Soft and fluffy single-serving carrot cake in a mug is an easy dessert perfect for Easter or any day of the year!
Why We Love This Carrot Mug Cake Recipe
- It tastes like restaurant-style carrot cake with sweet carrots and lots of cinnamon, but comes in a convenient, portion-controlled mug cake.
- Whip the entire cake. Within 5 minutesNo oven required.
- Dairy-free, egg-free, high in protein, high in vitamin A, and only 120 calories.
- Enjoy as a quick and healthy snack, or add frosting and toppings for a delicious after-dinner treat. Do you have a secretly healthy single-serve carrot cake recipe that you can make in the oven or microwave? It doesn’t get much better than that!
Try our reader favorite, Chocolate Mug Cake.
Step-by-step recipe video
Carrot cake ingredients in a mug
flour – You will need a fourth cup of flour. I love whole grain spelled flour. That’s because whole grains provide added nutrition and a lighter texture than whole wheat flour.
Oat flour, cup-to-cup gluten-free flour, or white all-purpose flour also work. Almond flour technically works, but the cake falls apart, so it’s best to eat the low-carb version straight from the mug.
carrot – It may sound funny, but the easiest way is to buy carrot puree from the baby food section of your local grocery store. Alternatively, you can puree or steam canned carrots and then puree peeled fresh carrots in a food processor.
Sweetener – Choose granulated sugar or alternatives without granulated sugar. I like to use minimally processed or unrefined sugars like turbinado. White sugar, coconut sugar, and xylitol are also good choices. Substituting pure maple syrup or honey will result in a somewhat stickier texture, so keep this in mind if you plan to use a liquid sweetener.
Milk of choice – Use whatever milk you have in your fridge, including plant-based milks like almond milk or coconut milk. Additionally, to make a low-fat mug cake, you will need an additional tablespoon of oil (coconut oil or vegetable oil) and one tablespoon of almond butter or milk.
Vanilla – Look for pure vanilla extract instead of imitation. Because it provides the most natural vanilla flavor. If you use vanilla flavored milk, you can omit the vanilla extract.
Spices and dry ingredients – The recipe also calls for half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, four teaspoons of baking powder to help with the rise, and eight teaspoons each of salt and baking soda. You can add a little ground nutmeg or ginger if you like.
How to make a cake
- Start by oiling a small mug or two small ramekins well. Set aside.
- If you would like to bake the mug cake in the oven instead of the microwave, preheat the oven to 350°F or 176°C.
- Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sugar or sweetener, and salt directly to the mug. Stir very well. (If using ramekins instead of mugs, mix all ingredients in a cereal-sized bowl, then gently tip batter into prepared dish.)
- Now add the milk, oil or almond butter (optional), vanilla extract and pureed carrots and stir until evenly mixed.
- Microwave on high power until soft and fluffy. The time will vary depending on how much power your computer has, and total time is approximately 2 minutes. Alternatively, bake in an ovenproof dish for 15 minutes or until center is cooked through.
- Enjoy straight from the mug. Alternatively, after the carrot mug cake has cooled, flip the cake onto a plate, running a knife around the sides.
- If you want to make a cute double layer cake, carefully cut out the center and top each layer with frosting. Garnish with chopped carrots, chopped pecans or walnuts, or raisins as desired.
Mini Carrot Cake Frosting
This recipe is really delicious topped with coconut butter or coconut whipped cream.
Or I like making things. Basic Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Whisk 2 ounces cream cheese with 1 ounce butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar or monk fruit, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and a few drops of milk of choice, if needed. (For vegan cream cheese frosting, use plant-based cream cheese and butter.)
This is a small batch of the frosting I use for my carrot cake bars.
Carrot cake and frosting go hand in hand. But it doesn’t have to be cream cheese! You can use almond butter, cashew butter, vanilla yogurt, or powdered sugar if you prefer.
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1. Grease a small mug or two small ramekins well.
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2. If you are baking the mug cake in the oven instead of the microwave, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
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3. Stir dry ingredients into cereal bowl or directly into mug. Then add the wet ingredients and stir until evenly mixed.
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4. Microwave until soft and fluffy. Time will vary depending on wattage. It takes about 2 minutes of my time. Alternatively, bake in an ovenproof dish for 15 minutes or until cooked through in the center.
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5. Serve hot in a mug or let the cake cool, then roll the sides with a knife and place on a plate.
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6. To make a fun two-layer carrot cake in a mug, cut out the center and top with cream cheese frosting (recipe included above). Garnish with shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins, if desired.
Mug desserts that can be enjoyed more easily
Brownie in a mug
Lemon Mug Cake
Keto Mug Cake
vanilla mug cake
Chocolate Toasted Oats
pumpkin mug cake
More about the cookbook
