Hot Cocoa Mug Cake
With all the hot chocolate bombs floating around the internet these days, it’s an understatement to say I’ve had hot cocoa on my mind. I wanted to take it one step further and figured a hot cocoa mug cake was the perfect spin on this trend.
This mug cake is ready in minutes and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold day.
I enjoy this recipe the most right out of the microwave when it’s still warm and the chocolate chips are perfectly melted.
Add a few mini marshmallows and a swirl of whipped cream on top, and you’ll be in hot cocoa heaven!
You can also add mini marshmallows into your batter, but they’ll dissolve as the cake batter cooks in the microwave.
Cooking Your Hot Cocoa Mug Cake to Perfection
When I think of a mug cake, I want it to be warm and the tiniest bit gooey.
To achieve this perfect texture, I like to heat my mug cakes in my microwave for 1 minute, then heat them in 15-second intervals until they’re ready.
Cooking in intervals after 1 minute makes sure you don’t overcook your mug cake and helps prevent the batter from overflowing. My total cook time is usually 1 minute and 15 seconds.
However, cook time can vary based on your microwave! Different microwaves have different wattages and can vary from 600-1200 watts.
The higher the watts the faster your mug cake will cook. My microwave cooks at 1200 watts and is from 2013.
Test your mug cake after a minute by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake.
If it comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, it’s been heated long enough! The sides may still be a bit gooey, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
If the toothpick doesn’t come out clean from the center (ignore any melted chocolate chips you may hit) and the batter still seems goopy, heat the mug cake for another 15 seconds. Repeat this process until the toothpick test works.
Err on the side of undercooking your mug cake, as it will continue to set as it cools. If you overcook your mug cake, it can get a somewhat spongy, firm texture.
Picking The Right Mug
Another factor you need to consider when making a mug cake is the mug you use!
Obviously, it needs to be microwave safe (no-metal), but it also has to be large enough. While initially the batter might not fill your mug very high, the cake will rise as it cooks in the microwave.
The batter shouldn’t go higher than halfway up your cup.
As long as your mug has a capacity of 12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups or more, you’re good to go.
You also want a little extra room in your mug for toppings!! Cue the whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
Mug Cake Substitutions and Swaps
This hot cocoa mug cake recipe uses a lot of ingredients, and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.
Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.
- All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend or cake flour if that’s all you have on hand.
- Granulated Sugar – You can use brown sugar in place of granulated sugar if it’s all you have on hand. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar, though, as it will change the texture of your mug cake.
- Hot Cocoa / Hot Chocolate Mix– Any hot cocoa or hot chocolate mix will work! Swiss Miss and Ghirardelli are my go-to brands.
- Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil or melted butter in this recipe. Canola or sunflower oil would work great!
- Vanilla Extract – Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract. Feel free to use coconut extract, hazelnut extract, or even pistachio extract.
- Chocolate – You can use milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate. I like using dark chocolate best!
Tips for Making the Best Hot Chocolate Mug Cake
- Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Make sure you use a large enough mug or glass and that it’s microwave safe (metal-free). As long as your mug has a capacity of 12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups or more, you’re good to go.
- Cook time can vary based on your microwave! Different microwaves have different wattages and can vary from 600 to 1200 watts. The higher the watts, the faster your mug cake will cook. My microwave cooks at 1200 watts.
- Any hot cocoa or hot chocolate mix will work. Swiss Miss and Ghirardelli are my go-to choices.
- Top your mug cake with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and/or chocolate syrup to make it even more delicious.
- Please see the section above for substitutions and ingredient swaps.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you make this hot chocolate mug cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.
Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets! Use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media.
Hot Cocoa Mug Cake
Ingredients
Hot Cocoa Mug Cake
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 30g
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 25g
- 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix 45g
- 1/4 tsp baking powder 1g
- 1/8 tsp fine salt >1g
- 1/4 cup hot water 60g
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 28g
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 1g
- 1 Tbsp milk or dark chocolate chips 12g
Instructions
- Whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Add in 1/4 cup hot water, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and 1/4 tsp vanilla. Stir together with a whisk together until no clumps of flour remain.
- Pour into a 12 oz or larger microwave-safe mug and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of chocolate chips over the top of the batter.
- Heat for 60 seconds, then check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (melted chocolate is ok too if you hit a chocolate chip), your mug cake is ready! If the batter is still liquid in the center, heat for an additional 15 seconds, then retest with a toothpick. Repeat until your mug cake is cooked through.
- Let the cake cool for a few minutes (or else you will burn your tongue – trust me!!), then top with your favorite toppings and enjoy warm! Ice cream, whipped cream, Nutella, caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce all work great as a topping.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making the Best Hot Cocoa Mug Cake
- Make sure you use a large enough mug or glass, and that it is microwave safe (metal-free). As long as your mug has a capacity of 12 oz. or 1 1/2 cups or more, you’re good to go.
- Cook time can vary based on your microwave! Different microwaves have different wattages and can vary from 600-1200 watts. The higher the watts, the faster your mug cake will cook. My microwave cooks at 1200 watts.
- Any hot cocoa or hot chocolate mix will work! Swiss Miss and Ghirardelli are my go-to choices.
- Top your mug cake with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and / or chocolate syrup to make it even more delicious.
- Please see the section above for substitutions and ingredients swaps.
Nutrition
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DONT WASTE YOUR HOT COCOA this was not good the batter tasted great I followed all instructions and it still wasn’t good a toothpick came out clean so I started eating it then it was just raw uncooked and it didn’t taste very good at all. So do not waste your hot cocoa on this.
@Sky Martin, are you sure you did everything right man?
@Sky Martin,
Use a wider mug for it to cook more evenly. And add an egg 😀
Hi Aki,
Great tips, thank you for sharing!
Delicious! I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand so I substituted with black cocoa powder instead. Came out perfectly in one minute!
@Sher, are you sure you did it correctly?
@Anonimous, you appear to have replyed to the wrong person.
@Anonimous, you are correct. I meant to reply to sky martin. Oops!
This is so perfect for when you’re craving dessert for one and want it quick! I just made this and it’s perfect. Topped it with a scoop of vanilla bean and salted caramel ice cream. I weigh all my ingredients always as opposed to measuring them out using cups and it’s wayyyy more efficient. Thanks for sharing!
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain flour and baking powder?
Very delicious, nice texture and almonds is a healthy substitute for chocolate chips, coconut milk whipped cream made it lots better!
Finally, a mug cake recipe that actually tastes good! I omitted the extra sugar, used a salted caramel hot cocoa packet from Target, and I used a little chocolate balsamic vinegar in place of the vanilla since I didn’t have vanilla on hand. Delicious!
My nine-year-old granddaughter made these for dessert tonight. The recipe was easy enough for her to follow successfully. The family enjoyed her efforts.
This is the only mug cake recipe that I have ever tried that has ACTUALLY worked
I put the mixture into two different mugs and it worked amazingly
Added some icing and I love it
This is surprisingly good. I did not have hit cocoa mix so I used 2 T cocoa and 1 T granulated sugar. I also used chopped chocolate hazelnut bar in place of chocolate chips. I don’t love the taste of oil in cake and so next time I think I will try butter or coconut oil. Give it a try though. Easy and good!
I was out of cocoa powder so I tried this recipe, it’s okay, not the best but still tasted good.
Came out like a super fudgey brownie and was actually evenly cooked throughout! I added 1/2 tsp instant coffee to the mix and omitted the chocolate chips. Great way to use up excess hot cocoa!
Love that Haley!! And that sounds delicious, I’ll have to try that next time I make it 🙂
Omg. This is amazing!
Absolutely amazing. I’m making this every single night.
I am so happy to hear that Kylie!! It is such a yummy recipe 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
Hey hope you’re doing great
I wanted to ask if i can use red velvet hot chocolate mix instead? I have these one serving packets but personally, I didn’t like the taste, and now I don’t know what to do with them.
Please help
Thank you?
Hi Ammara,
I haven’t tried that out, but I think it should work just fine! However, if you don’t like the taste of them, you might not like the taste of the mug cake with them either.. but it’s worth a try! Hope that helps, happy baking!
This tasted SO GOOD, I added a bit of chocolate chips into the batter itself and it honestly tasted like a brownie! But i did need about 2 minutes for it to cook through fully, but other than that i had no problems
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Nina, thank you for sharing 🙂
This was really good and I am not a fan of instant hot chocolate. Not spongy like some mug cakes can be. The bad part is, I wanted to eat the whole mug. ?
Haha sounds like a good problem to have 😉 So happy to hear you loved this recipe Mary! Thank you for sharing!!
This recipe was easy to follow and provided a great result. A little rich for me on it’s own, but some ice cream would help me with that. After the holidays I have so much cocoa mix I need a new way to consume it, this is a good recipe to keep on hand 🙂
Hi Patricia,
Love that!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 It is a great way to use up leftover hot cocoa mix!!
I tried this recipe to use up some excess hot cocoa mix I had in my cupboard for a while and omg, I’m not only going to use up all of my hot cocoa, I’m now going to have to keep it on hand and buy more in bulk!! I use melted butter instead of oil and I put a big dollop of peanut butter in the center (which makes it verrrry gooey), and it’s amazing. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hi Elvie,
I’m so happy to hear that!! That sounds absolutely incredible 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!
I would adjust this recipe by adding an extra tablespoon or two of flour. Without that extra flour the batter comes out soupy and the cake becomes mushy and without integrity. It becomes a hot sloppy mess that isn’t very appetizing, so just add a little extra flour or even cocoa powder.
So sorry to hear your cake didn’t turn out well! It sounds like it might have been a bit undercooked?? You can also try coking it a tiny bit longer and that should help it be more set and have more structure. Hope that helps, happy baking!
I was craving something chocolate filled and I came across this recipe. When I made it, it came out flat and it tasted quite salty. Granted I probably added to much salt because I forgot hot coco mix has salt in it. It was good after I added melted chocolate and powdered sugar! I would definitely recommend! <3
Hi Nick,
Ah totally get that! Different mixes do have different amounts of salt in them. Glad you were able to sweeten it up with a little melted chocolate and powdered sugar 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Made this with my little loves and it was a HUGE hit! The process was long but well with the wait. We will be making these again. Thank you for the recipe!
So happy to hear that Heather!! 🙂 YAY!!!!
DELICIOUS. I had a craving for chocolate and only had some hot cocoa powder that I didn’t like. Put it together with this recipe, and it turned out amazing. Topped it off with some powdered sugar, DELICIOUS.
Yay!!! So happy to hear that JoElle 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
I’m not one to leave comments like this, but I seriously LOVE this recipe. Followed the instructions and it came out perfect. Excited to experiment with this recipe with different toppings, hot cocoa powders, and other mix ins!
Hi Tabbitha,
Yay!! So happy to hear that, thank you for sharing 🙂
Just made this cake, i used heated caramel flavoured coffee creamer instead of the water. I did 60 seconds and wasn’t paying attention and it overflowed, so i did increments of 15 seconds for about 3-5 more minutes give or take until it finally firmed up. It smelled so good, and the batter tasted soo good that i didn’t wait for it to cool and burnt the crap out of my mouth. Tastes pretty good and was fairly easy to make, satisfies the craving.
So sorry to hear you burned your mouth!!! But I’m glad it taste amazing 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Delicious! Swapped the veg oil and vanilla extract for coconut oil and coconut extract. Highly recommend!
Also halved the granulated sugar.
Sounds absolutely delicious Martha!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
actually amazing and perfect. reminds me lava cake. to die for honestly. absolutely recommend.
I am so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing scarlett!!
I have eaten this everyday for a week straight. It’s so freaking good. Almost like brownies
Love to hear that Caitlin!! It really is so delish! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I love this recipe sooo much!!! As a livid mug cake maker, this is by far the best recipe ive done. The texture, soft and fluffy but not spongey…It’s perfect!!! Please come out with a cupcake version of this!
Made this for my grandson. He loved it. He let me have a taste of it. I made me a vanilla one. It is very good.
Hi Mary,
So happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I’m sorry this mug cake is 600 calories? That can’t be right surely I’ve seen ‘low calorie’ mug cakes with the same ingredients that are supposedly 90 calories and your telling me this is more than a McDonalds burger ? surely not!
I have made this over a dozen times and each time is delicious. It’s the perfect size for one person and to satisfy a sweet tooth craving. I add a little more flour maybe an extra tablespoon or two and I used extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I never have a chocolate chip on hand so I will be trying it with the chocolate chips next time! I’m so happy I found your recipe.
Was great, sub milk for water to make it richer and was delicious
Love that swap!! Thank you for sharing Chase 🙂
Cook longer then instructions suggest unless you want dough
Hi Violet,
Thanks for your feedback! Microwave times can definitely vary depending on the wattage, so I totally get that some folks may need to cook it a bit longer. I’m glad you gave it a try, and I appreciate you sharing—it might help others in the future!
What if we want to heat this in an air fryer or oven? what would those directions be?
Hi Milton,
Great question! If you want to bake the mug cake in an oven, you can transfer the batter to an oven-safe ramekin and bake at 350°F for about 12–15 minutes, or until the center is just set. For an air fryer, use a heat-safe mug or ramekin and cook at 330°F for around 10 minutes, checking for doneness as every air fryer runs a little differently. Hope that helps, happy baking!
This turned out amazing! I made two dishes of this and it turned out great. I topped it with vanilla ice cream and it was perfect. Had to microwave for around 2:30 tho, my microwave is weird. ;-;
Hi El,
So glad to hear it turned out amazing—and topping it with vanilla ice cream sounds chef’s kiss perfect!! Microwaves can definitely have a mind of their own—glad you adjusted and made it work!
This was so good I added peanut butter in the middle so it was like a mini lava cake
Okay YUM—that sounds absolutely amazing Evelyn!! A peanut butter lava center?? Genius. I’m definitely stealing that idea! So glad you enjoyed it!
Very good recipe!
Personally, I felt the batter was a little too runny, so I added about a few grams more flour and it came out much better. I also increased the cook time from 1 min to 1 min 45 seconds because 1:15 was still undercooked.
My hot chocolate packet only came out to 40g of powder, but the missing 5 grams did not negatively impact the taste. I also did 28g of chocolate chips rather than 14g chocolate chips (semi-sweet) and it tasted perfect! (Though, I will say, following the grams measurements and my adjustments, my recipe turned out closer to 800 cals than 600. But thats okay, considering this is more of a rare treat haha).
I will say, this is much better tasting than the box mug cakes mixes that you can find!
Hi Kailey,
I love how thoughtfully you approached this, and I’m so glad it turned out even better with your tweaks! Adjusting the flour and cook time makes sense, especially since microwave wattages and mug sizes can vary so much. And I 100% agree, if you’re going to treat yourself, it might as well be worth it!
Thank you so much for sharing your notes, they’ll definitely help others too!
Easy recipe, very fudgy and delicious! Only thing I didn’t like was it was quite oily out of the microwave. Topped with whipped cream, butterscotch and caramel!
Hi Ren,
I’m so glad you liked how fudgy it turned out! The oiliness can sometimes happen with microwave cakes since they cook so quickly and don’t have time to absorb the butter or oil the same way an oven-baked cake does. You could try cutting back the butter/oil just a touch next time for a less greasy finish. And your toppings sound absolutely amazing, what a treat! Hope that helps, happy baking!!
WOW! Such a great recipe for yummy chocolate cake in minutes!
Hi Sue,
So happy to hear you loved this recipe 🙂 Thank you you so much for sharing!!
I just made this with my kids and we devoured it! I’m not a “cake person” but this was delicious topped with some marshmallows once it came out of the microwave. Yum! Thanks for great recipe.
Hi Kirsty,
That sounds like so much fun, I love that you made it together with your kids! Topping it with marshmallows is such a great idea, too. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
holy moly. sooooo good
So happy to hear you loved this Recipe Jossilyn 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
Forgot chocolate chips by accident but very yummy! Used a large oversized mug and dark chocolate hot cocoa mix. Would make again!
Glad you still loved it!! Sounds like it turned out great, thanks for sharing Stephanie 🙂
was soo good, wish i could leave a five stars but it wouldn’t let me, i didn’t have chocolate chips so i just put fudge on it.
Hi Ash,
Yessss!! So happy to hear that, it sounds like they turned out amazing ? Thanks for sharing!!