This vegan vanilla mug cake recipe is quick and easy to make. It creates a soft and fluffy cake made in the microwave, saving you the time and effort of heating an oven!
Eat this delicious treat as-is, or top with vanilla ice cream/ whipped cream and sprinkles! It makes a large single serving but is also great to share with someone as two smaller servings.
Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake Ingredients
This recipe uses just a few basic vegan ingredients to create a tasty mug cake. They include:
- Plant-based milk: Start this recipe with some plant-based milk. Any type should work but I typically use soy milk.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness, keep this recipe simple using granulated sugar. I haven’t tested any other type of sugar/ sugar substitute.
- Vegetable oil: For a moist, rich cake, select a neutral-tasting oil. Olive oil doesn’t work unless you want your cake to taste like olives (this was unpleasant when I tested it). Melted vegan butter/ margarine can also work.
- Vanilla extract: Of course, we need vanilla to create the main flavor in this delicious mug cake.
- Salt: A pinch of salt always enhances other flavors, so don’t leave this out.
- All-purpose flour: Again, for simplicity, this recipe uses all-purpose flour. I haven’t tested this cake with any other type of flour, but I have had success using oat flour in other mug cake recipes (no guarantee it’ll work here).
- Almond flour: This is optional and can be replaced with a bit of extra all-purpose flour. I find the almond flour adds a nice, subtle almond flavor and creates a softer cake.
- Baking powder: For a fluffy cake, you’ll need baking powder.
- Sprinkles: These are completely optional but a fun addition to vanilla cake. Most sprinkles aren’t vegan, so double check before buying to ensure yours are vegan.
How to Make Vanilla Cake in a Mug
This is incredibly simple and quick to make, which are the two main advantages of mug cakes! They’re great anytime you don’t want to turn on the oven but still want a tasty treat.
Step 1: Mix Liquid Ingredients
Select a large mug for this recipe. You can also use a bowl or ramekin or any microwave-safe dish. A wider mug/dish is better than one that’s tall and thin.
Into the mug, add the plant-based milk, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt. Stir until it’s well mixed and you’ve dissolved the sugar.
Step 2: Stir in Dry Ingredients
Next, add all remaining ingredients to the mug. This includes the flour(s), baking powder and optional sprinkles.
Stir until the batter is well-mixed. Make sure there aren’t clumps of flour or sections of liquid ingredients in the mug, especially at the bottom.
Once stirred, scrape off the mixing spoon and try to level out the batter into an even layer.
Step 3: Microwave and Serve
Microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds at full power. Every microwave is different so you may want to test using anywhere from 1 minute 15 seconds up to 1 minute 45 seconds.
Remove from your microwave as soon as it’s cooked and let sit for a full minute. It’s a long minute but lets the cake set properly.
Then enjoy! Top with vanilla ice cream, coconut whipped cream, sprinkles or anything else you like.
If needed, cover and store uneaten mug cake in the fridge overnight.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!
Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake
Equipment
- Mug
- Measuring spoons
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plant-based milk , I use soy (30 milliliters)
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar (22 grams)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (15 milliliters)*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (30 grams)
- 1 tablespoon almond flour , optional** (7 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- vegan sprinkles (about ½ teaspoon; optional)
Instructions
Step 1: Mix Liquid Ingredients
- Select a large mug for this recipe, ideally one that is wide (rather than tall and narrow).
- Add plant-based milk, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt to the mug.
- Stir until well mixed and the sugar dissolves.
Step 2: Stir in Dry Ingredients
- Add all-purpose flour, almond flour (if using), baking powder and optional sprinkles to the mug.
- Stir well, until there are no clumps of flour or sections of liquid in the mug, particularly at the bottom.
Step 3: Microwave and Serve
- Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds on full powder. Every microwave is different and cooking time may vary from 1 minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds.
- Remove from the microwave as soon as the cake is cooked and allow the cake to sit for a full minute before eating (cake needs time to set).
- Optional to serve topped with vegan vanilla ice cream, coconut whipped cream, sprinkles or whatever you like.
Video
Notes
**Can replace with an extra ½ tablespoon (5 grams) all-purpose flour. Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.
Nutrition
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About Nicole Stevens
Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.
She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.
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