Moist Keto Mug Cake Recipe (Low Carb)
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.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Soccer Mom Blog
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:
- Crockpot Candy (Only 4 Ingredients) - January 13, 2026
- 100 Winter Bucket List Ideas - January 7, 2026
- Lucky New Year’s Eve Traditions - December 27, 2025
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!
So glad you enjoyed it! Will have to try with pecans too!
can i xylitol as a substitute for erythritol? thanks
That should work too – you may need to adjust the amount if the sweetness level is different.
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!
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!
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
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!
Do you have a substitute for butter? I cannot have dairy.
Thanks!
If butter is a no-go, you can try doubling up on the coconut oil. Hope this helps!
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.
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!
Oh my gosh, I’ll have to try your lava cake idea! That sounds amazing!!
This is the first keto mug cake I’ve made and my husband LOVED IT. Thanks so much for sharing it.
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!
Isn’t it funny how when you cut sugar out just a little taste of something sweet is enough? Glad you liked it!
Hi there!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Would using stevia work with this recipe?
Sure! We prefer the taste of Swerve or Monk Fruit, but some people do like Stevia better. Let me know what you think!