Keto mug cake is perfect when you need a delicious dessert in a flash. There’s nothing easier or more comforting than this easy sugar-free snickerdoodle cake. Only 5 minutes, start to finish!
Mug cakes were an absolute revelation for me when I first started food blogging. Wait…what? You mean you can make cake in 5 minutes flat? And you can just do one or two servings? You can have cake any old time?
I could hardly fathom it. In my experience, baking a cake took quite a bit of time and effort. So when I tried making my first keto mug cake, I was totally floored
Done right, it’s just as airy and delicious as cake baked in the oven. And since this Snickerdoodle Mug Cake has long been one of my most popular recipes, I think I’ve done it right!
If you love cookies make sure sure to also check out my Keto Snickerdoodles.
Why you will love this recipe
If you’re a dessert lover who’s short on time, keto mug cake is the way to go. And there are so many great ways to make it, with just about any flavor you want.
You can make keto chocolate mug cakes, peanut butter mug cakes, and even blueberry lemon. I also have a wonderful recipe for a gooey keto mug brownie. The possibilities are endless.
They take a handful of basic ingredients that you likely already have in your keto pantry. You only need a little flour, some sweetener, eggs, oil, and liquid to make them.
They are also easily adapted for any dietary restrictions, such as nut-free or dairy-free. So everyone can enjoy these quick and easy cakes.
Reader testimonials
Outstanding! Just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy that cake craving!The only difference is I used golden monkfruit instead of Swerve granular.I will definitely be making this again, thank you! — Kathy
Best keto mug cake recipe I have ever tried! And I have tried many. I only made one serving and used the whole egg instead of trying to split it. Haha. Was out of cream so I put water in its place. Was still delicious! I am sure it would even be better if I could have followed it to a t. — Sarab
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: To make it nut free, swap out almond flour with sunflower seed flour.
- Coconut flour: This helps the consistency of the cake and also reduced the carb count.
- Sweetener: Use your favorite granular sweetener. This recipe works with Swerve, BochaSweet or allulose.
- Ground cinnamon: You can’t have snickerdoodles without plenty of cinnamon!
- Cream of tartar and baking soda: Snickerdoodle cookies are made with baking soda and cream of tartar. They give the cookies a unique tangy flavor, so that’s what I used in this keto mug cake as well. If you don’t have these ingredients, you can use ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, butter, cream, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step by step directions
1. Cinnamon “sugar”: Make this first so that you can sprinkle it into the middle of the batter as well as on the top. In a small bowl, whisk together sweetener and cinnamon for the topping. Set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the egg, butter, whipping cream, and vanilla extract. If your batter is overly thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. It should be just barely pourable.
4. Assemble the mug cake: Divide half the batter between two coffee mugs or ramekins. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Divide the remaining batter between mugs and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture.
5. Cook: Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until puffed and just barely cooked through. Remove and let cool 5 minutes.
Expert Tips and FAQ
Mug size: When baked in the microwave, these snickerdoodle keto mug cakes rise very rapidly. Make sure your mugs or ramekins are large enough to accommodate this. You want them to be at least 3/4 cup capacity and you don’t want to fill them more than two-thirds full.
Oven-baking: You can also make them in an oven or toaster oven too, but they will take longer. Bake it at 325ºF for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Dairy-Free Option: Use coconut oil or avocado oil in place of the butter, and coconut milk in place of the heavy cream.
Nut-Free Option: Use sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour. But remember to add a little lemon juice (1 tablespoon) to offset the funny green reaction.
This keto mug cake recipe has 7.4g of carbohydrate and 3.7g of dietary fiber. Thus it has 3.7g of NET CARBS per serving.
Because they cook so quickly, it’s easy to overcook mug cakes. I like to take mine out when the center still looks a little wet, to ensure that it’s not dried out. For these keto mug cakes, 90 seconds on high works well.
Yes, you can make these cakes in advance. Cover them tightly and store at room temperature for 1 day. 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.
Serving suggestions:
- I eat keto mug cake right out of the mug, but you can also flip them out onto a dish. Make sure you grease the ramekin or mug very well if you plan on doing this.
- Take your cakes to the next level with a little whipped cream or keto ice cream.
- The Mini Snickerdoodle Cookies from High Key looks so adorable on top.
- If you really want to gild the lily, try drizzling it with some of my keto caramel sauce!
Keto Mug Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling/Topping:
- 2 tsp Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mug Cakes:
- 5 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp melted butter, (try avocado oil for dairy-free)
- 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Water to thin batter, if necessary
Instructions
Filling/Topping:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sweetener and cinnamon. Set aside.
Mug Cakes:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Add the egg, butter, whipping cream, and vanilla extract and stir until well combined. If your batter is overly thick, add water, 1 tsp at a time. It should be just barely pourable.
- Divide half the batter between two coffee mugs or ramekins. Sprinkle with half of the topping mixture. Divide the remaining batter between mugs and sprinkle with the remaining topping mixture.
- Cook on high in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until puffed and just barely cooked through.
- Remove and let cool 5 minutes. Serve warm with lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Mug cakes are so wonderful right?! Loving this one for snickerdoodle! Perfect for when a quick treat is needed to satisfy my sweet tooth!
Snickerdoodle is the best flavor!
How fun is this?! I love single serving desserts.
Perfect size for a quick after dinner treat! And the flavors are spot on!!
This looks amazing. 2 questions, do I have to ise cream of tartar and cam i just ise staight erythitol?
No, and yes. No you don’t need the cream of tartar but if you skip it, it won’t be a snickerdoodle. yes you can use plain erythritol.
I make this for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack a few times a week. My 8 yr old son loves it too! Thanks, Carolyn
It was excellent!
This has become my go to mug cake. Made it for breakfast for hubby and me before the marathon cooking session today!
Yummmmmmm! Haven’t been having much luck with sweets lately on THM but this looked easy and promising. Asked my husband if he wanted one of them and he said no, that he would eat a bit of mine. Made it and it was so delicious that he DID end up eating all of the second one. Bummer for me, lol. So delicious. I only had powdered Swerve, and it worked just fine. Used the butter option and didn’t put anything else on top except the cinnamon and swerve. So good…made it for dessert tonight and will be making it for breakfast again tomorrow morning 🙂
Glad you liked it!
Hi Carolyn,
If I made this mug cake tonight, would it be just as good in the morning?
We are leaving very early in the morning and just want to grab n go.
Thanks, Teresa
Sorry, I did not see your comment until this morning, Hope you made it!
Just made this for breakfast and it’s amazing. I had mine with a few pieces of bacon on the side. This is a keeper for sure!
We tried this today. So yummy, fluffy and delicious! My kids and husband loved it. Definitely a keeper!
We used honey as the sweetener and turned out great:)
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This recipe looks great – not sure if we can get swerve here in NZ – can I use Nativa? Would it be as good?
yes, it should be fine.
This is the best mug cake I’ve ever had. It didn’t taste “low carb” at all! Will definitely make again. Might use the base to make another flavor, too!
The first time I made it i forgot the butter. The 2nd time I made it with the butter and it was amazing. The taste and texture was like a slice of cinnamon cake. I sliced it in the morning and sauted in Waldens maple syrup and butter and I had frenchtoast!. Fantastic recipe.
What a lovely idea for breakfast!
I finally made this Snickerdoodle mug cake and I am so in love with it! I made one small change based on my pantry- swapped 1 TBSP of the butter for 1 of unrefined coconut oil. It was just amazing. We had the cauliflower shepherd”s pie for dinner tonight also.
Wonderful meal. Thanks to your creativity, even my husband doesn’t feel deprived while following Keto.
So glad you liked them!
I have tried other mug cakes and have to say most off them have been like flavoured sawdust in a cup. This was delicious!! (I ate both servings :() I am always craving cinnamon so they were perfect, thanks so much Caroline for another wonderful recipe!
Just finished making AND DEVOURING this recipe! Made some homemade whipped cream to go with it, but it was delightfully moist on its own. Thanks for sharing!
What is the purpose of the cream of tartar? I can’t get it where I live. What would be a sutible substitute? Thanks
You can skip it. It helps give the recipe a funny tangy taste, supposedly.
I used 1/4 tsp of lemon juice. Tasted yummy!
Made this immediately. It was fabulous. I think it’s even easier than some of the other mug cakes I’ve been making. And delicious! If I split the recipe into two small ramekins, it takes exactly one minute in my (not as nice as yours) microwave. If I bake it all together, it takes two minutes. Either way, thank you so much for this amazing recipe.