Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake is a single-serve grain-free, refined sugar-free dessert (or breakfast) in a mug! This recipe post includes an option using almond flour and an option using coconut flour.
I originally posted this recipe on April 16, 2015 and it has been made thousands of times since! I still make it when I’m craving something comforting and banana bread-like but don’t want to bake a full loaf of banana bread.
Cake for one?! With zero guilt or regrets? What more could we need in life??
I mean, the thing literally takes 5 minutes to make! And there’s no cleanup involved. No leftovers to tempt you at 2am.
Plus, this Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake is legitimately healthy!
Grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and you’d never even know it! This banana mug cake is ultra fluffy, moist and sweet!
So what it boils down to, is you’ve got yourself a crazy convenient breakfast or dessert that is 200% nutritious and simply sensational.
I have included two versions in this post – an almond flour version and a coconut flour version. It seems as though most people have a preference of one over the other, so I figured I would share both methods.
THIS JUST IN: Mug cake is the lowest maintenance thing you will ever do in your entire life. Other than eating an apple. Or sleeping. Or…just trust me on this one.
What if I told you I ate this for breakfast and dessert every day for two solid weeks? I had to exercise my will power and remind myself that diets rich in mug cake, while delicious, are not well-balanced.
Take it from me, once you go mug cake, you never go back.
Healthy Banana Mug Cake Ingredient:
This easy single-serve breakfast recipe involves six simple ingredients. Five, if you don’t like cinnamon.
Ripe banana, coconut flour or almond flour, egg, pure maple syrup or honey, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and baking powder. Simple!
How to Make Banana Mug Cake:
Because haven’t you heard? This thing’s a cinch.
Choose a microwave-safe mug that is fairly large, as the batter will rise substantially.
Start by mashing the banana in the mug until it’s nice and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients (egg, almond flour or coconut flour, cinnamon, pure maple syrup or honey, sea salt and baking powder) and stir everything together until the batter is thick and well combined.
Or you can be rebellious and stir everything together in no particular order.
Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes until the cake is set up in the center.
I often perform this step in a measuring cup and then I transfer the batter to a mug because it turns out looking cleaner for photos. If you aren’t concerned about the way it looks, simply stir it all up in a mug!
Because I took it upon myself to test this recipe 17,000 times with my face, I can give you a little insight as to how to make it two delicious ways with either coconut flour or almond flour.
The recipe is pretty much the same, you just use slightly different quantities of flour.
The Coconut Flour Version:
Banana bread mug cake made with coconut flour turns out light and fluffy, with a texture very similar to regular cake.
Plus: delicious. And: full of fiber. Ladies? You want.
In order to make the recipe using coconut flour, follow the recipe card below, using 2 tablespoons coconut flour (instead of 1/4 cup almond flour).
Simply stir everything vigorously in a mug and microwave on high for 3 to 3.5 minutes, or until the cake has risen quite a bit, is fluffy, and cooked through.
The Almond Flour Version:
Almond flour mug cake comes out light and spongy, and almost custard-y. The texture isn’t an exact replica of regular cake, but it’s still super delish, full of protein, and is rich in banana flavor.
In order to make the mug cake with almond flour, you’ll follow the recipe in the recipe card below and use 1/4 cup of almond flour. I’ve found the almond flour version doesn’t need the coconut milk or almond milk, so omit it unless the batter seems too thick or dry.
Simply mix it all up thoroughly in a mug, microwave for 2 to 3 minutes (this will depend entirely on your microwave), until the cake has risen substantially and has set up in the center.
I will report, the almond flour version is my personal favorite. Let me know which one you like best!
How to Make Mug Cake in the Oven:
I know, I know, I’m not a fan of microwaving things either…you can also bake the mug cake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes (or until the cake tests clean).
My take on that is you may as well bake a full cake if you’re going to go through the trouble of pre-heating and such. We trade microwaves for convenience in this life of compromise.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Substitute almond milk for coconut milk.
- Use pure honey instead of pure maple syrup, or omit the sweetener altogether (the mug cake will be plenty sweet without it!).
- Add more cinnamon or no cinnamon at all.
- Eliminate the pecans.
- You can pretty much do anything you dang-well please. How about we add chocolate chips? Okay, twist my arm.
Of course, if you have a hankering for a full loaf of banana bread, you can always make my Paleo Banana Bread using almond flour, or my Coconut Flour Banana Bread.
More Desserts in Mugs:
- Gluten-Free Mug Brownie
- Keto Mug Cake
- Single-Serve Vegan Oatmeal Cookie in a Mug
- Matcha Mug Cake
- Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!
If you make this recipe, feel free to snap a photo of it and share it on Instagram, tagging @The.Roasted.Root!
Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake for all them meals!
Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe banana mashed
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk or almond milk (see note*)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup or honey**
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour or 4 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 tablespoon raw pecans or walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Mash the banana in a microwave-safe mug until it's nice and creamy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the mug and mash/stir together until well-combined.
- Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cake has set up and tests clean.
- Allow cake to cool slightly before diving in!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I am a food lover and I am fond of eating different types of food. I made this recipe for you. I liked your recipe at home.
That all recipe looks so delicious yummy.
Hi Julia, I’m new to the whole paleo/keto “stop shoving carbs into my face” routine. This sounds amazing but sort of high in calories? Did you ever try it with just egg whites? Or any suggestions to keep it low-cal?
Thx!
Jen
I want to make this recipe which sounds great and I have all the ingredients at home. But am I the only person without a microwave oven? I don’t want one. Ça this be cooked in a regular oven? If so for how long?
Thank you!
You’re not the only one! You can bakes it at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until the cake tests clean 😀 xo
Just wanted to put in a plug on behalf of multi-portion batches of this totally addictive healthy treat. Despite how fast it is, & the fact that I have made it so many times I could recite the recipe in my sleep, I still don’t have time to make it every day. Now, I could have solved that problem by not eating it every day, but that is not acceptable. So now I make it in batches of 2-4 portions, in a large flat pyrex bowl. (I have a 4 cup & an 8 cup). It takes between 1-1/2 & 2x the single batch time to cook, & it works fine just to check the center with a cake tester & keep adding a minute or two till it comes out clean. Today I made a quadruple batch with some really large bananas. (With the Lily’s chocolate chips, I never miss a sweetener.) I had the food processor out so I just threw everything in there. It made an extra large batch which provided 8 substantial pieces, just like a “real” cake. But SO much faster & lower energy than an hour in the oven! Try it the next time you need a birthday cake on the spur of the moment! (If you can tell me how, I will try to upload a photo of one, though I didn’t take a picture today.) Thanks for a life-changing recipe!
My daughter shared this with me & I immediately made one yesterday. Then I made 2 today, so you have hooked me. I brought the prepped ingredients & put them together & nuked ‘em at work. 10 minutes setup to cleanup. Used almond flour & hazelnuts, & added a little almond extract. And Lily’s chocolate chips , which are sweetened with stevia & erythritol. Used large soup mugs & in my microwave 4 minutes is perfect. Very sponge cake like & decadently sweet. These are perfect for sharing on the Abascal Way recipe board. Thanks for bringing mug. cakes into my life! I may never bother with muffins again…
Right??! It’s just so fun! When I first started making this mug cake, I ate it for breakfast every day for almost a month, lol! I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoy it, and now you have me craving one with some Lily’s chocolate chips. YUM! xoxo
I make this all the time and love it! I substitute chocolate chips for the walnuts and cut out the maple syrup. It’s so delicious!
I’m so thrilled to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing, Stephanie!! xo
Best mug cake I ever made! Was a bit worried as I didn’t see oil or butter. Followed your recipie and it was perfec! Made next one with almonds, chocochips and added frozen blueberries on top. So fun, you can add whatever you want in it.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for the recipe! I love mug cakes!
I am currently doing Whole30 and I made your recipe with the almond flour, just without honey or maple syrup. The banana sweetened it enough.
I’m going to be making my kids banana muffins for breakfast and I wanted something similar for myself that is Whole30 friendly. Perfect!
Am i the only one who can’t get this to work? I used coconut flour and it wouldn’t firm up even after microwaving it for another minute. It was finally coming out with the toothpick mostly clean so i decided to try it but it didn’t taste very good and still wasn’t firm once i started eating it. Help!
Hi Michelle, Was the cake doughy or uncooked? It isn’t supposed to necessarily turn out firm, although I think firmness is subjective, so that’s why I’m wondering if it is turning out gooey for you. What brand of coconut flour are you using?
This is really delicious! I used
120g banana mashed
60g egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons coconut water
Pinch of stevia
2 tablespoons coconut flour
No nuts
no innamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
No
I ate it chilled in the fridge overnight!
I love banana. It gives me super powerful energy.
Hi! I know I”m kind of late on the comment bandwagon, here, but this mug cake saved my morning, yesterday (used the almond flour, not the coconut)! Cooked up perfectly, unlike every other mug cake I’ve tried. Even threw in a few blackberries.
Thank you so much!
Hi Hannah,
Ahhhh I’m go happy to hear it!! I love this mug cake and make it time and again on those mornings I need something quick and comforting. Thanks for your sweet note! xoxo
You can never have enough banana bread! I miss it from my childhood days but I will certainly give this recipe a try.
This is now our favorite mug recipe. So delesouis and tastes like non-paleo banana bread.
I love Banana.. It is my favorite fruit.
Paleo Banana bread looks delicious and so yummy, so I will defensively give a try to make this recipe in weekends.
Thanks for sharing lovely & yummy recipe.
Avinash