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 LOVE YOU!! I can’t wait to see you. Like in 12 hours or so. Also, I have lots of snacks waiting here. And Jerry and I love making mug cakes for a Sunday evening snack. Ok. That was a semi-lie. I make them and Jerry eats them. Either way, they are perfect for us. And, I have containers of both of these flours in my freezer that I need to use. Maybe not this weekend, as I have a feeling I’ll have regular cupcakes leftover to eat, but the following weekend. I’m babbling. Whee!! See you soon. Love, hugs and beagle kisses await you. xoxo
GIRL. I grew up with those exact mugs in my house and they are just taking me back to childhood! Sometimes I really need a cake in my face RIGHTNOW without all the steps and crap, so this looks perfect for my 10pm ‘gimmedessertrightthissecond’ moments! xo
I love that cute little mug! These sound so good! I haven’t tried a banana mug cake yet, but it sounds like a good breakfast option to me!
Um, yes please. I also just discovered mug cakes (seriously, what is wrong with us? Where have we been?) and you bet your bananas I’ll be making this one…. basically when I get home from work. I have a habit of rescuing the brown bananas from the office fruit bowl at the end of the week, so I’ve always got many on hand. Which means many are now destined for mug cake. Many.
Really want to try out this recipe, But what are the measurements for regular flour?
Hi Emily,
I have never tested the recipe using regular flour (gluten-intolerant human over here), but I suspect you would use 3 to 4 tablespoons regular AP flour. Let me know if you try it! xo
How much regular flour would I use if I’m not worried about being paleo? This sounds soooo good!
OK I have to try this, because my banana mug cake experiments have always come out pretty blah. Now chocolate, that’s another story. Coconut flour must be the secret? I’m in! And P.S. LOVE those mugs 🙂
I really have no idea how you make a mug cake look so beautiful. My mug creations (almost) always taste delicious, but look like something that should be in my dogs bowl. You even made it overflow perfectly so that it formed a little muffin top. Love it!
GIRL! Brilliant. First of all, I love mug cakes but kind of forgot about them. Second of all, mug cake for breakfast is just perfection. Love it. My cup definitely runneth over!
I would eat that for breakfast and dessert everyday too. So easy and yummy looking! And I love the mugs…a good friend’s family had the same pattern and they bring back good memories!
I’ve actually never tried a mug cake so you’re one step ahead of me! Ima have to make it happen soon so I can have scrumtrulescence all in my face.
I hope you made it to Illinois safe and sound and that you have a great time! Be sure to IG us a few pics. I wanna see how purdy you look in your bridesmaid dress!!
I’m starting to love Paleo 😀 😛
This looks delicious.
I hope you have an awesome time in Illinois. I love weddings and I am sure Stephie’s wedding is going to be beautiful!
I’ve never made a mug cake! I should try this soon 😉
Beautiful pictures, and healthy enough for breakfast!
Excessive testing is always a must when cake is involved! Of course I used the last banana this morning in my smoothie. Off to the store shortly!
Ok, whoa. I used to make mug cakes all the time and have kind of forgotten about them. Well now I’m back on the bandwagon!
I think this is why I’ve resisted the mug cake thus far. It’s almost TOO easy to make, meaning I would make one at least six times a day….and I suspect that might be overkill.
Six weight watchers points but tastes so good it feels like it definitely should be more!
xoxoxo
Yum!!! This is my kind of treat! Sounds absolutely perfect 🙂
Am I the only one who can’t see the actual recipe?!? I’m so excited to make this…please help!!
No. I can’t seem to find the recipe either. I read the entire blog post. Where is the recipe?
Hi ladies, my apologies! I must have deleted the recipe while editing the post. It’s back up. Hope you both enjoy the mug cake! 😀
Hi! Where is the actual recipe for this cake? I read the entire blog post & can’t seem to find it.
Julia,
I was just introduced to the mug cake concept recently. I guess old men take a little more time to catch up with everything. An 81 yr old friend in Rhode Island (boy oh boy is that a small state!) Shared his chocolate mug cake recipe with me and I loved it. Soooooooo I’m planning on making mug cakes with my grandchildren soon but now I’ll have two recipes to choose from. Thanks for posting this,
BTW, I’ve shared your zucchini pasta recipe with everyone who will listen and they all LOVE it.
LOL, it took me forever to acquaint myself with mug cake, too, so you’re in good company 🙂 I love the idea of making a chocolate mug cake and I hope you like my banana bread version! Thanks so much for all the support – I’m so happy you like the zucchini pasta!! xo
Loved you recipe! It was so tasty that my men only left me try a couple of spoons. 🙂 The only problem I had was a microwave potency. I put it on the highest point and it was all over my microwave. So the next one I started on the lowest the first minute, switched to the middle on the second minute, and put it on the highest at the last minute.
can you substitute the baking powder for baking soda?
Absolutely! I’d use just a tad bit more. I’ve also made this without baking powder or soda, and it turns out fine 🙂
That was tooo goood, toooo easy. ummmmm. Thank you for sharing
Hands down the best mug cake I’ve ever had! Thanks for the recipe!
Wahoo! I’m so glad you like it, Michelle! Thanks for letting me know 😀
I can’t wait to try this!!!!!!!!! 🙂 Thank you soooooooo much!
You got it, girl! Let me know how you like it ;D
My daughter and I just made one of each recipe (coconut flour and almond flour). The coconut flour went in the microwave first… The standard-sized mug was not big enough for the batter and it overflowed and cooked onto the sides of the mug. Lesson learned! Switched the almond flour batch into a BIG mug and that worked much better. So I suspect if you have average or smallish mugs, divide the recipe into two batches and reduce cooking time to maybe 2 minutes. That being said, both tasted delicious topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
Does anyone know if I can use my sweetleaf stevia in this? Trying to eliminate the sugar as well.
Hi Debbie, I haven’t tested the recipe with stevia, but I’m sure you could use a small amount instead of the maple syrup. Because the cake has ripe banana in it, it’s pretty sweet on its own, so you wouldn’t need very much. I’ll let you know if I try it with Stevia 🙂
This looks delicious! I’m wondering where all the Carbs come from as when using Almond/Coconut milk. Maple syrup would be a # of them + banana, but not sure what else would make it so high in Carbs. I like Debbie’s idea of Stevia + maybe 1/2 banana instead of whole to cut down on Carbs. Will have to try that. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this for myself. It is SOOOOOO good! And healthy, for that matter! As a 16 year old CrossFitter who wants to eat healthier, but also loves cake….this is perfect. Thanks so much! I see myself eating this for breakfast every morning till I’m sick of it 😉
Delicious! I used a vanilla Stevia syrup and it was yummy! THANKS
Made this for (ahem) lunch today, and it was glorious! xx
Waaaaahoooooo! So happy you liked it, Emma! xoxo
It was okay a little grainy which I have heard coconut flour can be sometimes.
paleo looks delicious ,i am getting in love with it
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
This is now our favorite mug recipe. So delesouis and tastes like non-paleo banana bread.
You can never have enough banana bread! I miss it from my childhood days but I will certainly give this recipe a try.
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
I love banana. It gives me super powerful energy.
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!
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?
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!
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!
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
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
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!
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
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
That all recipe looks so delicious yummy.
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.
I love your blog!! You have such great recipes – I use them a lot. Thanks so much for the inspiration!! Great Post Thanks.
You’re so sweet, Jullie! I’m so thrilled you like my site, and do feel free to reach out any time with questions or comments! Stay well! xoxo
Great Recipe Today I have read your blog and I try my self at my home for my family. Trust me its work lots my every family member like this dish so much thanks a lot from today onward I will follow you all recipe. keep posting like this.
Made this today, they turned out delicious! Thanks for all the great recipes!
Beautiful recipe, and healthy enough for breakfast! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy you like it, Shanaya! xoxo
Thank you!!!
I love your blog!! You have such great recipes – I use them a lot. Thanks so much for the inspiration!! Great Post Thanks. keep it up bro
I’m so thrilled you like my recipes! Thank you for the sweet note 😀 xoxo
Very cute recipe ideas AND so simple! Thanks for sharing such an amazing post!
So happy you like it!! xoxoxo
OMG this is seriously amazing! I always thought mug cakes were for lonely old ladies… they are also for busy mums with food intolerances running rife through the family lol I made a single batch of this banana mug cake and split it into two small ramekins and cooked it for 2 mins in our 1000 watt microwave. Brilliant! Thank you Julia for the recipe, love your work!
LOL, you’re too funny! They’re also for us sweet-toothed ladies who can’t seem to portion control when there’s a full cake in front of us, ha! So happy you like the mug cake! xoxo
I love your blog!! You have such great recipes – I use them a lot. Thanks so much for the inspiration!! Wating for your next post!!
You’re so sweet, Martina! Thanks so much for the support and kind words!
Keep going the good work..
Beautiful recipe, and healthy enough for breakfast! Thanks for sharing.thanks a lot dear.
So happy you like it!
I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much.Thanks
I LOVE this! Thanks so much for posting. Nice to have something different to add to the recipe repertoire.
So happy you like it, Jody!! xoxox
Moist and delicious. I used the coconut flour version and cooked it in the little convection/toaster oven. I added a Tablespoon of cacao powder. So good! Thank you!
Happy you like it, Allie! xo
Honestly I think you should Call it banana bread batter because this ends up nothing cakey or bread like. It’s mush. I’m not saying it’s bad but it’s definitely not what I expected. :/ got my family saying “eww what is that”
Hi Mikala. More information would be super helpful. For instance, which flour did you use (coconut flour or almond flour)? Which brand of flour did you use? Did you add more pure maple syrup? Did the batter seem thin before you microwaved it? Did you make any changes to the recipe? Let me know so I can troubleshoot what happened.
Hello could this recipe work in the oven too?
Hi there! Yes, absolutely! In the past when I’ve made mug cakes, I’ve done 350 degrees F for about 30 to 35 minutes. Hope you enjoy! xo
This recipe was soooo good!!❤️❤️I used almond flour and used chocolate chips in place of the pecans! As suggested, I did not use coconut milk because the batter was pretty thin already.😋😋😋will definitely make again!
Sounds amazing, Mary! Thank you for sharing! xo
Maybe this mug cake will have more flavor tomorrow after the spices have kicked in. Please put the note about no coconut milk if you use almond flour, up into the body of the recipe. I didn’t see the note about not adding coconut milk and had already done so. I then had to guess how much coconut flour to add to make batter firmer. I had to microwave 3.5 minutes to get the cake to “set”. This recipe is not a keeper for me, but was easy and I got rid of an overripe banana. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi Ruby! My apologies for the confusion regarding the flours. The note about the coconut milk/almond milk already appears in the recipe card in the notes section. It also appears in body of the post as well, under the title “The Almond Flour Version”. I even call out right next to the milk ingredient in the recipe card to see the note, with an asterisk * I get that people find reading all of the information to be inconvenient but we food bloggers put it there for a reason.
In terms of flavor – Was your banana ripe enough? Did you add the salt? You can add more sweetener if you feel the cake doesn’t have enough flavor, which I had mentioned both in the body of the post and the recipe. In addition, salt enhances flavor so if you left the salt out or didn’t use very much I could see why it would lack flavor.