Easy and delicious, this low carb chocolate hazelnut mug cake is sure to satisfy all your cravings!
Sometimes a girl just wants cake. Wait, let me rephrase that. Sometimes a girl just needs cake. Sweet, warm chocolatey cake, the ultimate in comfort foods. Bonus points if it’s actually quite healthy but doesn’t taste even remotely like it. Extra bonus points if it takes all of, say, 15 minutes to make. No, I didn’t say 15 minutes to cook, I said 15 minutes to make. As in, from start to finish. As in, from the moment you get out your ingredients to the moment you put that first bite in your mouth. That’s the kind of cake I want in my life. N0, wait, let me rephrase that. That’s the kind of cake I need in my life.
I’ve seen recipes for mug cake many, many times. I don’t know why on earth I never tried it before. But I was inspired when assigned to A Little Nosh for this months’ Secret Recipe Club. Her Chocolate Mug Cake for Two seemed like just the thing I wanted to make. But obviously not with flour and sugar. It didn’t take a whole lot of thinking to make it over into a low carb, gluten free version, however. Mug cake is pretty much ideal for this kind of overhaul. It doesn’t have to come out of the mug, so there are no worries about it holding together. It doesn’t really even need to look very pretty, because all you can see is the very top and you can always plop some whipped cream on it to jazz it up a bit. And it comes out of the microwave so warm and, if you undercook it a bit, nice and gooey.
A Little Nosh is a wonderful blog and there are lots of healthy, creative recipes to browse. Amy is a working mom living in the DC suburbs with a tiny kitchen. I give her a big thumbs up for working in such a small space…I’ve been there and I know it’s not easy! So please be sure to head on over to her blog and check out her collection of recipes!
Chocolate Hazelnut Mug Cake – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup hazelnuts toasted (and skinned, if you want)
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon granular Swerve sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon hazelnut oil or melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon hazelnut or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grind hazelnuts in food processor until they resemble coarse meal. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Whisk in cocoa powder, Swerve, baking powder and salt.
- Stir in cream, oil, egg, and hazelnut extract until batter is well-combined.
- Divide between 2 mugs and microwave each for about 1 minute. Remove and let cool a minute or two, then dig in!
Notes
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Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
sounds so good! I am putting this on my list
Parsley Sage says
These are genius! I’ve recently made a new friend and it seems like all we do is eat but she’s gotta do gluten free. This is totally bookmarked for our next brunch 🙂
Katie says
I’m going to make this!! It sounds wonderful. I have no microwave — do you know how long it might take in a mug-sized dish in the oven? If not, I’ll wing it. 😀
mfg says
Any word on the baking time/temp?
Carolyn says
Hmmmm, I am not sure. I’d go 325F and bake for 5 minutes first, then in 2 minute increments after that. You want it to puff up and be firm around the edges, but still kind of undercooked in the middle for that gooeyness. Does that help?
In Katrina's Kitchen says
I have yet to make a mug cake. This looks fun and different.
Veronica says
This looks nice and fudgy, and totally decadent! Hard to believe it’s healthy too! Did you think it was kinda like a brownie b/c that’s what it reminds me of.
Carolyn says
As long as you undercook it a bit, it is rather brownie like.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
Yup, sometimes a dude just want’s cake too 🙂 In 15 minutes, that is awesome!
Great post, take care..
Alice B. says
This looks and sounds SOOOO good! Cannot wait to try! I was seeing entries about mug cakes at Pinterest just a couple of days ago. Now there’s one I can make and eat and enjoy, all guilt-free and still feel good afterward!!
Thank you, Carolyn!
Karen says
Holy cow! Yes, I definitely need this in my life. 15 minutes?? That’s my kind of dessert!
Karen says
Holy cow! Yes, I definitely need this in my like. 15 minutes?? That’s my kind of dessert!
Karen says
ha! I tried to edit before this went through…no luck, and then I got scolded by your blog for posting comments too quickly! lol.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am sold, like as in right now I am heading to the kitchen to make one for me. Delicious!
amy@currylime says
A chocolate hazelnut cake? That is ridiculously quick and easy to make? A very, very dangerous thing indeed!
Kankana says
I make this all the time, specially since hubby doesn’t like dark chocolate and I eat only that 😉
aarean says
wow this looks so good and who woulda thought it was gluten free?!?! Lovin’ your site…I actually linked your corn and zucchini salad in my Color Issue post today!!! 🙂
xoxo
Aarean
colorissue.blogspot.com (come on over and follow along!)
Lisa~~ says
Delicious, low carb & gluten free, I am SO saving this recipe to make very soon. Wonderful SRC choice.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my SRC entry, it too is chocolate, lower carb and gluten free: Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Wanda / MaidOfSteel says
I really like your approach on nutrition, seem to be very level-headed. And I’m definitely going to try this amazing recipe out buuut… I have a little problem. I cut out any dairy off my diet – do you have any suggestion what migth work well instead of the heavy cream?
Carolyn says
Sure! You could really use almost any liquid here. Almond milk would work just fine.
Naomi Most says
I’d suggest coconut milk from a can, actually. Just made it myself, worked great!
melissa@IWasBornToCook says
Sometimes? I need cake ALL the time 😉
Nicole @ The Daily Dish says
This looks so scrumptious. I love mug cakes, but this one is so much better than the simple one we make! Great recipe!
Eric says
These look great. Any idea what the 2/3 cup of hazelnuts would weigh? I have a bag of ground hazelnut meal from Bob’s Red Mill that I need to use up, and this looks like just the ticket.
Also, I recently used Swerve for the first time making a Chocolate mousse cake for a July 4th bash. OMG! I have finally found a low carb sweetener that I can use, and it sort of feels like I got my life back. Thanks for recommending it.
Carolyn says
I actually just weighed out 2/3 cup of hazelnuts and it comes to about 2.7 or 2.8 ounces. Does that help you?
Eric says
Yes, that’s great. Thanks. Can’t wait to try these, but I need to get cream. Sigh!
Love your recipes, and envy you the knowledge of how the low carb products will react in a recipe. I’ve only been doing this for 6 months, so still trying to figure it all out. Still miss my sourdough bread, though.
Amy @ A Little Nosh says
So glad you were able to adapt it to meet your needs. Yours looks much prettier than mine did!
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
Oh hazelnuts… so under appreciated. I love what you’ve done here. Looks marvelous!