Vanilla Vegan Mug Cake (No Egg, No Milk)
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 03/10/2020 - Last updated on 12/06/2023
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The ultimate Vanilla Vegan Mug Cake! This vegan mug cake recipe is an egg-free vanilla mug cake recipe ready in 2 minutes in the microwave.
If you are craving a fluffy vanilla cake, this recipe will fix it quickly!
What’s A Vegan Mug Cake?
A vegan mug cake is, as its name implies, a cake baked in a mug and made with plant-based ingredients.
What makes mug cakes so awesome and so popular is that they are one-bowl, no-preparation cakes cooked in a microwave.
You literally have to toss the ingredients in a mug, stir, and put it in the microwave!
Now it doesn’t mean you should not follow a recipe! It’s critical to have the perfect ratio of wet and dry ingredients to make a good mug cake. But once you have it, it’s easy as pie!
How To Make A Vanilla Mug Cake In The Microwave
Mug cakes in the microwave are very convenient cake recipes to get your baking goodness fix in less than 2 minutes.
To make sure your microwave mug cake always comes out fluffy and moist, there are a few things to consider:
- Microwave power – make sure your microwave is on high power 800W. If your microwave can’t go that high, you will have to increase the baking time by 20-second bursts.
- Mug size – always use a regular size coffee mug diameter of 8cm (3 inches) and a minimum height of 5 cm (1.9 inches). If you were using a wider microwave-safe ramekin, you would have to decrease the baking time. Otherwise, the mug cake would come out dry.
- Baking time – the perfect baking time for a microwave mug cake is 90 seconds in an 800W microwave power and regular coffee mug. However, if you have to change any of these parameters, I recommend starting baking the mug cake for only 60 seconds. Check the texture and keep baking in 20-second bursts until the center is set, moist and fluffy. This will prevent overbaking the mug cake, resulting in a chewy dry cake that won’t taste good.
How To Make A Vanilla Mug Cake From Scratch
There is nothing easier than making your own vegan vanilla mug cake. It is the perfect 90-second vegan dessert to fix any sweet craving.
All you need is to combine all the ingredients directly into your coffee mug.
Ingredients
You don’t even need to use a separate bowl, which is great! The main ingredients you need to make an eggless vanilla mug cake are:
- Flour – the recipe works with all-purpose white flour, gluten-free flour blend, spelt flour, or white whole wheat flour. Oat flour works as well, but the batter will be more fragile and less fluffy. However, almond flour or coconut flour won’t work in this recipe, so don’t be tempted to use them!
- Unsweetened almond milk – or any non-dairy milk you love like oat milk, soy milk, or rice milk.
- Baking powder – or half the amount of baking soda if preferred.
- Vanilla extract or essence
- Coconut sugar or white sugar or erythritol for a sugar-free mug cake. I don’t recommend using maple syrup or any liquid sweetener in vegan mug cake recipes. They make cakes too heavy and too dense.
- Coconut oil – or any light oil like avocado oil, or almond oil. I had great success with apple sauce for an oil-free mug cake option.
Making The Batter
- Combine all the Vanilla Mug Cake ingredients ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix them with a whisk. Transfer the mixture to a small mug or a ramekin.
- Bake your vegan vanilla mug cake in the microwave for 90 seconds at 800W.
- Finally, serve directly in the mug making sure you wait 1 or 2 minutes before you dig in! It is very hot in the center, and you don’t want to burn yourself.
Serving Vegan Cake In A Mug
This is a light, fluffy single-serving cake, and it truly reminds me of vanilla cupcakes.
It is even better with frosting. The best vegan frosting ideas for mug cake that only take a few minutes to make are:
- A dollop of dairy-free coconut yogurt with a pinch of vegan chocolate chips.
- A drizzle of nut butter – my favorite is peanut butter or almond butter.
- Buttercream Chocolate frosting – beat 2 tablespoons of vegan butter with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder!
- Ice cream – is not a frosting but a delicious and quick way to take your vegan cake in a mug to the next level. Use protein powder ice cream or vanilla ice cream made with non-dairy milk like coconut milk or almond milk. They are delicious, with some vegan chocolate chips on top!
- Salt Flakes – add a couple of salt flakes on top of the mug cake for even more flavor.
Boosting Mug Cake Flavors
You can tweak this recipe a lot depending to create different vanilla mug cake vegan recipe flavors using the same recipe. Below are some ideas.
- Banana bread mug cake – replace the oil with 1 tablespoon of mashed banana and add a few banana extract drops. This will also be a great option to make an oil-free vegan mug cake.
- Chocolate vegan microwave cake – add 2 teaspoons of cacao powder or cocoa powder and a splash more non-dairy milk into the batter. This option will fix any chocolate cake cravings!
- Chocolate chip mug cake– add 1 tablespoon of vegan chocolate chips!
- Lemon mug cake – swap 2 tablespoons of almond milk with lemon juice.
- Cinnamon roll – add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Peanut butter mug cake – replace oil with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter for less saturated fat. Also, increase non-dairy milk by 1 tablespoon!
- Protein mug cake – add 2 teaspoons of protein powder and increase the milk by 2 tablespoons. However, depending on the protein powder brand, this may dry the mug cake batter. Always add more non-dairy milk to achieve a cake batter that looks like regular cake batter, not too dense!
Frequently Asked Questions
Using a microwave is not the perfect method for baking food as it can degrade some precious nutrients from the food.
Great news, you can also bake this vanilla mug cake in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes.
Make sure to use an oven-proof ramekin!
Mug cakes work in the exact same way as regular cakes, but their smaller size makes it happen much faster (10 minutes faster in the oven).
Cooking them in the microwave accelerates this even more as the microwaves make water molecules heat up very quickly which in turns make the gluten coagulate while the baking powder creates bubbles and make the cake rise.
Mug cakes are typically between 250 and 400 calories a piece. My vanilla mug cake below contains 330 calories per serving.
More Quick Vegan Mug Cake Recipes
If you like vegan mug cakes, you’ll love these:
Or, if you feel this mug cake is too small for you, try my vegan vanilla cupcake recipe! It serves 12 fluffy, moist vanilla cupcakes ready in 30 minutes.
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour - unbleached, or whole-wheat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour (read note below)
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Sugar - or white sugar or sugar-free erythritol
- 3 tablespoons Almond Milk - (at room temperature) or any plant-based milk of your choice
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil - melted or apple sauce for the oil-free version
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe mug, add flour, baking powder, coconut sugar, almond milk, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. My coffee mug has a diameter of 3 inches (8 cm) and a minimum height of 1.9 inches (5 cm). This prevents the batter from overflowing.
- Whisk the ingredients together until it forms a smooth batter with no lumps.
- Bake in the microwave for 90 seconds at 800W. If your microwave works at lower power, you may have to increase baking time by 20-second bursts. If your mug is low and wide, your mug cake will bake faster, and you may have to bake only 60 seconds first, then adjust baking by 20-second bursts as well.
- Enjoy immediately with dairy-free coconut yogurt and vegan dark chocolate chips on top or plain.
Oven baking
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes in an oven-safe greased ramekin.
I have been looking for a dairy free mug cake that is actually good and this recipe was great! I used gluten free flour and honey for the sweetener. It was not gummy at all! Loved Thai recipe and will be making it again!
Delicious and fast treat! Suuuuuper fluffy. I used 1/2 Tbsp oil and 1/2 Tbsp applesauce. Thanks so much.
Delicious! This is the first mug cake recipe I’ve tried that actually turned out. In addition to using GF flour, the other substitution I made was tahini instead of the oil. Thanks!
I used Oat flour 1:1. Increased the baking powder to 1/2 tsp & added a little salt. Delicious , and fluffy
Very good! I followed the recipe 100% and it was delicious! I added some raspberry jam on top after it cooked. Thank you!
What if you do not want to use the microwave? But use your oven? What temperature and how many minutes. Thanks.
It’s all in the instructions above the recipe card!
I’ll admit I was skeptical at first about this recipe but it worked! I did a few things differently: 1) I used half almond flour, half GF flour. Next time I’ll try all almond flour. 2) I used 2t coconut sugar instead of 2T. Tasted plenty sweet for me. 3) Added the chocolate chips prior to microwaving. For me, 90 seconds was all that it required!
Came out gummy used king arthur gf all purpose flour. Not sure what i did wrong…used coconut milk.
Gluten free flour blend always makes mug cake gummy if developed with regular flour.
This recipe is missing a dash of salt. Thanks!
I substituied some of my flour for vanilla protein powder, used natural almond butter instead of oil & also added frozen raspberries and chocolate chips into my dough.
Had to bake it for a little longer but it came out tasting incredible!
I liked this recipe as a good base for a quick vegan dessert. I made it according to directions, added some cinnamon chips on top, and a little vegan whipped cream. :9
I was skeptical but OMG I’m a believer now! Haha this was absolutely delicious. Definitely my new go-to for cake craving on a time crunch. Thank you!!!
I made a gluten free version of the vanilla one and thru trial and lots of error got one that wasn’t a gummy hockey puck. First, I used great value all purpose gluten free flour blend. Next I upped the baking powder in the vanilla cake recipe to 1/2 instead of 1/4. Then I used BOTH applesauce and the oil ( I only had avocado worked fine) my microwave is 1100 watts so I only went 60 seconds. It was perfect.
Now my daughter can have a take to school treat when there’s birthday parties and not feel so left out because she gets a granola bar. Thanks for the recipes. Looking forward to trying more!
I just found your site and I’m soooo excited to try this & some of the others. My microwave is 1100 watts. What would be thw best cooking time for the mug cake?
I would start with 60 seconds and then increase by 10 sec burst until the cake is set. Recipe has been cooked at 900W for 90 seconds. Enjoy the recipes on the blog.
Delicious! Plus easy and quick – winner!
Can you use olive oil if you don’t have coconut or applesauce???
Probably yes, but I would recommend a light olive oil to avoid a strong olive flavor in the cake
This recipe is perfect! I used cake flour instead of all purpose, and I added a few drops of almond extract. So good!
Absolutely perfect following the directions exactly. I used coconut oil and macadamia nut milk. I made it 3xs in succession as I had 3 guests wanting dessert. The 3rd time, I inadvertently added an extra tablespoon of flour but it still wasn’t bad just less sweet. I topped it with coconut whipped cream and strawberries.
I was pretty skeptical…fast forward 90 seconds later…It was soo good; now am scared that I may want to make it on a daily basis. Thank you for sharing the recipe
This is a delicious moist mug cake. No regrets at all. 10/10
Hello
I love the look of the fluffy texture and don’t want to spoil it. Can I use stevia or a sweetened plant milk in place of the granulated sugar? I don’t have erythriol?
Thanks
Helen
I am pretty sure few drops of stevia will work well here. Enjoy!
Eating this tasty treat now & wanted to say thanks! I sprinkled some vegan chocolate chips on top & yum!
I am vegan & sugar free- the only one in my family. When my family makes a treat, I like to find a healthy alternative to keep me away from theirs. This one did the trick today!
Could you post the amounts of this recipe so I could make it into cupcakes
Try my vegan cupcake recipe to make 12 vanilla cupcakes, recipe here. enjoy!
I would appreciate knowing what brand those little chocolate pieces you sprinkled on the top are and where do you purchase them?
It’s a local brand in New Zealand so I am not sure it will help you much I am sorry.
This is delish! Made it with apple sauce and doves farm GF plain flour and it did not disappoint. Thanks
Hello,
I have tried your recipe and I loved it. The chart of ingredients helped me determine the essentials. This is the best cake I have ever made.
I loved your recipe so much that I have featured it on my recent blog. Let me know if you want to check it out.
Excellent for a guilt-free treat. I used the applesauce instead of oil and it was delicious.
The best mug cake I’ve ever had! So glad I came across your recipe as I’ve tried so many eggless mug cakes in the past and they have all been absolutely terrible, but your recipe is a mug cake miracle! Thank you for my new, cheeky midnight fix! 🙂
I am so glad you find my blog ! Enjoy all the vegan mug cakes around here.
I put a good dollop of left over vegan dunkaroo frosting. My sweet tooth is satisfied, thanks to you 🙂
Its so good i had one table spoon of cinnamon its so delicious thx ☺️
Hi
Does the all purpose gluten free flour need to have xantham gum in it?
Thanks!
The recipe won’t raise with gluten free flour and be pretty dense so I usually don’t recommend it for this microwave recipe. I always use a gluten free all purpose flour with guar gum in recipes that are ok with gf flour. My fav brand is Bob red mills. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
I made these with blueberries and vegan white chocolate chips and omg it was soo good! Great consistency
This was good but it would have benefited from a little salt!
I tried using a gluten free flour and only baked for a minute or so in a ramekin! It was dense but just a little worried that I may have consumed undercooked dough. Any thoughts on this? I baked in 20 seconds burst at 900W
This recipe is not designed to use gluten free flours that can be gummy and won’t raise as well. I only tried spelt or all purpose flour and it’s my recommendation here. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
I’ve tried the recipe around 3X now, and every time it has come out gummy. Any advice on how to fix this? I use regular oil or melted vegan margarine, and vanilla extract. I also weighed the ingredients.
A cake with flour becomes gummy if the gluten develop too much, this happens when you over mix it. Just combine in few seconds stir that’s the all. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
So it does have milk then.
Not milk, non-dairy milk! it can be almond milk, oat milk, soy milk any vegan milk alternative you like. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
I doubled the recipe and it worked great! The only thing I didn’t like is that mine had a bit of a chalky undertaste (from the baking powder?), but I used some Smucker’s blueberry syrup as a topping and it ended up tasting like a blueberry muffin! Very quick and easy, and satisfied my sweet tooth when I was in a pinch with no eggs and only some almond milk in the fridge. I’ll probably be making this one again, and I may even snag some chocolate chips next time I’m at the grocery to make it even better!
I am glad you love this mug cake! In fact, if you double up the recipe it may change the texture and required longer baking time. Enjoy, XOXO Carine
I made this vanilla mug cake tonight for my family. We put coconut whip cream on top and it was delicious. It was not overly sweet but sweet enough for my sweet tooth. One commented, “It’s (the cake) good but it’s really good with the whip cream.” ☺️ And added more. I will try add ins now that I’ve tried the base mix. Thanks for sharing.
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Deliciousness! Haven’t made a mug cake before but it was so easy and scrumptious!
I was trying to find a quick and easy recipe for my boyfriend and I and this was AMAZING! I doubled the recipe and used a 8 inch cake pan instead of a mug, and sprinkled vegan chocolate chips on top before putting in the oven. I also used flax milk since that was what we had. It was SO GOOD! Gonna be a staple In our house now thank you!!
Thank you ! So glad you love it, XOXO Carine
First time trying a mug cake. This came out Great! Topped with chocolate pieces. Next time will try with dairy- few yogurt! Great receipe!
It came out fantastic and it was quick to make, I made a vanilla icing to go on top and it was delicious!
if there any way to do this with coconut flour instead????
No I am sorry it won’t work. Coconut flour often required eggs, since it has 4 times more fiber than any flour and dry out any batter. It will be a new recipe to develop or I never use eggs in my recipes so I can’t recommend, we are a vegan food blog . Enjoy the recipe, XOXO Carine
This was good but so tiny! Have you ever made it as a full size cake?
Its a mug cake so it intend to serve one person only. I didn’t try to double up the recipe, you probably can but if baked in the microwave it will take longer. Enjoy the recipes on the blog, XOXO Carine
So good! I’ve made this 3 times and was able to successfully double it. So glad I can satisfy my cake cravings 🙂
Yum! I used regular milk and sugar instead and it worked out great! Will make again!
I make mug cakes all the time, but mostly chocolate. This was very good, though I increased the batting powder amount slightly. Decent breakfast haha
I am glad you love it! Thanks for the lovely comment, XOXO Carine
So easy and delicious!
I made your recipe with maple sugar and it is *wonderful*. Thank you.
What a great idea ! Thanks for sharing with me, Enjoy the recipes around here, XOXO Carine
This is amazing! So light and delicious – I topped with chocolate sauce (no choc chips in the house), so yummy.
Thank for the lovely feedback. The chocolate sauce sounds delicious! Enjoy the recipes around, XOXO Carine
Made this vanilla soy milk, cinnamon and brown sugar and topped it with honey almond butter! Soooo good!!!
That amount of baking powder is definitely too much for this amount of dough! It came out disgusting, had to throw it away 🙁
I am sorry to hear that but baking powder has no flavor are you sure you didn’t use baking soda which is very bitter?
This recipe was great! NEVER thought I’d like a mug cake. That “baker” must have done something wrong, because my first attempt was perfect! The baking powder was perfect and left NO aftertaste.
Simple and delicious! I topped it with dark choc chips and dairy free custard which was perfect.
Always better with chocolate chips ! Thanks for the lovely review and for trying my recipes, Enjoy the recipes around here XOXO Carine