Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

If you’re craving a little something sweet, this chocolate chip mug cake is the perfect personal-sized dessert. Yellow cake is dotted with melty milk chocolate chips, and there’s no oil needed!

Alright, so majority of you know that I’m “the mug cake queen” and if you’ve been making my mug cakes, you’ll know that my traditional mug cake recipes are made from scratch. I’ve done some testing and now I’ve made mug cakes even easier for you — yes, it’s possible!

I love my classic chocolate mug cake, but sometimes even dessert in a mug can be a lot. Mug cakes are usually made with a few tablespoons of oil, and while I definitely believe when you want to indulge you should indulge, sometimes you want a cake that’s a bit lighter. Enter: this chocolate chip mug cake. It’s not as heavy or rich as a traditional mug cake, but it’s every bit as delicious!

Instead of calling for all that oil, you make this mug cake with applesauce. (Yes, this mug cake is practically wholesome!) And to make it even easier, you don’t even have to measure out baking powder, flour, sugar—you just scoop a few tablespoons of yellow cake mix instead. So easy! Keep a box of cake mix on hand in the pantry for all those times when you need a mug cake fix.

Mug cakes are always good as-is—I mean, it is cake after all—but I like to customize mine with toppings to take it to the next level. I share some ideas below!

What You’ll Need

You’re only 4 ingredients away from a homemade dessert! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Yellow cake mix – Any cake mix you like will work. I used Duncan Hines.
• Water
• Applesauce – Use plain unsweetened applesauce. You can substitute ½ tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of water if you don’t have applesauce on hand.
• Milk chocolate chips – Or use semisweet chocolate chips if that’s what you have. A chopped chocolate bar will work, too.

Ideas for Garnishes

• Whipped cream
• Frosting
• Sprinkles
• Chocolate syrup
• Caramel sauce
• Additional chocolate chips
• Ice cream
• Chopped candy bars (Over-the-top? Yes. But SO GOOD.)
• Chopped walnuts
• Nutella

How to Make Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

Making this recipe couldn’t be any easier. Start with an 8-ounce microwave-safe mug, then follow the instructions below.

Prepare. Spray the inside of the mug with non-stick spray.  

Make the batter. Stir together the cake mix, water, applesauce and chocolate chips in the mug until smooth.

Microwave the cake. Place the mug in the microwave and heat at full power for 1 minute. Cool, then garnish and enjoy.

How Do You Know When a Mug Cake Is Done?

The top of the cake should feel dry and spring back when you press it with your finger. Although I suggest a 1-minute cooking time, microwaves vary a lot, so if yours tends to cook faster, check the cake after 45 seconds; if yours usually takes longer, you might need to add more cooking time in 15-second intervals.

Can I Make This in the Oven?

This recipe was developed for the microwave and I haven’t tested it in the oven. Plus, an oven will never give you the “cake in minutes” results you’re probably looking for!

How to Store Leftovers

Mug cake is best eaten warm out of the microwave. If you do have some left that you’d like to save, cover the mug with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to a day. You can let it come to room temperature before eating, or warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

No measuring flour, sugar, and baking powder! This chocolate chip mug cake might just be the easiest you'll ever make!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 6 minutes

Servings: 1

Author: Julie Chiou

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Ingredients 

½1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons yellow cake mix
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon water
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons apple sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk chocolate chips
• ▢ Optional garnish: whipped cream, frosting, sprinkles, chocolate syrup

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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Instructions

• Spray the inside of a microwave safe mug with non-stick spray (you want to use a mug that holds at least 8 ounces). Add the cake mix, water, applesauce and chocolate chips to your mug. Stir the ingredients together until smooth.
• Bake in the microwave at full power for 1 minute.
• Allow to cool slightly before eating.
• Garnish with whip cream, chocolate frosting or even ice cream!

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 412 kcal | Carbohydrates: 86 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 4 mg | Sodium: 652 mg | Potassium: 64 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 50 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake in a cup, easy mug cake, microwave cake