Craving something sweet and urgent? Whip up this gluten-free banana mug cake with a gooey white chocolate center — ready in about 5 minutes and perfect for sharing or enjoying solo.
Mug cakes are the ultimate quick fix when you want dessert immediately. This recipe uses simple, mostly wholesome ingredients to deliver banana-bread flavor in a fraction of the time.
If you enjoyed the 2-minute peanut butter mug cake, you’ll like this one too — it’s equally fast and even gluten-free thanks to almond flour.
What’s great about this mug cake
- Fast: Mix the batter in your mug in a few minutes and microwave for about 2 minutes.
- Portionable: Serves two — share it or save half for later.
- Banana-bread flavor: Tastes like a nuttier banana bread, but much quicker to make.
- Gluten-free: Made with almond flour (or almond meal) for a gluten-free option.
- Decadent center: Melted white chocolate gives a creamy, sauce-like finish — serve with ice cream for an indulgent treat.
- Relatively wholesome: Apart from sugar and chocolate, it’s made from simple pantry ingredients.
What you need
All you need is half a ripe banana and a handful of pantry staples to make a quick microwave banana cake for two.
Use the following:
- ½ small ripe banana
- 1 small egg
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar (or regular white sugar)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter (peanut butter works too)
- 2 tablespoons milk (any type, including non-dairy)
- ⅓ cup almond flour (or almond meal) plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ tablespoons white chocolate chips (more if you like)
No added oil or butter required — the almond butter provides enough fat for a moist result.
How to make it
This mug cake is mixed and cooked right in the mug or in a small microwave-safe dish.
Step 1: Use the largest mug you have or a small baking dish (about 5×5–6×6 square inches).
Step 2: Mash ½ banana with a fork until smooth.
Step 3: Whisk in the egg, then stir in sugar, almond butter, and milk.
Step 4: Fold in almond flour mixed with baking soda, then stir in most of the white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
Step 5: Microwave on full power for about 2 minutes. Let it cool briefly before eating.
Tip: The cake can rise quickly in the microwave. Place a small plate under the mug just in case, and wait a few minutes after cooking — it will be very hot.
FAQs
Yes. Brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note, but regular sugar works fine.
Yes. With the white chocolate included, 1½ tablespoons is a good baseline. Increase to 2 tablespoons if you prefer it sweeter.
Any nut butter (like peanut butter) works. For a nut-free option, replace the almond butter with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil.
Yes. You can swap almond flour for gluten-free plain flour or regular flour. Coconut flour can be used but reduce to about 1½ tablespoons because it absorbs more liquid.
They are interchangeable in this recipe. Almond flour is finer, but almond meal works fine too.
Yes — a 5×5 inch baking dish or similar works well.
How to serve it
You can eat this straight from the mug with a spoon, or split it between two plates. The melted white chocolate makes it feel like a self-saucing pudding — try it with a scoop of ice cream for a truly indulgent finish.
If you don’t finish it all, cover the mug with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a day or two — it keeps well.
More quick and easy desserts
- 5-minute chocolate banana ice cream (nice cream)
- 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake (kladdkaka)
- Easy magic lemon pudding
- No-bowl chocolate pecan bars (magic bars)
- 5-minute chocolate pots (4 ingredients)
Looking for more healthy snack ideas? Try a collection of healthy sweet snacks for simple, better-for-you treats.
Banana Mug Cake Recipe (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- ½ small banana (ripe is best)
- 1 small egg
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons milk (any kind)
- ⅓ cup almond flour (or almond meal)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ tablespoons white chocolate chips (or to taste)
Instructions
-
Mash the banana in a very large mug or small baking dish with a fork. Whisk in the egg.
-
Stir in the sugar, almond butter, and milk.
-
Fold in the almond flour/meal and baking soda, then stir in most of the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remainder on top.
-
Microwave on full power for 2 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then serve plain or with ice cream.
Notes
Cooking time: Start with 90 seconds if your microwave is powerful, then add 30 seconds if needed. Two minutes is a good guideline for most microwaves.
Substitutions: Swap almond flour for gluten-free plain flour. Coconut flour can be used but reduce to 1½ tablespoons. Any nut butter works in place of almond butter, or use 2 tablespoons oil for a nut-free option.
Serving: This is a generous mug cake that easily serves two. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for a day or two.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 29g,
Protein: 11g,
Fat: 24g
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2014 and later updated as a gluten-free mug cake. If you liked the original peanut-butter version, there’s a similar peanut butter mug cake on the blog that you might enjoy.