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This quick and easy microwave Pumpkin Mug Cake is the perfect fall dessert for one, or multiply the recipe and make it in ramekins to feed a crowd!
Pumpkin Mug Cake
If you love mug cakes and everything pumpkin spice, you will love these pumpkin mug cakes. My daughter Madison can’t get enough! I played around with this recipe many times and loved this version using ground flax seeds instead of egg since it’s so hard to divide an egg. It also adds extra fiber and is excellent for egg-free diets. For more perfectly portioned desserts, try this Banana Bread Mug Muffin, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Pumpkin Cheesecake Shooters. And if you need more ideas for canned pumpkin, see all my pumpkin recipes here.
Why This Recipe Works
- Healthy: This sweet treat is low in calories since it uses pumpkin instead of oil or butter and has a good amount of fiber.
- Fast and Easy: This dessert only takes a few minutes to whip up and cooks in just 90 seconds. No need to preheat the oven!
- Satisfies Dietary Restrictions: This pumpkin mug cake recipe is egg-free and can be made dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Delicious Any Time of Day: Who says you can only eat cake for dessert? This pumpkin cake would be wonderful for breakfast topped with vanilla Greek yogurt.
Pumpkin Mug Cake Ingredients
- Flax: Ground flax seeds replace the egg and increases the fiber.
- Milk: Use dairy-free or skim milk.
- Flour: You’ll need three tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
- Baking Powder helps the cake rise.
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon for all the yummy fall pumpkin flavor
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt balances the sweetness.
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree gives the cake moisture without adding fat.
- Vanilla Extract for flavor
- Sweetener: I used brown monk fruit to reduce the sugar and calories, but regular brown sugar will work.
- Whipped Cream: I served this healthy pumpkin mug cake with whipped cream, which was delicious but optional.
How to Make a Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Flax Egg: Combine the flax seed and milk in a small bowl and let it sit for five minutes. This mixture replaces the egg.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large microwavable mug.
- Wet Ingredients: Mix in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, flax seed mixture, and sweetener.
- Cook the Mug Cake: Microwave the mug for approximately 90 seconds, depending on your microwave. You may want to cook it for 70 seconds first and then check it before microwaving it any longer. Once the cake is firm to the touch, it’s ready.
- Serve: Let the pumpkin mug cake cool for a minute or two. Serve it warm with whipped cream, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon if desired.
Variations
- Gluten-Free Mug Cake: Substitute the all-purpose flour with two tablespoons of almond flour and one tablespoon of oat flour. See recipe in box below:
- Chocolate: Stir a couple of teaspoons of mini chocolate chips into the batter.
- Serve More People: Multiply the recipe by how many people you need to feed and microwave the cake in mugs or ramekins.
- Serving Ideas: Swap whipped cream with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt.
Gluten-Free Almond Flour Pumpkin Mug Cake
I tested this pumpkin mug cake with almond flour as a gluten-free alternative and it worked out great with some modifications. This recipe is for 1 serving:
- 3/4 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk (or skim milk)
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free oat flour
- 1/4 plus 1/8th teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 plus 1/8th teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown monk fruit sweetener (or sweetener of your choice)
- whipped cream, optional
- Combine the flax seed and milk and let it sit 5 minutes, this will replace using and egg.
- In a large microwavable mug whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder and pinch of salt.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, flax seed mixture and sweetener of your choice and mix until smooth.
- Microwave for roughly 1 minute 30 seconds, or until firm to the touch (timing is based on my microwave which is 1200 Watts so your timing may vary).
- Let it cool 5 minutes, it will firm up once it cools. Serve warm with whipped cream, pumpkin spice and cinnamon, if desired.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars
- No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Mug Cake
This quick and easy microwave Pumpkin Mug Cake is the perfect fall dessert for one, or multiply the recipe and make it in ramekins to feed a crowd!
Yield: serving
Serving Size: 1 cake
Equipment
- microwave safe pumpkin mug or ramekin
Ingredients
- 3/4 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoon dairy-free milk, or skim milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, *
- 1/4 plus 1/8th teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 plus 1/8th teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown monk fruit sweetener, or brown sugar, or sweetener of your choice
- whipped cream, optional
Instructions
- Combine the flax seed and milk and let it sit 5 minutes, this will replace using and egg.
- In a large microwavable mug whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder and pinch of salt.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, flax seed mixture and sweetener of your choice and mix until smooth.
- Microwave for roughly 1 minute 30 seconds, or until firm to the touch (timing is based on my microwave which is 1200 Watts so your timing may vary).
- Let it cool 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream, pumpkin spice and cinnamon, if desired.
Last Step:
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Notes
* See gluten-free version using almond flour and gluten-free oat flour in box above.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cake, Calories: 134 kcal, Carbohydrates: 41.5 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 3 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Sodium: 21.5 mg, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 1.5 g
Absolutely delicious but the calories listed here are incorrect. Should be higher.
This is the best! Whipped these up for my family and they loved it so much that I had to do them again the next day. I used the tablespoon of egg that you recommended in the comments as had no flax.
Gina, thank you so much for helping me feed my family healthy and quick meals. As a full time working mom, it can be hard to find recipes that work for us. I use so many of your recipes in regular rotation, especially the air fryer ones. I really appreciate you!
Thanks Lori!
I would like to replace the flaxseeds.
I want to use oat flour but could not locate the “box above” for the healthier version of this recipe. Thank you for using flax seed rather than eggs!
Just above here it says “Gluten-Free Almond Flour Pumpkin Mug Cake”
Just made it. It was delicious and so quick snd easy!
Really Like this recipe. I would leave out the flax seeds next time. It’s just a texture thing for me
I love pumpkin season. These are great and they use up left over pumpkin from other recipes. A win win
I altered this to be keto-ish by substituting the flour for 2tb almond flour and 1tb walnut flour. The milk of choice was unsweetened almond milk and monkfruit sweetener of 1tbsp
My eldest son loved it, but myself and my husband were so so.
Delicious!! I had to add a little extra milk since the mixture was dry. Maybe I didn’t measure something correctly? Anyway, it came out great after 70 seconds.
This is delicious! With whipped cream on top, it was a great low calorie treat 🙂
I love this mug cake. I made the GF version. Perfect when craving sweet but don’t want to have leftover laying around and tempt my diabetic husband to eat dessert
We have nut and gluten allergies. Could I just sub gluten free flour instead of the almond?
Yes.
I used eggbeaters instead of the flax and milk and I thought it came out very dense. But it is very cute to do with kids… I might try one time with the flax and milk.. see how that works..
ok… I made this a second time using the preferred method of flax and milk and I made it with two 4 year olds and their moms…. the kids loved the process and the moms rated the cake very good… the 1 year old thought the cake with whipped cream and sprinkles was wonderful and ate his share… my 4 year old grand told his teacher the next day all about the wonderful time he had making pumpkin cake with ME!!… thanks Gina! this was a winner
Great!!
Very good dessert that the whole family enjoyed. Substituted almond milk and used egg.
Such a great little pumpkin treat for myself. I am the only one in my family that enjoys pumpkin so this is great for me! I have one single portion and get my taste of pumpkin.
If I didn’t want to use flac seeds how many eggs do I use
Sounds yummy! Any idea temperature and time for the oven? We don’t really use the microwave. Thanks!
350F I am guess 12 to 15 min?
I dont see a box with the gluten free version. Please share.
Above it says Almond Flour Pumpkin Mug Cake
Looks good-is pumpkin purée the same as “ 100% pure pumpkin ( in a can)
yes
Really nice idea for a single serving treat. I made this for my husband and I, and found it was a bit overcooked after 90 seconds (I should have checked at 70 seconds, as directed!). Tried it again today at 70 seconds and it was just right. Tasted lovely with a little light whipped cream. Definitely will be making this recipe again.
Just made this. It was the perfect fall treat! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Is there a brand of pure monk fruit that you could recommend that doesn’t have any fillers or other sweeteners?
I am not sure?
I don’t understand how you calculate that this is 134Kcal if your macros are correct.
41.5 Carbs = 166 kcal
4 Proteins = 16 kcal
3 Fats = 27 kcal
That’s a total of 209 kcal
This is generated with nutrition software. I don’t personally add the math up, and I double checked to make sure there is no typo. It’s correct.
Easy and very tasty! Nice warm treat on a cold evening.
Could you substitute Chia seeds for flax?
I have not tried.
I have a GF friend who’s sensitive to oats as well. Could I use all almond flour?
It comes out too wet, you could use GF flour instead.
This was a nice treat! I made the almond flour version (with oat milk and regular brown sugar) and it was soft and flavorful. I made this for breakfast with eggs on my day off. Also a great way to get fiber in now that berries are out of season. Thanks as always, Gina!
Great!! I loved the almond flour version!!
How much brown sugar did you use?
fabulous – thank you! A great way to usher in fall.
What can you use if you don’t have pumpkin spice?
it’s just a mix of spices, you could make your own
Can you share a link for the cute pumpkin mug?
Its from target
I linked it in the recipe card above!
could I swap the flax egg for a real egg?
Just made this as I happened to have all the ingredients including a bit of fresh pumpkin puree on hand.
My first time making a flax egg!
I find the cake didn’t rise much in the microwave at all and is a bit dense but the flavor is there. I cut the monk fruit sweetener to a scant tablespoon and find that to be plenty sweet. I probably wouldn’t make this for others but definitely will keep in mind as a quick treat for those bits of leftover puree.
It’s def best as a mug cake : )
Can I just use an egg and skip the flax?
If you did you would need like 1 tablespoon of it instead of the flax and milk
When you say 1 tablespoon do you mean mix the egg yolk and white together and then take 1 tablespoon of it? You mentioned something up top about separating eggs so I am not sure.