Satisfy your sweet tooth with this Keto Chocolate Mug Cake! It’s moist, full of rich chocolate flavor, and ready in two minutes in the microwave! This is one of my go-to low carb desserts because you only need a few simple ingredients, it’s quick and easy to make, and it’s delicious!
The best part? There are ZERO net carbs in this recipe!
Low Carb Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe
I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and my weakness is chocolate!
Over the summer we whipped up these Keto No Bake Cookies and they were sooo amazing! We’ve made quite a few batches since then, and a lot of readers have let me know that they are a staple in their home too.
As much as I LOVE those cookies, every now and then I crave a piece of chocolate cake.
Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert in the whole world! It’s what I request for every birthday and it was my number one pregnancy craving with my youngest daughter. (I think I ate a piece of cake every single day during the last two weeks of my pregnancy!)
Even now that I’m living a more low carb lifestyle, I still HAVE to have chocolate cake in my life. Seriously, what is the point if you don’t treat yourself every now and then?
On my new Keto website I shared a Keto Lemon Mug Cake and it got me thinking…why not try it with chocolate?!
You guys…
Wow!!
My first attempt at making a low carb chocolate mug cake turned out amazing!! Even my husband was impressed (and he is actually the chef in our family, not me!)
See how moist it looks?! YUM!!
More Recipe Inspiration: Check out our collection of 65+ Healthy Snack Ideas too!
What is the Keto Diet?
At its core, the Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan. With this type of diet, your body will enter a state known as “ketosis,” where it burns fat for energy instead of the carbohydrates that it would normally use.
Related: How many carbs can you eat on keto?
Following a ketogenic diet can also help shed excess water weight, curb cravings (since fat tends to keep you feeling full longer), and lead to substantial weight loss. To see those benefits, you’d need to faithfully follow the plan, as eating carbs can kick you right back out of ketosis.
However, making keto desserts like this mug cake helps to take care of my cravings for sweets without eating real sugar.
Plus, this recipe is so easy that you have a rich, homemade dessert ready in way less time than it takes to go buy something at the store or bakery!
Want to learn more about the Keto Diet?
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to resources used to make this recipe and about the Keto lifestyle. Disclosure policy available here.
Chocolate Keto Mug Cake Ingredients
Since this recipe includes a few specialized ingredients, I’ve provided shop-able ad links to some of the products on Amazon.
You should also be able to find all or most of these items in a regular grocery store, but feel free to click on the links to see the brands we used if you’re unfamiliar with any of them.
- Butter — Provides the fats that our bodies use for energy on the keto diet. Make sure to use unsalted butter!
- Coconut oil — More good fats, plus the brain boosting benefits of coconut oil! It also adds a little depth of flavor to our cake.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder — For that rich chocolate flavor, without the sugar and carbs like a traditional cake batter mix.
- Almond flour or almond meal — Finely sifted, blanched almond flour will make the lightest cake. However, a coarser grind or almond meal will still work great!
- Granulated Erythritol (Swerve) or monk fruit sweetener — You can use either sweetener above, but I love monk fruit because it doesn’t have an aftertaste or unpleasant digestive side effects like some other sugar substitutes. I highly recommend Lakanto brand monk fruit sweeteners and if you shop through my link and use code “SOCCERMOM” you can save 15% every time you purchase!
- Egg — This makes our mug cake rise like a real cake!
Kitchen supplies used:
- Mug — Be sure it’s microwave safe!
- Small whisk — To blend the ingredients quickly and completely. These little whisks come in handy for so many things in the kitchen, we’re always using ours!
How to Make a Keto Mug Cake
First, melt the butter and coconut together in your mug.
Melting the coconut oil and butter first allows you to better mix the dry ingredients to make a quick batter. Otherwise they won’t incorporate well and the cake may not turn out as expected.
Stir butter and oil until there are no solid lumps.
Add dry ingredients and an egg and whisk to combine. Place mug in the microwave and cook for 90 seconds.
TIP: For an even fluffier cake, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. This is totally optional, and the mug cake pictured here did not have baking powder used.
When microwaving your mug cake, keep an eye on it in case it starts to overflow. If this happens, simply pause cooking for a few seconds to let the cake settle, then continue cooking again.
Be sure to handle with care, as the mug may become hot while cooking.
Can You Have Coconut Flour on the Keto Diet?
One of the most common reader questions I get about our keto mug cake recipes is if there is a substitute for almond flour, such as coconut flour.
Coconut flour is perfect for those on the keto diet, as it actually contains fewer carbs, more fat (aka fuel), and is higher in fiber than almond flour.
The reason we use almond flour for our low carb mug cake recipe is because it is easier to use than coconut flour and milder in flavor.
However, if you don’t like almond flour or have allergies, you can absolutely use coconut flour. Because coconut flour is much more absorbent, you’ll only need to use 1/3 the amount of coconut flour as the amount of almond flour listed in the recipe. Keep the liquid ingredients the same.
Is Baking Cocoa Keto-Friendly?
Another question I receive periodically is whether to buy baking cocoa or hot cocoa mix. This is an important distinction, because most hot cocoa mixes contain added sugars and are a no-no for keto.
Baking cocoa is located in the baking aisle — be sure to stick to the unsweetened variety!
Can You Have Whipped Cream on the Keto Diet?
Good news here! If you love a dollop of whipped cream on your chocolate cake, you can enjoy this treat on the keto diet.
However, many pre-made whipped creams contain added sugar, so your best bet is to make your own.
To make homemade whipped cream is actually fairly easy. Simply add heavy cream and your favorite keto sweetener to a chilled metal mixing bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Another delicious topping idea is a spoonful of natural peanut butter or sugar free ice cream!
Be sure to try our chocolate peanut butter keto mug cake too!
More of our favorite keto chocolate recipes:
- Keto Whipped Hot Chocolate
- Chocolate Keto Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Fudge
- Chocolate Keto Mousse
- Keto Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Keto Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe (Printable Copy)
If you like this recipe, rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Keto Chocolate Mug Cake (ZERO Net Carbs!)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons almond flour
- 2 teaspoons erythritol or 3 tsp for a sweeter cake
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add butter and coconut oil to a microwave-safe mug.
- Heat on high for 20-30 seconds until almost melted. Stir until there are no solid lumps.
- Add dry ingredients and egg and whisk until everything is well incorporated. It's ok if the batter looks slightly grainy.
- Return mug to microwave and cook for 90 seconds.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Keto Recipes
Click here to see all of our favorite easy keto recipes! There are enough meal ideas to last an entire month or more – from breakfast, to dinner, to dessert!
Pin our Low Carb Chocolate Mug Cake on Pinterest:
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Renee Lois says
I just started Keto so I’m still transitioning off of “sweet” food. I tried this and thought…this a good, but when I added just a little whip cream, it was the perfect sweetness for me. Thanks for the recipe!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Glad you liked it! Once you wean off sugar, you’ll find that you crave sweet stuff less and less. That’s why I made this mug cake not so sweet, but it’s easy to adjust as you’ve found 🙂
Ginna says
I’m diabetic so I cannot count carbs as NET carbs, I have to count the full and total amount of carbs so how can I do this with your recipes? My nutritionist said I cannot follow the Net Carbs on like an Atkins bar that just shows net carbs and then the full amount of carbs on the nutrition panel. How can I make myself a mug cake with my almond flour and an artificial sweetener like Splenda and Stevia?
Thank you
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Ginna, if you look at the nutrition info list at the bottom of the printable recipe card, the “carbs” number listed there is total carbs. Net carbs is noted in the recipe itself, so you’ll see that’s a different number. Hope this helps!
Bridget says
I love the texture and taste. Used a little less cocoa and a little extra sweetner. This is by far the best chocolate mug cake I’ve tried.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Awesome! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed our mug cake recipe!
Denise says
This recipe received a thumbs up from my 3 year old, literally! She ate most of it.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
They always do steal our food, don’t they 😉
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
I found that when I got into ketosis everything tasted WAY too sweet, so I always err on the side of less sweet for our recipes. However they can easily be adjusted to your taste preference!
Mama Pep says
What can be substituted for the coconut oil? I am allergic…
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
To get the fat that coconut oil provides, you could swap with mayonnaise. It would have a little different flavor, but should be tasty too!
Eliazabeth says
You can substitute yogurt for the coconut oil if you don’t want to use Mayo.
Roberta says
What about using ghee instead of coconut oil&butter? I can’t stand coconut and I also am lactose intolerant, so ghee for me is always the best option, it’s nutrient dense and also has a high smoke point and a good nutritional value with fat-soluble vitamins and “good”colesterol other than short chain fatty acidsto feed the gut…
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
I think ghee should be fine!
Harriet says
Very good! Next time I will add a dribble of flavoring-vanilla, almond, or raspberry. Also added a small pinch P.H. salt. I whipped 2T heavy cream with 1/2 t Erythritol and a dribble of vanilla as a topping and it was very satisfying! Thanks!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Great tips! Glad you loved it!
Rachel says
What kind of Erythritol are you using? Im just wondering because what I have it says it’s 4g of carbs per 1 tsp. But the recipe says 3 tsps which would be a lot of carbs if I use what I have..
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Rachel – we like Swerve because it measures out like sugar and doesn’t have an aftertaste. The thing to keep in mind with sugar alcohols (which erythritol is) is that when calculating “net carbs” you subtract sugar alcohols because they don’t impact blood sugar. So the equation would be: Total Carbs – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols = Net Carbs. This explains it a little better: https://how2doketo.com/starting-keto/how-many-carbs-keto/
Rosie says
Tried this for the first time and it was delicious! I’m new to Keto (using Carb Manager to log my foods) . This seems like a lot of calories?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Rosie – I’m so glad you enjoyed our mug cake recipe! Since keto is low-carb and high-fat, there will be some foods that are higher in calories than you might be used to seeing because fats contain more calories. If you’re good about managing carbs, it works! 🙂
Suzie Souza says
Definitely the BEST keto mug cake I have had! This is the only recipe I will use from now on. It is so tasty and I love it because it is not overly sweet. Thank you!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Awesome! Thank you so much for letting me know you loved it! I also like this mug cake because it is not overly-sweet 🙂
Adrianne says
So goood!! Thank you for sharing!!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Glad you loved it! Thank you for letting me know!
Patti says
Definitely the best keto chocolate treat in a mug, and I’ve tried a few! Added pecans for a little crunch, and cause I love nuts! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes, thank you!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
So glad you enjoyed it! Will have to try with pecans too!
irene pagaduan says
can i xylitol as a substitute for erythritol? thanks
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
That should work too – you may need to adjust the amount if the sweetness level is different.
Julie says
I want to try this recipe, but I have a sensitivity to almonds. What could I substitute? Could you offer a few substitutes? Thanks so much!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Julie, you might be able to try coconut flour, though the consistency could be a bit different. If you do try it this way, let me know how it goes!
Shari says
I am sorry but this had no flavor at all. Was looking for something sweet but this not it. Sorry. I will try it again but may add some peanut butter for more flavor. Thank you
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Thank you for your feedback! I always err on the side of less sweet because you can always add more sweetener to taste. Peanut butter would make a nice addition too!
MK says
Do you have a substitute for butter? I cannot have dairy.
Thanks!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
If butter is a no-go, you can try doubling up on the coconut oil. Hope this helps!
Claudia says
I’ve lost 30 pounds so far on KETO. I wanted something satisfying, like a muffin, for breakfast and this is it! I put whipped cream on top and sprinkled a few Lily’s chocolate chips on top of that. What a delight! Thanks for your recipe. I will make this often.
Lauren says
The absolute best mug cake (keto and not keto) I’ve tried. The first time I made it as directed with the exception of just using an egg yolk instead of the whole egg. It has come out great every time I have made it and is extremely easy to customize (I’ve added choc zero syrup in the middle to make it like a lava cake!). Thanks so much for this yummy and easy recipe!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Oh my gosh, I’ll have to try your lava cake idea! That sounds amazing!!
MK says
This is the first keto mug cake I’ve made and my husband LOVED IT. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Leslie says
Excellent… not too sweet! I topped with some whipped cream. Perfect! Next time I’ll share it though as it was almost too big for me alone!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Isn’t it funny how when you cut sugar out just a little taste of something sweet is enough? Glad you liked it!
Janet Craig says
Hi there!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Would using stevia work with this recipe?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Sure! We prefer the taste of Swerve or Monk Fruit, but some people do like Stevia better. Let me know what you think!
Renee says
I was in the midst of my first serious craving for something sweet since I began Keto 40 days ago. I didn’t have any cocoa powder so I substituted pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. My husband tried it but did not like it but I think it tasted like gingerbread. I will get some unsweetened cocoa powder so I can try your version of the mug cake but this did the trick and calmed the craving. Thank you for sharing.
Deb Hooper says
I’ve made this a few dozen times now and absolutely love it. I’ve added pecans, walnuts, and recently SF chocolate chips. It only takes a sprinkle to make this even moister. I will be experimenting with more flavors, add ins as time goes on. So quick and so easy. I have a basket in my pantry just for these type of keto goodies and it keeps everything together for even quicker prep.
Lisa says
Used coconut flour and it was very dry. Should I have used less or cooked less time? Tasty but dry
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Lisa – In our section about substituting coconut flour, I recommended using only 1/3 the amount of coconut flour, as it is more absorbent than almond flour. If you used the same measurements of coconut flour for almond flour, it could turn out dry. Hope this helps!
Yanet says
Should I make it in the oven?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
This recipe is designed for the microwave – the full instructions are in the recipe card. (Click “jump to recipe” at the top of the post to find it right away)
Marsha Gressett says
My first mug cake…delicious! Perfect for chocolate craving! I added some walnuts and only had Stevia for the sweetener. It worked out great! Thanks for sharing!!
Kelly says
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this tasted. Love that it uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand. I was out of coconut oil, so I subbed with more butter. Added a pinch of salt and a healthy splash of vanilla. Moist, delicious and very filling.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
So glad you liked it! When you’re not eating sugar, this really hits the spot! Makes ya realize how addicting sugar can be and how we don’t actually need foods to taste as sweet as we used to! 🙂
Susan says
507kcal? That is 507000 calories.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Technically yes, but that’s because most of us use “calories” to describe what is actually a kcal. This post explains it really well: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/diet-nutrition/a19689820/how-are-calories-measured-kcal/ Hope this helps!
Michelle says
Just started keto and my biggest thing is sweets. I added pecans and sugar free chocolate chips. It is AMAZING!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Yea sweets were the thing I missed most, hence why I have so many keto dessert recipes! LOL. I’ve done the sugar free chocolate chips, will have to try the pecans!
Jodi says
Hi Stacey
How can this be zero net carbs?
And it’s written in lots of places on the page.
6g Carbs – 2g Fibre = 4 net carbs
Please clarify.
Thanks
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Jodi – Another factor when calculating net carbs is subtracting sugar alcohols (if there are any). In this case I factored in the sweetener that I used, which has about 4g of sugar alcohol per serving. Your carb count may vary if you use a different sweetener, but they are pretty low either way! Hope this helps!
Jodi says
Thanks for the explanation Stacey.
You said: you subtract sugar alcohols because they don’t impact blood sugar.
So 3.8 – 4 sugar alcohols = 0
Sorry, I’m not doing keto. So is it the same situation if I’m doing low carb (20 net carbs per day)?
I just started out, so I’m still learning and I calculated the net carbs like this:
2 Tablespoons butter 0
1 Tablespoon coconut oil 0
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1
3 Tablespoons almond flour 1.8
2 teaspoons erythritol or 1 Tablespn sucralose -4 or 1
1 egg 1
So that means 4.8 net carbs if I don’t use erythritol.
Please let me know if I’m calculating this properly?
A big thank you and I love your recipes.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
It sounds like you have that correct — if you’re not using sugar alcohol I believe it is about 4g net carbs. Glad you’re loving the recipes! I also have a keto website: how2doketo.com 🙂
Mac says
I really wanted to like this, it smelled so good, but it tasted like an overdone chocolate scrambled egg. I followed the recipe to the T, except adding a few SF chocolate chips. I may try again and either add baking powder and/or cook it less time.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Mac, thanks for your feedback! I will readily admit that this won’t taste like a full-sugar mug cake you’d buy at the store. That sweet taste is hard to replicate without real sugar or sugar alcohols (most of which I avoid, except for erythritol, due to stomach effects). When I was on strict keto, I found that reducing sugar in my recipes was helpful because it helps to get rid of sugar cravings over time. My recipes likely reflect that.