After the huge hit that was my Gluten Free Chocolate Mug Cake, I wanted to play around some and create more mug cakes!
Mug cakes have been a staple in our house now for awhile.
It’s such a quick and much healthier dessert that’s ready in just minutes!
Now I’m all about chocolate normally, but I was really craving some peanut butter cookies last week, so the idea for this mug cake was born.
This recipe is made using healthier ingredients, but it’s definitely an indulgence.
My husband and I usually split one of these mug cakes since it makes such a large serving.
I love dessert, so if I’m going to treat myself, I use healthier substitutions.
It took me 3 tries to get this recipe just right. The first time it was a bit too dry, but the flavor was still awesome and we ate it with ice cream.
The second time it was not quite cake-y enough.
The third time I finally got it right! This cake tastes like a rich peanut butter cookie.
Not only is it delicious, but it’s also gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
The last time we ate this, I drizzled some dairy free chocolate syrup on top and enjoyed it with almond milk vanilla ice cream.
It was insanely good, like eating a healthy reese’s cake.
If you love peanut butter cookies, you’ve got to try this one!
- ½ cup creamy peanutbutter
- 2 tablespoons applesauce
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1½ tablespoons gluten free oat flour
- ½ teaspoon coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- Melt peanutbutter in a microwave safe mug for 30 seconds
- Add remaining ingredients and mix very well until combined
- Microwave for an additional 90 seconds, or until done
- Enjoy!
I wouldn’t exactly advertise this recipe as healthy! It is gluten-free, refined sugar free and dairy free which is great but you’re consuming over 800 calories in this single serving recipe which is not healthy.
Emily,
I didn’t say that this was healthy, however I would classify it as a healthier alternative to dessert. It has no junk in it at all. The peanutbutter I used has only two ingredients: peanuts and salt. I use normal peanutbutter for healthy fats in recipes. This is a large serving that I share with my husband. Many desserts are high calorie, and so are many cakes. This is what I like to enjoy for an indulgent treat that doesn’t leave me feeling sluggish from sugar. I believe that everything in moderation can be healthy, and if you’re going to enjoy a cake for dessert, than it should be made using healthier ingredients!
Where on earth did you get “800 calories” from?
1/2 a cup of peanut butter contains about 800 calories. Plus calories from the flours and maple syrup.
Oh my god are you stupid? CALORIES ARE NOT UNHEALTHY. Some people actually needs 3000+ calories a day, it’s called working out and needing food. Unsalted peanut butter is super healthy, and so is the rest of the ingrediens here. This recipe IS healthy, but if you’re losing weight this is not for you. It doesn’t make it any less healthy.
Well I think what makes this dessert AWESOME is that it doesn’t have any empty calories! Sweet, indulgent but still nourishing with all the benefits of healthy fats and whole grains. I will be giving it a try soon for sure!
Thanks Emma!!
any applesauce substitute? would butter do?
Olive oil or melted butter should work!
I JUST MADE THIS and it is so delicious! I’m new to eating GF and this saved me from making a bad snack decision as well as deeply satisfied my craving for something sweet and cakey. Thank you for such a lovely recipe! I didn’t have applesauce or oat flour onhand but I subbed pumpkin for the applesauce and almond flour for the oat flour, still delectable! To counter the first comment, there are more refined products that are marketed as healthy, but homemade options are a far better choice. It’s about content and nutrition in moderation, not just calories. This made a huge impact on my dessert options! Bravo!
Miranda,
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for letting me know!
I would like to try this recipe because it is dairy free, however I do not need it to be GF. Could I use regular all purpose flour in place of the gluten free oat flour and coconut flour?
Hi Colleen,
I have used 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour in replacement before, so I would think all purpose would work also. Sometimes the ratio of whole wheat to all purpose can be tricky, so if you don’t use whole wheat flour, I would try maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons of all purpose. Let me know how it works for you!
I just made this! It was perfectly cake-like and doubled in size! I didn’t have the flours listed on hand so I used g/f all purpose and it turned out great. THANKS!
So glad you liked it Sarah!
I’m dying to try this recipe but don’t have a microwave 🙁 Is there anyway that I could make it without the microwave?
Hi Sarah,
You can bake it in the oven also! It will just take longer. Just use an oven safe dish and bake at 350. I’m not sure how long it would take, but just watch it. I would think around 15-20 minutes. Let me know how it goes!
Joy!
20 minutes and it was perfection 😀 Great recipe!!!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it Sarah!!
I have been trying a lot of mug cakes lately and most of them are really nasty. This one is PERFECT. I keep coming back to it. It has perfect density. It rises perfectly. It tastes amazing. Absolutely LOVE this mug cake. Thank you!
So glad you love it Susan!!
Oh my goodness, this mug cake was absolutely delicious, especially for being gluten-free! Your blog is awesome!!!!
I’m so glad you liked it Rachel!
I just made it. I had made some chunky dense homemade applesauce so I added that and I added only 1/4 tsp vanilla because I forgot the amount and I usually use a 1/4 tsp. I also let it rest for 15 mins after mixing so I think that’s why it didn’t rise much.
Next time I’ll add yogurt instead of applesauce, a pinch of baking soda and the full 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence. I think yogurt should work of applesauce. It works in brownies as a substitute for oil( as does applesauce).
Thanks for the recipe! I was looking for a mug cookie recipe that doesn’t involve chocolate chips. And that you don’t have to separate the egg is a bonus!.
This sounds so yummy! Is there anyway of making this cake flourless?? (Like, could I make this cake just using oats?)
Hi,
Do you think I could substitute the egg with a vegan egg ( 1 T ground flaxseed, 3T water). This sounds amazing!!!
Hi Heidi,
I’ve used vegan eggs before and they usually turn out good. While I haven’t tried it myself, I think it would work. Let me know if you try it!