Keto Peanut Butter Mug Cake

Ready in about five minutes, it makes a great keto breakfast or snack. Add a few chocolate chips or top it with whipped cream and it’s the perfect dessert! I’ve been working on this cake for a while now. It’s a simple cake with only four ingredients, but since nut butters greatly vary in their texture, it wasn’t that easy to get the ratios right. So it took me several tries until I perfected this recipe. But I did eventually reach perfection - a tasty, gooey and moist cake with just the right amount of sweetness. I really like it for breakfast!

Ingredients

You’ll only need four simple ingredients to make this keto peanut butter mug cake. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Peanut butter: Use natural creamy peanut butter. I use Trader Joe’s, which contains peanuts and salt. Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, including this one. Sweetener: I like stevia. You could try using a granulated sweetener instead, but I haven’t tried that. Baking soda: If you’d like to try using gluten-free baking powder (though I haven’t tested it in this recipe), remember that ¼ teaspoon of baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Instructions

Making this keto peanut butter mug cake is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps: You start by mixing the peanut butter with the egg in a medium mug until completely incorporated. You might need to add a bit of water. The next step is to mix in the sweetener and the baking soda. Now, microwave the cake for 30 seconds, then if needed microwave for 10 more seconds. Don’t overcook it! And if you wish, top it with keto whipped cream.

Expert tips

Based on my attempts, I have a few pointers for you before you try making this cake. The gist of it is that because this recipe relies on peanut butter and on microwave baking, the results will greatly vary, depending on what peanut butter you use and on your own microwave.

Use a freshly opened jar of natural peanut butter and stir it well. If you opt for a half-used jar, the peanut butter might be too dry.Go by how the mixture looks and feels in your kitchen, with your peanut butter. I show you in the video - it should be smooth, shiny, and not too thick. If it’s sticky and difficult to mix, add an extra tablespoon of water.I don’t add salt to the batter, because my peanut butter is already salted. If your peanut butter contains just peanuts and nothing else, not even salt, add a pinch of salt to the batter.Microwaves vary. I always start with 30 seconds, check the cake, then usually add 10 more seconds. By then, the edges are puffed and the center is still gooey - and that’s exactly how I like it.You need to mix the peanut butter and egg really well until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform. If the batter is very thick and sticky, add a tablespoon of water. This makes mixing much easier.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

Add a few drops of pure vanilla extract to the batter. It goes nicely with the peanut butter flavor.Mix a few chocolate chips into the batter before microwaving it.If you like cinnamon, try adding a pinch of it to the batter. Not everyone enjoys this flavor combination, though!

Serving suggestions

This cake is wonderful all by itself, and when I don’t add anything to it, I feel that it makes the perfect keto breakfast. When I want to make it for dessert, I usually top it with keto whipped cream or with chocolate whipped cream. It’s also good drizzled with melted dark chocolate.

Storing leftovers

You can store the completely cooled leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days (provided you didn’t top the cake with whipped cream). You can leave the cake in the mug and wrap the mug in two layers of cling wrap.

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