Oatmeal Banana Bread Mug Cake made with a handful of basic ingredients, ready in 5 minutes! This delicious, healthy mug cake recipe is easy to customize and perfect for breakfast, snack, or late-night dessert. This single-serve cake is ideal for those of us who don’t want a full batch of treats laying around to tempt us.
I’ve made this cake (and so many renditions of it) so many times, I’ve lost count.
It all started with my Blended Banana Baked Oats. I love the way the texture and flavor turns out so much; however, because it’s baked it requires a bit of time, and the portion size is a little small for me.
From that recipe, this Oatmeal Banana Bread Mug Cake recipe was born.
Not only did I increase the amount of ingredients so you’re getting a more substantial portion, but I also designed this healthy banana bread mug cake for the microwave so that the whole thing takes 5 minutes to make.
I eat it as part of my breakfast (with some form of protein and often veggies alongside it), I enjoy it for snack and I also eat it as a healthier dessert.
If I’m feeling frisky, I liven up the mug cake by adding a little butter and sweetener to give it that yummy creamy buttery flavor and make it taste a little more decadent.
While this oatmeal banana mug cake is a newer development for me, my love for mug cakes is a decade old.
In fact, I used to make my Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake daily using almond flour or coconut flour about 6 years ago.
I love that this single-serve oatmeal banana bread is a good source of complex carbs while being absolutely delicious. Plus, it’s easy to make it protein-packed by using egg whites and/or adding protein powder.
This easy banana bread mug cake turns out like a slice of banana bread, without the need to bake an entire loaf of banana bread.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this banana oat mug cake recipe. I’m willing to bet you already keep most of them on hand!
Ingredients for Oatmeal Banana Bread Mug Cake:
Egg: One large egg fluffs up the cake and gives it that airy texture. Without an egg, the cake will be very dense, more like blended oatmeal so I don’t recommend replacing it with a flax egg unless you’re okay with the texture being dense.
Milk of Choice (or Egg Whites): Adding moisture to the cake, we need a little liquid. I often use egg whites (from a carton) to add protein to the cake, but any milk or non-dairy milk works too.
For the richest tasting result, use full-fat canned coconut milk. This brings a great deal of moisture and flavor to the mug cake. Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk and cashew milk all work.
Ripe Banana: One large ripe banana gets blended into a cake batter, forming the bulk of the volume of the cake, and adding moisture and sweetness. Be sure to use a overripe bananas that have plenty of brown spots so that the cake turns out nice and sweet.
Rolled Oats: Taking the place of all purpose flour, rolled oats get blended up, creating a thick, dense banana cake. Quick oats or instant oats work, but steel cut oats will not work. Use oats that are certified gluten free if need be. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
If you have your own oat flour, use a scant 1/2 cup!
Ground Cinnamon: I love adding ground cinnamon to my banana bread mug cakes because it brings warm flavor, reminiscent of my favorite banana bread.
This lovely spice makes a world of difference in bringing cozy vibes to the treat. I’ve also been known to use pumpkin spice. If you aren’t into cinnamon, you can skip it.
Sea Salt: A pinch of salt enhances all of the flavors of the ingredients so that the cake tastes flavorful and enticing. Be sure you don’t skip it!
Chocolate Chips (optional): Because there is no added sweetener in the cake batter, I like adding chocolate chips to boost the sweetness and also provide those delectable pockets of chocolate goo that taste so amazing.
I like using 60% dark chocolate chips but any type of chocolate chip will work.
If you omit the chocolate chips, consider adding a little sweetener to the cake batter or drizzle it with honey or pure maple syrup fresh out of the microwave.
Optional Additions:
- Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar-free granulated sweetener for a sweeter cake.
- For nutty banana cake, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Drop one pat of butter into the cake batter after pouring it in the mug. It will melt while the cake is being microwaved and distribute fairly evenly throughout the cake. You can also plunk down a little butter on top of the cake just before eating it as well (I often do both).
- To lower the fat content, replace the egg with ¼ cup of egg whites. The cake won’t turn out as moist and flavorful, but it will still be tasty.
- If you have vanilla extract on hand, feel free to add 1/2 teaspoon.
As you can see, there are plenty of options for making the mug cake lower in sugar, lower in fat, or on the flipside: more delicious. You can pick and choose what you’re going for each time you make one!
Now that we’re familiar with the wholesome ingredients as well as some options, let’s nuke up this single serving dessert.
How to Make Oatmeal Banana Bread Mug Cake:
This is quite possibly the easiest cake you’ll ever make! No separating out wet ingredients and dry ingredients! Everything gets blended up in a blender to make the cake batter.
Add all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips to a small blender. I use my Magic Bullet, but a NutriBullet or any blender with a small carafe works. Note: If you’re making mug cakes for two people, double the recipe and use a regular sized blender.
Blend until everything is completely combined and it appears as though all of the oats are well blended.
Stir the chocolate chips into the batter.
Pour the batter into a microwave-safe mug. To be safe, use a large mug to avoid any overflow.
If you’d like, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter. If you’re adding a tablespoon of butter, drop it into the center of the batter now.
Microwave for 3 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through. An easy way to tell if the cake is fully cooked is by checking its internal temperature using a meat thermometer.
Cake is fully cooked once it reaches a temperature of 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
To check the temperature, simply insert an instant read thermometer into the center of the mug cake and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read. If need be, microwave for 20 to 40 seconds longer until the cake is cooked through (it should be fully cooked after 3 minutes).
You’re ready to eat! The mug will be hot, so be careful. Allow it to cool before you dig in. If you’d like, you can drizzle the cake with a little honey or add a pat of butter on top to allow it to melt into the cake.
Banana slices and little nut butter like Nuttzo, peanut butter, or almond butter is great mixed in too. For an sweet adventure, enjoy this easy dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Get creative with your favorite toppings!
And that’s it! The easiest banana mug cake recipe the whole family will love! This single-serving dessert is easy to customize and even easier to love, this oatmeal banana bread mug cake will surely become a household staple.
Nutritional Information:
The recipe as written contains 417 calories, 56 grams of carbs and 16 grams of protein. These macros can be adjusted by making any combination of changes (see some options above).
If you’re looking to make a big batch rather than a single serving, make my Full Batch Banana Blended Baked Oatmeal rather than trying to to the math on this recipe.
Love mug cake recipes? Also try out these single-serve gems!
More Single-Serve Desserts:
- Gluten-Free Mug Brownie
- Healthy Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
- Paleo Gingerbread Mug Cake
- Grain-Free Banana Chocolate Mug Cake
- Keto Chocolate Mug Cake
- Keto Mug Cake
For all those times you’re jonesing for a quick and comforting sweet treat, microwave mug cake to the rescue!
Enjoy this yummy healthy banana mug cake whenever the craving for something sweet yet healthier strikes!
Healthy Oatmeal Banana Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp milk of choice or egg whites*
- 1 large very ripe banana
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips to a small blender. I use my Magic Bullet, but a NutriBullet or any blender with a small carafe works. Note: If you’re making mug cakes for two people, double the recipe and use a regular sized blender.
- Blend until everything is completely combined and it appears as though all of the oats are well blended. Stir the chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour the batter into a microwave-safe mug. To be safe, use a large mug to avoid any overflow.
- If you’d like, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter. If you’re adding a tablespoon of butter, drop it into the center of the batter now.
- Microwave for 3 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.
- Enjoy the mug cake as is, or drizzle with a little honey or pure maple syrup and add a pat of butter.
Notes
1 Tbsp brown sugar or granulated sweetener of choice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter An easy way to tell if the cake is fully cooked is by checking its internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Cake is fully cooked once it reaches a temperature of 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. To check the temperature, simply insert an instant read thermometer into the center of the mug cake and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read. If need be, microwave for 20 to 40 seconds longer until the cake is cooked through (it should be fully cooked after 3 minutes).
Nutrition
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Could you use blueberries instead of chocolate chips?
Hi Hannah! Yes, absolutely, with 2 caveats: The mug cake will taste less sweet, and it will be moister from the addition of the blueberries. If you’re okay with both of those things happening, I say go for it!
Honestly this was terrible. Way too mushy. Sure it’s “cooked” but the texture was so unappealing. I recommend not blending the oats, wait to add the chocolate chips at the 1 minute mark (when you stir) then cook another 1-2 minutes.
Yummy! I did add some baking powder and vanilla. Puffed ALOT
Sounds delicious, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
The first time I made this it was not that great. For one thing, the recipe calls for 1/4 tsp sea salt so that is what I used. It was way too salty. Later in the article it says a pinch of sea salt which works much better. I also think it needs the brown sugar for sweetness and the vanilla for flavor. I would definitely suggest you invest in these two things. I also now add my bananas after everything is blended and just pulse the mixture slightly. It seems to give it a more banana flavor when you have some bits of banana. I love nuts so I do add two tablespoons of chopped pecans. I have not tried adding the chocolate bits but I am looking forward to trying that soon. My microwave is small and apparently not very powerful. I have to cook this for five minutes. No offense to the author but my first try tasted like salty cardboard. After a few minor adjustments I love this and make it several times a week.
Hi Louise! Thanks so much for this thorough feedback! It is very helpful to others who want to try the recipe 🙂
We don’t use microwaves. How long and at what temp in the oven? I would use ramikans.
What amount of egg whites would you use to substitute the whole egg?
Hi Caitlin! One egg is equivalent to 1/4 cup, so I would use 1/4 cup of egg whites 🙂
A tip gleaned from another mug cake recipe, stir partway through cooking (I did at 1/3 minutes). This disrupts the structure of the egg and makes the cake more fluffy and less rubbery. Top liked more like a traditional loaf cake, and less like the pictures in this post.
Beyond that, I love this recipe. I add 1 packet of stevia and chocolate chips for sweet, and serve with homemade whipped cream
Ooh, I love that suggestion! I’m going to try it myself! xo
Good night, Julia 🌙. How are you? I’m fine. Today I made oatmeal banana 🍌 bread mug cake. I used the oven to bake. I added chocolate chips 🍫 and sliced almonds on top. Mmmmmm 😋! It tested very delicious, healthy, mouthwatering, pleasant, and divine. I enjoyed it very much 😀. You’re an astonishing chef ☺️.
You’re too sweet, Ana! Thank you!
Made this with unsweetened vanilla almond milk as a weight watchers dessert. Definitely a good, mildly sweet, treat!
Yaaay! Love that! xo
This was so easy and so good! I can’t have ripe bananas because I have IBS and am on a fodmap diet. So my banana wasn’t ripe. But I freeze them like that, and defrosted, they turn out pretty sweet. I have a terrible sweet tooth, so I used all your suggestions, including brown sugar, maple syrup and chocolate chips. I usually have oatmeal for breakfast but with my own Granola and blueberries (that I have to weigh for the diet). Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m so thrilled you enjoy it, Alene! Thanks so much for sharing your additions and for your fabulous review! I’m happy you enjoy it as much as I do! xo