This easy Chocolate Mug Cake is rich, chocolatey, and ready in under 5 minutes! Made with pantry staples and no eggs, it’s the perfect single-serving treat for late-night cravings or after-school snacks.
When I went to pastry school 20+ years ago, I never thought I’d become a mug cake expert. But two mug cake-obsessed teenagers changed all that. I’ve perfected my base recipe that uses butter, not eggs, for richness and texture. And I am happy to have a chocolate version alongside my Banana Mug Cake, my Oreo Mug Cake, and my Chocolate Chip Mug Cake.
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Why Make This Recipe
- So easy: no mixer, no oven, simple ingredients, and minimal cleanup (this is why my teens love it)
- Great texture: moist and not rubbery
- Chocolate lovers dream: the combo of chocolate cake with chocolate chips is divine, perfect for those late night chocolate cravings
🥗 Ingredients for Chocolate Cake in a Mug
- Butter: I usually use unsalted butter, but salted butter works as well! (And, you can replace with vegetable oil instead.)
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the way to go for the right texture.
- Cocoa Powder: A high quality unsweetened cocoa powder makes all the difference! I love Valrhona cocoa powder, but use what you can find.
- Milk: 2% preferred in this recipe, but use what you have on hand. Non-dairy milk works too!
- Chocolate Chips: Love the little pockets of melted chocolate in this mug cake, but you can leave these out if you don’t have them.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl in the microwave and let cool slightly.
Mix the dry ingredients in a microwave-safe mug: 5 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
Stir in the wet ingredients: 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon water, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and the melted butter. Stir in 2 tablespoons chocolate chips.
Microwave for 80 seconds on high. Let cool for a minute or two.
Top with whipped cream and more chocolate chips, if desired.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Chocolate Mug Cake
Yes—use a plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk and substitute 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, coconut oil, or a vegan butter for the regular butter in the recipe.
Overmixing or overcooking can make a microwave cake dense or rubbery. Stir just until flour is incorporated and keep a close eye on cook time. If your microwave runs hot, you may need to reduce the amount of time you bake it.
You can try replacing the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour in this recipe. But I highly recommend switching to this Chocolate Almond Flour Mug Cake recipe if you want a gluten-free chocolate mug cake.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
If you’ve ever wanted homemade chocolate cake without the fuss, this easy mug cake recipe is for you. Let me give you some tips to make sure it comes out perfectly:
- Use a standard-size mug (at least 10–12 oz) with straight sides: this makes it easier for the cake to rise.
- Don’t overmix the batter—stir just until combined. Overmixing makes for a rubbery texture.
- Microwave power can vary. If the top has very small patches that still look at little wet, that is fine—it will cook a little bit more after you remove from the microwave. But if your cake still looks wet in the center, microwave in 5–10 second bursts until done.
- Scrape the cake batter down the sides of the mug before baking so you don’t get any hard overcooked spots on the edges
- Wait a minute or two before digging in—these cakes get hot!
Want to make this quick dessert even easier? Skip melting the butter and replace with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
Want to get creative with new flavors the next time you try this microwave mug cake recipe? Try using peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips instead. Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter and top with chopped peanuts or almonds. Almond extract or raspberry extract can be used in addition or instead of the vanilla extract. And of course, besides whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, you could top with something fun like Strawberry Coulis.
Other Mug Cake Recipes
Looking for another easy recipe for mug cakes to try after this one? I’ve got plenty! Here are few favorites:
If you try this easy Chocolate Mug Cake recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Easy Chocolate Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave and let cool slightly.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a microwave-safe mug.
- Stir in milk, water, vanilla extract, and the melted butter.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 80 seconds on high.
- Let cool for a minute or two.
- Top with whipped cream and more chocolate chips, if desired.
Notes
- Use a standard-size mug (at least 10–12 oz) with straight sides: this makes it easier for the cake to rise.
- Don’t overmix the batter—stir just until combined. Overmixing makes for a more rubbery texture.
- Microwave power can vary. If the top has very small patches that still look at little wet, that is fine—it will cook a little bit more after you remove from the microwave. But if your cake still looks wet in the center, microwave in 5–10 second bursts until done.
- Scrape the cake batter down the sides of the mug before baking so you don’t get any hard overcooked spots on the edges.
- Wait a minute or two before digging in—these cakes get hot!
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this microwave Chocolate Mug Cake recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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