Carefully remove the mug from the microwave (it will be hot!) and let it cool for 5 minutes before digging in.
Oven Directions: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the oven-safe mug on a baking sheet for easy removal (this will ensure the mug doesn’t tip over on a wire shelf). Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Mug Cake for Two: If you want to make a snack-size portion or have smaller mugs to work with, divide this batter into two 10-ounce coffee mugs and cook them simultaneously for 2 minutes in the microwave.
Update Note:Â This recipe was updated in July 2023 to use a microwave and turn out more like banana bread. Find the original recipe here if you prefer the flourless oven-baked version, which does not work in a microwave.
Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 1246mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 4mg
If you try this banana mug cake recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
