This Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake recipe offers a super quick and flavorful fall low-carb dessert that’s easy to make in just 3 minutes. If you love pumpkin, this gluten-free mug cake is the way to get that pumpkin fix. This convenient dessert offers the warmth and flavor of traditional pumpkin desserts in just a couple of minutes. Mixed directly in a mug and “baked” in a microwave, it’s so fast.
Having a healthy mug cake recipe on hand is such a great idea - and it’s especially helpful when it comes to sticking to a keto diet. It’s really easy to make a delicious keto mug cake. The great thing about this pumpkin cake is that it uses common keto ingredients. If you’ve been following the keto diet for a while, you probably have everything you need in your pantry already.
Key Ingredients for a Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Almond Flour: A common keto flour that substitutes for traditional wheat flour. For best results, find a blanched almond flour with a super-fine texture. If using extra-fine almond flour, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons.
- Coconut Flour: Another common low-carb baking ingredient. Coconut flour is made from ground and dried coconut meat. Because it’s so high in fiber, it’s super absorbent.
- Low-Carb Sweetener: A golden sugar substitute works well because it adds warm caramel notes. Any granulated sweetener is fine to use, from xylitol to allulose or Swerve. The “brown sugar” version of Swerve would be particularly delicious in this recipe.
- Pumpkin Puree: Canned pumpkin puree can be used. Don't use ready-made pumpkin pie filling, it contains lots of added sugar.
- Butter: Melted butter is the best here as it adds such a tasty buttery flavor. You can use coconut oil if you’re looking for a dairy-free pumpkin mug cake alternative.
- Eggs: Only one egg is required for this single serving keto dessert in a mug, and it’s best to use a large egg at room temperature.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake
When I say that this is a quick and easy recipe - I really mean it. It’s so fast. To make the pumpkin cake batter, what you’ll do is just stir all of the ingredients together in a large mug. And then to cook it, just zap it in the microwave for a minute or two. And ta-da!
- Prepare Your Mug: Ensure your mug is microwave-safe. Choose a larger mug. Don't over-fill your mugs. Leave a couple of fingers space at the top. The cake will rise during baking and you don't want the batter to overflow. Grease the bowl or ramekin.
- Melt Butter: I start out by melting 2 tablespoons of butter in a large mug.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, crack the egg and add the melted butter. Gently sprinkle in the baking powder, ensuring there are no lumps. Add your spices - whether a premixed pumpkin spice blend or individual spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Once completely melted, add the pumpkin and egg and whisk until the batter is smooth and no egg streaks remain.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Then, I add the rest of the dry ingredients - almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, salt, spices, and baking powder - and stir well to combine. Add the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, spices, and salt. Mix well.
- Microwave: I microwave on high for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. You’ll see the batter rise up in the mug. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds. Depending on your microwave and the size of your mug, the cooking time will vary. Check during microwaving. I recommend to check after 1 minute and again after 1 ½ minutes.
- Check for Doneness: When the top looks set - but not too dry! - you’ll know the mug cake is done. You can also test the cake by touching the top. You can check the cake by carefully touching the top. The batter should be set and slightly firm. If after 90 seconds, your mug cake is still undercooked, microwave it for an additional 30 seconds.
Tips for the Perfect Mug Cake
- Choose the right mug: I like to use a larger, wide mug shape with straight sides.
- Mix the ingredients well: You can mix all of the ingredients in the same mug that you cook the cake in - that means less dirty dishes to clean later! But, if you do that, make sure to take extra care to scrape the sides and bottom of the mug so that all of the ingredients are incorporated fully. In particular, make sure to break up that egg white so you don’t get little pockets of cooked egg white in your cake.
- Try not to overcook the cake: Every microwave is different, so you may need to make this mug cake a couple of times to find the perfect cook time for you. I find that 90 seconds is a good starting point.
- Adjusting Batter Consistency: If you find your batter overly thick or not coming together as you’d hoped, a splash of unsweetened almond milk or pumpkin milk can do wonders.
- Instead of all the spices: you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of premade pumpkin pie spice mix.
Serving and Garnishing
Let your mug cake cool for a minute or two. Then, it’s time for the fun part - garnishing!
- Whipped Cream: Top with sugar-free whipped cream for a creamy contrast. Add my sugar free whipped cream!
- Pumpkin Spice: Sprinkle some pumpkin spice for that extra autumnal touch.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips will melt slightly on the warm cake, adding gooey pockets of sweetness. Double chocolate: Add sugar free chocolate chips to the batter.
- Chocolate glaze: Melt 2 squares of chocolate and 1 teaspoon of butter or cream or coconut oil in the microwave. Wait until it has cooled to lukewarm for a thicker texture.
Baking in the Oven
Absolutely! If you prefer not to use a microwave or if you’re making multiple servings, the oven is a great option for baking your keto pumpkin mug cake.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Yes, this keto pumpkin mug cake can be baked in the oven. If opting for this method, simply use an oven-safe ramekin, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), and bake the mug cake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top sets and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Bake at 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit for 12-27 minutes. 2 small ramekins will bake quicker than 1 larger container. The benefit of oven-baking is the ability to make several at once.
Storage Instructions
Once baked, you can store these pumpkin mug cakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze them for longer storage, up to 3 months.
- Fridge: After letting the pumpkin mug cake cool to room temperature, wrap it carefully in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Place it inside an airtight container to further ensure its freshness.
- Freezer: The keto pumpkin mug cake is indeed freezer-friendly. Once cooled, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe container or bag.
- Thawing: To enjoy, remove the mug cake from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or at room temperature for about an hour.
Nutritional Information
This healthy pumpkin mug cake recipe is a healthy and nutritious breakfast or afternoon snack. Not only are they low carb at 5.3g net carbs but they are high in protein (12.2g) and high fiber (6.2g) too!
One portion is only 3.9g net carbs.
This microwave muffin recipe is also gluten free because it doesn’t use all-purpose flour. It also doesn’t have any refined sugar and uses flaxseed to add more fiber. They have great texture and are really filling too.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Carb count will vary with different ingredients and brands. These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations.
Variations and Add-ins
Here are ideas on how you can change the flavour of this low carb pumpkin mug cake.
- Change up the spices: Add a teaspoon of pumpkin spices, cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg.
- Double chocolate: Add sugar free chocolate chips to the batter.
- Top with cream: Add my sugar free whipped cream!
Common Questions
- Can I use coconut flour? I haven't tried it yet, but I would use 1 tablespoon or coconut flour in place of the almond flour.
- How do I make a keto pumpkin mug cake without cocoa? Replace the cocoa powder with more almond flour.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: This cake takes 5 minutes to make in total.
- Soft and moist: The texture is wonderfully moist and fudgy.
- Diet-friendly: Sugar-free, gluten-free, low in fat and keto.
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