Cinnamon and brown sugar cozy up with twice the apple flavors in this drool-worthy apple mug cake. Try this cinnamon apple cake for dessert, a quick snack, or even for breakfast. It takes 3 minutes to make, and there are gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free options too for a healthy apple mug cake. Get ready for some serious fall vibes with this apple mug cake recipe!
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Apple Cake in a Mug
Growing up, every September my family and I would go apple picking. We drove out of the city for what felt like hours in kid-time (in reality it was a half hour drive).
As we drove to an apple orchard, my sister and I alternately played nice with each other, and then scrapped in the backseat. (It was shortly after one of these day trips that my parents bought a station wagon with three rows of seats.)
We each carried a canvas bag provided by the orchard and meandered through the neat rows of apples, climbing ladders, picking apples, and eating way more apples than I ever eat in a day.
Over the next couple of weeks my mom baked all kinds of apple desserts: apple pie, apple crisp, apple muffins, apple cake…
When I got a particularly sweet batch of pink lady apples the other day, I had a nostalgic moment for those apple orchard days. I decided to make a quick apple cake in a mug to share with you!
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Apple Mug Cake Ingredients
This is all you need to make this quick cozy snack:
all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour mix)
granulated sugar any kind: brown, white, coconut (erythritol or monk fruit for sugar-free)
baking powder
oil or melted butter or melted coconut oil (I used olive oil, any oil works)
apple sauce
¼ cup diced apple
cinnamon
For this apple mug cake, we use diced apples and applesauce to give it so much apple flavor goodness! It tastes like a freakin’ orchard, y’all.
If you have a kid and those single serving applesauce packs in your home, you’ll need almost half of an applesauce snack pack for this recipe.
If you like fruit desserts, try this 2-minute strawberry mug cake (top it with whipped cream!) or this yummy peach mug cake.
Tips & Substitutions
For the cooking time – this can vary with different microwaves and also with different mug sizes. It took my microwave 60 seconds to cook perfectly. The first time you make this mug bread, watch your microwave.
Test doneness, and if it needs a bit more time, add on 15 seconds at a time until it’s fully cooked. The next time you make it, you’ll know exactly how long it takes in your microwave!
You can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (like this one) instead of the regular flour in this mug cake recipe. Coconut flour will not work as a sub in this recipe; I haven’t tried with almond flour. Almond flour might work, but you might need to adjust the microwave time a little. You can also try these almond flour mug cake recipes.
You can easily make a vegan mug cake with this recipe. Just use oil or melted coconut oil instead of butter.
This mug cake is totally delicious as is, but if you want to add toppings, vanilla ice cream with caramel drizzle was a huge hit with my taste testers. I am an ice cream purist and only like ice cream with more ice cream, so I preferred my apple muffin in all its naked glory.
The caramel sauce I used is this one – it’s so yummy on mug cakes, in coffee to make it taste like a caramel macchiato, and on top of ice cream. I also love this date syrup caramel sauce – it’s low glycemic and paleo and tastes like the real deal.
Let’s get to the recipe and in just a few minutes you’ll have a warm and comforting snack!
Apple Mug Cake Recipe
Apple Mug Cake
Cinnamon and brown sugar cozy up with twice the apple flavors in this drool-worthy apple mug cake. Your fall and winter seasons need this easy apple spice mug cake; try it for dessert, a quick snack, or even for breakfast!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour mix)
- 2 tbsp sugar any kind: brown, coconut, erythritol or monk fruit for sugar-free
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tbsp oil or melted butter I used olive oil, any oil works
- 2 tbsp apple sauce
- ¼ cup diced apple (I keep the peel on)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder in a small bowl.
- Add the diced apple and stir to mix.
- Measure out oil (or melted butter/melted vegan butter/melted coconut oil), and 2 tablespoons applesauce; pour into dry ingredients.
- Stir until all mixed together.
- Pour the batter into a sprayed microwave-safe mug or ramekin.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute; if not fully cooked, add 15 second increments until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Top with ice cream, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, or just get a fork and dig in!
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This looks so good! I love the idea of using apples. Perfect with ice cream!
Thanks Pam!! I love apples and cinnamon so much! I hope you get to try this apple mug cake. xx
This looks really good, but I am confused about the milk listed in step 3. There is no milk in the ingredient list. Is the milk an option instead of Oil.
Hi Mary! Thanks for pointing that out – I fixed it. You’re right, there is no milk in this apple mug cake recipe. You can use milk instead of oil, it will just make a slightly drier mug cake. If you’re going to go that route, make sure not to over-microwave it and I would eat it the same day as I made it (though I always eat mug cakes immediately!). Have a great day!
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I have made this apple cake 3 times now. I don’t have a gluten free flour mix. As almond flour is generally a 1:1 substitute for regular flour, I have not experienced much with it. But I tried the apple mug cake. It was too watery from the applesauce and almond flour doesn’t soak up as much. So I added 1 tsp. – 1 1/2 tsp. Of coconut flour to the mix. It baked well. Was very good. Tonight, I used avocado oil. Although, it was a weird color, it baked okay. I lessened the sweetener because I have sweet apples. It just finished. Not tried it yet. Had to bake. 90 seconds or more. The batter was a little thick lb tonight, I put 1 1/2tsp. Coconut flour in. Couldn’t remember exactly how much I put in before. Can’t wait to try it tonight.
I tried the same thing with the lemon mug cake, didn’t work as well. I’ll try it again, someday and let you know if it works. Your picture is so beautiful. My cake looked nothing like that. But I ate it anyway. Thanks for the recipes and the stories. I am enjoying them. I want to try the strawberry ones. Some day I will. Thanks again.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this. I nuked the butter and apples for 30 second before adding. I used cinnamon applesauce, apple pie seasoning, and ginger in the mug cake. Will be making again.