Craving a quick but delicious low carb dessert? This Keto Lemon Mug Cake is the solution. It’s bursting with luscious lemon blueberry flavor, and it takes just minutes to make.
And not only is it keto-friendly, but it packs in 18 grams of protein per serving. Which means you can satisfy your cravings and support your daily protein goals at the same time. I enjoy it as a high protein, low carb breakfast option too.
There’s a reason mug cakes are so darn popular with the keto crowd. They are simple to make and they work out well with low carb ingredients. They also have built in portion control, often serving only one to two people. And the flavor options are virtually endless – be sure to try my Snickerdoodle Keto Mug Cake too.
This is actually an update of a very (very!) old recipe that I published back in 2014. It was in desperate need of an update. Now I’ve made it lower in carbs, higher in protein, and just as delicious.
If you love lemon, this Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake will be your new go-to for easy keto desserts.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – ready in just a few minutes from start to finish.
- High protein – nearly 18 grams per serving to help keep you full and satisfied.
- Keto-friendly – only 5.3g net carbs per serving.
- Fresh, bright taste – tangy lemon pairs perfectly with juicy blueberries.
- Dessert for two – no leftovers temping you to over-indulge.
- No special equipment – just a mug and a microwave.
Ingredient Notes
- Greek yogurt: If you can find Two Good yogurt near you, it’s higher protein and lower carb.
- Lemon: You will use a little juice and zest from a fresh lemon.
- Almond flour: To make it nut free, swap out almond flour with sunflower seed flour.
- Protein powder: You can use any kind of protein powder here. Whey, egg white, plant-based, or even collagen. See Tips for success for a more detailed discussion.
- Sweetener: Any brand of granular sweetener works in this recipe
- Blueberries: You can also use fresh raspberries or blackberries, too. Or skip the berries to save on carbs!
- Kitchen staples: Egg, baking powder, and salt.
Overview: How to Make Keto Lemon Mug Cake
- Mix the wet ingredients: Combine the yogurt, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add the blueberries.
- Bake: Divide the batter between two lightly greased mugs and cook each in the microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes.
Tips for Success
There isn’t much you need to do to make keto mug cake successfully. But I do want to dig a bit deeper into the protein powder and sweetener options. I strive to give my readers the tools to make informed decisions about their ingredients.
The protein powder: As mentioned above, you can use any kind of protein powder you like best. But if you do choose collagen (and its close cousin, bone broth protein), you may find the cake doesn’t rise as well. It may also be a little more gummy. You may need to cook it longer to offset this.
If you choose not to use protein powder, you will need an additional 3 tablespoons of almond flour and another 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. It will be higher in carbs.
Sweeteners: I often steer readers away from allulose when baking keto cakes, as it can cause them to darken considerably on the outside. However, these mug cakes are cooked in ceramic in the microwave, so your favorite sweetener should work just fine. I used allulose for mine!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make these keto lemon mug cakes with coconut flour, but you will need only about 2 tablespoons. You may also need to add a bit more yogurt (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) and an additional 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Do note that the carb count will vary with the ingredients.
This lemon blueberry mug cake recipe has 7.6g of carbs and 2.3g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, that comes to 5.3g carbs per mug cake.
Absolutely! In fact, I enjoyed mine more the next day, after the flavors had mellowed. Once baked, cover them tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until just warm.
Keto Lemon Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp (45.65 g) Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (37.33 g) almond flour
- 3 tbsp protein powder, (unflavored)
- 1 tbsp sweetener, erythritol or allulose
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp fresh blueberries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Stir in the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add the blueberries and stir until well distributed.
- Divide the batter between two lightly greased mugs or ramekins (at least 4 ounce capacity).
- Cook each cake in the microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes. If you cook them both at the same time, they will need a bit more time (30 to 60 seconds more).
- Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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So easy to make. I put 120g Greek Joghurt 0%. It changed the texture and made it so light. I also used frozen blueberries and baked both cakes 3 minutes. It is delicious. Thank you so much for your recipes.
Hi, I would love to make these, but I’m unfortunately lactose intolerant. Could they be made with a coconut based plain yogurt?
As promised, this is a fast and flavorful little dessert, with a good texture. My husband, who doesn’t have to eat low carb even gave it a thumbs up.
So glad you both enjoyed it!
Yummy
This sounds yummy but I don’t own a microwave oven and I’m wondering if this recipe can be baked in an oven or steam oven instead?
It can but I don’t know the timing (temp should be 325F). So that will require some experimentation on your part.
I looked up a few other mug cakes, her Snickerdoodle mug cake in particular, and that one said for oven baking 325*F for 15-20 minutes. That’s somewhere to start I’d think.
Under mods for using coconut flour, it says use an extra “1/4 cup of baking soda”! I’m guessing you meant 1/4 tsp?
Would coconut cream work instead of yogurt? I need to be dairy free and didn’t see any sub for that.
can’t wait to try this (off to buy lemons!). in the notes about converting to coconut flour, you mention adding more baking powder. did you mean a quarter teaspoon instead of cup? thanks!
Busy eating a bowl of your crunchy granola!😋
Can you use frozen blueberries?
What if your microwave does not have the 50% function that you mention in your directions? Am I out of luck with this delicious looking mug cake? Thank you for any tips.
Not necessarily… you can stop and start your microwave every 20 seconds or so to let the cake cook a bit more slowly. Basically, once you see it rising over the edge of the ramekin, stop it for a few seconds, then start it again. Keep doing that until it’s done.
How can I make this without a microwave?
Sounds like you need to experiment! 🙂
there’s a small error in the section you talk about using coconut flour. You say to add an additional 1/4 CUP of baking powder, but it should read 1/4 TEASPOON. Looking forward to trying it soon!