This chocolate mug cake is the easiest dessert you’ll ever make. Made in the microwave and ready in under 5 minutes, it produces a rich and fudgy cake just like a brownie. It’s also completely dairy free, vegan, and egg free. Top it with some dairy free vanilla ice cream and chocolate topping and enjoy!
Let me introduce you to my late night obsession. I have gone through periods of my life where I was straight up addicted to making chocolate mug cakes for dessert.
I would be sitting watching tv and know the best way to make the evening better was with a warm and cosy sweet treat. This chocolate mug cake is the perfect answer to any dessert craving. I’ve tried so many combinations and variations over the years but finally I have found the best, works every time, version that you wont be able to say no to.
It comes together in just 5 minutes and produces a proper, soft and rich chocolate cake that, like most chocolate puddings, is only made better with a scoop of ice cream.
If you love this mug cake, make sure to try my other versions as well!
Key Ingredients
This vegan chocolate mug cake is super simple to make using just a few pantry staple ingredients, no egg required!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dairy free butter – melted, this is the base of your batter and keeps the cake lovely and moist. I’ve tried it with a neutral oil instead and while it works, the flavour simply isn’t as good. I always use Nuttelex Buttery which is an Australian product. In the US, the closest alternative is Earth Balance which I understand to be very similar.
- Dairy free milk – oat milk is my personal favourite here as that’s what I always use but any dairy free milk such as almond milk or soy milk will work just fine.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Baking powder – helps give the cake lift and keeps it light and fluffy.
- Cocoa powder – use a good quality cocoa powder for the best chocolate flavour. I’ve used Cadbury Bournville cocoa powder my entire life because it’s made from the same beans Cadbury uses to make their chocolate so you know it’s going to taste good. For those in the US, this is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- White sugar – all sugar in Australia, Europe and the UK is vegan, but if you’re in the US you may want to use organic to be sure.
- Vanilla Extract – essential in any chocolate dessert to enhance the richness of the chocolate flavour.
- Dark chocolate – optional as you may not have it when the mug cake craving hits, but if you do it just creates a delicious melty pool of chocolate that is so good. Dairy free chocolate chips also work!
You’ll Also Love: Vegan Brownies
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a microwave-safe mug (at least 250ml / 8.5 fl oz capacity), mix the dairy free butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and dairy free milk and stir until just combined.
Step 2: Press a piece of dark chocolate into the top of the batter.
Step 3: Microwave on high (800W) for 60–90 seconds, or until the cake has risen and the top looks set but is still slightly soft in the centre. Microwaves vary, so start at 60 seconds and add 10-second bursts as needed.
Step 4: Top with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce (I like Hershey’s chocolate syrup which is dairy free) and enjoy immediately.
👉 Do not over cook! When in doubt, a mug cake is ALWAYS better on the underbaked side. Take it out when the centre still looks slightly soft as the residual heat in the mug will continue cooking it for another 30 seconds or so. Leave it in too long and you risk ending up with a dense, rubbery texture, which is definitely not what we want.
Recipe FAQs
No, this recipe is specifically designed for the microwave, so an oven isn’t a direct swap.
Yes, if you’re not dairy free or vegan, regular butter and cow’s milk will work perfectly in this recipe.
This is usually a sign of overcooking. Microwave wattages vary quite a bit, so if yours runs hot, try starting at 50–55 seconds and working up in 10-second increments.
Over mixing the batter can also affect the texture, so make sure to mix just until combined.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More vegan chocolate recipes:
Vegan Chocolate Pancakes
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Vegan Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter melted
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dairy free milk such as oat milk
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Heaped ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 square dark chocolate optional
- dairy free vanilla ice cream to serve
- chocolate topping such as hershy’s chocolate sauce, to serve
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe mug (at least 250ml capacity), mix the dairy free butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the dairy free milk and stir to combine. Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until just combined. Press the dark chocolate square if using into the top of the batter.
- Cook on high (800W) for 60–90 seconds, or until the cake has risen and the top looks set but is still slightly soft in the centre. Cooking times can vary between microwaves, so start at 60 seconds and add 10-second bursts as needed.
- Top with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and chocolate topping, and enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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