This Banana Mug Cake bakes in the microwave in exactly 90 seconds. Warm, light and fluffy, with gooey melted chocolate chips and crunchy walnuts, it is the fastest way to enjoy a warm banana chocolate chip muffin!
I wanted a banana mug cake that is ultra soft, fluffy with full of banana flavor yet could be made in just 90 seconds in your microwave.
After experimenting with the air fryer to make banana muffins, I turned to the microwave to make a single serve banana mug cake, which is perfect for a late night craving.
More riper the better! As bananas ripen, the starch converts to sugar at an exponential state, that a very ripe fruit has almost three times the amount of fructose, when compared to a less ripe one.
Microwave allows very little energy to be lost outside, so it is extremely efficient in cooking evenly and rapidly like the chocolate chip cookie mug cake or mango mug cake.
Don't have an over ripe banana? Check out the round up post banana recipes for more ideas.
This is a perfect single serve dessert for one person like the almond flour chocolate chip cookie for one! If you'd like to double the recipe then split batter between two coffee mugs but cook one at a time.
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Why does this work?
Microwaves are a form of electro magnetic radiation with an ability to penetrate through the exterior of food, and cook or heat it, using the liquid inside. Because of this ability to cook food, it is perfect for baking a small cake, in a matter of minutes.
Ingredients
- Banana: You’ll need ½ of a very ripe, heavily speckled fruit.
- Flour: Helps in adding structure in the brief cooking time.
- Sugar - Although I refer brown sugar for the molasses flavor in recipes using bananas, white granulated sugar worked better in a microwave recipe.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon adds a sweet, spicy warmth.
- Butter - Melted unsalted butter gives the banana mug cake a nutty, rich flavor that I prefer.
- Baking powder - Double acting baking powder produces gas as soon as it comes in contact with the wet ingredients and then again when microwaved.
- Chocolate Chips - The melted bits of dark chocolate is especially decadent when enjoyed warm, like in pumpkin mug cake.
- Walnuts - Adds a bit of crunch bit skip to make it nut free.
Variations
You can enjoy this dessert on their own or personalize to make it your own:
- Add vanilla extract instead with ground cinnamon.
- Swirl in Nutella into the batter before cooking.
- Make it vegan - Use coconut oil instead of butter and vegan chocolate chips.
How to make?
1 & 2. Add butter into a microwave safe mug and microwave into just melted. Don't let it get hot.
3 & 4. Add mashed banana and sugar and mix until smooth.
Tip: Any standard coffee mug that is microwave safe works well. One important note to keep in mind is that the cake needs 90 seconds if using a wide cup and 95 seconds if cooking in a narrow cup. Don't have a handy mug? Any microwave safe bowl of similar size can be used instead.
5 & 6. Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
7 & 8. Add more chocolate chips on top. Microwave for 90 seconds.
Pro tip: Every microwave is different and you will get a hand of the timing, with a few tries. Although, it is better to remove a few seconds earlier than letting it over cook. Overcooking will make it drier and rubbery. If you think that it's not done in 90 seconds, then pop it in for a few more seconds, until cooked through.
How to serve?
Microwave mug cakes are meant to be enjoyed right away as it is a single serving dessert and it tends to get drier as it sits. So grab a spoon and dig in while it’s warm. A few toppings will elevate this banana mug cake. Here are a few suggestions:
- Sweetened greek yogurt
- Vanilla ice cream
- A drizzle of almond or peanut butter
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Sliced bananas
- Drizzle of Nutella
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Helpful tips
- Eat HOT - As with all mug cakes, it tends to get a little dry upon cooling. so, we recommend enjoying this as soon as it comes out of the microwave or in a few minutes.
- Use overripe banana- You will need about ½ medium banana. A well ripened banana that is too soft for eating is great for this.
- Sugar - 1 and ½ tablespoons sugar along with chocolate chips gives the right amount of sweetness without being too sweet. If you are skipping chocolate chips then increase sugar to 2 tablespoons.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted butter both will work here. Also, it is better to use room temperature butter, since it melts quicker without making the mug too hot.
- Walnuts - Chopped toasted pecans will be a great substitute as well.
- Chocolate Chips – I used semi sweet chocolate chips. Bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate chips will be delicious, but try staying away from milk chocolate chips.
- Want to make for two? Double the recipe and microwave in two cups.
- Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the model of your microwave.
- Don’t overcook. This will it gummy and rubbery.
Recipe FAQs
As soon as you mix the batter, the baking powder immediately begins producing gas, and that gas tries to escape into the air as it sits. So, cook your banana mug cake immediately after mixing and you get a tall , light fluffy interior. Let the batter sit for some time, you will get a dense, gummy cake with very few bubbles.
It could be because it was removed from the microwave, before it had a chance to cook through. Pop it back into the microwave and cook for a few seconds longer.
Your banana mug cake is rubbery, because you might have accidentally added more flour than the recipe called for or cooked it much longer than 90 seconds.
More mug cake recipes
Banana Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup mashed ripe bananas, about ½ medium
- 1 and ½ tablespoons sugar, refer notes
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and ¼ tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 and ¼ tablespoon chopped walnuts, divided
Instructions
- Place butter in a large microwave safe coffee mug. Microwave until just melted (don't let get very hot) about 30- 60 seconds. Tip: Room temperature butter melts in about 30 seconds whereas cold butter takes a bit longer.
- Remove mug from microwave and stir in mashed bananas and sugar. Add flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Stir well, until combined (If batter looks very thick then mix in ½ tablespoon milk). Then stir in 1 tablespoon each of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Sprinkle few chocolate chips and chopped walnuts on top.
- Microwave on high, for 90 seconds for a wide mug or 95 seconds for a tall, narrow mug. Do not cook longer! Tip: Do not open the microwave during the cooking time!
- Remove from microwave, cool for a few seconds before digging in.
Optional toppings
- You could top warm mug cake with Nutella / whipped cream / sliced bananas / toasted nuts / a pinch of sea salt.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Katherine | Love In My Oven
Mug cakes are SO clever! I always want something sweet after dinner and you don't always need a big piece of cake, right!? Banana chocolate chip is a terrific flavor...and the bananas mean I can have this for breakfast, right!?
LetsCurry
This definitely satisfies my cravings for an easy dessert. Bananas are so much versatile to chuck in a mug and have it as a chocy cake. Amazing recipe. Thanks Maria
Patrica
Delicious and just what I was looking for!
Maria Doss
Happy to hear, Maria
subira
best mug cake ever. i was honestly wowed! absolute perfection make this right now!! im allergic to nuts so i just used chocolate chips and it was just so delightful and yummy. more people should know about this recipe because it literally is a godsend.
Maria Doss
So glad you loved this mug cake hun, have a wonderful day - Maria❤️
JV
This recipe was exceptional. It was so moist, perfect amount of sweetness and a great way to use up some ripe bananas. I didn’t have any white sugar so I used coconut sugar. 10/10!!
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡