You're just three minutes away from this decadent, chocolate chip-studded, single-serving pumpkin mug cake! Add a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream on top for the ultimate quick fix to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings.
When I've got that hankering for something sweet, I have an uncanny ability to produce dessert out of thin air. It's usually a vegan mug cake. For most of the year, that would be my vegan chocolate mug cake. But when pumpkin season hits, pumpkin spice takes over my life. It's all about this pumpkin mug cake.
Jump to:
Do you know about this whole mug cake concept? Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of thing you can just unlearn. You're forever stuck with the knowledge that there's cake available at all times. Here's the deal: you mix up small amounts of cake ingredients in a mug, microwave everything for a minute or so, and you've got cake for one. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Once fall hits I start cracking open cans of pumpkin puree like crazy, and often I don't use a whole can at once. Mug cake is the perfect excuse to use up that last spoonful of pumpkin puree in the can. Maybe you bought too much when you went to make my vegan pumpkin pie or vegan pumpkin bread. You really don't need an excuse though. You're going to want to make it all the time. This sucker takes just about three minutes to whip up, and it's delicious.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. The recipe works best with all-purpose wheat flour, but I've also successfully made it with spelt and whole wheat pastry flour.
- Sugar. We're using organic sugar here, since conventional sugar is sometimes processed using animal bone char.
- Pumpkin pie spice. This one also goes by pumpkin spice.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Non-dairy milk. Whatever you normally drink is fine, as long as it's unflavored and unsweetened. Read my guide to dairy-free milks if you're lost.
- Pumpkin puree. We're using canned pumpkin puree, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling, which includes a bunch of extra ingredients we don't want.
- Vegetable oil. Whatever oil you normally bake with can be used. Canola oil, corn oil, and melted coconut oil are all fine.
- Vegan chocolate chips. You can skip these if you prefer to just let the pumpkin flavor shine.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Stir your flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a mug.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the milk, pumpkin puree, and oil. Just mix everything until combined.
Step 3: Add the chips. Just fold them in gently.
Step 4: Microwave. Zap your mug cake for a minute to start, adding 30 seconds if needed.
Let your pumpkin mug cake cool for a bit. Preferably top it with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream, but that's your call.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven't made a gluten-free version, but I suspect an all purpose gluten-free flour blend would work.
Yes, but you'll need to cook and puree it. Try this pumpkin puree making method.
I'm sure you can, but I have not done so myself. If you'd like to try it, make sure you're using an oven-safe mug and bake it at 350° until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I can't tell you exactly how long that will take, but I would start checking it at around twelve minutes.
More Vegan Pumpkin Treats
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Mug Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons organic granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- â…› teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons canned pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Stir the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt together in medium-sized microwave-safe coffee mug.Â
- Add the milk, pumpkin puree, and oil. Stir just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 60 seconds. If it doesn't look done after 60 seconds, zap it for another thirty seconds.
- Let the cake cool briefly, but not completely. Serve it warm with a spoon and optionally with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Video
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Quick, easy and tastes great. Thanks much!
Hi I don’t have microwave oven . Can I use the conventional oven instead? Thanks!
I'm sure you could, but I haven't tested the recipe this way so I can't say what temperature or how long to bake it for. My best guess would be about 350F for 20 minutes because that's how long I usually bake cupcakes.
Quick, easy and delicious. I used EVOO because that was on hand and topped it with ice cream. Perfect midday treat to get me through the work day.
Will 100% cacao chips work, or do you think it will be too bitter?
I think they would work! The muffin part is nice and sweet, so you should end up with a nice flavor balance. :)
Satisfied my sweet tooth quite well, thanks. 🙂
I'm so happy to hear that!
The best mug cake I've tried!!! Subbed the oil for apple sauce and it was still delicious
Yay! I've got some apple sauce in the fridge right now - I'll have to give that a try. Thanks Kelly!
I was wondering about that. Thank you.
This looks like a winner!
Thanks Kylee! I certainly thought so! ;)
You really don't need an excuse to use up excess pumpkin!!!!!!!!
Hello beautiful mug cake! I'm going to have to crack into my stash of frozen pumpkin purée and get this into my belly asap! Thanks for the recipe :)