No, that wasn’t a typo, and yes I did say cricket. 🦗🤭 This cricket flour mug cake is a gluten-free, banana walnut, two-minute treat that is high in protein, and sure to freak out your family.
Cricket flour—made from finely milled, roasted crickets—isn’t just a trendy protein source; it actually packs a surprising number of health benefits.
If you’re someone who likes to try new things, you like to eat high-protein, or you’re just curious to try cricket flour baking once and never again, let this cricket flour banana cake be your weirdly delicious gateway cricket recipe.
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Cricket Flour Mug Cake
Cricket flour has a nutty, roasted taste—similar to sunflower seeds or mild coffee. It works well with warm spices, cocoa, nuts, and honey.
Bananas and walnuts are a great complement to the flavor of crickets – er, cricket flour (sounds much more palatable that way).
One of my taste testers is my very-honest-no-filter 9-year-old. She loves sampling all the mug cake recipes I make for this site.
She likes lots of different flavors (like matcha and coffee), but said no way was she testing this cricket cake.
Honestly, if you didn’t know there were crickets in this recipe, you wouldn’t taste them or know this was an unusual cake recipe.
For a more standard quick banana bread recipe, try this banana oat flour mug cake.
It just tastes like sweet, flavorful banana bread – seriously!
(She’s still not trying it, but maybe you are feeling brave.)
With cricket flour, an egg, walnuts, and optional protein powder, this mug cake can pack around 15–20g of protein, depending on your additions. Not bad for a 2-minute snack.
If you want a more typical banana bread recipe, try one of these:
- Banana Mug Cake for a Quick & Easy Homemade Treat
- 3-Ingredient Banana Mug Cake (Microwave Banana Bread)
- Banana Bread in a Mug for when you Crave a Quick Healthy Snack
- Healthy Single Serving Microwave Banana Bread
Can You Bake with Cricket Flour
Yes, you can bake with cricket flour—but it does work a bit differently than regular wheat flour.
Crickety goodness.
Since cricket flour is very high in protein and contains no gluten, you can’t always just use it as a direct 1:1 flour substitute.
It’s similar to how you would use almond flour – I have lots of almond flour recipes on this site.
You can sub half the almond flour in any of my mug cake recipes for cricket flour.
For regular flour recipes, you might have to experiment a little, but a good start is replace 10-30% of regular flour with cricket flour.
Because it’s high in protein, cricket flour absorbs more liquid. You may need to add a bit more milk, oil, or eggs to keep baked goods moist.
Easy Cricket Flour Cake Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this banana walnut cricket flour cake:
I’m guessing you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry, but maybe not the cricket flour, which you can get here.
- cricket flour
- almond flour (or oat flour)
- vanilla protein powder (optional, for extra protein)
- ripe banana
- egg (free range)
- milk (any kind – dairy or non-dairy)
- maple syrup or honey
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- salt
- walnuts
Where Can You Buy Cricket Flour
The best place is online, and the cheapest I have found is here.
A few years ago, you couldn’t find almond flour in most grocery stores and now you can.
It’s possible cricket flour will become more common too, but for now, online is probably the best way to go.
This is another highly rated brand.
Make sure you’re buying cricket flour (like the two I linked to above) and not whole crickets to feed your pet lizard.
Although I do wish I had one or two whole dried crickets to top the mug cake. 🙂 I feel like it would have added a certain something to the photos! lol
Are you ready to try something totally different? Let’s make this banana walnut cricket flour mug cake!
Cricket Flour Mug Cake (Banana Walnut)
Looking for a high-protein treat that’s anything but ordinary? This Banana Walnut Cricket Flour Mug Cake is a quick, delicious, and nutrient-packed dessert or snack you can whip up in just minutes. With the warm flavors of banana bread and a subtle nutty twist from cricket flour, it’s a gluten-free, grain-free, and surprisingly tasty way to try something new.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cricket flour
- 1 tbsp almond flour (or oat flour)
- 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (optional, for extra protein)
- ½ ripe banana, mashed
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 tbsp milk (any kind – dairy or non-dairy)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (plus a few extra for topping)
- Optional add-ins:
- Dash of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp chia seeds or ground flaxseed for extra fiber
Instructions
1. In a microwave-safe mug (at least 10–12 oz), mash the banana well.
2. Add the egg, milk, and maple syrup. Whisk with a fork until smooth.
3. Stir in the cricket flour, almond flour, protein powder (if using), baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Mix in the chopped walnuts.
5. Microwave on high for 60–90 seconds, or until the top is just set and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
6. Let cool for a minute or two, then top with extra walnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup, or even a dollop of Greek yogurt.
What Are the Health Benefits of Cricket Flour
Here are reasons why some people are swapping their whey protein or white flour for this buggy alternative:
1. High in Protein
Cricket flour contains around 60–70% protein, and it’s a complete protein – which means it includes all nine essential amino acids.
Great for muscle repair, energy, and to keep you full longer without a sugar crash.
2. Gut-Boosting Chitin (Fiber)
Crickets contain chitin, a type of fiber found in insect exoskeletons (maybe don’t think about this too much). It can act as a prebiotic, feeding healthy gut bacteria and supporting digestion (focus on this part).
3. Rich in Micronutrients
Cricket flour is naturally high in:
- Vitamin B12 (supports brain and nerve function)
- Iron (more bioavailable than plant sources)
- Zinc (immune health)
- Magnesium & Calcium (for bone health)
4. Low in Carbs and Sugar
It’s low-carb and sugar-free, making it friendly for keto, paleo, and low-glycemic diets.
5. Sustainable Nutrition
Though not a direct health benefit, cricket farming uses much less land, water, and feed than traditional livestock—so it’s good for the planet and your long-term food security.
6. Allergy-Friendly (Sometimes)
Cricket flour is gluten-free and dairy-free, but not always safe for people with shellfish allergies (due to similar proteins). Check with your doctor first.
For a more standard mug cake, but still high-protein, gluten-free, flourless, and delicious, try this 3 ingredient peanut butter mug cake.
Pin this cricket flour mug cake recipe:
🦗👇
