Irresistible sweet, moist and fluffy, this banana oat mug cake is great as a quick snack or dessert! It is eggless, vegan and gluten-free. Ready in 5 minutes and only a handful of simple ingredients required.

Single-served recipes like this banana mug cake and my chocolate protein mug cake are great to make if you are living alone, or do not have time to bake a whole cake! It is super easy to whip up, and is ready in minutes.
If you are looking for a cookie version, I do recommend checking out my vegan mug cookie! They are incredibly moist, chewy and sweet, and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Simple to make and ready in 5 minutes - Making it the perfect treat to make if you want something quick and convenient.
- Single-serving - Hence, perfect for folks who are living alone!
- Moist, fluffy yet hearty - This eggless mug cake is decadent and sweet without being overly heavy. Plus, it is pack full of fiber and slow-digesting carbs that makes it extra filling and satisfying to have.
- Allergen-friendly - This recipe is made without eggs and dairy, and is naturally vegan and gluten-free.
🤔What exactly is a mug cake
As the name suggests, a mug cake is simply a single-serving cake made in a mug. It is usually made in the microwave oven, although some of them can also be made in a conventional oven.
The best part about this cake is it takes literally no time and minimal effort to make! Most of them are ready in 5 minutes, and only calls for a few simple ingredients. But not to worry, they are incredibly moist and decadent tasting, and will definitely satisfy your sweet cravings!
🍌What you will need
📃Notes/substitutions
- Banana - Make sure that your banana is brown and spotty. As it is our main sweetener in this recipe, you will want it to be ripe and sweet!
- Oat flour - If you do not have any on hand, make your own by blending up some oats until they turn into flour.
- Maple syrup - Other liquid sweetener like agave syrup or honey can be used in place.
- Gluten-free - Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats and oat flour if you are intolerant to gluten.
🔪How to make
Lightly grease a mug or ramekin with cooking spray or oil.
In your mug, mash banana until smooth. Then, add in maple syrup and stir to combine.
Add in oat flour, oats, chocolate chips, baking powder and ground cinnamon into the mug. Stir until everything is well combined, making sure that you get the bottoms too.
As seen from the process shots, I choose to make by cake batter in another larger bowl to make sure everything is well mixed. Totally optional, through!
Microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until the cake looks set and is firm to touch.
Let it sit and cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
✔Helpful tips
- Make sure to use a mug that is big enough, as the cake will rise significantly while cooking. I am using a standard coffee mug. You can also use a ramekin or bowl, but reduce cooking time slightly by about 10 seconds.
- If you want to, you can make cake batter in a separate larger bowl before transferring it into a mug. I find that it is easier to mix this way, but this is totally optional.
- Cooking time might vary depending on the types and brand of microwave oven used. If this is your first time making this recipe, I recommend checking on it at the 50 seconds mark. If it is still gooey in the middle, microwave it at 10 seconds burst.
- Be careful not to overcook your cake. Once overcooked, it will turn rubbery and chewy. Hence, it is always better to undercook it slightly, rather than overcook.
- To bake - bake banana oat mug cake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F/180C.
✨Variations/add-ins
Although this eggless mug cake is pretty yum on its own, you can jazz it up by adding in some additional ingredients. Here are a few fun ideas:
Chopped nuts - Instead of chocolate chips, you can add in a tablespoon or so of chopped nuts instead. Pecans, walnuts and peanuts are some great additions.
Raisins - There is nothing that beats the good old combination of raisins and oats in my opinion! You can omit chocolate chips and use raisins instead, or use a combination of both.
Spices and flavorings - I am only using ground cinnamon here, but feel free to add whatever spices and flavorings that sounds good! Nutmeg, pumpkin spice and vanilla extract are some wonderful add-ins. Just bear in mind that a little goes a long way, and a tiny pinch or a few drops should be sufficient!
Cocoa powder - You can add ½ to 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to make this a banana chocolate mug cake.
🍨How to serve
- With a scoop of your favorite ice-cream
- Nut butters like peanut butter, cashew butter or this coconut almond butter
- Fresh or frozen fruits - Berries, sliced bananas, apple chunks
- Plant based yogurt of choice for some extra creaminess
- Top eggless mug cake with more chocolate chips or chopped nuts!
❔Commonly asked questions
You might have accidentally added to much baking powder, or used baking soda instead of baking powder. A tiny amount of baking powder is needed to help your mug cake rise, but if too much is added, it will leave a bitter, metallic aftertaste.
If your banana oat mug cake turned out to be chewy, hard and rubbery, chances are that you had overcooked it. Hence, it is recommended that you check on them on the 50 seconds mark. If it still looks undone, you can microwave it at 10 seconds spurts.
Use a ceramic mug that is microwave-safe and large enough to allow your cake to rise. Do not fill batter to the brim as the cake will rise significantly during cooking, which will cause your batter to overflow. I find that a standard 8oz coffee mug is just about the right size for this eggless mug cake.
If you do not have the right mug, you can use a 8-12oz small bowl or ramekin instead. You might have to reduce the cooking time slightly, by about 10 seconds.
🍽More healthy vegan desserts
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📖 Recipe
Eggless Banana Oat Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana ripe and spotty
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 2 tablespoons oats
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Lightly grease a mug or ramekin with cooking spray or oil.
- In your mug, mash banana until smooth. Then, add in maple syrup and stir to combine.1 medium banana, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Add in rest of the ingredients into the mug. Stir until everything is well combined, making sure that you get the bottoms too.¼ cup oat flour, 2 tablespoons oats, 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until the cake looks set and is firm to touch.
- Let it sit and cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use a mug that is big enough, as the cake will rise significantly while cooking. I am using a standard coffee mug. You can also use a ramekin or bowl, but reduce cooking time slightly by about 10 seconds.
- Cooking time might vary depending on the types and brand of microwave oven used. If this is your first time making this recipe, I recommend checking on it at the 50 seconds mark. If it is still gooey in the middle, microwave it at 10 seconds burst.
- Be careful not to overcook your mug cake. Once overcooked, it will turn rubbery and chewy. Hence, it is always better to undercook it slightly, rather than overcook.
- To bake - bake banana oat mug cake for 25-30 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F/180C.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Antoinette
Made this today! Didn’t have any oat flower so took 3 tbsp quick oatmeal and threw it into my magic bullet with my protein powder and baking powder!
I did 90 seconds in the microwave and it came out a bit dry, ended up fixing it it with 2 tbsp milk and it was better.
Overall, good recipe! I’ll keep playing around with it 🙂
Meesha
Glad to hear that! Yes, do play around with the ratio and see what works for you. 😁
Pearl
just made this and it was superb, don't usually like banana but LOVED this.
Meesha
Yay, glad you like it!
Christina
Just made this and it’s delicious! I didn’t have any oat flour so I used whole wheat. Came out great. Thank you!
Meesha
Really happy to hear that!
george
very good and simple, but mine didnt rise much
Meesha
Thanks for the comment! I would recommend checking on your baking powder. To do so, simply place a small amount of baking powder in some warm water, and bubbles should start to form immediately. If not, it is time to get a new one. Hope this helps!