Moist, fluffy, and decadent, this banana oat mug cake makes a great snack or dessert! It's a simple 5-minute recipe that requires only a handful of ingredients.
Whenever I crave something sweet but don’t feel like making a whole batch of dessert, this banana oatmeal mug cake is my go-to recipe! It has all the flavors of a classic banana bread without the hassle of baking a loaf.
Although great as a dessert, I love having it as a quick breakfast alongside protein iced coffee or smoothies (like my silken tofu smoothie). Made from wholesome ingredients, it is incredibly filling and keeps me satisfied until lunch.
If you prefer higher protein mug cakes, check out my chocolate protein mug cake or protein mug brownie instead.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A decadent treat that is effortless and ready in 5 minutes
- Moist and delicious without being overly sweet
- Make from wholesome ingredients like oats and banana
- Highly customizable - feel free to add whatever add-ins that sound good!
🍌What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Banana - Use a ripe and spotty banana to ensure the mug cake is sweet.
- Oat flour - You can easily make it at home by blending rolled/quick oats in a high-speed blender until it turns into flour.
- Maple syrup - Other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup, honey, or sugar syrup can be used in place.
- Chocolate chip - An optional ingredient, but I highly recommend adding it!
- Step 1: In your mug or a bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Then, add in maple syrup and stir to combine.
- Step 2: Add oat flour, oats, chocolate chips, baking powder, and ground cinnamon to the mug. Stir until everything is well combined, ensuring you get the bottoms too.
Tip: I prefer making mug cake batter in a separate, larger bowl for easy mixing. However, feel free to make everything in the mug!
- Step 3: Microwave for 60-90 seconds or until the cake looks set and is firm to touch.
- Step 4: Let your banana oat mug cake sit and cool for a few minutes before enjoying it!
✔Helpful tips
- Use a large enough mug - Mug cake will rise significantly while cooking. I recommend using a mug at least 8-10 oz in capacity to prevent the batter from flowing out.
- Be careful not to overcook - Overcooked mug cake will turn dry and rubbery. As different microwaves have different power, I recommend checking the mug cake at the 60-second mark, cooking in 10-second bursts if the cake still looks uncooked.
- Adjust sweetness to preference - Adjust the amount of maple syrup added depending on how sweet you would like your mug cake to be. You can omit the syrup for a sugar-free version, but your mug cake will be less sweet.
✨Variations and add-ins
Below are some ideas to jazz up your banana oat mug cake:
Chopped nuts - Instead of chocolate chips, add a tablespoon or so of chopped nuts instead. Pecans, walnuts, and peanuts are some great additions.
Raisins - Nothing beats the good old combination of raisins and oats! You can omit chocolate chips and use raisins instead or a combination of both.
Spices and flavorings - I am only using ground cinnamon here, but feel free to add whatever spices and flavorings sound good! Nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract are some wonderful add-ins. Remember that a little goes a long way; a tiny pinch or a few drops should be sufficient!
Toppings - Some of my favorite toppings include chopped bananas, yogurt, and a generous drizzle of peanut butter.
Serve it for dessert - Top mug cake with whipped cream or serve with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream!
❔Commonly asked questions
The most accurate and easiest way to check for the doneness of your mug cake is to insert a toothpick down the middle. If it comes out dry without any presence of wet batter, your mug cake is done cooking.
Although the best way to cook mug cake is to microwave it, you can also bake it in the oven. Bake it for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 180C/350F or until a toothpick comes out dry when inserted down the middle.
A stiff and rubbery mug cake usually indicates overcooking. As mug cake cooks quickly in the microwave, even a few seconds too long will dry out the cake.
To prevent overcooking, check on the mug cake at the 60-second mark. If it is still uncooked, cook mug cake in short bursts (10 seconds is recommended).
🍽More healthy vegan desserts
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📖 Recipe
Banana Oat Mug Cake (no eggs)
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana ripe and spotty
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey/agave/sugar-free 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
- Use a large enough mug - Mug cake will rise significantly while cooking. I recommend using a mug at least 8-10 oz in capacity to prevent the batter from flowing out.
- Be careful not to overcook - Overcooked mug cake will turn dry and rubbery. As different microwaves have different power, I recommend checking the mug cake at the 60-second mark, cooking in 10-second bursts if the cake still looks uncooked.
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.
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Carol says
This is the perfect recipe for when you have 1 or 2 ripe bananas. I cooked mine for 90 seconds and it was set but very moist still. I imagine it could have gone a bit longer and possibly due to the size of my bananas. Was delicious and quick to make in the morning as a yummy breakfast treat!
Jim Mee Sha says
Happy to hear that! Yes, you can try to reduce the amount of banana added if you find it too moist. 😁
Antoinette says
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 says
Glad to hear that! Yes, do play around with the ratio and see what works for you. 😁
Pearl says
just made this and it was superb, don't usually like banana but LOVED this.
Meesha says
Yay, glad you like it!
Christina says
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 says
Really happy to hear that!
george says
very good and simple, but mine didnt rise much
Meesha says
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!