Blog: Gluten Free Mug Cake Recipe – Vanilla w/ Variations

This gluten free mug cake recipe is so easy! It cooks in the microwave and makes individual portions – a delicious, healthy treat!

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I am such a fan of this dessert! Sometimes I'm in the mood for a sweet treat but don't necessarily want an entire cake sitting on the counter all week. I'm sure I'm not alone in this! Well, this gluten free mug cake recipe is the perfect solution. You can make a delicious, vanilla cake in just a few minutes and it makes one perfect serving.

Did I mention it's paleo-friendly in addition to gluten free? A combination of almond flour and coconut flour gives this tasty treat a wonderful texture and also makes it super satisfying due to the protein and healthy fats.

If you haven't worked with coconut flour before, it's definitely worth adding to your pantry. Unlike a lot of specialty ingredients, it's budget-friendly and you can use the leftovers to make my popular Chai Spiced Zucchini Muffins, Gluten Free English Muffins or Paleo “Oatmeal”. It's super versatile! If you can't find coconut flour at your local grocery store, you can get it at Thrive Market or on Amazon.

How to Make a Vanilla Mug Cake

If you're not familiar with mug cake, it's a super easy (but kind of genius) concept. You simply mix a few ingredients together in a mug and microwave! With this clever method, you can have a single serving of dessert in just a few minutes.

I like to take the convenience a step further by prepping a few servings at a time. You'll notice the recipe below makes 4 servings. You'll portion these into individual bags or small containers. When you're ready to enjoy, all you'll need to do is microwave a bit of coconut oil and let it cool a bit, add an egg, water & vanilla and then add the pre-portioned contents of your bag.

Finally, you'll microwave for 1-2 minutes, add any toppings you want and devour…I mean enjoy 😉

Essentially, this is the perfect meal prep dessert. Make sure to scroll down below the recipe for variation and topping suggestions!

What's the nutrition like for this gluten free mug cake recipe?

As far as desserts go, this gluten free mug cake recipe is a good nutritional choice for a couple of reasons.

First, it's gluten free and paleo-friendly, using high quality ingredients like almond flour and coconut flour. Furthermore, it's designed to make individual servings so that you can have a treat when you really want one, without mindlessly snacking on it all week long.

Here are some of the nutritional benefits:

Almond Flour (Magnesium, Vitamin E, Potassium)

Made from ground almonds, almond flour is a highly nutritious ingredient in this healthy vanilla mug cake. Almonds are good for your heart and also help lower LDL cholesterol. Furthermore, one serving of almonds has as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk! Thus they're a particularly good choice if you're dairy-free.

Coconut Flour (Iron, Fiber, MCTs)

Coconut flour may benefit heart health, blood sugar stability, and digestion. Furthermore, a 1/4 cup serving offers 6 grams of protein and 20% of daily iron needs. It's also high in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a kind of fat that may support your immune system, brain health and even weight loss.

Coconut Sugar (Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Potassium, Antioxidants)

Coconut sugar is made from the dehydrated sap of the coconut tree. Unlike regular table sugar, it retains some nutrients such as iron, zinc, potassium and antioxidants. Because it contains inulin, a type of fiber, it is also slightly lower on the glycemic index and may cause less extreme spikes in blood sugar. Still, like any added sweetener, coconut sugar should be consumed in limited quantities for maximum nutrition.

Coconut Oil (MCTs, Antioxidants)

Much of the beneficial nutritional impact of coconut oil stems from the medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) it contains. Processed differently than other fats, your liver turns MCTs into ketones, which are beneficial for brain health. The lauric acid found in coconut also has beneficial antimicrobial properties.

Omega-3 Eggs (Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Lutein, Choline, Omega 3 Fatty Acids)

First of all, choosing eggs is probably one of the most confusing parts of grocery shopping. There are SO many choices and labels. Many of the labels are not clearly defined, making it even more confusing.

Something to keep in mind though is that omega-3 eggs offer up to 5 times as much omega-3 in contrast to conventional eggs. In addition, they have almost 40% less of the inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid. As a result, I think Omega-3 eggs are worth it if you can swing it in your grocery budget.

Similarly, pastured eggs offer far superior nutritional content to conventional eggs. Higher in vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3, they're certainly a better choice than conventional if available to you.

Variations on this Easy Vanilla Mug Cake

Vanilla and cinnamon give plenty of warm, comforting flavor to this easy vanilla mug cake but it's also kind of a blank slate. Vanilla goes well with so many things! Here are some easy variations and topping ideas:

• Top with fresh berries
• Use almond extract instead of vanilla for a different flavor profile
• Top with toasted walnuts
• Sprinkle cacao nibs on top
• Top with my dairy free coconut milk whipped cream
• For the kiddos, add some gluten free & artificial dye-free sprinkles like these!

Come up with a new variation? I want to know! Share in the comments or post on Instagram and tag me @prepdish!

I want more easy gluten free dessert recipes!

You've come to the right place! I'm gluten intolerant myself and love coming up with fun new dessert recipes I can still enjoy. And if you're not gluten free, I promise, these recipes are still totally delicious in their own right.

And if you want recipes for healthy treats delivered to your inbox on the regular, make sure to check out our Prep Dish meal plans! We always include a clean dessert recipe on our weekly gluten free and paleo meal plans. The best part? You can try out our meal plans for free with our Prep Dish free trial!

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