Banana Mug Cake

In just a few minutes, you can enjoy a delicious single-serving banana mug cake packed with the sweet flavors of ripe bananas. Don’t miss out on this easy and indulgent dessert!

Try my other flavors, like chocolate mug cake or pumpkin mug cake, for a seasonal twist.

Quick and easy banana mug cake with chopped walnuts.

Recipe Science

Mashing the banana and mixing it into the batter adds moisture and natural sweetness, resulting in a tender and flavorful mug cake.
The microwave’s rapid heating causes the baking powder to release carbon dioxide quickly, allowing the mug cake to rise and achieve a fluffy texture in minutes.
The starches and sugars in the banana caramelize slightly during cooking, enhancing the cake’s flavor and creating a rich, aromatic sweetness.

Why It Works

If you’re in the mood for a slice of banana bread but don’t have the time to bake a loaf from scratch, then try this easy banana mug cake recipe. It’s loaded with ripe fruit, cinnamon spice, and crunchy nuts. In just minutes, you’ll enjoy warm spoonfuls of delicious cake.

This dessert is perfect to make when you’ve got an overripe banana just waiting to be transformed into a tasty treat. Made with simple pantry staples, just mix, pour, and microwave. The crumb has a dense texture, similar to a muffin, so it’s like eating a single serving of banana bread.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make this banana mug cake recipe.

Flour: Use all-purpose flour for a tender crumb that holds the structure in the cup.
Sugar: For a molasses flavor and sweetness, use brown sugar. I use a light or golden brown variety, but you can use dark brown sugar for a stronger taste.
Leavening Agent: Use double-acting baking powder. Once mixed with the liquid ingredients, it will create bubbles, then a second reaction when heated to give the cake an instant rise in the microwave.
Seasoning: Add cinnamon for warm baked notes and vanilla extract. A little bit of salt enhances the taste of the ingredients.
Bananas: The bananas should be very ripe, with lots of brown speckles and patches on the skin. This indicates that more starch has been converted to fructose for a sweeter taste.
Eggs: The egg yolks add richness, and the egg whites help the cake’s rise.
Milk: The milk adds flavor, fat, and water to hydrate the flour for gluten development in the crumb.
Oil: Vegetable oil keeps the banana bread mug cake moist and tender.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

There are various tasty ways to switch up the flavor of this banana mug cake. Try these delicious suggestions:

Flour: Use gluten-free flour, almond flour, or oat flour. They will have a more denser texture. Use whole wheat flour for extra fiber.
Sweeter: Try coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, or granulated sugar for a clean sweetness. Use a combination for dimension.
Spices: Add nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, allspice, or cloves in addition to cinnamon. Add pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
Mix-ins: Stir in white or dark chocolate chips. Add nuts like walnuts, pecans, almonds, or peanuts. Add a nut butter swirl with peanut butter or almond butter.
Fruit: Add dried cranberries, raisins, diced apples, blueberries, or pears. Stir in pumpkin puree for a fall-inspired treat.

How to Make Banana Mug Cake

Salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour inside a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients

This recipe makes enough for two single-serving desserts. However, the ingredients can be easily adjusted for one mug cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure to break up any sugar clumps.

Egg, mashed banana, and milk added to a bowl of dry ingredients.

Step 2: Whisk in the Wet Ingredients

In the bowl of dry ingredients, add the mashed banana, milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix! This will make for a very springy banana cake.

Chopped walnuts being incorporated into a bowl of banana cake batter.

Stir in chopped walnuts. For the best rise, microwave the cakes right away. However, the batter can be covered, refrigerated, and cooked the next day. It will be slightly less tall.

Step 3: Pour into the Mugs

Use 14-ounce microwave-safe mugs or ramekins. Fill the cups no more than halfway with the banana batter, about 1 cup.

Step 4: Microwave the Cakes

Cook one mug at a time on high power in the microwave for 75 seconds. The cake will almost double in size. Target an internal temperature of 200 to 210ºF (93 to 99ºC).

If the cake is not ready or the batter is wet at the bottom of the cup, continue cooking in 15-second increments. The process usually takes about 90 seconds total cooking time in my microwave.

Spoon scooping a banana bread cake out of a white mug.

Step 5: Ready to Serve

Let the cake rest for 5 minutes, then grab a spoon and dig in! Top with sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or your favorite toppings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe without eggs?

This recipe can be made without eggs, but the texture will be very dense. Try adding one flax egg to help with the binding of the batter when cooked.

Can I substitute all-purpose flour with another type of flour?

Other types of flour can be used, like whole wheat, cake flour, gluten-free, almond, or oat. The variety used will impact the texture, typically making it denser.

Can I use frozen bananas instead of fresh ones?

Use ½ cup of defrosted frozen mashed bananas for the recipe.

Can I make this mug cake in the oven instead of the microwave?

Place the batter in ramekins on a sheet pan. Bake at 350ºF (177C) until the cake has risen, is dry on the surface, and reaches about 200ºF (93ºC) internally. The process will take about 20 to 30 minutes.

Why do you use ripe bananas?

For the best-tasting mug cake, the bananas should be very ripe. A good indication is the skin should be covered with dark brown spots or large patches. The texture will be soft but should not be overly mushy. This indicates the starches have converted into fructose, about 5% instead of 2%, when the skin is yellow. This will yield a sweeter taste. You can always increase the brown sugar if the banana is not ripe enough.