This vegan mug cake is absolutely perfect when you feel like having cake for dessert but don’t have enough time for baking! 5 minutes is all you need for this easy individual-sized dessert!
What Is a Mug Cake?
A mug cake is an individual-sized cake that is made in a mug in the microwave. It’s super easy as you only have to combine all of the ingredients, fill the batter in a mug, and microwave it. Usually for one to two minutes.
There are so many different variations. Check out this article of 22 mug cakes that can be made in the microwave for some inspiration. The recipes are not vegan, but this article is a great source for ideas to veganize.
Why This Recipe Works
It took me forever to make a mug cake because I didn’t own a microwave for a long time. But I’m so glad I finally gave it a try. It’s such an easy treat. I mean how awesome is it to have an individual-sized cake in just 5 minutes?!
I actually made two vegan mug cakes: A chocolate mug cake and this snickerdoodle mug cake. They were both super yummy, but I liked the snickerdoodle mug cake a little bit better, so that’s the one that made it to the blog.
The ingredient list for this recipe is super short and you’ve probably got all of the ingredients at home! Perfect for those sudden dessert cravings, right? Haha!
The preparation couldn’t be much easier. All you need to do is follow three easy steps. Melt the vegan butter, combine everything in a mug, and microwave it. Easy, peasy!
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. I haven’t tried making it with a gluten-free flour blend yet.
- Brown Sugar – you could replace it with coconut sugar if you want.
- Almond Milk – use unsweetened milk. You could also use soy or oat milk.
- Vegan Butter or Margarine – My favorite dairy-free butter for baking is Earth Balance. Miyoko’s also works well.
- Natural Vanilla Extract – without any kind of sweetener, just plain vanilla.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Step: Melt the margarine in a little pot on the stove top. It should be completely melted.
2. Step: Combine the ingredients (including the melted margarine) in a small bowl and stir well. Pour the batter into a mug.
3. Step: Sprinkle some more sugar and cinnamon on top and microwave the vegan mug cake for one and a half minutes at 800W.
4. Step: Let it cool down for a few minutes. It’s best when you eat it warm right out of the mug. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- The mug I used is around 3 inches high and 3 inches wide.
- I had a few people saying that they followed the recipe and that the cake overflowed in the microwave and made a mess. It’s important that you don’t fill any mug more than half full. If you stick to that rule, you won’t have any problems with overflow.
- If you are still scared the mug cake might overflow, start with a minute first and then keep cooking it in 15-second bursts.
- I haven’t tried making a gluten-free version of this recipe yet, but I believe it could work well with a gluten-free flour blend.
FAQs:
Could I Make This Recipe In The Oven?
No, this recipe only works in a microwave (800W).
In the oven, the baking time will be a lot longer and I definitely wouldn’t recommend making this mug cake in the oven.
Related Recipes:
- Vegan Jello
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- 28 Drool-Worthy Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan mug cake recipe as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about them. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Mug Cake (Snickerdoodle)
Ingredients
For one vegan mug cake:
- 1/4 heaped cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup almond or soy milk
- 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Melt the margarine in a little pot on the stove top. Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Pour the batter into a mug. Sprinkle some more sugar and cinnamon on top and microwave the vegan mug cake for one and a half minutes.
- Let it cool down for a few minutes. It's best when you eat it warm right out of the mug. Enjoy!
- Note: The mug I used is around 3 inches high and 3 inches wide.
Notes
- Please note that the recipe for this vegan mug cake only works in a microwave. In the oven, the baking time will be a lot longer and I, thus, wouldn't recommend making this mug cake in the oven.
- The mug I used is around 3 inches high and 3 inches wide.
- I had a few people saying that they followed the recipe and that the cake overflowed in the microwave and made a mess. It's important that you don't fill any mug more than half full. If you stick to that rule, you won't have any problems with overflow.Â
- If you are still scared the mug cake might overflow start with a minute first and then keep cooking it in 15-second bursts.
Kimberly
This cake was fantastic!! I’ve had other mug cakes that were good, but not this good! Great texture, flavor, and quantity. Definitely the cake flavor I didn’t know needed to be my go-to!
Jessica
Perfection! This made a delicious quick treat for my 3yr old and I to share last night. Subbed GF 1:1 baking flour and had to add a little extra almond milk. We also added apples to the mix, and topped w/ vegan vanilla ice cream. Definitely a hit! Thanks for the recipe :)
Kim
I made a few substitutions. I used white whole wheat flour, and I don’t use added oil so instead of the vegan margarine, I used unsweetened applesauce. The texture is so light and delicious! Thanks for sharing
emily
it’s great but needs a pinch of salt! i’ll add it next time :)
Sofia
I love it! I changed it a little bit though. I put less baking powder (like 1.5 tsp) and added 0.5 tsp of baking soda. I also used coconut oil instead of margarine and it is perfect. Thank you!!
jwoolman
You don’t need to melt the fat in a pan. Just put it in the mug and melt it in the microwave. You can mix the whole thing in the mug itself. Then all you have to clean is the mug and the spoon….
Brianna Jackson
I put mine in the oven and I had to make it for almost an hour😒
Sina
Hi Brianna, Why did you put it in the oven? It’s supposed to be made in the microwave. :-)
Lizzi
I agree with “No.” Completely destroyed my microwave! The small amount that was left was delectable though. Just keep an eye on it while it cooks. Probably should have stopped it at the 1 minute mark. Might want to warn people that in recipe notes that microwave times will vary/watch closely for overflow.
Still giving 5 stars for taste.
JenJen
I think the overflow is also due to too much baking powder. I would use half a teaspoon. Two teaspoons is typically what one would use in a whole cake. I made this as the recipe stated, and even did it in 15 second bursts… still overflow. If you wanted a soufflé, could stick with this amount of baking powder and put your batter in a giant 32 oz. mug, but there will still be that salty acidic aftertaste from the copious amount of baking powder.
No
LOL, Make sure you don’t microwave this for the full one and a half minutes without watching it. Microwave it in 15 second increments, my first time making this, within 30 seconds of exploded with in my entire microwave, and made a huge awful mess…. my second time making a mess it turned out OK?
Joy
Super easy and yummy. I used coconut oil instead of vegan margarine (didn’t have any on hand).
This is one of the first that I have tried that’s really fluffy and delish.
Victoria
I love mug cakes and this one is so easy and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing
Saoirse
Nice but definitely too make baking powder! The amount does make it lovely and fluffy but it leaves a sort of ‘reactive’ acidity in your mouth. I’d go for 1 or 1 and half tsp next time! Tasty and easy though!
Bianca / Elephantastic Vegan
It looks so good, but can I make this without a microwave?! Hahaha, just kidding!
Love the recipe! It’s the perfect treat on cold fall days.