Banana Mug Cake tastes like a slice of banana bread and cooks in just 2 minutes! It’s the perfect way 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 12 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.
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. You can also add vanilla extract or a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor even more.
How to Make a Banana Mug Cake
1. Mash the banana.
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.
Add the peanut butter, egg, maple syrup, oat flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon, then stir well.
3. Cook.
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.
3. Enjoy!
Let the mug cake cool for 5 minutes, and then it’s ready to eat. Before digging in, add any extra toppings you like, such as sliced banana or an extra peanut butter drizzle.
Tip for Making Two Servings: If you have two 12-ounce coffee mugs, mix the batter in a small bowl first, then divide the batter between the two mugs for a snack-size portion.
The mugs pictured above are 12 ounces in size and cook for 2 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
All-purpose flour should work similarly in this recipe, but a grain-free option like almond flour may produce a more “eggy” texture. Do not use coconut flour with this ratio; it will be too dry and grainy.
The egg provides structure and rise in this recipe, so omitting it will result in a more flat, less cake-like texture. That said, you can experiment with using a flax egg instead.
Sure! Use pumpkin puree or applesauce as an easy alternative to the banana. A 1/3 cup of puree should replace one mashed banana.
Yes! Bake in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes in an oven-safe mug or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Since this method takes much longer, you might prefer to make a batch of healthy banana muffins instead.
Looking for more fast dessert ideas? Try 5-Minute Freezer Fudge, Banana Ice Cream, or Banana Snack Cake for more options.
Banana Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large banana
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅓ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the peeled banana in a large microwave-safe mug (16-ounce or larger) and use a fork to mash until smooth.
- Add in the egg, peanut butter, maple syrup, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and stir well. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips or walnuts on top, if you'd like extra texture.
- 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.
- Carefully remove the mug from the microwave (it will be hot!) and let it cool for 5 minutes before digging in.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Banana Mug Cake recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it.
Just made this and added a tbs of cocoa powder, cooking it for 1.5 minutes in the microwave and it was perfect!!
Just made this – was so nice. My mum always makes banana cake and since I have banned desserts with refined sugar/flour/butter etc I’ve missed her lovley cake. This was a great replacement- takes very similar although more banana-ey than banana cake. Was gorgeus and brown all the way round the cake, I’m not sure it’d work in a microwave but maybe will try. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this today. I addaed a tlb spoon of coconut f,our and a tlb spoon of flex seed flour with some vanilla esscense. It was wounderful. I made mine in the toaster oven. Mix everything together and place my mug to bake. I will make again with other add ins next time. Like chocolate chips or nuts
If i wanna make this cake in the microwave how can i do that?need to know the time is that goin to take the same time and does it gonna taste same?
If you are looking for the bread texture, add 1 tbs coconut flour and 1 tbs almond flour. I also added 1/4 tsp vanilla. Baked for 40 min to get it cooked all the way through. Had a perfect texture! Thanks for the delicious idea 🙂
I did it in the microwave. Took about 3 minutes. Very delicious.
So I really wanted to try this but I didn’t have all the ingredients. I didn’t have baking soda, however I did have baking powder. So I read online a few places that If you triple the amount of baking powder you a bitter baking soda. So i tried this the microwave and it ended up being a bit bitter but I could tell if I wouldn’t have altered the recipe it would’ve been very good. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll do it right next time!! 🙂 ?
I made this in counter top convection oven. Baked at 350° for 25 minutes
Currently in the microwave, batter tasted yummy hopefully this will turn out!
Would an flax or chia egg work?
I tried with flax to.sub for egg and it didn’t work well at all so probably the real egg is a central part of the recipe
Added cinnamon and vanilla, and used Almond butter over PB, but this tasted amazing cooked in the microwave for 2 minutes! Thanks for the recipe!
I tried it with a mix of peanut butter and almond butter, and with speculaas spices… that’s a Dutch mix that is popular around December time. I put it in the micro for 1,5 minutes, in a slightly bigger bowl, which was a good thing, because it grew a lot! It was absolutely scrummy. 🙂 Next time, in order to be Paleo, I will use almond butter, and add more of the speculaas spices for flavour. Thanks so much for the idea!
DELICIOUS! I followed the recipe as written (except being a chocolate lover, I couldn’t resist throwing in a few milk chocolate chips that I had on hand). I wanted to try the fastest option so I used the microwave for a little less than 2 minutes then let it set for 5 minutes. It tasted great! Hard to believe I was eating fruit and protein with no added sugar, but tasted like I was eating a dessert. It did remind me more of bread pudding texture than a muffin but I liked that texture. GREAT use for that one last banana that always seems to get overripe before I can eat it. Thank You!
Thanks, awesome recipe. As the wife of a military member, I’m always looking for that quick single dessert, it saves on temptation. I did make a few changes like adding 1 tsp of gluten free flour and a drop of Nutella in the center of the mug. I had to microwave it for 3 minutes, but my oven is a bit small. Will try it next time with coconut flour and a bit of coconut milk, as that flour is a moisture hog! Caramel seems like a natural choice as well. Thanks again.
I used PB2 peanut butter powder, 2 Tbsp with 1 Tbsp water, with 1/4 tsp olive oil and microwaved for 80 seconds. Turned out well!
Hello Detoxinista! Thank you for the inspiring recipe. In keeping with my usual nature, I allowed it to serve as a platform upon which to build, and the resulting batter is baking in the toaster oven as I type. It smells divine! I substituted a “flax egg” for the egg, added a tablespoon of oats and a half a tablespoon of coconut flour (for a more cake-like texture), a drizzle of maple syrup, vanilla extract, a touch of sea salt, and dark chocolate chips. I also melted a pat of butter in my small Pyrex dish before adding the cake batter. It tasted delicious straight off the mixing spatula, and I am quite certain that it will turn out very nicely! 🙂
Love this, I’m really loving this as a new go to breakfast treat! I like that there are no nut flours in it, love nut flours and the mug cakes I’ve tried out with them but this is tasty without the texture you get with the flours. I used cashew butter to be more paleo. I microwaved mine as I couldn’t wait and it took a good couple minutes. It was light and fluffy. I didn’t mind it was a little gooey on top… reminded me of my cake making days and the raw mixture … another life … mixed a little coconut cream and honey together (another new fav) a little dollop on top and it was delish! I will defiantly try the oven version for an afternoon treat!
Thank you ?
Delicious! I didn’t have really ripe bananas on hand so i added a little maple syrup and raisin. I also added a little butter in my mug before pouring in the “batter” and the bottom did stick to the mug. I’ll have to either spray the inside or add a little more butter next time. Definitely will have this again. Thank you!
Do you put the coffee mug in the oven ?
Yes! Definitely make sure your mugs are oven safe, too. (I used Fiestaware brand.)
Absolutely loved it! Easiest recipe that I have come across and yet tastes delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I love this recipe! Thanks so much. I use it for breakfast or sometimes for a treat. I’ve been making it in a bowl for a few minutes in the microwave,instead of the mug because it cooks faster and more evenly. Looks like a pancake and tastes great!
So good!
Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe. My daughter is allergic to eggs and nuts, but she is able to tolerate eggs in baked form. So I was really excited to try this healthy recipe for her, and I substituted peanut butter with a sunbutter. The taste was great, but the cake turned green and did not look appealing. Do you know of any other substitute for nut butter for this recipe? Thanks again!
Yum!! I just made it for me & my ill son, but only had 1 banana. I altered the recipe & it worked out great in the M/W. To make each mug cake I used: 1/2 banana, heaped tablespoon peanut butter, 1 egg, 1 heaped teaspoon of gluten free SR flour, a dash of cinnamon. Microwave for 60 seconds on high & add a sprinkle of cinnamon & a drizzle of pure maple syrup! Delicious! Thanks heaps!
I made the regular version. It was good but next time I will mix the dry ingredients first because it had a slight baking powder taste. Thanks for the easy recipe!
I microwaved it about 90-100 seconds. I’m glad I put it in a larger size mug bc it expands a lot while cooking! Came out delicious. Thanks for your recipe!
Made this for my son and he loved it! Simple and quick to make for his coffee break. I used crunch peanut butter and replaced egg for flaxseed egg and microwaved on high for 90 seconds. Will definitely make this again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
Tried it out at work today with a microwave. Turned out amazing 🙂
I think next time we’ll try adding more banana and maybe some chocolate chips so he’s not sad and lonely.
I saw an image attached to this comment, where did it go? :O
This was pretty tasty! I went with some suggestions and ended up adding 3/4TBS Whole Wheat Flour and 1/4ts baking powder & microwaved for about 2.5 minutes. It came out like a souffle (moist, spongy) and was REALLY tasty. Definitely not a cake texture, but tasty. It really needed something on the side. I recommend melted dark chocolate, whipped cream, or (and get this) plain FAGE yogurt. It was really good.
This would be a great breakfast mug as it has 14g protein (+ yogurt would probably be 20g protein) and no added sugar. Tasty and healthy.
Absolutely delicious I made 2 lots in a jug and poured into mugs then microwaved for 1min 30aecs on full power 900w oven. Gorgeous.
I often make this recipe when I have a ripe banana that needs to be used up. Chocolate chips are a great addition!
This is so good! I have been eating it for breakfast for 3 days straight. I use powdered peanut butter instead. I also add a Tbsp of brown sugar swerve (It’s very good without added sweetness as well though!), 1/4 tsp of almond extract and 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder. I feel like the extra powder thickens it up a bit and helps make it less “eggy”. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Googled a quick banana mug cake in a panic when I realised I didnt have a healthy snack for my 4yr old for school. This is the first recipe I saw, made it in the microwave, cooked for about 2 mins total in short increments and it came out perfectly. Thank you!
It was delicious, I used microwave and it was just perfect,
It failed. It made a mess in my microwave and I followed the exact recipe. To add onto that, it tastes like a banana flavoured egg. Pretty disappointed
Made this in two ramekins and baked in the oven. Really good! Will make this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this for breakfast 3 times this week! Great alternative to oatmeal. I add one scoop of protein powder.
So fast and easy when I crave that banana bread texture but can’t wait an hour to make a whole loaf. I’ve tried it with a flax egg and a real egg and it’s delicious and fluffy both ways. I throw a bit more cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg as well to spice it up a bit more.