For those of us with a relentless sweet tooth, it can be a struggle: You just finished a delicious, filling meal, but there’s still something in you begging for a sweet treat. Baking up a whole batch of brownies, cupcakes or cookies is never convenient and takes too much time. Solution? Microwaved mug cakes! But beware — they’re often packed with heaps of butter and added sugar. Luckily, there are ways around using too much of these ingredients. We’ve scoured the Interwebs and found these 15 healthier mug cake recipes.
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15 Delicious Mug Cake Recipes
1. Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake
Chocolate hazelnut spread mixed with a healthier tablespoon of applesauce flavors this recipe. Plus, it can easily be made gluten-free by swapping in an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Jazz it up even more by adding chopped hazelnuts or chocolate chips before serving. Photo and recipe: Gina / Running to the Kitchen
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2. Sweet Potato Mug Cake
This vegan cake doesn’t compromise on taste or texture. Mashed sweet potatoes create a dense but moist base, while the combination of vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger send your taste buds to heaven. Top with some toasted nuts or pumpkin seeds for a slight crunch. Photo and recipe: Keirsten Frase / Oh My Veggies
3. German Chocolate Mug Cake
At just 240 calories, this dessert is the perfect option for chocoholics who live and die for decadent, rich cakes. This lightened up recipe uses whole-wheat flour, coconut oil and protein powder to achieve a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Photo and recipe: Lee Hersh / Life by DailyBurn
4. Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake
When you’re craving a classic cinnamon roll but don’t have time to whip up a batch of your own dough, this three-minute mug cake does the trick. If you want to cut down on sugar, use this reduced brown sugar recipe, or halve the ingredient in both the cake and glaze. The texture will be a bit different, but it will still taste decadent! Photo and recipe: Jaclyn / Cooking Classy
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5. 5-Minute Carrot Cake for One
If that carrot cake craving is kicking in hard, the measuring, mixing and mashing is well worth it for this dessert. Instead of grated fresh carrot, the recipe calls for canned carrots that are then pureed into the batter. (If you don’t have any on hand, pumpkin purée stands in just fine.) Slather the finished product with some Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting and enjoy. Photo and recipe: Katie / Chocolate Covered Katie
6. No-Bake Chocolate Cream Berry Fireworks Pie
Here’s one mug-sized treat that requires no cooking at all. Vegan chocolate chips, ground almonds, coconut flakes and almond milk combine to make a crust. Next, whip up the cream filling from coconut milk yogurt, cinnamon and sugar. Finish it off with fresh berries, freeze and dig in later. Photo and recipe: Richa / Vegan Richa
7. Single-Serve Funfetti Cupcake
Who doesn’t love Funfetti? This simple creation yields a single-serve cupcake reminiscent of the boxed cake mix we grew up loving so much. Applesauce (or vegan butter) replaces the butter or oil found in traditional recipes, while vanilla extract and sweetener of your choice help give it that classic cake flavor. And of course, sprinkles add the fun! Photo and recipe: Katie / Chocolate Covered Katie
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8. Oatmeal Nutella Mug Cake
Oats and pecans combine to make a concoction that’s made rich and indulgent by placing a dollop of Nutella in the center. An extra bit of baking powder and skipping out on egg keeps it light and fluffy. Not into Nutella? Try nut butter or cooked fruit instead. Photo and recipe: Faith Durand / The Kitchn
9. Nutella Mug Cake
Almond meal helps make this indulgence tender, nutty and delicious. Egg, nutella, vanilla extract and chocolate or peanut butter chips are the only other things you need. The result is a fudgy treat you don’t have to feel bad about loving. Photo: Kiran / Kiran Tarun
10. Paleo Mug Cake
Ready in four minutes! Coconut and almond flours prep a base while egg holds everything together. Add some maple syrup and vanilla extract for sweetness and throw on some chocolate chips. Photo and recipe: Liz / Paleo on a Budget
11. Banana Almond Mug Cake
Just a third of a cup of mashed banana sweetens the deal here (and that goes into the batter for four cakes!). Coconut flour and almond flour offer a healthy dose of fiber and protein. One of these cakes contains only 94 calories but five grams of protein — not bad for dessert! Photo and recipe: Melissa Sevigny / I Breathe… I’m Hungry…
12. Peanut Butter Microwave Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Peanut flour is the secret ingredient here. The high-fiber ingredient is also packed with protein, but is still low in fat. One cake packs 24 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and only eight grams of sugar. This recipe calls for a peanut butter topping, but fruit, jam or a drizzle of maple syrup are options as well. Photo and recipe: Jessica/ Desserts with Benefits
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13. Avocado Mug Cake
There’s no artificial coloring in this neon green cake — that’s all avocado, baby! The recipe does call for quite a bit of sugar — four and a half tablespoons to be exact — but feel free to substitute in Stevia or cut back on the sweetener altogether. Experiment to find out what works for you. Photo and recipe: Kirbie’s Cravings
14. Coconut Flour & Chocolate Mug Cake
Follow this recipe, and you’ll have a low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber cake in three minutes flat. The rich flavor comes from an unexpected ingredient in a chocolate cake: vanilla bean seeds! Once cooked, dress up this simple dish with peanut butter, fruit, coconut cream or yogurt. Photo and recipe: Charlotte and Russ / Goodness Green
15. High-Protein Tart Cherry Nutty Mug Cake
This cherry-filled mug looks almost more like a fruit buckle… but it’s much healthier. Powdered peanut butter and vanilla protein powder make up it’s bulk, while almond butter, honey and milk moisten the batter and help keep it tender. Add a small handful of frozen cherries before nuking for about two minutes, and they’ll be perfectly plump and juicy when time runs out. Top with whipped cream, Greek yogurt or ice cream. Photo and recipe: Regan Jones RD / Healthy Aperture
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Originally published on June 18, 2014. Updated March 2015.