This banana bread in a mug is a people pleaser in the best possible way. It’s a vegan banana bread mug cake that is also gluten-free, paleo, and completely delicious. It’s a healthy snack or healthy breakfast that you’ll crave!
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Banana Bread Mug Cake
This banana bread in a mug recipe was about a year in the making.
My most popular mug cake recipe on this site is this healthy single serving microwave banana bread. It has been shared over 100,000 times (this blows my freakin’ mind – thank you to everyone who has tried and shared my recipes!)
That banana bread mug cake is paleo, high protein, and gluten-free but it’s not vegan. I have had a bunch of requests over the years for a banana bread mug cake with no egg.
I thought, no problem, I got this. I once owned a vegan organic bakery, this will be easy.
I actually did make a vegan banana bread recipe, but it used regular flour and I wanted this to be gluten-free for my gf peeps.
This turned out to be not so easy.
I made many a delicious banana bread flavored pudding, but I could not get the consistency right so it would set well and taste like a cake.
Until now!
Related recipes:
Banana Mug Cake
I tried lots of different things to replace the egg and help this banana mug cake set well.
What worked?
Cha-cha-cha-chia!
Chia seeds are tiny little nutritional powerhouses.
They’re low-cal, high fiber, and high protein. Chia seeds can thicken jam instead of pectin, and they can act as an egg replacer in baking which is what I did here.
If you want to make this recipe uber-healthy and only use whole foods, you can skip the chocolate chips and then it’s a 3-ingredient banana mug cake (or make this one!).
I am a huge fan of chocolate so WILL be keeping in those chocolate chips.
Another popular keto recipe: Snickerdoodle Mug Cake
Vegan Banana Bread Mug Cake Ingredients
So simple, my friends.
- almond flour
- banana
- chia seeds
- chocolate chips
For the chocolate chips, you can use these chocolate chips if you want to keep this banana mug cake vegan.
For sugar-free and paleo chocolate chips, these are super popular.
Also feel free to chop up your favorite chocolate bar and use that – it’s all delicious!!
Related recipes:
Banana Bread in a Mug Tips
This recipe is so easy, and you can make it right in the mug without needing a mixing bowl first. Yay for fewer dishes!
I didn’t even spray the mug first (I usually do when I make mug cakes) and it cooked up perfectly and didn’t stick to the insides.
I put the peeled banana in a large mug, and mashed it up with the back of a fork.
Add the chia seeds to the mashed banana and stir them in. Let that sit for a minute or two while you get out the other ingredients. This gives the chia seeds a chance to absorb liquid from the banana and plump up, which will help this mug cake without an egg set really well.
Stir in the almond flour and the chocolate chips.
If you love cinnamon, here is a cinnamon banana mug cake recipe that is paleo and gluten-free!
Microwave your banana bread in a mug for 90 seconds, and then check to see if it’s done. If it needs a bit more time to set, add 20 or 30 seconds at a time until it’s done.
Top with more chocolate chips, a drizzle of peanut butter, sliced banana, whipped coconut cream, vegan ice cream, so many toppings are delicious with this vegan banana bread mug cake.
Okay! Let’s make this banana bread in a mug asap!
Banana Bread in a Mug (Vegan & Gf)
This banana bread in a mug is vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and completely delicious. It’s a healthy snack or healthy breakfast you’ll crave!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp almond flour
- 1 banana
- ½ tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
- Mash a ripe banana in a microwave-safe mug or ramekin.
- Stir in the chia seeds, then leave for a minute or two for them to absorb some of the liquid and soften up.
- Add the almond flour into the mug and mix it in.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Microwave on high for 90 seconds; check if done.
- If it needs a bit more time to set in the middle, add 20-30 seconds at a time until done.
- Top with more chocolate chips, sliced banana, coconut whip, vegan ice cream, a peanut butter drizzle, etc or enjoy as is!
Try this yummy gluten-free/paleo healthy chocolate mug cake
⇓ Pin this banana mug cake recipe to save it ⇓
Oh dear! Instruction number 3 is not supposed to be in this recipe. The chia seeds have replaced the egg thereby making the recipe vegan.
You are very right! Thanks for pointing that out – I will change it. This is most definitely supposed to be a vegan banana bread in a mug. 🙂
what is the regular non-vegan recipe with the egg? I am not a vegan person!
This banana bread recipe is delicious even if you’re not vegan, but if you’d like a version with an egg, this is probably my favorite recipe on the whole site: https://bestmugcakes.com/healthy-single-serving-banana-bread-gluten-free/ Hope you love it too! xx
I have made a bunch of your mug cakes and they usually turn out really good and they’re simple. For whatever reason this one did not set (3mins in the microwave already!) so I am currently eating a mug of banana goop … hot banana goop. Maybe it was leaving out the Chia seeds I’m not a Chia seed fan…
Thanks for trying my mug cake recipes Carrie! I’m sorry this one turned out less of a mug cake and more of a cup of banana pudding. You figured it out exactly. The chia seeds are what helps it set without an egg. If you leave out the chia seeds, it just won’t set (I have tried this and it happened to me). I don’t find that you can taste the chia seeds in this recipe, but if you really don’t like them, you can use an equal amount of ground flax seeds (they have to be ground, not whole flax seeds), OR you can use one whole egg if you’re not vegan. All of those methods will set this banana bread mug cake. 🙂
I have made your vegan banana bread mug cake several times now with 100% cocao chips. I really enjoy it. It’s quick and easy and I love chia seeds, so it’s a win-win for me. I’m not a fan of an egg in a mug cake. It’s hard to find many mug cake recipes without an egg. I have one it’s my fall back recipe. If I find a new one that sounds good but there’s too many ingredients in it and has an egg, I’m right back to my fall back recipe. Thanks for sharing your recipes. I’m going to try some of the other ones soon.
Thanks so much Susan! Glad you love all the mug cake recipes. 🙂